Mandarin Oriental is opening a private island resort in the Maldives: Here's what we know so far
Life in the Maldives is really, really sweet — and it's going to get even better when Mandarin Oriental opens a new private island resort in 2025.
Set to be spread across three private islands on the Bolidhuffaru Reef in South Male Atoll, the new resort will be the first Mandarin Oriental property in the nation, which is surprising considering the brand's well-established footprint across the Asia-Pacific region.
While renderings of the resort aren't yet available, the brand announced that the resort will have 56 overwater villas and 64 overwater villas, including villas that will be private residences. Claiming to have some of the largest villas in the Maldives, guests can expect the smallest villas to be over 2,000 square feet and some that are over 10,000 square feet.
Designed with privacy in mind, the villas will be secluded from each other and have private pools with those dreamy ocean views you go to the Maldives for.
While many Maldivian resorts cater more to couples, this new Mandarin Oriental will be a family-friendly affair with kids and teens clubs, watersports, a dive center, tennis courts, a resort swimming pool and inclusive leisure activities that everyone can enjoy.
The exact details haven't yet been revealed, but Mandarin Oriental says the resort will have six restaurants, including three specialty restaurants and a sunset bar. But judging by the luxury brand's other resorts around the world, you can count on high-quality and delicious food in an upscale environment.
There will also be a spa with 12 treatment rooms, a sauna and steam rooms, a beauty salon and various "vitality pools" that guests can use to relax even deeper. The spa will have seasoned wellness practitioners that offer a variety of experiences and Mandarin Oriental's signature spa treatments.
The resort will also offer meeting and event spaces, including facilities for a wedding — and who wouldn't want to get hitched in one of the most beautiful places on Earth?
To build the resort, Mandarin Oriental is teaming up with DAMAC Properties, a Dubai-based real estate company that has built luxury projects around the world and has a collection of hotels in Dubai. The pair also says it will be working alongside teams of international consultants to ensure sustainable practices are used during construction.
Getting to the Maldives is a dream for many people around the world, albeit an expensive one. While prices for this private island resort aren't yet available, you can count on shelling out a pretty penny, considering that nightly rates at Mandarin Oriental properties in places like New York City are easily over $800 per night.
But that doesn't mean you can't find a way to get to this breathtaking country — especially if you have some points and miles waiting to be burned.
Just this week TPG reported that off-peak points availability at the Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, is pretty open for the summer. In fact, we found Marriott Bonvoy award nights for 70,000 points each for July of this year. That's a steal considering this new resort is so amazing we named it one of the best hotel openings of 2021 and our reviewer who went there said: "The difference between a great stay and a truly memorable one is in the details — and after a few nights at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, I can say with certainty that it delivers."
And, luckily, we have a bunch of handy tools to help you figure out the best ways to put your airline miles to work to get there for less.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.