Featured
Anantara Veli named Maldives’ Best Wellness Retreat at World Spa Awards
Anantara Veli Maldives Resort has been named Maldives’ Best Wellness Retreat at the 2017 World Spa Awards.
The 2017 World Spa Awards winners were unveiled in Phu Quoc, Veitnam on Sunday, with the Anantara brand as a whole making sweeping wins. Anantara Veli was named Maldives’ Best Wellness Retreat, a great honour in such a prestigious, luxury category.
Launched in association with the World Travel Awards, voters of the World Spa Awards comprise spa industry professionals and the wider public, a double seal of recognition for excellence.
“We are thrilled to be recognised on a global stage, and I would like to thank the team for their dedication and passion in perfecting each guest’s wellness journey. Discerning travellers with busy lives look for an all-encompassing experience, a total escape for body and mind. Anantara Veli provides the ideal setting for relaxation and invigoration, with a complete suite of consultants and facilities for tailored approaches to wellbeing,” Melissa Dowel, the Spa Director at Anantara Veli, was quoted in a statement, as saying.
Anantara Veli recently launched its new Balance Wellness Sanctuary, offering a multi-dimensional approach to relaxation and health. Balance Wellness offers guests a holistic path to feeling and looking better.
Begin with a personal consultation with one of the resident wellness consultants. Based on your lifestyle and body composition, together devise a programme for your time on the island and back at home. Balance Wellness helps tackle deep-seated issues such as sleeplessness, weight management, detoxification and mindfulness.
Begin each day with healthy food choices catering to your body type. Practice meditation and yoga overlooking the ocean with the resident yogi, or shape up with high intensity circuit training and cardio. Submit to soothing detox rituals such as Udwarthanam, an Ayurvedic massage using herbal powders to increase blood flow and flush out toxins and cellulite.
Visiting Masters of Wellness from as far afield as Hawaii and Portugal bring the latest in holistic treatments to Anantara Veli. Discover your body’s natural ability to heal with Naturopathic Doctor Sohal Shah. Explore the myriad benefits of acupuncture with Dr. Rui Pedro Loureiro. Heal with movement under the guidance of Holistic Therapist Jade Wood.
At Anantara Veli, you are invited to open your mind and find inspiration in the most stunning of everydays. Paint the sunset and explore the artist inside you. Join in a bodu beru drumming session or find wonder diving pristine reefs.
Anantara Veli is an adults-only private island fringed by quintessential Maldives overwater bungalows. A 35-minute speedboat ride from the capital and Velana International Airport, the island lies in a peaceful azure lagoon shared with sister resorts, Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort and Naladhu Maldives Private Island.
Designed for sweeping romance, couples can hide away in luxury or venture into the heart of the island for star-lit moments in an orchid garden or open-air cinema. Candlelight dinners take place over the waters at the Maldives’ finest Thai restaurant, Baan Huraa, or the resort’s private picnic island, Gulhifushi.
For those looking for activity and novel experiences, Anantara Veli features an on-site water sports centre, Aquafanatics, with PADI diving and luxury surfing with Tropicsurf. Daily meditation and yoga sessions are led by the resident yogi in an ocean-facing yoga pavilion.
The lush garden spa in traditional Maldivian style greets with the soothing scent of orchid. Five personal treatment suites with dedicated Ayurveda set-ups offer garden views and a soaking tub in front of a waterfall. A serene relaxation courtyard with hot and cold plunge pools invites pre- or post-treatment unwinding.
Featured
Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Maldives introduces summer offer across four island resorts
Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Maldives has introduced a summer offer aimed at travellers seeking longer stays across its four island resorts.
Guests booking stays of seven nights or more will receive complimentary return transfers for two people, while shorter stays will include complimentary one-way transfers. At participating resorts, up to two children under the age of 12 can also stay and dine free.
The offer includes savings on selected excursions and activities and is available for bookings and stays until 31 October 2026.
Guests who book directly through Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Maldives will have access to additional benefits, including options to personalise their stays with beach dining, spa treatments and island activities. Members of the brand’s loyalty programme will receive further savings and earn double Discovery Dollars during the promotional period.
Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives offers beachfront accommodation, a range of activities and speedboat transfers from Malé. Its accommodation and family-focused programmes are designed for guests seeking a combination of recreation and time together.
Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives provides accommodation, dining options, wellness services and water-based activities within an island setting. The resort caters to couples, families and travellers visiting the Maldives for the first time.
Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa Maldives, located across two islands in Meemu Atoll, is positioned for couples and honeymooners. Guest experiences include sunset dining, spa treatments and access to the surrounding lagoon.
Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon caters to divers and snorkellers through its house reef, marine life and access to dive sites. The resort provides direct access to underwater experiences in the Indian Ocean.
The summer offer provides savings of up to 65% across Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Maldives’ four properties.
Awards
JOALI Maldives wins two honours at Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia
JOALI Maldives has been recognised in two categories at the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia 2026, receiving honours among the Best Resorts in the Maldives and for the Most Outrageous Villa.
The recognition reflects the resort’s Creative Living philosophy, which brings together art, nature, wellbeing, sustainability and hospitality within the guest experience.
Located in Raa Atoll, approximately 45 minutes by seaplane from Malé, JOALI Maldives opened as the Maldives’ first art-immersive luxury resort. Art installations, dining experiences, wellbeing programmes and accommodation are integrated across the island as part of its approach to resort living.
The property features 73 beach and overwater villas and residences, positioned across the island and above the Indian Ocean. The accommodation has been designed to provide privacy, space and access to views of the surrounding environment.
Each villa combines contemporary design with materials including timber, marble, bamboo and terrazzo, as well as handcrafted finishes. Floor-to-ceiling glass provides views of the ocean, while private pools connect the indoor and outdoor spaces.
Artworks and design pieces are also incorporated into each villa, reflecting the resort’s Creative Living concept and extending the art experience into the accommodation.
Guests can choose from Beach Villas, Water Villas and multi-bedroom Residences, with options designed for couples, families and groups. The larger residences provide additional living areas, pools and facilities for guests seeking more space and privacy.
Each villa is supported by a dedicated Jadugar, a term used by the resort to describe its butler service. The Jadugar assists guests throughout their stay by arranging dining experiences, island activities, celebrations and other personalised services.
Guests are also provided with bicycles to explore the island’s pathways, gardens and viewpoints.
JOALI Maldives said the awards reflected the work of its team and the support of its guests, partners and wider community. The resort also said it would continue developing experiences focused on creativity, wellbeing and connection.
The recognition adds to JOALI Maldives’ position within the Maldives’ luxury resort sector, where its art-led design and Creative Living philosophy form the basis of its guest experience.
Cooking
Michelin-Starred Chef Grégoire Berger to host dining experience at Lily Beach Resort & Spa
Lily Beach Resort & Spa has announced a culinary collaboration with Chef Grégoire Berger, chef and co-owner of the Dubai restaurant Kraken.
Known for progressive French cuisine influenced by the ocean, Berger has received a Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Dubai from 2022 to 2024. His restaurant has also been included among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, while his work has received recognition through several international culinary awards.
Berger’s approach draws on the sea as a source of ingredients, ideas and presentation. His menus combine French culinary techniques with marine influences, with each dish developed around a narrative connected to the ocean.
As part of his visit to Lily Beach in August 2026, Berger will host a fine-dining dinner for a limited number of guests. He will also introduce a signature dish at AQVA Bar & Restaurant during the collaboration.

The programme forms part of Lily Beach’s efforts to expand its culinary offering and introduce visiting chefs and dining concepts to guests in the Maldives.
Located in South Ari Atoll, the resort will provide guests with an opportunity to experience Berger’s cuisine within its all-inclusive hospitality concept. The collaboration will combine his Michelin-recognised approach with the resort’s existing food and beverage programme.
Lily Beach Resort & Spa has established its hospitality offering around its premium all-inclusive model, supported by a range of dining venues. Its restaurants offer overwater dining, international buffet selections, seafood and Asian-inspired dishes.
The resort’s culinary programme is supported by the Platinum Plan, an all-inclusive package that includes dining experiences, a selection of wines and spirits, excursions and personalised services.
Through the collaboration with Berger, Lily Beach aims to add another dining experience to its guest programme while continuing to develop its position within the Maldives’ luxury hospitality market.
-
Action1 week agoAnantara Dhigu partners with rrreefs on 3D-printed reef restoration project
-
News1 week agoNiyama invites travellers to explore the Maldives with new summer escape package
-
News1 week agoOZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI and OZEN LIFE MAADHOO earn Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice honours
-
News1 week agoFrom Shipwreck to Living Reef: Siyam World launches ambitious marine restoration project
-
News1 week agoGlobal Wellness Day at Joy Island features giant floating breakfast experience
-
Awards1 week agoTripadvisor ranks Machchafushi Island Resort among world’s best hotels
-
News1 week agoSun Siyam Vilu Reef introduces new era of luxury with Ocean Signature Villas
-
Awards1 week agoTripadvisor names Centara Ras Fushi among travellers’ favourite destinations


