The Ultimate Review For The Waldorf Astoria Itaafushi Maldives

The Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi is Hilton’s flagship property in the Maldives and represents the absolute pinnacle of what Hilton has to offer. It opened in 2019 on a completely man-made island in the South Male Atoll, and it’s unlike anything else in the Maldives. I stayed here for 3 nights / 4 days in February and absolutely loved it. I’ve stayed in other ultra luxury properties in the Maldives and the Waldorf is right at the top of that list.

This review will cover everything about the Waldorf Astoria including the infamous yacht transfer, choosing between the different villa categories, the 11 restaurants spread across the property, and how to maximize value when booking with Hilton points. If you’re considering this resort, buckle up because there’s a lot to unpack here.

Overview of the Waldorf Astoria Maldives

The Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi is big. Really big. We’re talking 119 villas spread across three separate man-made islands covering roughly 4km from end to end. This is not an intimate boutique resort. This is Hilton flexing every muscle it has to create the most over-the-top luxury Maldives experience possible. And I must say it’s succeeded.

What sets the Waldorf apart from other Maldives resorts is simple: there are no bad rooms here. The entry-level “standard” villa is a 279 square meter (3,000 square feet) overwater villa with an infinity pool you can actually swim laps in and outdoor seating for 18 people. Let that sink in. The standard room at most luxury Maldives resorts is maybe half that size with a plunge pool the size of a bathtub.

The resort was designed by an Italian architect and features soaring cathedral ceilings, polished wooden floors, and a level of architectural drama that you don’t typically find in beach resorts. This isn’t rustic castaway chic. This is unapologetic luxury done to the nth degree.

Where is the Waldorf Astoria Maldives?

The Waldorf Astoria is located in the South Male Atoll, extremely close to Malé International Airport. We’re talking 45 minutes by yacht transfer southward, which is practically next door in Maldives terms.

This proximity to the capital is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, you can get to your villa within an hour of landing at Male Airport. On the other hand, you’ll see boat traffic throughout the day, lights from nearby islands at night, and you won’t get that remote castaway feeling that you get at resorts further out like the Park Hyatt Hadahaa or Alila Maldives.

The three islands that make up the resort are entirely man-made. They literally dredged and imported sand from around the Maldives to build this place. Even the coconut trees were uprooted from other islands and transplanted here. The engineering and logistics of resort creation in the Maldives are mind-boggling when you think about it.

The sheer resources and man power to create something as beautiful and grand as the Waldorf is truly an homage to human engineering. I always tell people that you visit the Maldives for the unmatched natural beauty but also to marvel at the pinnacle of human engineering.

Getting around the resort

Again, the Waldorf Maldives is huge. It’s almost 4km from one end to the other. That’s a 1h walk from end to end. Thankfully, you won’t need to walk a single meter if you don’t want to. A buggy is always available to take you anywhere you want at any time. Because of the size of the island, it might take you up to 10 minutes waiting time for a buggy to arrive.

If you don’t want to wait, the Waldorf provides you with a beautiful Dutch bike with a basket to get around the island at your own leisure. I absolutely love biking and like my stay at the Ritz, I used the bike to get around everywhere. The sandy roads are perfectly paved making biking a pleasure. I also felt like I was “doing something” instead of just rolling from my villa into the restaurant. It takes 15 minutes to bike from our villa to Zuma on the other side of the island.

As you bike, every staff you pass will greet you with a smile and the quintessential Maldivian hand over the heart. You might receive 10 of these on your way to breakfast in the morning but I find it so charming, warm, and a reminder that “ok someone pinch me, now I’m in the Maldives”.

From our overwater villa in the 700s, there is a pontoon boat service that will take you to various points on the island where a buggy will be waiting for you. I didn’t use this much because I preferred to bike but definitely do it one time as it’s a special complementary service.

Getting to the Waldorf Astoria Itaafushi from Male

Like the Ritz Carlton Fari Islands which is also in the Male atoll, the main form of transport is by yacht as the close distance makes a seaplane rather pointless.

The current transfer pricing is:

• Private yacht transfer: $950 per person roundtrip (add another 28% for service and tax and the all-in net price is closer to $1,250)

Let’s be honest here, $2,500 per couple for 90 minutes on a boat is an insane amount of money. There is no way to sugarcoat it. As a comparison, my seaplane transfer to the Alila was 45 minutes in the air and that was $670 per person roundtrip. That makes the Waldorf yacht transfer almost double the price of a seaplane transfer!

However, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this, in the context of the Maldivian luxury market, the Waldorf yacht transfer actually offers decent value compared to alternatives.

Why the yacht transfer isn’t as bad as it sounds

If this is your first time in the Maldives, you may be hoping for that iconic seaplane experience where you soar into the sky overlooking the Maldivian ocean landscape and gliding smoothly into the resort on the water.

As someone that has taken a seaplane and domestic flight around the Maldives, I can say that doing it one time is amazing (and necessary) but after that, I would always prefer a yacht transfer.

A seaplane in the Maldives is cool. You fly low (1,500m) enough so you can see the resorts and silhouette of the main ring shaped islands of the Maldivian archipelago. That’s about it though.

The seaplanes are small, crammed for space, loud, and smelly (oil fumes for days). It’s certainly not baby friendly, and for noise sensitive adults, earplugs will be your best friend. Furthermore, they take a lot of time. While my transfer to the Alila was 45 minutes by plane, I spent another 1.5 hours going from the international terminal to the seaplane terminal, waiting, and boarding. All in all, it took almost 3h from clearing immigration to stepping into the resort.

With the yacht transfer, you could be at the resort within 1h of clearing immigration. The Waldorf yacht also runs 24/7. If you arrive late in the afternoon to Male, you can still make it to Waldorf no matter what. With a seaplane transfer, if you arrive past a certain time of day, the seaplanes stop running (As they cannot fly during the night) and you’ll need to stay the night in Male.

