Maldives is proudly noted as the water villa capital of the world, and one of the planet's most desirable holiday destinations, for many different and exciting reasons. However, it should be noted that a Maldives vacation can be a bit confusing because of the long flights into and out of the country and the fact that each visitor then has to take a sea-plane or speedboat to another island to reach their choosen resort.

If you are reading this article you have probably just realized that you are going to have to spend a least one night near the Malé International Airport on your way in or on your way out. You may even have to spend the night near the airport going both ways. The good news is that once you read the information below, you'll be able to confidently book a hotel near the Malé Airport, and know exactly how you'll get there and back.

For Malé Airport hotels, you have 3 main choices:

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Hulhule Island Hotel

The Hulhule Island Hotel is the one and only hotel that is very close to the airport, and also the only place in or near the capital area that serves alcohol. Rooms here start around US$300 per night for two people, and there are many cheaper options nearby.


Take the ferry over to Malé Island

Your first instinct might be to book a hotel in the capital city of Malé, which is a 10-minute ferry ride from just across from Baggage Claim at the airport. As I’ll explain further below, this is really not a good choice for most people, and the option below is far better.


Stay on Hulhumale Island, which is connected to the airport

THIS is where most people visiting the area should look for a hotel. Hulhumale Island is new (on mostly reclaimed land) and it’s connected to the airport island due to a road that runs along the southern border of the airport. You can get there by either taxi or public bus, however, you’ll find that most of the better hotels will arrange for a driver to pick you up and drop you back off at the airport.

Why you probably shouldn't stay on Malé Island

Since you are traveling to the exotic island nation of the Maldives for the first time, why not spend part of a day or night in its capital city of Malé? Well, the answer to that is it’s more of a hassle than staying on Hulhumale Island, and there is virtually nothing there to see that’s of any interest or exciting.

 

As someone who has visited the capital city of almost every Asian country you can think of, I was shocked by how both crowded and charmless Malé is. It’s literally one of the most densely populated islands on the entire planet, and a very ordinary fish market is probably its number one sight. Stranger still, there are almost no restaurants on the island that are suitable for the typical tourist.

Why you SHOULD stay on Hulhumale island

If you book a hotel on Hulhumale Island, you’ll most likely to have a driver from the hotel waiting for you, just outside of Baggage Claim. Your driver will then take your bags and you’ll be in the car only a few minutes later. It’s about a 10-minute drive around the southern tip of the airport (through 2 security checkpoints), and then you’ll be at your hotel.

 

Even though the distance on a map is much farther than taking a ferry over to Malé Island, it takes a considerably smaller amount of time to reach your hotel on Hulhumale Island. And you won’t have to even deal with your own luggage once you retrieve it off the baggage carousel because the driver will assist you all the way to the hotel lobby.

 

Perhaps more importantly, when it’s time to head back to the Malé Airport the next morning, whether you are flying out or heading to your resort, you can also get a ride from your hotel and you’ll be exactly where you need to be only about 10 minutes after checking out of your room.

Hulhumale Island

Hulhumale Island is pleasant, uncrowded, and actually cheaper than Malé

 

The area along the beach on the northern east coast is where you’ll find many hotels and quite a few tourist-oriented restaurants within an easy walk of one another. If you have some time during daylight hours, you can actually spend it on the sandy beach in this area, which is many times larger than the artificial beach on the northern coast of Malé.

 

Basically, the Maldives goverment is very aware that Malé is crowded, expensive, and has no real worthwhile sights, so they commissioned Hulhumale Island to be built for hotels serving resort visitors coming into or out of the country.

A New Bridge

A new bridge from the airport to Malé Island opened in 2018, but you should still probably stay on Hulhumale Island

 

At the end of August 2018 the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge opened up, which is a China-funded project that now connects the southern part of Hulhule Island (the airport island) with the southern part of Malé Island. The bridge has made some things easier for locals, but it really didn’t change anything for visitors. For one thing, the ferries between the airport and Malé Island already run 24/7 and are quite cheap. More importantly, the new bridge takes you into a part of the main island with very few hotels, so it will be a much longer drive to reach a hotel than to reach a hotel on Hulhumale Island itself.

 

If you are really curious about Malé and want to visit the island it’s better to take the cheap and frequent ferries that leave from right in front of the airport. The ferry terminal on Malé Island is more or less the center of everything, so it’s where you’ll want to start a visit as well. Also, there are quite a few hotels within a fairly short walk of the ferry terminal on Malé Island, so if you want to stay there you are best off in one of those.


