Soneva will expand its existing portfolio in the Maldives with a new resort concept, which will launch with Soneva Secret 2024, slated to open next January. Bookings are now open for the 14-villa resort, located in the remote Haa Dhaalu atoll. 

The lagoon Crusoe Villas will only be accessible by boat, while the Castaway is billed as the Maldives’ first floating villa. All villas feature adjoining bedrooms, offering space for families or additional guests.

Every villa will have a “barefoot guardian” and “barefoot assistant” to cater to guests’ needs, alongside a dedicated private chef. Dining experiences will include Out of This World, a castaway dining tower, observatory and wine cellar in the lagoon, reachable by zipline. Guests can also enjoy a toes-in-the-sand firepit dining experience at So Primitive, while The Living Room is a casual dining and lounge venue, which is also home to a library, boutique and Soneva’s ice cream, chocolate and cheese and charcuterie rooms.

Soneva Secret 2024 can be reached via a 75-minute seaplane flight direct from Velana International airport in Male, a 40-minute seaplane flight from Soneva Fushi in the Baa Atoll, a 30-minute seaplane flight from Soneva Jani in the Noonu Atoll, or a full-day cruise from Soneva Fushi onboard Soneva in Aqua. Guests can also fly directly into Kulhudhuffushi Airport in the Haa Dhaalu Atoll and take a one-hour speedboat ride to the resort.

Art for all 

In the North Male Atoll, the all-inclusive art hotel Oaga Art Resort will open on 1 October. The resort is a new venture of the ADK Group of Companies, which specialises in private healthcare in the Maldives.

In a statement the team said the resort features the largest local art collection in the Maldives, displayed throughout the public areas and villas, alongside a large swimming pool mural. They explained: “The art resort focuses on elevating the collective story of the Maldives islands with a platform especially made to cater for local artists and craftsmen, while embracing the tranquillity offered by the surrounding sun, sand and beaches.” 

Oaga Art Resort offers four villa categories, four dining venues and The Hoba Spa.

The Maldives also welcomed new resort Ifuru Island Maldives on 23 September, which claims to be the region’s first and only permanent skydiving dropzone.