Finally, seaplanes have issues with weight. If your bag is over 20kg you may have problems. With a yacht transfer, you can make as much as you want.

The yacht transfer experience

We stayed at the Alila for a wonderful few days before the Waldorf and upon our arrival back to Male airport, the staff at Alila perfectly coordinated our transfer with the Waldorf. He took our bags and escorted us to our yacht

The yacht is called the “Princess” and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Multiple seating areas, air-conditioned interior, outdoor sun deck, and bathrooms nicer than some hotel rooms. The crew was professional and welcoming.

I learned from this trip that the Waldorf is the only hotel that has a liquor license on their yachts and therefore they are able to serve champagne. When I went to the Ritz for the first time, I was baffled that I paid almost $1,000 with no champagne in sight. Now I know why.

I was a bit annoyed that I was not offered champagne as I entered the boat. If I had not researched this beforehand, I wouldn’t have known to ask and in the end, I had to ask the staff to pour me a glass. For $1,250 a person, this is $250 more than the Ritz yacht transfer. That means even if you drink two glasses of wine on the way there and another two on the way back, you’re paying about $60 per glass. Better bump that number to 3 glasses to make it worthwhile!

Arrival and Check-in

We arrived at the resort’s dock to a welcoming committee of smiling staff members. The energy was high, the greetings felt genuine, and we were greeted by a host of senior staff members. The head of sales had a cheeky “you have the wrong bag” remark to our Ritz Maldives beach bag to which I replied “well let’s hope you can make me replace it”. Sadly, the beach bags the Waldorf provide are not as tenable, nor as good looking as the ones from the Ritz.

Check-in process

Normally, check in would be done on the buggy and at the villa. However, as we arrived relatively early (1pm), our villa was not ready and we did the check in at their beautiful welcome pavilion. I had booked the two bedroom queen reef villa and was upgraded to the king overwater ocean villa which was much appreciated.

The Waldorf assigns everyone a “personal concierge”, someone that takes care of you throughout your stay and is your main point of contact for everything from booking excursions, buggy transfers, restaurant reservations, and everything in between. At the Ritz, the term was “Aris Meeha” which is the traditional Maldivian word for the same position, and the Alila/Park Hyatt uses “Butler”. Different terminology, but the same concept in every lux Maldives resort.

Restaurants at the Waldorf

The dining scene at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives consists of 11 restaurants which is more than most resorts and allows you to stay a long time without feeling bored of the options. Here is a summary of all the restaurants

• Tasting Table – The main breakfast restaurant
• Peacock Alley – Restaurant at the reception that serves bar snacks and various other dishes
• Yasmeen – Dinner only restaurant serving Lebanese food
• NAVA – Beachfront restaurant that serves lunch and dinner
• The Ledge – Wood fired grilled meats, yummy. Dinner only.
• Terra – Restaurant located on these bird nest pods overlooking the resort. Dinner only.
• Glow – Mediterranean food that is dinner only
• Amber – Sunset bar that faces due west with great drinks and snacks
• Zuma – Vibey and modern Japanese fusion. Dinner only.
• Li Long – Modern Chinese food overlooking the ocean. Dinner only
• The Rock – Private dining and wine cellar. Dinner only.

Overall, the dining scene at the Waldorf is absolutely fantastic. With all the different options, I was never bored and it was a delight to try different options every night.

Prices are very high (even by Maldives standards) at the Waldorf as you’d expect from an ultra lux property in the Maldives. A no frills dinner with two drinks, two appetizers, two mains, and one desert will run you least $400 net. You can spend significantly more if you get the pre-fixe menus. Like everything else in the Waldorf, you need to always add 17% for VAT and 10% for service to the prices on the menu.

Pro Tip: Ask for the house water as they default to giving you bottled water. Saves you $14++ every time. They don’t have house sparkling so you’ll need to pay for that if you want it.

Breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria

Breakfast is served exclusively at the Tasting Table restaurant next to the main reception building. As you’d come to expect with all the ultra lux resorts in the Maldives, breakfast at the Waldorf Maldives is no joking matter. The breakfast spread here rivals that of any hotel in the Maldives and around the world (think the largest hotels in Dubai).

Everything is laid out picture perfect with any overconsumed item immediately replaced to keep up aesthetics. The tasting table buffet has everything you could want. Vast arrays of continental breakfast items, professional baked goods, Asian food stations, Middle Eastern food stations, a whole jamon leg, smoothies, fruits, make your own everything, and Maldivian food, anything you can imagine, they will have.

The breakfast spread is a combination of buffet and a la carte items. The a la carte menu had a few very appealing options but we only tried the syrniki. While it was not the fully authentic syrniki I enjoy all over Bali, it was better than the one I had at the Ritz Carlton Maldives. The largest clientele at the Waldorf are Chinese and Russian so it makes sense that they have all the culinary favorites of those regions.

As someone that’s visited the Maldives many times, I only opt for Maldivian food because it is the GOAT breakfast. I chatted up the head chef (very friendly guy) of my love for Maldivian food and his eyes lit up. Even though there is already a Maldivian station at the Tasting table, he told me to ignore if and he would make me a full Maldivian spread. The result was the best Garudhiya (Maldivian fish soup) which is life changing along with his own take on Masuni and Kulhimas. Maldivian chilies, similar to Scotch Bonnet peppers, are some of my favorite chili peppers in the world and he made sure I never ran out.

Every morning thereafter, the head chef remembered my preferences and made sure my Maldivian spread was always ready when we arrived.