The best of the affordable hotels on Hulhumale Island

Paralian Hulhumale

 

They only have 7 rooms and it gets great reviews, so the place is booked up most of the time. If you make your inquiry early enough you should be able to get a room though, since almost all guests stay only stay for one night at a time. Though the rooms are on the small side they are still very comfortable and they also have good wi-fi and satellite TV channels. They have some modest rooms for a very good price and those are probably best suited to guests who check in after dark and will depart again around sunrise. If you are arriving early or departing a bit later, some of their nicer rooms could be worth it because they are on a really nice beach.

 

Most guests arrive late at night and leave early the next morning, and they are set up well for that with their own driver. If you need any meals other than breakfast, there are a few good and reasonably priced restaurants within walking distance.


If the Paralian Hulhumale is full, book a hotel nearby

Planktons Beach Hotel – This 3-star hotel is also fairly new and gets great reviews. They charge extra for airport transfer.

 

h78 at Hulhumale Maldives – Just across the road from the beach, this one has slightly cheaper rooms with no view as well as sea view rooms. If you are only spending overnight hours at the hotel, a view might be pointless. Breakfast and airport transfers are included in the rate.

 

Hotel Ocean Grand at Hulhumale – This 4-star hotel is near the others and often offers great discounts. Airport transfers are included in the rate, and the reviews here are fantastic.


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  1. first of all sincere thanks to you for giving the detailed guidance to everyone for Maldives, good work..!!

    I have a few questions as below:

    We want to visit maldives in Nov first week and is a family of 5 Adults plus a 5 month baby.

    1. Which resorts in your list can accommodate us with a baby?
    2. Can you explain differences between All inclusive, full board and other normal booking?
    3. Can we split a stay in a resort between different category of rooms, does it have a cost impact?
    4. With baby is it advisable to take sea boat transfer or sea plane transfers?
    5. Is it advisable to take a far off resort from Male airport?
    6. If we prefer water villa which will be most budget friendly?

    Reply

    1. Pratz,

      I’m happy to try to help.

      1. Unfortunately, it’s rare to even find Maldives resorts that allow 4 guests per villa. The only that allow 5 or 6 are a few large 2-bedroom or 3-bedroom units at a few resorts and those cost many times what normal water villas do, so it’s cheaper to get 2 water villas.

      2. All resorts offer an included breakfast with a normal booking. Half Board also includes dinner. Full board includes 3 meals per day, but not alcohol. All-inclusive includes all meals (usually served at buffets) and usually unlimited alcohol and other drinks. In some places the top-shelf drinks cost a premium, while they are included at others. A few resorts also include a tour or excursion with the all-inclusive plan.

      3. Yes, you can book an island room for part of your trip and a water villa for another part. It’s not only cheaper, but sometimes you’ll get upgraded to a water villa for one or more of your island days if they’ve got an empty villa.

      4. I’m not sure about that. Both are quite loud. The sea planes don’t fly very high so I don’t think pressure is as much of an issue as it is in a big plane.

      5. The resorts closer to Male Airport usually have cheaper transfers so they can actually save you money. I don’t think any of them are in the flight path to the point that it’s annoying, so staying near the airport will save time and a bit of money.

      6. The list above shows our picks for the best of the cheaper resorts. But the rates can change for any given date depending on availability. My suggestion is to check the dates at a resort that appeals to you, and then also check your dates for all resorts on Agoda.com, which usually has the best rates. Sometimes you’ll see a promotional rate for your dates if a resort has too many empty rooms. It’s hard for me to know which is best on any given dates so it’s best to check yourself. Some good news is that pretty much ALL of these resorts is really as wonderful as the photos look. A couple Maldives resorts have quite a few disappointed guests, and I don’t even list those on this site. -Roger

      Reply

  2. HI ,
    I would like to get 2 days normal resort and 1 day water villa. Which one do you recommend and how much it will cost.

