9 Maldives water-villa resorts with amazing off-season rates

The high season for resort prices in the Maldives basically runs from December through April, with December and January being the busiest months because it's when most Europeans want to take a winter break. The rest of the year is considered the “low season” for Maldives resorts, even though the Maldives weather is almost exactly the same the whole year round and therefore there is no best month to go to the Maldives in terms of climate.

Interestingly, July and August tend to be the cheapest months for resorts in the Maldives, so it's quite a popular destination for Europeans who take one of those months off. Better still, many resorts offer drastic discounts during the off-season months, so it's possible to get a water villa at literally half the price you'd pay in the high season.

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Most Maldives resorts have “dynamic pricing” and you can save big by being flexible

There are nearly 80 water-villa private-island resorts in the Maldives, and many of them are similar to one another. However, due to most of them using a dynamic pricing policy to try to fill rooms at the highest possible price, you can find nearly-identical resorts charging drastically different prices for any given night during high season resort periods.

Most hotels will lower their rates if they have plenty of availability for about 3 to 4 months in advance. Once each hotel gets to around 50% full it will charge more for the rest of the rooms, and as the remaining rooms become reserved the price will keep going up. The trick is to shop around and find the resorts that still have many available water villas for the dates you want to travel, and you can get the cheapest possible rates.

9 Best Maldives water villa resorts with great off-season rates

Below you’ll find a list of high-rated water villa resorts that cut their prices way down outside of the high season, which is the best period to go to the Maldives if you’re on a budget. We didn’t even include resorts that don’t get good reviews because it’s not wise to try to save money by going to a place you won’t like. Fortunately, most of the top-rated resorts also have the best summer deals, so each one listed below offers big savings at a great hotel.

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Water villas: 71
Total rooms/suites: 150

An amazing and unusual property, the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is actually set on two islands connected by a footbridge. The larger island has a long list of activities and amenities available, while the smaller island is reserved for adults only and is better suited to honeymooners and romantic couples. Here you’ll find 10 different dining options and a large number of amenities to choose from including 2 spas, one of which is located over the water as well.

The 71 water villas here are in addition to 79 island rooms and suites and are all quite large even by Maldives standards. This resort offers what it calls “barefoot luxury” and has won several awards so these off-season discounts are quite welcome considering the popularity of this resort during the high season.

Low season online specials from US$568 per night
High season online specials from US$1,492 per night

>More information about the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island >Check rates

Velassaru Maldives Resort

Water villas: 45
Total rooms/suites: 129

A solid 4-star private island resort, the Velassaru Island has 45 water villas in two different classes in addition to 84 rooms and suites on the island itself. For a mid-sized resort, this one is quite special with its selection of four unique restaurants. The rooms themselves really impress with a wine chiller, mini bar, bathroom and slippers.

Each of the water villas here is very large and loaded with luxury amenities, including a home theater system. The high season resort prices here put it well into the super-luxury category, so if you can get anything near the low-season special deals you’ll have a great bargain on your hands.

Another helpful aspect is that the Velassaru is relatively close to the Male Airport, so it’s a reasonably priced and quick speedboat ride instead of an expensive sea-plane flight.

Low season online specials from US$962 per night
High season online specials from US$1,022 per night

>More information about the Velassaru Maldives Resort >Check rates

COMO Cocoa Island Resort – Maldives

Water villas: 33
Total rooms/suites: 36

Even among Maldives resorts, COMO Cocoa Island stands out as something special. Each of the 33 overwater villas is shaped like a traditional Maldivian fishing boat, and there are no island rooms at all. Better still, the COMO Cocoa Island Resort literally gets the highest guest reviews in the Maldives, so it offers value and quality at the same time. Each of the rooms wows with a split level bedroom with a sitting area and a private terrace with direct access to the ocean below via wooden steps.

The high-season rates obviously put this small resort into the super-luxury category, and it stays quite full from December through April at those rates. But the summer rates where the water villas go for half the price are quite astounding, making June to August the best months to travel to the Maldives and stay here. Read the reviews for this resort and you’ll see what we mean and if you can get a discounted off-season rate you’ll be thankful.

Low season online specials from US$977 per night
High season online specials from US$1,215 per night

>More information about the COMO Cocoa Island Resort – Maldives >Check rates

Olhuveli Beach Resort & Spa – Maldives

Water villas: 60
Total rooms/suites: 164

Featuring 60 water villas in addition to 106 island rooms and suites, the Olhuveli Beach Resort & Spa is quite a good deal even during the high season. This hotel gets very good reviews for its moderate price range, and when the off-season rates are cut almost in half it represents a fantastic bargain.