We were also greeted everyday by the head of F&B at the resort who made sure we were enjoying our meals. The attention to detail at the breakfast was superb and one of the things I looked forward to the most. Get there before 9am if you want to skip the crowds.

Breakfast is included for Hilton Gold and Diamond members. If you do not have gold status or above, and did not book breakfast as part of your rate, then the price is $74++ per person. As I am a Diamond member thanks to the Hilton Aspire credit card, this saved us almost $200 a day ($600 for our stay) which more than pays for the card. More on this later in the post.

The Ledge

The Ledge is one of the most popular and famous restaurants at the Waldorf. Created by the same owners as the Michelin starred Burnt Ends restaurants in Singapore, the Ledge is a continuation of their brand as a partnership with the Waldorf Astoria hotels.

The Ledge features Chef Dave Pynt’s custom-built, four-ton, dual-cavity oven and elevation grills fired by sustainable Jarrah wood from Australia. The wood fire cooking technique that follows embues absolutely incredible flavor into all their dishes.

This was one of the busiest restaurant in the Waldorf and it’s not hard to see why. The food from the starters to the mains were absolutely incredible. We had the wagyu flatiron steak, shortrib, and lamb chops as the mains and I was in meat heaven. Everything was perfectly cooked and the flavor was out of this world.

As an aspiring charcoal grillmaster myself, I spoke with head chef Tim McCollum for awhile after my meal where he imparted years of wisdom in telling me how to properly cook a steak over a wood fired grill. This alone was worth the price of admission!

The Ledge also makes one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Their double cheeseburger is one of the juciest and most flavorful burgers I’ve had. It’s also one of the best deals in the Waldorf Maldives as far as calories to Dollar ratios go. While I didn’t have it for dinner, it was my go to lunch on other days. In fact, I was so tempted after a small portioned (but delicious) dinner at Zuma to just grab a burger at the Ledge on my way home to fill me up. A man’s gotta eat, even if they are staying at an ultra lux and ultra expensive hotel.

Zuma Restaurant

Zuma is one of the Waldorf Astoria’s claim to fame. With multiple locations in other high end destinations around the world, the Zuma in the Waldorf Maldives is the only one located on the water.

Zuma is unlike any other restaurant at the Waldorf (and the Maldives for that matter) as it really The entrance to Zuma is dramatic. You walk through a tunnel-like structure with optical illusion lighting and wood panels that creates this almost otherworldly transition from the resort to the restaurant. Then you emerge into this stunning space floating above the Indian Ocean. Huge woven bamboo and glass screens surround the restaurant, and the central island bar combines the robata grill and sushi counter in a way I haven’t seen at other Zuma locations.

The design team clearly took inspiration from the Maldivian setting. Carved wooden countertops feature shells and volcanic stone, and amber resin blocks make the bar look like it’s glowing from within. It’s sophisticated without feeling stuffy.

The food at Zuma fit the theme and vibe of the restaurant. For a restaurant that’s all about the vibe and environment, the menu had more traditional Japanese options than I thought. The sushimi and nigiri platters were both fantastic (albeit expeneisve). The grilled yakitori is the highlight of the kitchen.

As I had copious amounts of beef the previous night at the Ledge, we opted for the chicken and black cod dish from the Zuma signatures section. Both dishes were very tasty and the black cod in particular was outstanding.

They had a DJ playing on the night we went (twice a week) but given the resort is for people that can afford $4,000+ a night for a room, the vibe is pretty mellow and subdued. Don’t expect your typical Zuma experience in Mykonos or Dubai!

Li Long Restaurant

One of the staples of the Waldorf is their modern Chinese restaurant Li Long. Many of the staff raved about this restaurant and many more claimed it to be their favorite on the island.

I don’t blame them for feeling that way.

The restaurant is absolutely GORGEOUS. It really reminds me of the Summer Pavilion at the Ritz with its grand garden entrance, beautifully gilded interiors headlined by a 800kg Buddhist Bell from Sri Lanka, and the most beautiful overwater views you’ll ever see from a restaurant.

Seriously, Li Long is like an overwater villa turned into a restaurant. You have the ocean right in front with resident nurse sharks paying regular visits. As a bonus, you can see the sunset from the pier so make sure to come here when it opens at 6:30pm!

The restaurant specializes in contemporary Chinese food with their Peking Duck as the highlight. While the duck lacked the crispy skin that it’s known for, I found the flavor to be quite tasty. Other dishes like the cumin lamb chops, mapo tofu, and szechuan chicken were all standout dishes.

As someone that’s well versed in Chinese food, the food here won’t blow you away but the combination of the food, service, and setting is something you can’t match.

We even had the resident nurse sharks of the resort swimming up to us throughout the night. They could have chosen Zuma but I guess they knew where the action is!

Yasmeen

Yasmeen is one of the most audacious restaurant concepts I’ve ever seen. It’s a scale replica of a Syrian village inside a Maldives resort. Winding cobblestones, a fountain, multiple “houses” that serve as dining areas.

It doesn’t feel like a restaurant. It feels like you’re in an actual town square.

Some might call this Disneyland-esque, where showmanship trumps authenticity, but honestly the food is so good that those concerns fade quickly.

The food compliments the beautiful setting perfectly. We got the tasting menu for two which is probably the best deal in the entire resort. A full mezze spread including hummus, labneh, Fattoush, kibbeh, Mouttabal, and meats highligh the first course. The second course is a tasting of all the charcoal grilled meats that Lebanon is famous for like shish tawouk, beef kebab, and lamb chops.

I was a bit underwhelmed by the dessert on the set menu however. They were good but didn’t really stand out in any particular way. Nevertheless, we were so stuffed from the rest of the food that it didn’t really matter.