    Reply

    1. Yash,

      Obviously it depends on where you’d stay. Island villas at some resorts start at around US$150 per night, and water villas at those same resorts start at around US$350 per night. You also have to pay between US$100 and US$700 per person for transfers from the airport to the resort. Have a great trip. -Roger

      Reply

    1. Thorsten,

      I totally understand and the speed boat transfers do feel kind of like a rip-off at first. But each resort (for the most part) has to buy and operate their own boats and it’s pretty expensive. I think your best bet is to look into the resorts that are closest to the airport, as a few of them offer transfers close to US$100 per person, return. Here is our list of the closest water villa resorts to the Maldives Airport. Best of luck. -Roger

      Reply

    1. Francesca,

      Sorry about the delayed response and it might be too late. For the Maldives each resort has its own speedboats and when you book a room they will ask you for your flight details so they can arrange a pickup at the dock just in front of the airport. The speedboats are fairly expensive so you have to research those prices before you book, and that’s why we list them on each page of this site.

      As for a 3-year-old, yes, it will be an issue. Many resorts don’t allow guests under 13 or even 18, while other resorts just make you sign a waiver saying that you understand the risks. Speaking of that, the piers that go out to the water villas do NOT have rails, and it’s easy to just walk right off the decks in most water villas as well, so you’d really have to stay focused on that. -Roger

      Reply

    1. Estee,

      I haven’t been to Adaaran Club Rannalhi, but I’ve heard good things and I’ve spoken to the people who run it. It’s true that the resorts all look so amazing and almost all of the reviews are glowing as well. In my experience it turns out because they ARE so amazing. It seems like it’s so expensive to build and run these private-island resorts that operating them poorly is a bad strategy. There are 2 or 3 Maldives resorts that tend to get many bad reviews and I don’t even list those resorts on the site because there are enough great ones to list.

      As for the sea planes, it’s true that some of them drop guests at one resort on their way to another, but actually most people love the sea plane flights because they offer the most amazing views of the islands you can get. If you are not comfortable flying in a plane with 10 or 12 people then it might be better to opt for one of the resort with speedboat transfers. And the sea planes only operate during daylight hours, while speedboats can go at night if they need to, so that’s another factor. Best of luck with whatever you decide. -Roger

      Reply

  6. hello Roger,
    great site with alot of information but with that im trying to plan a honeymoon probably in June and ok with it being a rainy month especially if the cost can be slightly discounted. Dont want to stay at a resort that is overly expensive.
    I want a location that is all inclusive and want to stay maybe 3 nights over water and 3 nights non. I see you recommend meeru alot and the price is very good. I know its one of the older resorts do you still think it stands up for honeymoon and todays standards.
    Is there any other resorts you would recommend I also would like it to have some activities so we dont get too bored.
    Also what is the best time to book is now good or wait till closer will it have better deals.

    Reply

    1. Andre,

      It’s true that June usually has the greatest chances of a rainy day or two, as opposed to just a quick rainstorm here and there, but most days in June are still mostly dry so I agree that it can be worth it to take advantage of the lower rates and smaller crowds, and you might get very lucky with the weather anyway.

      And it’s also true that Meeru is indeed a resort that I recommend a lot, and in my opinion it definitely holds up to the newer resorts. You might also look at Veligandu, which I also recommend, as they are run by the same respected company. Meeru Island is huge compared to most so it feels very private and spread out even when it’s full, and they have more restaurants and activities than almost any other resort. Veligandu is smaller, but also with quite a few choices.

      One reason that I recommend Meeru so often is their strategy is to offer an excellent product at a fair price, and stay almost fully booked all year round. At least half the people I met there had been there before and they come back again and again because of the quality and value. Most other resorts advertise with much higher room rates and then start offering promotions about 3 months out in order to fill the villas. If you are aware of that you can actually get a pretty good deal with 2 or 3 months to go, but you also have to settle for places that have enough vacancies to offer promotions. Places like Meeru and Veligandu (and that company runs 2 or 3 other resorts that aren’t all inclusive) have prices low enough to be full a month or two out all year round. They just prefer to be full of happy guests rather than having to keep running promotions to get new guests in at the last minute.

      All of that said, even most of the newer Maldives resorts tend to be quite casual rather than posh. The service is usually excellent, and you can check all the recent reviews yourself to confirm, but since they are sandy islands where most guests walk around barefoot most of the time, they are more like beach bungalows than 5-star hotel suites. Meeru and Veligandu usually run good rates all the time, and often I see that they offer All Inclusive Plus included in the rate in June. If that is what you are seeing I think booking soon would be wise if that is what you want. But if you wait until next March or so you might see a couple other all-inclusive places start offering rates that are similar. It’s a bit of a gamble, but since June is the slowest month it’s not like you won’t find a room, even at the last minute. I hope this helps. -Roger

      Reply

  7. Hi Roger

    Thanks to your suggestions, I am at the last stage of booking Meeru for 2 nights. I have 3 queries, I would be reaching Male International Airport at 16:20 hours.
    1. By what time would we be able to reach the resort?
    2. IF I book the water villa for one night and water front villa for 2 nights, would it be okay or booking Water Villa for 3 nights would be a better idea (Is there a huge difference in the experience or just experiencing it for one night and saving bucks for other 2 would be wise?)
    3. IF i book the villas through travel agents like Makemytrip and not through the Meeru website, how will I be able to book the Speedboat? Booking through the Meeru website is costlier.

