The Maldives’ Most Luxurious New Resort Has a Treetop Restaurant

The JW Marriott Maldives Resort and Spa is taking island luxury to new heights.

By Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure

In the Maldives, new hotels are popping up left, right, and center, with more than 20 openings in 2019 alone. There's now a rock-and-roll-themed property, a resort with an underwater coral sculpture garden, and a hotel where guests can sleep on nets hovering over the ocean. 

What makes the new JW Marriott Maldives Resort stand out is its stylish design and well-rounded roster of amenities — everything from a treetop restaurant and an over water yoga studio to an expansive wine cellar with over 300 labels.

Situated on the crescent-shaped Vagaru Island, the exclusive resort comprises 60 expansive beach and overwater villas, all of which feature private pools and sunbathing decks. Floor-to-ceiling windows, pops of creams and blues, and natural-fiber furnishings lend an air of barefoot luxury. The curve of the thatched roofs evokes the dhoni boats, the traditional Maldivian wooden fishing vessels. Splurge on one of the Beach Pool Villas for direct access to the cerulean waters, or opt for the split-level Duplex Beach Pool Villa, meant to accommodate larger groups.Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner's $45,000-a-Night Vacation in the Maldives Looks Like Paradise

With five restaurants and three full-service bars to choose from, there’s something for every taste — whether you’re craving Japanese teppanyaki, wood fired pizza, or freshly-caught seafood. At Kaashi, an open-air, thatched-roof restaurant set amongst towering palm trees, a former Nobu chef serves up authentic Thai dishes that are inspired by family recipes. Rum Baan, meanwhile, whips up craft cocktails made from over 98 rums.

Squeeze in a workout at the resort’s overwater gym, or take a yoga class in the open-air studio. The property employs an on-site marine biologist who oversees the health of a natural reef just meters from the shore, and where guests can glimpse exotic fish and other marine life on snorkeling or diving excursions.