Amber

Amber is the Waldorf’s sunset bar that serves cocktails and canapes. It’s the only restaurant that faces due west so it’s the natural destination for sunset lovers. They even have a DJ that plays ambient vibey covers of your favorite songs.

We came here every night for the sunset except for the night we went to Li Long. Drinks are superb and the view is stunning. Shishas are priced at $125++ which was more than I wanted to spend but are available for anyone that wants one.

Terra

Terra is one of the most unique restaurant concepts in the Maldives. Nestled on a hill in the middle of the island, the restaurant sits on the treetops and overlooks the ocean. There are 8 individual “pods” where you can have private dining while in the trees. We elected to skip this restaurant as we don’t like dining by ourselves and the prix fixe started at $350++ per person.

NAVA Beach Club

Nava beach club is the go to spot for lunch at the Waldorf. The resort’s main beach is directly in front of the restaurant so you have views of the ocean, cabanas, and beach chairs in front.

While they have their own food menu, you can also order from the Ledge (with their incredible burgers). We ate here after spending the morning kayaking to the little island in the middle of the resort.

Service at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives

The Villas At the Waldorf Astoria Maldives

If you’ve gotten this far on my post, you’ve probably already researched and seen pictures of the Waldorf’s gorgeous villas at some point in your life. I’m here to say, they are as you imagined and they are all that. Like the Ritz Carlton Maldives, pictures don’t seem to do it justice.

The villas at the Waldorf are a one of a kind. They standard rooms are better than most of the top level villas at other resorts and this is not just because of the size.

Villa categories at the Waldorf

The resort has a total of 119 villas. There are three main villa types, each available in standard or “Grand” versions:

• Reef Overwater Villa: 279 square meters, overwater villas located along the main island’s perimeter
  • 2 Bedroom Villa: 2
  • 3 Bed: 0
  • 1 Bedroom Grand Villa: 9
  • 1 Bedroom Grand Two Queen Beds Villa: 1
  • 1 Bedroom 2 Queen Beds Villa: 3
  • 1 Bedroom King Bed Villa: 9
• OverWater Villa (also called “Ocean Villa” for points bookings): 283 square meters, overwater villas extending further out on jetties
  • 2 Bedroom Villa: 4
  • 3 Bed: 0
  • 1 Bedroom Grand Villa: 22
  • 1 Bedroom Grand 2 Queen Beds Villa: 3
  • 1 Bedroom 2 Queen Beds Villa: 3
  • 1 Bedroom King Bed Villa: 22
• Beach Villa: Similar size, beachfront villas with direct sand access
  • 2 Bedroom Villa: 6
  • 3 Bedroom Villa: 2
  • 1 Bedroom Grand Villa: 12
  • 1 Bedroom Grand 2 Queen Beds Villa: 3
  • 1 Bedroom 2 Queen Beds Villa: 3
  • 1 Bedroom King Bed Villa: 11

The Waldorf also had their beautiful “Stella Maris” villas which were standalone villas in the middle of the ocean between the main resort and the private Itaafushi island. These two villas were double storey architectural masterpieces. Sadly, they were decommissioned in 2025 as the maintenance required was too overwhelming and the resort did not find them to be worth the investment.

The “Grand” villas add a small indoor living room but are otherwise identical to standard versions. The price premium for Grand villas is significant but there is a market for them that I will discuss later on.

There are also Two-Bedroom and Three-Bedroom villas available for families, plus the crown jewel Ithaafushi Private Island with its own residence, pools, and private beach.

Inside the villa: No detail overlooked

Walking into the villa, you’re immediately struck by the sheer size and the soaring ceilings. An oversized chandelier hangs above the massive bed, and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open completely to blur the line between indoor and outdoor space.

The bedroom features a king-size bed with legitimately comfortable linens (not always a given in hotels), two woven armchairs, floating bedside tables with multiple USB and universal power sockets, and an iPad for controlling the lights, curtains, and A/C.

Separating the bedroom from the bathroom is the closet storage area. Both sides of the villa have closet space with plenty of space to hang all your clothes for the duration of your stay as well as storing your suitcases. In the ocean overwater villa, you’ll have the iconic glass door to the ocean below you. We saw plenty of parrotfish swim by the villa.

The minibar area is a playful pop of sea foam green in an otherwise neutral palette. Ice, drinking water, fresh milk, and coffee capsules are replenished twice daily. The minibar price list is perfect for those that think burning cash is not fast enough to part with their money. $340++ for a 500ml bottle of gin, $25 for a can of nuts, $10++ for chips, and $55++ for coconut oil. The $15++ for beer is reasonably priced however.

For a resort of the Waldorf’s caliber, not providing any free snacks in the villa was weak. People are willing to pay 2-3x the prices they have at home to dine at a beautiful restaurant in paradise with top chefs from around the world. People do not want to pay 15x the price for a can of nuts they open themselves.

The makeup area is thoughtfully placed in the air-conditioned bedroom rather than the steamy bathroom and comes with a beautiful Dyson hairdryer. This seems obvious but you’d be surprised how many resorts get this wrong.

The welcome gift was a bit weak. The bottle of Bourdeaux they give you is $15 USD which seems hardly fitting for a resort of this caliber. Other resorts that were cheaper left me with quality champagne. Not a dealbreaker but it’s an easy fix that could have set the bar higher for our stay.

The bathroom: Palatial and perfect

The bathroom is almost as large as the bedroom. A central island provides space for towels, bags, and prep before heading out. Twin sinks, enormous stone-clad rain shower, deep soaking tub with ocean views, and a Toto toilet with a control panel so advanced you could probably fly it to the moon.

Waldorf’s partners with Aesop and its toiletries are provided in polished stone containers throughout. Large stone pots marked “HIS” and “HERS” contain additional amenities like nail files, shower caps, and toothbrushes.