The cheapest category of water villas is relatively small, though still larger than a typical city hotel room, but the next category up is only a bit more expensive and each of those comes with a Jacuzzi out of the private sundeck. The island has 2 infinity-edge pools plus great diving and a long list of other activities so it’s a great choice for active guests or those who’d just prefer to relax. Those who are really seeking an ultra-relaxing vacation will find just that at the resort’s spa which features a garden alongside treatment rooms.

Low season online specials from US$432 per night
High season online specials from US$593 per night

>More information about the Olhuveli Beach Resort & Spa – Maldives >Check rates

LUX* South Ari Atoll Maldives Resort

Water villas: 87
Total rooms/suites: 193

Long a popular 5-star resort called Diva Maldives, it’s now called LUX* Maldives and has been upgraded in other ways as well. There are 87 water villas here that range from large to huge, each with complimentary wi-fi access, which is rare in the Maldives. Rooms also feature room service and a minibar alongside an outdoor shower.

The resort has 2 swimming pools plus tennis courts and a fitness center, and the usual range of diving and water sports. There are also 8 different restaurants plus a champagne bar and a nightclub, giving guests far more choices than nearly any other resort of this size. The off-season deals here are very solid if you can get them, and quite amazing for a 5-star private island resort.

Low season online specials from US$1,020 per night
High season online specials from US$1,274 per night

>More information about the LUX* South Ari Atoll Maldives Resort >Check rates

Vakarufalhi Island Resort – Maldives

Low season online specials from US$544 per night
High season online specials from US$705 per night

With 25 recently-built water villas in addition to 50 island rooms, the Vakarufalhi Island Resort is relatively small but quite popular. Check the reviews and you’ll see the word “paradise” used in almost all of them, referring to the fact that this is more of a simple and traditional Maldives resort rather than a modern international chain hotel.

The resort operates mostly on an all-inclusive basis, so the below room rates below are better value than you might otherwise think. The high-season rates do actually seem a bit high for this resort, though it has so many repeat guests that it continues to fill up. The low-season rates are reasonable enough that the rest of us should probably book it to find out why the repeat visitors keep coming back every year.

Low season online specials from US$544 per night
High season online specials from US$705 per night

>More information about the Vakarufalhi Island Resort – Maldives >Check rates

Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Luxury Resort

Water villas: 80
Total rooms/suites: 150

The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Luxury Resort (formerly the Hilton Maldives) might seriously offer the best value in the Maldives, full stop. This is a deluxe 5-star resort with 80 water villas in different classes in addition to 70 island rooms and suites, plus a long list of restaurants and available activities. Some of these activities include jet-skiing, scuba diving, sailing and a selection of tours to partake on.

Each water villa is huge, which makes it all the more surprising that this resort has such aggressive discounts when they are slow. Most Maldives resorts hesitate to discount deeply even during the slow season, but the Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Luxury Resort offers amazing online specials at all times of the year if you happen to catch a slow week, meaning that there is no best month to go to this Maldives resort. Normally you’ll pay over US$700 per night even for their cheapest water villas, but if you time it right you’ll pay half of that.

Low season online specials from US$875 per night
High season online specials from US$1,147 per night

>More information about the Sun Siyam Iru Fushi Luxury Resort >Check rates

Kanuhura Resort – Maldives

Water villas: 20
Total rooms/suites: 95

With only 20 water villas in addition to 75 island rooms and suites, the Kanuhura Resort is an exclusive place, with each room coming with a private resort host among other amenities. The water villas are all enormous and each features an outdoor shower and a freeform bath that is semi-open to the sky.

You can tell by the high-season room rates that this is a full-on 5-star resort that is for those who can afford the best of everything. The off-season online specials put it into the high end of the normal luxury category, so while still expensive, it’s a relative bargain and a good chance for 4-star travelers to experience some serious 5-star hospitality.

Low season online specials from US$1,320 per night
High season online specials from US$1,611 per night

>More information about the Kanuhura Resort – Maldives >Check rates

Mirihi Island Resort – Maldives

Water villas: 30
Total rooms/suites: 36

With only 36 total villas, 30 of which are water villas, the Mirihi Island Resort is one of the smaller and more intimate resorts of its kind in the Maldives. It does not have special facilities for children or families, so it’s unofficially an adults-only resort, which should make it popular with many who are seeking a more romantic experience. Guests here will find a beautiful spa to enjoy with the cleverly named Adam and Eve treatment, which is a massage followed by champagne on a private balcony.

The reviews for the Mirihi Island Resort are phenomenal, so it’s easy to see how they can charge a luxury price during high season. The low-season special deals are even better with that in mind, with discounts of nearly 50% on a very popular honeymoon-style resort.

Low season online specials from US$915 per night
High season online specials from US$1,398 per night

>More information about the Mirihi Island Resort – Maldives >Check rates

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