Once defined by kitschy thatched-roof villas, extravagant country club-style facilities and tiki drinks, resorts in the Maldives are increasingly dialling it back to proudly show off—and ultimately protect—the archipelago’s spectacular but vulnerable wildlife.
Keeping things simple with chic villas, a handful of restaurants and an expert-led dive and watersports centre, hotels like Alila Kothaifaru aren’t trying too hard—such properties don’t have to. The resort sits on a private island surrounded by a vibrant house reef—just as many waterfront resorts around the world have private beaches, many dive resorts have unique access to certain reefs—in the Raa Atoll. Designed by Singapore-based Studiogoto, the 80-villa resort’s minimalist aesthetic was intended to create the impression that each building disappears into the island’s natural landscape. The hope is, for its guests to feel that a visit to this island is less of an