The wardrobes offer ample space with high-quality hangers. There’s only one type of bathrobe (I prefer resorts that offer both lightweight and traditional terry cloth options), and no outdoor footwear is provided (something cheaper resorts like Constance Moofushi think of).

The indoor shower is spectacular with the largest rain shower I’ve ever seen. The floor to ceiling glass meant we had perfect views of the ocean while we showered. The indoor shower was great but the outdoor shower is even better. In the Reef and Water Villas, the outdoor shower flows seamlessly to the pool and ocean. The wind however was a problem sometimes as the water flew around everywhere. Nevertheless, we showered the majority of the time outside.

The outdoor space: Where you’ll live full time

The outdoor deck is where the Waldorf truly separates itself from the competition.

It’s absolutely massive. You can throw a football around and not feel like you need to hold back your throw.

In total, there are at least 15 places to sit on the outdoor terrace alone.

You have:

• A massive infinity pool (12+ meters, you can actually swim laps)
• A floating daybed over the water
• A covered dining pavilion with table and chairs
• Multiple sun loungers
• A daybed under shade
• Direct water access for snorkeling
• An outdoor shower

Most Maldives resorts don’t even have Presidential Suites this good. The fact that this is a standard room is absolutely staggering.

The only downside to this (for some) is that the pool and deck area is not covered meaning you will have the hot Maldivian sun beating down on your pool for the entire day. If you’re sun sensitive, you’ll probably not want to use the pool from 10am until 4pm.

Two Bedroom villas

I was able to visit a two bedroom beach villa during my tour of the resort. These two bedroom villas are perfect for families with older kids. The two bedrooms have separated rooms. One room is identical to a 1 bedroom grand villa and the other room is similar to a regular 1 bedroom 2 queen bed villa.

The overwater version of the two bedrooms are connected however but I was not able to see one of these.

Choosing your villa at the Waldorf Astoria Itaafushi

The most important section of the post is here for many of you. Don’t worry, after spending a few days at the resort and seeing all the different room types, i have you covered.

After reading this section, you will (hopefully) know which villas to target for your dream stay.

For starters, here is the map of the Waldorf Astoria that covers every villa in great detail. This will be your bible for the rest of this section.

Regular vs Grand Villa

For starters, let’s talk about the difference between the standard villa and the Grand villas. The main difference between the Grand villa is the addition of a spacious living room when you first enter the room. This living room has a sectional couch, an additional TV, and doors that can be closed leading to the bedroom.

The grand villas start at 319 sqm (30 sqm larger than the standard villas) but the base rooms are already comically large. Do you really need an extra living room? For the price, I don’t see any reason to upgrade.

However, the caveat here (and a big one) is if you are traveling with younger children. The living room is plenty large enough for your younger children to sleep in as the hotel will provide roll away beds (and the couch is quite comfortable at that). Because there is a big door that separates the living room from the bedroom, you can close off the room to your children. This is quite a valuable amenity as you can have more privacy versus the normal room, but you do not need to pay more than double the price to book a two bedroom villa.

Alternatively, if you are a couple with different sleep patterns, the Grand villa might be nice as the extra living room gives you separation so one person could sit on the couch and watch TV in the early morning hours. Although, one might just sit outside on your palatial sized terrace.

Reef vs Ocean villa

Reef and Ocean villas are both overwater villas. They are the exact same size and both offer that quintessential Maldives overwater view of the beautiful ocean. The primary difference is that the overwater villa has a glass floor in the middle of the villa to the ocean. Sometimes you can see fish swimming right below your villa.

As I stayed in an overwater villa, I loved having this glass bottom at first. We took some photos, videos, and admired the water. By the second day, I had already forgotten that the glass bottom existed. If you are someone that needs complete darkness to sleep, the glass bottom cannot be closed and you’ll have a small light throughout the night (not an issue for us).

The reef villas are overwater villas but connected to the main islands. Overwater villas are on the long wooden pier. Along with the glass floor, these are the only differences.

The overwater villas (701-739, 101-146) are located the furthest away from the dining options of the resort. As we are both very active people, we loved biking around the island and the distance from our villa to the main resort was actually quite nice as we felt like we were “going out” every night.

The reef villas (301 to 323, 501 to 516) are located much closer to all the dining options. I think some people would value being able to walk to the dining options without having to wait for a buggy (or bike). To each their own.

Personally, I like being on the overwater villas from the pier because I think that is the most iconic Maldives.

Which ocean villa to choose?

With all that said, which ocean villa should you look to choose? The Waldorf is quite good about trying to assign you the villa you want (although no guarantees can be made of course) so do ask beforehand if you know what you want.

For the overwater villas, I found that they were much more similar to each other than say the Ritz Carlton Maldives which had its iconic ring pier where the views were quite different depending on which villa you chose.

For the Waldorf Itaafushi, villas 701 to 739 that point north, along with all villas in the 100s, all face the open ocean. This means there’s nothing in front of you besides the ocean which makes for that mesmerizing end of the world view. The ocean villas 701 to 739 that face the lagoon side will have a view of the Itaafushi private island and the resort on your right. There will also be bigger boat traffic from the yacht transfers and resort boats but I didn’t find this to be as frequent as the Ritz where you had boats every hour shuttling people between the Ritz and the Patina.

If you really want to nitpick, the 100s villas all face south and there are fewer islands south of the Waldorf meaning at night you’ll see almost no lights. North of the Waldorf, there are more islands and on a clear day you can even see Male. At night from my villa in 709, I could see a lot of lights lit up in the horizon.

The villas in the 100s are due for a facelift in the summer of 2026 and will be painted from its white washed wood color to a pure wood hue that all the 700 water villas have received. Once they are finished, I would probably elect to take the 100 villas as I preferred the to face south into the open ocean as there were less islands in front. I would just take the villas furthest away from the resort (the higher numbers) as it feels more private. Same thing with the 700 villas.

