Known for its dreamy coral atolls and vibrant peacock-blue water, the Maldives is a famously lavish but isolated destination. Located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of India and Sri Lanka, getting to the Maldives from the United States is no easy feat, requiring almost a full day of travel and a long layover in Qatar.
However, the destination is well worth the journey. The Maldives is famous for its overtly luxurious resorts, postcard views and superb scuba diving. Guests of Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa, a gorgeous 5-star luxury all-inclusive near the capital city of Male, will have an experience they’ll never forget from the second they step off the seaplane and onto the dock.
Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa Overview
The award-winning Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa is a truly luxurious resort in the Maldives, a very special part of the world. The astonishing turquoise shade of the Indian Ocean and the abundance of marine life make the Maldives feel a world away from everything else.
High-end amenities at Emerald Maldives include l’Occitane bath products, an extensive wine list hand-picked by a team of experienced sommeliers included in the rate, and spectacular overwater bungalows. Round everything out with super friendly and attentive staff, and Emerald Maldives is a great choice for a luxurious honeymoon or a family trip to discover a far-flung part of the world.
Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa Rooms & Suites
Guests at Emerald Maldives have their choice of a beach villa or a water villa. Beach Villas offer a gorgeous ocean view, direct beach access, and a private garden. Water Villas are the resort’s overwater bungalows that line either side of a long jetty and feature breathtaking views and lagoon access from a private deck.
All the villas include plenty of outdoor space and have massive bathrooms, outdoor showers and two-person bathtubs. You’ll also have a bicycle to use to explore the resort. Overall, they follow the same layout and decor with a few differences depending on your price point.
The most basic room is the Marina Beach Villa. Of all the villas, this one is nearest to the plane dock and reviews from previous guests mention that the seaplanes and boat traffic was quite noisy during the day, causing some early mornings. Still, if you’re looking to save some money and don’t plan on spending much time in the room, it’s a lovely option and has a comfortable outdoor seating area for relaxing in the evening.
Other beach villas are more expensive but are further away from the docks and much quieter. Aside from the option to add a private pool or Jacuzzi, there isn’t much difference. Family beach villas come with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a private pool and garden.
Water Villas come with many of the same amenities and upgrade options as the Beach Villas. Each features a beautiful private patio that faces the lagoon where you can have a morning coffee. There’s also a hammock suspended over the water for late afternoon naps. A private pool or Jacuzzi is an optional upgrade. There are no Family Water Villas available.
There are two Superior Beach Villas and Two Superior Water Villas in a more private location. They have an indoor living room separate from the bedroom (all other Villas have outdoor seating, but no indoor living room), a private pool, and floating lounge furniture.
The Royal Beach Villa and Presidential Water Villas are the two nicest rooms at the resort. The Presidential Water Villa has two large master bedrooms, a lounge, and a kitchen. It’s located at the very end of a long jetty and features the best views of the sunset in the house. A huge wall-sized door that completely opens up makes the pool both indoors and outdoors.
Finally, the Royal Beach Villa is a massive house that takes up two floors and comes with 3 bedrooms with private ensuites, a lounge, a kitchen, a private pool, a massage room, several walk-in closets, a gazebo, and a covered private patio.
Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa Food and Drinks
Six gourmet restaurants are included in the Deluxe All-Inclusive rate. The resort’s main buffet option is called The Aqua Restaurant. Located on the beach but with an indoor dining section as well, it serves a grand buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with several specialty cooking stations. Indian and Maldivian cooking is highlighted here as well.
Open for lunch, dinner, and drinks, the Beach Club Grill offers salads, sandwiches, pasta, and pizza, with a special emphasis on fresh meat, fish, and seafood cooked on a stone grill. The ceviche gets particularly rave reviews. Grab a beer, a glass of wine, or a freshly made cocktail at the nearby Beach Pool Bar.
For dinner, Amazonico specializes in delicious Central and South American cuisine. The kitchen is designed with an open concept so guests can get a good look at the traditional cooking methods employed to create mouthwatering Brazilian barbecued beef and spicy Mexican enchiladas.
Le Asiatique creates delicious Asian-fusion dishes in a tropical forest-themed eatery, complete with bamboo walls and a Teppanyaki grill. Nearly all menu items at both restaurants are included in the all-inclusive rate, and the few that aren’t are very clearly marked.
For drinks, guests can shoot pool and enjoy the sunset at the Sunset Pool Cafe while soft music plays in the background. Early risers can greet the day over a freshly brewed cup of coffee at the Sunrise Cafe.
Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa Beaches
The resort has two beautiful Maldivian beaches with powder-soft white sand, food and beverage service, and fabulous swimming and snorkeling. The Sunrise Beach is the smaller of the two and faces east. Reviews also mention that this side of the resort has better snorkeling.