    Thannks

    Reply

    1. Anurodh,

      I’m sure you’ll love it there. The speedboat transfer can depend on how many other guests are coming in on that flight or flights around the same time. If you land at 16:20 you should have your luggage by 17:00 and you’ll go find the Meeru representative outside of customs. The speedboat ride is about an hour each way and it might leave right after you get there, or you might have to wait for another couple or two. Usually it seems to be on its way in an hour or less because they own quite a few speedboats that are going back and forth around that time of day.

      That’s a tough call. In my opinion a water villa is an amazing novelty for at least 3 days or so, but after that you are used to it and notice that the restaurants and bars and such are a longer walk than from the beachfront villas. If you can afford the three nights I would do it. One night is much better than zero though.

      The lowest rates on Meeru Island are usually on Agoda.com, and those are much cheaper than the official website. After you reserve your room on the website it will ask you for your flight details and then charge you for the speedboat all at the same time. Since there are no other options of getting there, they just add it right on top of the room charge before you pay the first time. Have a great trip. -Roger

      Reply

  9. Hi Roger,
    I looked at about 30 resorts already, in almost every website I see the option to enter a coupon code.
    Two questions:
    1. How do I find such coupons?
    2. What’s the best time to book prior to arrival to get the best prices/deals?

    I’m looking for over-water outdoor jacuzzi villa at up to $700 so limited my choice to:
    1. Meeru
    2. Vilamendhoo
    3. Olhuveli
    4. Am I missing any option at this price range? (Centara and Sun Siyam are around $900…)

    Thanks in advance,
    Max

    Reply

    1. Max,

      Those top 3 on your list are the ones that come to mind for me, and I’m glad you found them. Meeru Island has very large Jacuzzi Water Villas in your price range with full board or even all-inclusive.

      As for hotel coupons, I don’t think they exist for most places. I’ve found the best rates are on Agoda.com in most cases and I don’t think they use coupons (at least for resorts like these).

      Have a great trip. -Roger

      Reply

  10. Hi Sir,
    I am looking for a 4D3N/5D4N Honeymoon Package.
    The Travel dates will be by end of Dec.
    Looking for a romantic tour, resort should be mostly all inclusive, water villa with Jacuzzi, spa and water sports facilities.
    Please help to find a suitable villa.
    Budget for the trip is 500-600$ per day.

    Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    1. Shreyas,

      We are simply an online guide to overwater hotels and we don’t do bookings. The last week of December is peak season for the Maldives (and every other tropical island destination) so your budget might not be enough, especially for all-inclusive. Your budget is enough for the excellent Meeru Island resort if you can go a little earlier or later than that last week in December. The Jacuzzi Water Villas there are huge and the service is fantastic. Best of luck with this. -Roger

      Reply

  11. Dear Roger,

    Thanks so much for this and other articles, have you heard of Sun Island Resort and do you have any thoughts on it? They have over the water bungalows for a low price. Thanks

    Reply

    1. Ani,

      I haven’t personally been to Sun Island, but I’m familiar with the place. The reason that the water villas there are cheaper is that they are semi-detached, so they have 68 bungalows in 34 structures. The water villas are also smaller than almost any other in the Maldives at around 32 square meters or 340 square feet, which makes them similar in size to a normal 4-star hotel room in a big city. Most other Maldives water villas are at least 50% larger and many are many times larger. All of that said, the place has a very good reputation and gets great reviews, and I’d be very happy to stay there myself.

      When comparing these resorts it’s important to compare what you get for the price. In other words, for the same price as a water villa at Sun Island, you could instead get a larger beach villa at another resort, or at Sun Island itself. At least for part of my stay I would personally prefer to stay in the water villa over the clear lagoon because that is an experience you can’t get anywhere else in the world. Let me know if you have any other questions. -Roger

      Reply
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