All in all, you can’t go wrong with any of the water villas in the Waldorf Astoria in my opinion. They are all massive and have insane views.

Which Reef villa to choose?

As for the reef villas, I would prefer the villas that face north into the open ocean. The few villas that face south (502 to 516) have views of the lagoon which feels less private to me. The one upside for these villas is that you could probably see the sunset from the hanging bed (unconfirmed).

The best snorkeling on the island is considered to be around the bridge right after Li Long restaurant. I snorkeled here to test the theory and found it to be quite good as far as resort snorkeling goes in the Maldives. If that is important to you, get one of the villas by the bridge (305 to 319) and you are good to jump into the ocean straight onto the best corals.

Which beach villas to choose?

On our last day at the resort, we had to check out of our overwater villa at noon but as our flight was at 11:30pm that day, the resort allowed us to move into a beach villa until 9:30pm! That is an insanely generous perk and I absolutely loved the service.

We moved to grand villa 202 right across from the spa. I was very surprised at just how amazing the beach villas were. I stayed at a beach villa during my stays at the Park Hyatt Hadahaa and the Alila Kothaifaru where both villas left me underwhelmed. I was skeptical of the beach villas at the Waldorf but was blown away by how beautiful they were. Yes you don’t have the ocean in front of you but the views of the beach and ocean were stunning in its own way.

I saw a two bedroom beach villa 207 which faced the open ocean and this was also very beautiful. As the beach is artificial and immaculately pruned by the staff everyday, you won’t go wrong with the beach on other parts of the island. It comes down to whether you want to face the lagoon or the open ocean. Villa 202 where I stayed in for a half day faced the lagoon and I quite enjoyed that as the silhouette of the island stood out (in a good way).

Waldorf Resort Amenities

The Waldorf Astoria Itaafushi is a huge resort spanning almost 4km from end to end. There is plenty to keep you busy during your stay at the resort.

The beaches

Here’s where the Waldorf shows its weakness as a completely man-made resort. Every square inch of land is precious, so there aren’t really any remote, quiet beaches like you’d find at natural atolls.

The main beach runs along the lagoon side and is next to the main pool and located directly in front of the NAVA restaurant which is the Waldorf’s ploy on a “beach club”. The space between NAVA and the ocean is essentially the Waldorf’s public beach.

The beach itself is too narrow for all the sunbeds and chairs in my opinion. The music from NAVA is not loud but it just didn’t feel like a beach I wanted to spend my afternoon at.

The best beach access is if you’re staying in a Beach Villa, which gets its own assigned sun loungers, shade, and hammock facing the ocean. On our last day, we were switched to a grand beach villa and allowed to stay in the room until 9pm which was amazing.

The sand is noticeably more coarse than at naturally formed atolls since all of it was either dredged or imported. The beaches are also quite rocky in places as the sand needs to be trapped to prevent it washing back into the ocean.

If you’re looking for pristine tropical beaches, resorts like the Park Hyatt Hadahaa will be more to your liking.

The pools

The resort has two main pools: a family pool and an adults-only pool. Both are located in the center of the main island facing the lagoon.

The family pool was barely used when we were there and occupancy was approaching 90% when we left. The pool is vast, beautiful, and as you would expect from a resort of this caliber.

The adults only pool is a huge rectangular infinity pool that stretched out onto the beach. I saw no one at this pool at any point during my stay. I suppose that it when you already have a huge 12m pool at your extra large villa, why bother trekking all the way to the main resort pool where you might have to share it with others?

Ultra first world problems.

Little sandbank in the lagoon

While it’s technically not a sandbank, but rather a tiny little island, the Waldorf has their own house island where you don’t need to pay for a private boat transfer to reach.

You can see the island from almost everywhere facing the lagoon. Let’s not confuse this with the Waldorf’s ultra ultra lux Itaafushi private island which is second to none. This island is maybe 30m x 30m but it does the job if you want to have a sandbank/private island in the ocean feeling.

From the Waldorf’s activity center at the main beach, you can take a kayak or pedal boat (For free) to this island. It takes about 20 minutes depending on the tide and then you’ll have this place all to yourself.

It’s not the most beautiful island by any means (lots of corrally rubble) but you feel a completely different way than at the main resort. If you have a drone, this is where you will want to fly it because you will get amazing shots like these.

The fitness center at the Waldorf Astoria

I’ll keep this simple. This is the nicest hotel gym I’ve ever seen. The Waldorf Maldives has spared absolutely no expense in the creation of their spa and the gym is one of its centerpiece highlights.

As soon as you walk in, you notice the grand scale of its gym. With at least 200 sqm of fitness space, you have everything you need here to do a proper workout. Dumbbells that go up to 40 kg, multiple Technogym machines in pristine condition, a squat rack, pilates machines, and plenty of cardio equipment. They could easily put more equipment if they wanted, but the aesthetics might be ruined.

There is a full time gym trainer on site that provides complimentary classes throughout the day like kickboxing.

When you’re finished your workout, you can walk next door to their beautiful spa and use their saunas, cold plunges, and many other options. It’s like a high end gym in Bali that I’ve become so used to (except without the crowds of girls and guys wearing almost no clothing).

I came here almost everyday to get a quick workout in so I could chow down on all the delicious food the resort offers without feeling guilty.

Dive Center

The Dive center at the Waldorf is located right at the beginning of the overwater pier. The dive center offers your typical two tank dives, snorkeling trips to nearby islands, and free snorkeling equipment for rent. There was not much talk about manta snorkeling or diving so I’m not sure this is a big attraction they advertise.

