Ayada Maldives Resort opens: First Turkish-themed luxury resort in the region

The smallest category of water villa are the 33 Ocean Villas, but these are 108 square meters (1163 square feet) in area, making them about 3 times the size of a typical urban hotel room. Of course much of this area consists of the private terrace that rims each villa, with a private plunge pool on each deck.

Each room also comes complete with an LCD TV with surround sound, an iPod docking station, an in-room private bar and wine cellar and much more. The bathroom comes complete with a raindrop shower, luxury amenities, and a private view out on the lagoon. There is 24-hour butler service available in addition to 24-hour room service.

One slightly ironic thing about the Maldives is that most of the super luxury resorts are small and focused on just one or two restaurants, and they have a more limited selection of available activities. The Ayada Maldives Resort bucks that trend with its 7 restaurants and bars and exhaustive list of things to do.

In addition to the scuba diving and snorkeling that are the main activities at most resorts in this region, the Ayada has a full fitness center, a flood-lit tennis court, volleyball court, and badminton court. They are also one of the few resorts in the region that offers surfing off its own island.

There’s also a 3500 square meter spa with eight treatment villas, making it one of the largest such facilities in the Maldives.

Nearly every water villa in the Maldives has one or more cut-outs in the floor where you can observe the sea life just below your villa, but the Ayada Maldives appears to have taken that one step further. The photos they are providing show an enormous glass floor section that is perfectly viewed from both the sofa and love seat in the living room.

It’s possible that these oversized glass floors are only in the 16 Ocean Suites and the single 2-bedroom Ocean Suite, as they all have a separate living area and bedroom, but even so this is a feature that also sets this resort apart and should be very popular with arriving guests.