Guide To Four Seasons Maldives Properties (2024)

The Maldives is one of the most aspirational travel destinations in the world, and Four Seasons is one of the world’s best hotel groups. In this post I wanted to go into a bit of detail about the Four Seasons options in the Maldives (including the Four Seasons yacht!), talk about the differences, and also share how you can get the best value possible.

Maximize value at Four Seasons Maldives

Four Seasons resorts aren’t cheap, but if you’re looking to maximize value you should always book through a travel advisor who is affiliated with Four Seasons Preferred Partner.

Why? You’ll get the same rate you find on Four Seasons’ website (including any promotional offers), and you’ll also receive additional perks, like free breakfast, a room upgrade, a hotel credit, and more.

A few things things to note:

• There’s no catch here — there’s no extra cost to book through a travel advisor, and you’ll pay the same rate you pay directly with Four Seasons, including being able to take advantage of all promotions available directly with Four Seasons
• If you’re staying at a Four Seasons, you’re better off booking through Preferred Partner than through programs like Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts; that’s because Four Seasons prioritizes upgrades for bookings through its own program
• While these perks apply at virtually all Four Seasons properties, there are two exceptions — the Maldives Private Island and the Maldives Explorer yacht, though a travel advisor may be able to add other perks for those experiences

If you need help with a Four Seasons Preferred Partner booking, Ford is more than happy to help, and can be reached at [email protected]. He can help with inquiries for the Maldives properties, or any other Four Seasons hotels or resorts globally.

Differences between Four Seasons Maldives properties

The Maldives has the most varied Four Seasons experiences that you’ll find anywhere in the world, given the fact that the luxury hotel group doesn’t just operate resorts here, but also a yacht and a private island.

Below I’ll share details on each of the Four Seasons experiences, but to very briefly summarize:

• Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru is probably the most iconic and popular property; it’s secluded, has great decor, and is about a 30 minute seaplane ride from Male
• Four Seasons Kuda Huraa is the original property in the Maldives; it’s generally the most affordable Four Seasons option in the Maldives, and it also has the convenience of just being a short speedboat ride from Male
• Four Seasons Private Island is an exclusive private island you can book for up to 22 guests, so this is without a doubt the most luxurious and personalized experience offered by Four Seasons
• Four Seasons Explorer is a yacht that operates three, four, and seven day cruises, with a heavy focus on diving

With that summary out of the way, below is a more detailed look at the Four Seasons Maldives options.

Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

The Four Seasons Maldives At Landaa Giraavaru is one of two main Four Seasons resorts in the Maldives, and it’s located on the remote northern Baa Atoll:

• The hotel opened in 2004
• The hotel has 93 accommodations, including bungalows, villas, and suites; this ranges from a ~900 square foot bungalow to a ~7,300 square foot suite, so the base accommodations here are huge
• The hotel has eight bars and lounges, with a huge variety of food options
• The resort is a 30 minute seaplane flight from Male International Airport

Four Seasons Maldives at Kuda Huraa

The Four Seasons Maldives At Kuda Huraa is the other one of the two main Four Seasons resorts in the Maldives, and it’s located near Male:

• The hotel opened in 1998
• The hotel has 96 accommodations, including bungalows and suites; this ranges from a ~600 square foot bungalow to a ~3,000 square foot suite
• The hotel has six bars and lounges, with a huge variety of food options
• The hotel is described as offering a “village setting,” based on the architecture and overall design of the property
• The resort is a 25 minute speedboat ride from Male International Airport

Four Seasons Maldives Private Island at Voavah

The Four Seasons Maldives Private Island at Voavah is unlike the other two Four Seasons resorts in the Maldives:

• You can’t book a room here, but rather can only reserve the entire island
• The island can accommodate up to 22 guests across four suites and villas — there’s a three bedroom villa, a two bedroom villa, and two suites
• Stays here include access to the private yacht within the Baa Atoll, all water sports, diving, fishing, most activities and excursions, and CIP services at the airport
• Everything on-property can be customized, from dining to spa treatments, so you have a team at your disposal
• The resort is a 35 minute seaplane flight from Male International Airport
• While rates here vary seasonally and based on the number of people, expect to pay $50,000+ per night
• The Four Seasons Private Island is located in the remote northern Baa Atoll, near the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru

Four Seasons Explorer Maldives

The Four Seasons Explorer is a different experience than the other three Four Seasons experiences in the Maldives:

• The yacht is 128 feet long, 39 feet wide, and has three floors
• You can take either a three, four, or seven day cruise, and it departs from one of the two main Four Seasons properties (more on that below)
• The ship has 11 rooms, and you can rent either a room, or charter the entire ship; 10 of the rooms are 215 square feet, while a single suite is 484 square feet
• The experience is all-inclusive, and includes three dives per day, and all meals (though alcoholic beverages aren’t included)
• This experience is targeted mostly at divers, though others may enjoy this as well, as it’s a totally different way to experience the Maldives

As mentioned above, you can book a cruise of either three, four, or seven nights. Here’s how that generally works:

• Three night cruises are northbound, and depart on Mondays from Four Seasons Kuda Huraa, and arrive on Thursdays at Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru
• Four night cruises are southbound, and depart from Landaa Giraavaru on Thursdays, and arrive on Mondays at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa
• Seven night cruises are in a circuit, and both depart and arrive on Mondays at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa

Which Four Seasons experience in the Maldives is best?

Everyone will have to decide which Four Seasons Maldives experience makes the most sense for them. I have a few general thoughts:

• Obviously if you can swing the Four Seasons Private Island, that offers a totally different experience than what you’ll get at the other two resorts
• Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru is generally considered to be the better of the two main resorts, given that it’s more secluded, and has decor that most people will prefer
• Four Seasons Kuda Huraa could make a lot of sense for some people, given that it’s generally the most affordable, and also given that it’s so close to Male Airport, making the transfer truly seamless
• Four Seasons Explorer is a nice alternative to the island-based resorts, especially for those who like to dive
• Note that Four Seasons generally has offers and specials if you’re visiting both of the resorts, so it could be fun to check them both out; a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel advisor can help you navigate that

Bottom line

Four Seasons has some incredible experiences in the Maldives, from two five star resorts, to a private island, to a yacht. Hopefully the above is a useful summary of the differences between them.

Regardless of which experience you book, I’d recommend going through a Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel advisor, as they can help you both with getting the best deal, adding extra perks, and generally navigating the differences between properties.

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