As someone that’s dived all over the world and multiple times on a liveaboard in the Maldives, I told the dive center manager that I hadn’t dived in awhile and was itching for a dive but was it worth it? He straight up replied no, you won’t be impressed. I loved the honesty and as a fellow experienced diver, he knew what needed to be said.

The dive prices seemed quite reasonable at the Waldorf at about $300 net for two tanks.

Kids Club

Most resort kids clubs are basically babysitting rooms with toys and a TV. The Waldorf Astoria’s Stars Club is the opposite: it is a full on children’s entertainment complex that makes many standalone water parks look tame.

The centerpiece is the AquaPlay 200 splash pad and water park, built by WhiteWater West, the same company behind attractions for major theme parks. This is not a kiddie pool. It is a multilevel play zone with slides, cannons, tipping buckets, and colorful splash features that feel wildly overbuilt for a resort kids club, in the best possible way.

Beyond the water area, the club has a huge outdoor adventure playground with slides, swings, sensory paths, obstacle courses, and climbing structures. It feels like something from a major city park, not a private island in the Maldives.

Inside, kids get an arts and crafts studio and a gated toddler zone with soft play equipment and age appropriate toys. Kids aged 4-11 can visit unsupervised. Kids younger than 4 will need to have a parent or nanny present. Hours run from 10am to 7pm daily and the service is entirely free.

The Spa at the Waldorf Astoria Itaafushi

Most Maldives resorts have a spa. The Waldorf has a wellness village.

This is not your standard island spa tucked into a quiet corner with a handful of treatment rooms. The Waldorf Astoria spa complex is a sprawling sanctuary that feels more like a private wellness resort within a resort. Spread across multiple overwater pavilions, tropical gardens, and dedicated wellness zones, it is hands down one of the most impressive spa facilities I have encountered anywhere in the world, let alone the Maldives.

Even if you have no plans to get a massage, visit the Waldorf spa just to walk around its perfectly manicured grounds, like if you were walking through a park in the Amalfi coast.

Aqua Wellness center

The centerpiece is the Aqua Wellness Centre, the first of its kind in the Maldives. This 700 sqm hydrotherapy facility is a game changer. Inside you will find a custom built hydrotherapy pool with targeted massage jets, heated loungers, an ice fountain, a proper steam room, and a Finnish sauna. Each zone is designed to work different parts of your body. The concept is simple but incredibly effective: alternate between hot and cold, between stillness and movement, and let the water do its magic.

While I didn’t have time to use this beautiful contraption, it stands out amongst an already amenity packed spa at the Waldorf.

Overwater villa spa

The spa itself has 11 overwater treatment villas perched above the lagoon. Each villa is private, spacious, and comes with its own changing area, outdoor shower, and relaxation deck.

Yes, the spa rooms at the Waldorf are essentially overwater villas turned into massage rooms!

On the land side, there are beach villas that double as massage rooms but instead of the open ocean in front, you have a jacuzzi and the beautiful beach.

Booking the Waldorf Astoria Itaafushi

Booking the Waldorf Astoria Itaafushi can be a whole post in and of itself. The Waldorf is one of the most expensive properties in the Maldives and it warrants the price in my opinion. It’s definitely a crazy contrast with traveling Maldives cheap through the local islands. In this section, I’ll cover how to book with cash, and how to optimize booking with points.

Booking the Waldorf with cash

The Waldorf Maldives costs anywhere between $3k to $4.5k per night for the standard ocean view overwater villas depending on the time of year. Generally, the overwater and reef villas are cheaper than beach villas which is good if you are all about the overwater life. The Grand villas command a hefty premium of $1,000+ so you really need to make sure it is worthwhile for you to book a bigger villa. Every now and then, Hilton will give deals on the grand villas specifically.

You can see cost breakdowns from the screenshot below. These rates include service of 10% but not the GST which is an additional 17%. Also, your yacht transfers are not included (another $2500+ per couple).

Booking the Waldorf Astoria with points

Now on to the fun part, how to book the Waldorf Astoria Itaafushi using points.

Sadly, unlike Marriott’s ultra lux Ritz Carlton Fari Islands, or Hyatt’s Park Hyatt Hadahaa and Alila properties, it’s almost impossible to find award availability. for Hilton’s top brand. There are plenty of award availability for other Hilton hotels like the Conrad and Amingiri, but Waldorf is an entirely different story.

After the major Hilton devaluation of 2025, award nights for the Waldorf cost 250,000 pts per night. Before this devaluation? It was 150,000! That means from 2025, the point value of Hilton points went down by more than 50%!

To search for award availability, you can use Hilton’s flexible dates search tool and select “use points”. You’ll get a table like this:

As you can see, I searched for 2 consecutive nights with flexible dates. For the purpose of this blog post, I couldn’t find any 3 consecutive nights award booking for the entire year. On March 11-13, there are two award nights available for 250k each.

Award nights are almost always the two-bedded queen overwater villas.

I was lucky enough and found a 3 consecutive night award availability for the two queen bed reef villa and booked it. I was then upgraded upon arrival to the overwater villa. I’m unsure if this is because of my Diamond status or just luck.

Without award availabilities, you can book a night for an insane amount of points in the 7 digits. It’s so insane I think it’s just Hilton’s way of telling their loyalty members that the Waldorf Itaafushi is off limits.

Transferring AMEX points to Hilton

found and booked 3 nights at the Waldorf Maldives prior to the devaluation for a total of 450,000 points but had to cancel this as I had a wedding to attend to. In the end, I forked out a hefty 750,000 Hilton points. This was a combination of Hilton points I earned through Credit card sign on bonuses as well as transferring AMEX Membership Reward points to Hilton.

