With a remote location near the equator, the 112-room Ayada Maldives Resort is now opening, bringing the first Turkish-themed resort to the Maldives. Developed by the Ankara, Turkey-based Aydeniz Group, this is a serious 5-star-plus resort that should compete well among super-luxury Maldives resorts.
From the decorations in each room to the Turkish hammam with plunge pools to the Turkish cafe (one of 7 restaurants and bars), the theme makes the Ayada Maldives a unique entrant in this category and one of the few resorts in the country meant to conjure up imagery other than the tropics themselves.
Just east of Bora Bora lies the most intimate of all overwater bungalow resorts in the South Pacific. With only 9 total rooms, 6 of which are at the edge of a private 23-acre island and the other 3 of which are magnificent overwater bungalows just out over the lagoon, this is as mellow and low-key as things get at a resort hotel.
This week we are featuring this splendid resort because in addition to everything else it has going for it, it’s quite reasonably priced as well.
this year, the PlanHotel group quietly added water villas to their two Maldives resorts, which were also both celebrating their 20th anniversary. What makes these water villas unusual is their unique sense of style that is unlike anything else in the Maldives.
The 25 water villas at each resort were designed by Italian Architect Mr. Ettore Mocchetti, and even a quick look shows that the extensive use of white both inside and out gives the villas a 5-star look that contrasts with the thatched-roof hut designs found at most other Maldives overwater bungalow resorts.
This week we are featuring a unique “couples resort” located on its own private island just off the coast of Belize. St. George’s Caye Resort has 6 over-the-water-cabanas, as they call them, which share a semi-circle pier out over the Caribbean sea. There are six other rooms located on the island itself and that’s it, and if you have a group of the right size you can rent the entire island out yourself.
Overwater bungalows and water villas are known for being expensive, but at least they are also known for being larger than a typical hotel room, especially when you include the private decks. There are over 110 resorts in the world offering these over-the-water rooms, and almost all of them are over 500 square feet, and usually around 1,000 square feet. This makes those about 2 to 3 times larger than a typical city hotel room.
Featuring 48 water villas, the Beach House Maldives – A Waldorf Astoria Resort is unusual in several ways, and a perfect hotel for honeymoon couples seeking an upscale destination that is out of the way. Its location is part of the key to the solitude, as you actually have to fly to Malé International Airport, and then a 55-minute flight to Hanimadhoo Airport before you board the speed boat that takes you to the Beach House.
Most overwater resorts cater with bungalows and villas that house a luxury bedroom in addition to a seating area and private deck, but did you know that there are also resorts that take it up a notch and offer two bedrooms, and sometimes even three bedroom suites? These resorts do have a higher nightly rate and are considered to be in the super luxury category, but are well worth the money if you have it.
Potentially exciting news for the many thousands of people who are interested in 5-star overwater bungalows in the most popular parts of the Caribbean, as at least one company has them in the planning stages. A resort called Las Canas on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic is intending to build 10 luxury units, to be opened in 2013.
This follows recent news of overwater bungalows nearly ready to open at the St.
fact that almost every overwater bungalow resort in the world is both tropical and remote for most of us, means that airfares are usually going to be a bit expensive as well. There’s really no getting around the fact that these long flights to exclusive destinations are never cheap, but you can still find deals at certain times of the year, especially if you fly in the off-season for that particular destination.
week’s featured overwater bungalow is not among the largest or most glamorous in the South Pacific, but it’s an extremely popular resort for a few key reasons that many people will want to consider.
The InterContinental Tahiti Resort has 32 overwater bungalow in addition to over 200 other rooms, making it one of the largest resorts of any kind in French Polynesia. Perhaps its best selling points are that it’s quite reasonably priced, and it’s very close to the Tahiti Airport without being too close.