The Sunset Beach has a larger lounge area and a pool. It’s also where the Beach Club Grill is, so you can order food. At Sunrise Beach, only drinks are served.
Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa Pools
All villas have direct beach access or a ladder to a natural lagoon, and many have private pools. The resort’s main pool overlooks Sunset Beach and is surrounded by loungers and a few cabanas with daybeds available to rent. There is also a pool at the spa and a splash pool at the kids’ club.
Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa Activities
The Maldives are a watersports enthusiast’s paradise. Scuba diving in the Indian Ocean is world-renowned, and the diving center at Emerald Maldives offers diving courses and diving excursions for PADI-certified divers starting at around $200. Snorkeling equipment and other non-motorized watersports equipment are free for guests to use and can be obtained at the boat house.
Jet skis are available to rent for an added charge. Dolphin and sunset tours and deep-sea fishing are very popular as well, and guests who meet minimum stay length requirements can book one excursion for free.
Land sports include 2 tennis courts (one of them can be converted into a soccer field), two padel courts (padel is a racquet game like squash), and a gym with training sessions available. For travelers who want to learn more about the unique biodiversity in the Maldives, once a week the in-house marine biologist puts on a special presentation that highlights the area’s surroundings. Wine connoisseurs can attend tastings with the head sommelier on a patio that overlooks the lagoon a few times per week.
The Emerald Spa is a Balinese-style hut and offers treatments from Bali and Thailand as well as Turkish baths. There are 10 treatment rooms, a shared whirlpool, a peaceful outdoor pool, and a sauna.
If you’re traveling with kids, the Dolphin Kids’ Club welcomes children from ages 4-12 for a day of indoor and outdoor games and arts and crafts. The club has its own pool and restaurant plus a huge outdoor playground.
Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa Romance Packages
With its luxe amenities and otherworldly location, Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa is the perfect location for a Maldivian honeymoon. Their current Honeymoon Special Offer includes a free hour-long couples’ massage at the spa, a complimentary bottle of champagne upon arrival, a free upgrade (if available), and a romantic candlelit dinner on the beach.
Book for a minimum of 4 nights and enjoy a 20% discount if you book within 12 months of your wedding date. Guests celebrating their wedding anniversary will also get a free cake.
What Is Included at Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa?
The Deluxe All-Inclusive rate at Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa covers dining and drinks at all 6 of the resort’s restaurants and bars. Very little is excluded, but a few special menu items such as fresh lobster cost extra. However, menu items that are not covered are very clearly marked.
The wine offerings set Emerald Maldives apart from other high-end all-inclusive resorts. If you’re a wine lover, Emerald Maldives is the place for you. An entire team of sommeliers with extensive knowledge of over 80 wines are employed to offer guests the best pairing for their meal. Best of all, the entire list is included in the rate and you can order the whole bottle for yourself.
Shared butler service comes with the room, as well. Butlers can arrange dinner reservations, transportation, excursions, spa appointments, etc. Reviews mention that the service can be hit or miss, as each butler is typically serving more than one room, but the staff strives to make your stay as pleasant as possible.
Every evening a live DJ spins in the main bar by the pool, and once a week Maldivian performers put on a special Bodu Beru performance, which is a traditional Maldivian drum made from a hollow coconut tree trunk.
Guests will also enjoy free use of non-motorized watersports equipment, access to the fitness center and all indoor games, and a free bath and bed decoration with beautiful tropical flowers once per stay. Guests staying a minimum of 7 nights can go out on a free boat excursion, and stays lasting longer than 10 nights are eligible for a second free excursion, weather permitting. There’s also an app guests can download to keep track of all information about reservations and excursions, and make changes if necessary.
Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa Location
The Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa is situated in Raa Atoll, a beautiful place in the Maldives. It’s built on a lovely lagoon surrounded by lots of other hotels and close to the island of Maduvvari, so the area can be quite busy. The property has been built to minimize the noise, but a few rooms are close enough to docks that noise can be somewhat problematic.
To get to the resort, guests need to take a seaplane from Male, which takes roughly 40 minutes. Guests are greeted and checked into the hotel at the international airport in Male by resort staff, then taken to a VIP lounge to wait for the seaplane. Luggage is transported from the airport to the hotel by the staff. After arriving at the resort, guests are greeted by their butler, given a quick tour and then escorted to their dreamy villa.
Google Rating: 4.9
Booking.com Rating: 9.6
He is an expert travel advisor and enthusiast. He has traveled extensively in the USA, Central America, South America, and Europe. He has visited every Sandals Resort and is one of a select few Diamond Elite members of the Sandals Chairman’s Royal Club.
Dan graduated from Johnson & Wales University with an associate degree in Culinary Arts. Later he graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a focus on people and culture.