AMEX Membership (MR) points transfer at a 2 to 1 ratio to Hilton. This means 100,000 MR points will be 200,000 Hilton points. Sometimes, AMEX will run a promotion for a ratio of 2.5x.

I had around 500,000 Hilton points from opening credit cards in the past and ended up transferring another 120k MR points to get me to the 750,000 total.

Open the Hilton Surpass or Hilton Aspire card before arriving

If you have enough Hilton or AMEX points for an award stay but no Hilton status, I would highly recommend opening the HIlton Surpass or Hilton Aspire card before arrival.

The Surpass will give you automatic Gold status and the Aspire automatic Diamond status. Both statuses will give you free breakfast at the Waldorf which is $200 per day per couple. For my three night stay, that is $600 saved which is more than the AF of the card. Plus you’ll get a large sign on bonus anywhere between 100,000 and 175,000 depending on the promotion along with a bunch of credits.

I opened a Hilton Aspire card a month before arrival and my automatic Diamond status ensured I had free breakfast. In addition, you’ll also get the following benefits:

• 150,000 Hilton points after spending $6k
• $400 credit at Hilton hotels ($200 every 6 months)
• $200 flight credit for flights booked directly with airlines or through AMEX Travel ($50 per quarter)
• Free night certificate automatically and an additional FNC after spending $30k per year and an additional FNC after spending $60k (total of 3 FNCs per year is possible).
• Annual fee of $550

Let’s break this down.

The $400 credit is good as cash. It is split into two $200 Hilton statement credits (one every 6 months). Since it’s unlikely I’ll stay in another Hilton hotel this year, this is just $200 credit which I will get from paying for my F&B at the Waldorf Maldives.

The $200 flight credit is as good as cash. Even though it’s split as 4 separate $50 credits, I’ll get that no matter what.

With the $200 Hilton credit and the $200 flight credit, I’m essentially at $400 of credits I will use which means the card will only cost me $150. As my breakfast at the Waldorf is $600, this card is more than paying for itself. This is not even taking into consideration the 150,000 Hilton points sign on bonus.

The Free night certificate (FNC) with the Hilton Aspire card is also good to use at any property in the Hilton portfolio as long as there is award availability. It’s unlike the free night certificates from Marriott or Hyatt which cap at a certain category. That means these FNCs are the most valuable perk in the business. If you spend $60k a year on your card, you can get 3 FNCs which can be once again, used at the Waldorf Astoria Itaafushi with a value that’s closely approaching $12,000!

Hilton Branded Cards

There are 4 Hilton cards (3 personal and 1 business) all issued through AMEX:

• AMEX Surpass Hilton
• AMEX Hilton Aspire
• AMEX Hilton Card
• AMEX Hilton Business

The sign on bonuses on these cards are always changing but you should expect something in the 130 to 175k range for the Hilton Surpass, Hilton Aspire, and Hilton for Business cards. The regular no fee Hilton AMEX card will have a sign on bonus below 100k.

Pro tips for Staying at the Waldorf Maldives

Arrive early to the Waldorf Astoria Maldives

This is my absolute #1 must-do tip for visiting the Waldorf Astoria Maldives and essentially any other resort in the country. If your flight arrives in Male International Airport in the afternoon or in the evening, absolutely stay in Male for the night. If you’re already paying many thousands of dollars a night to stay in the villa of your dreams, why would you waste all of that money by arriving in the evening when things are already dark and the day is over?

Stay in a hotel near Male International Airport in the town of Hulhemale just north of the airport. There are a hundred different options with perfectly acceptable accommodations for under $100 a night. Your hotel will be no more than a 15 minute drive and most of the hotels offer complimentary shuttle service and breakfast.

The following morning, you are already refreshed and ready to enjoy the resort. The Waldorf’s boat runs all throughout the day and you can get a slot on the first boat ride to the resort around 9am. If you’re lucky, your room will be ready upon arrival. Otherwise, your luggage will already be stored and you can enjoy the full suite of facilities at the resort!

Get the local breakfast

As I’ve already talked about in previous sections, getting a local breakfast is the way to go. Not only is the local Maldivian food delicious, but you get a healthier breakfast and are trying the local food.

The Waldorf does not have an a la carte breakfast menu so you need to pay the set breakfast price no matter. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to save money by ordering local breakfast.

Pre-book all your dinners

While lunch is never busy, dinners can sometimes be booked out. The Waldorf revolves around small and intimate restaurants, as opposed to huge resort dining halls so make sure to book things when you know. Popular restaurants like the Ledge and Li Long see a lot of demand from guests, especially during high season months.

How much did we spend at the Waldorf?

In total, we spent about $2,300 USD at the Waldorf for our 3 night stay. This does not include the round-trip speedboat transfers but is entirely for the food and alcohol (we did no activities).

We drank very little (maybe 1-2 glasses of wine the entire stay) so this bill could have been much higher if we elected for the $300+ bottles of champagne or the $125 shisha. Everything can be paid for by credit card at the resort including tips for your concierge if you elect to do so.

FAQ For the Waldorf Astoria Itaafushi

Final Thoughts on the Waldorf Astoria Maldives

The Waldorf is without a doubt one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. The man-made island lacks a bit of the stunning Maldivian beaches that other islands have but the resort makes you quickly forget. The near 300 sqm villas are one of a kind and I’ve never been more content in my life to stay in my hotel room.

The service and staff were fantastic. Although there were some inconsistencies in the service provided, I loved the personal connections the staff sought to make with us. Above all, the hotel went out of their way to let us stay in a beautiful Grand beach villa on the day of our check out (our flight was at 11:30pm) up until the time of our yacht transfer (9:30pm). We essentially got an entire extra day out of our stay minus the sleep.

I was certainly not ready to leave after 3 nights 4 days and I’m already planning trip back to the resort!