Editorial note: This article has been updated with a new opening date for the Alila Kothaifaru Maldives.
The hotel scene in the Maldives just got even more exciting.
Over the last few years, there have been plenty -- and I mean plenty -- of exciting hotels in the works we've been watching closely. And now, a new resort in the Maldives is finally taking reservations for a soft opening.
Say hello to the long-awaited Alila Kothaifaru Maldives.
Set to welcome its first guests on April 9, the Alila Kothaifaru Maldives can be found in the Raa Atoll on the northern edge of the nation, about a 45-minute seaplane ride from Malé (an additional cost to your room) and its international airport, which is serviced by a handful of major airlines.
Obviously, the Maldives is a beautiful destination with gorgeous beaches, turquoise waters, lush greenery and beautiful reefs and marine life. The location at Alila Kothaifaru is no exception. In fact, the resort is flanked by a house reef and the pictures alone will make you start searching for flights.
Related: The best ways to get to the Maldives on points and miles
The resort features 80 all-pool beachfront and overwater villas designed by Singapore-based Studiogoto. Of the 80 villas, 44 are on the beach and 36 are the iconic overwater villas you see on Instagram and in glossy travel magazines.
Unfortunately, during the soft opening, only the resort's beachfront villas will be available for booking. However, because they all come with a private pool, you'll have that luxury to look forward to whether you go now or later.
Villa guests can also expect a bathtub, indoor and outdoor showers and a 24-hour personal host, as well as more standard amenities like in-room espresso and tea, Alila Living bath amenities, 43-inch televisions and portable speakers.
Once the resort is fully opened, there will be six different culinary experiences for guests, including a pan-Asian restaurant with a teppanyaki grill, an overwater yakitori bar, the chance to dine on a secluded sandbank (sounds romantic, right?) and more.
When it first opens, however, the dining facilities will be limited to the all-dining option at the main restaurant Seasalt, cocktails and bites at Mirus Bar, beachside comfort food at Pitbati Café and private in-villa dining.
Beyond the villas, guests can enjoy a day of relaxation and rejuvenation at the spa, which will offer select treatments during the soft open, with more to come. Recreational service, water sports and marine excursions will also be available during this time, meaning you can get out and see the one-of-a-kind beauty that lures people halfway around the world in the first place.
One of those excursions is to Hanifaru Bay, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, where guests can get close to colorful coral reefs and larger-than-life manta rays. In late summer, book an excursion to nearby Vaadhoo Island to catch the "Sea of Stars" phenomenon, when bioluminescent phytoplankton causes the water to turn electric blue, almost like magic or electricity, in the night.
A kids club will also be open to keep the youngest guests entertained.
While all of this sounds pretty swell, the soft opening also comes with some caveats. One major concern is that construction work will still be happening during this period in "limited areas" and that "intermittent noise" should be expected from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. "until further notice."
But the trade-off here is that visiting during the soft opening might be the most affordable time for you to experience this new property before it fully opens on a date that's yet to be announced.
Cash rates for a Beach Villa, which is roughly 2,100 square feet, start at $350 a night, through the end of April. Equally spacious Sunset Villas are running for $450 a night during the soft launch.
Come May, those rates jump to $599 for a Beach Villa, $769 for a Sunset Villa and $1,024 for a Sunrise Villa. In July, expect to pay upwards of $800 a night for a starter Beach Villa.
Overwater villas aren't available to book until August and start at $949 for a roughly 1,300-square-foot Lagoon Water Villa, $1,119 for a Sunset Water Villa and $1,247 for a Sunrise Water Villa.
Luckily, this Category 7 Alila property can be booked with World of Hyatt points. Award nights will set you back between 25,000 and 35,000 points per night, with most dates showing 30,000-point availability for a Beach Villa. It seems that Hyatt upgrade certificates can't be used at this Alila property, unfortunately, much like the Hyatt's other Maldives resort, the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa.
While we're excited to see Alila's return to the Maldives (the Park Hyatt Hadahaa originally opened as an Alila), it's not the only resort in the island nation we've been talking about. This year, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island just finished a multimillion-dollar redesign and is now available for reservations -- and it even has underwater suites. Also, the still-new Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is one of the best properties we've reviewed in a while, earning our top seal of approval.
