Water villa of the week: Beach House Maldives – A Waldorf Astoria Resort

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.

The fact that it takes longer to reach than nearly any other resort might seem like a negative if you are in a rush to sit in a hammock, but most guests feel that it's a positive as it gives them amazing views of the Maldives before settling into a quiet corner of their own.

This week: Beach House Maldives – A Waldorf Astoria Resort

The Waldorf Astoria name is probably familiar to most people, and these days it’s simply an upscale division of the Hilton Hotels group. As we’ve discussed before, chain hotels, and particularly upscale chain hotels, have to fiercely protect their reputation of their global brand, so this almost always translates into excellent service and remarkable quality, as it does at the Beach House Maldives.

All but one of the water villas are 1,184 sq ft (110 m²) in area, which is about triple the size of a normal city hotel room, and much of that consists of private decks overlooking the lagoon. There’s even a private infinity-edge splash pool on the deck of every water villa, so those who might not like to snorkel and swim in the lagoon below can cool off in even more privacy. This is something usually found in Maldives resorts that cost twice as much as this place.

The interior of each room is still very specious and loaded with modern amenities, including a 42″ LCD TV and Blu Ray Player. The bathroom in each villa is also partially open-air, and there’s a large Jacuzzi bathtub in each one. You can see why these rooms are so popular with honeymoon couples and other romantic pairs.

Restaurants, bars, and activities

While the Beach House Maldives has the feel of an upscale boutique resort, it also has the advantages of a much larger hotel complex. There are 8 restaurants and bars, which means there’s about one for every 10 rooms in the place, meaning that finding your own sanctuary will be easy at any time, or you can find a fun group to hang out with if that’s your preference.

The list of activities at the Beach House Maldives is equally impressive. In addition to the diving and snorkeling that all resorts offer, they have two pools, tennis courts, yoga classes, cooking classes, and even an 18-hole golf simulator. The rooms are so nice it will be hard to leave them, but when you do you’ll have a month’s worth of great choices just steps away.

The price: US$428 per night and up, usually much higher

The Beach House Maldives is a larger resort and it uses what’s known as “dynamic pricing” which means that during slow periods the prices can drop a month or two out, all the way down into the amazing sub-$500 range. But generally you’ll see these enormous rooms at around US$900 and up. You’d likely have to wait until the depths of the summer slow season (and rainy season) in order to get the best rates so it’s probably not worth playing the waiting game. This is a high-end property and even at their normal rates it’s great value.