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NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort is part of the Minor Hotels group, the guys behind Anantara, Tivoli and the Wolseley, so they know a little something about luxury. And you can feel it in every detail on this beautiful island – the space, the privacy, and the way the staff team quietly operate in the background. At the time of writing, there’s a big benefit to choosing this resort over any other in the Maldives – it’s brand-spanking-new. Previously Reethi Beach Resort, six months of renovations mean new restaurants, new bars, new sand pumped onto its beaches and the almighty new floating overwater villas.
What’s the vibe at NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort?
Put it this way. When I stayed in February 2026, the hotel felt beautifully quiet – you could sunbathe entirely undisturbed and not hear a single voice or see a single snorkeller float past for hours. I had put this down to Reethi Resort having just opened, but later learned the hotel was already at 60 percent capacity. I can’t, then, imagine this resort could ever feel crowded. In fact, the only time it felt busy was the many, many late risers grabbing last-minute breakfast just before it closed at 11am. If that sounds like veering into brunch hours to you, then trust me, it will be you too – life is all too slow and mighty easy here. You’re on island time, after all.
What are the rooms like at NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort?
There are two main options for staying here: the Floating Villas and the Beach Villas. At the top, I guess you’d say, you’ve got the floating villas - it’s the villas you’ve seen all over Maldives TikTok, in the glossy two-page spreads and travel brochures. And they’re everything you want them to be – decked-out rooms, beautiful bathrooms, and your own very private terrace with a little table and chairs, a whopping great circular sunbed and one of those netted sitting areas that hovers over the water. Heading down your little steps straight into crystal-clear, deeply blue water is quite surreal, like you’ve stepped into an advert in a travel catalogue you scarcely believed could be real.
Beach Villas (essentially very posh, elevated and roomy beach huts for two), range from Sunset to Family, the latter of which have two bedrooms rather than one, and go all the way to the most lavish stay on offer, the Reethi Suite, which is completely secluded at the back of the island (and has its own butler). But the main thing is that every accommodation on this island has direct beach access. So no decisions to make there. This world is created for couples, and the two-person rooms show it – from your villa to the sea itself is entirely yours. Two chairs; two-person pools and two loungers on the beach that no one else can lie on. If you want to mingle, head to the Sunset Bar – but otherwise, this resort is for seclusion. And that’s just how its guests like it.
Starting from £404 a night, the Sunset Beach Villas are incredibly good value, with very nice open-air bathrooms out back. Or upgrade to a Beach Villa with a pool (starting at £613), for more space and your own swimming pool before you get to the beach. If you can afford the extra, getting the pool is absolutely worth it, completely sheltered from your neighbours with rows of perfectly-primed palm trees.
Across all rooms, you’ll find Brit-friendly plug sockets and USB ports everywhere you look, as well as a coffee machine with pods, a desk area, NH Collection-branded toiletries and useful bits like cotton pads and dental kits. Open your cupboard to find mosquito repellant, and a plug-in bug repeller if you need it. Nice touches, I thought.
What’s the service like at NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort?
At times, it’s a strange world. The cleanliness and beauty here doesn’t come au naturel – stroll through any palm-tree-sheltered path and there’s a staff member there, working. Pruning a palm tree or raking the sand. It’s a constant, always-moving operation, where the entire staff team are one step ahead of you at all times. At breakfast, I asked a member of staff if there would be more chia puddings, having just missed the last one of the batch. Before I even noticed they were coming out, he’d swiped two fresh ones and brought them to my table with a spoon.
What is the food like at NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort?
On the whole, very, very good. There is that worry in a place like this that you might find style over substance – edible flowers, Instagrammable poké bowls and elaborate-looking platters that lack flavour. But not at Reethi Resort. I tried many of the restaurants on offer here, and found a nice mix of traditional Maldivian food (namely tuna, tuna, tuna and lots of it), Western and global options. There was also a soon-to-open fine dining restaurant, Caravela.
There’s the main casual, all-day dining spot by the adults-only pool, Jumla – that’s where you’ll get your buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, and what a mighty buffet it is. Breakfast has it all – fresh honeycomb, coconut chia puddings, pancakes, a chef who’ll cook you eggs all ways – right the way through to Full English spreads and dim sum in huge bamboo steamers. For lunch, the daily-changing hot food section becomes all kinds of creamy curries, meat and fish dishes and soft steamed veggies – and the day’s special, prepared in front of you by one of the chefs (tacos, pastas and the likes, which are entirely customisable). There are endless salad spreads which change every day, and I’d be remiss not to mention the dessert station, which quickly became the most exciting part of my days. Tiny tarts, gooey brownies, parfaits and enormous bottles of melted chocolate for pumping all over your plate.
You’ll probably eat there a lot, but there’s a whole load of other restaurants to get your teeth into too. At Madumaithri, you’ll get exactly what your sleepy, sun-drenched, possibly tipsy self desires: namely pizzas, burgers and tacos. At Alifaan, steak is the star of the show – order a ribeye with green peppercorn sauce or chimichurri, skinny fries or mac and cheese and a glass of red and you’re winning. If you’re looking to, ahem, pop a certain question, I’d advise booking a private dinner at Adrift, where you can eat by the sea with the sand between your toes. Here, dips and starters are pretty good but the mains are where they really shine – mostly meat and fish cooked in front of you on a beach barbecue. But really, you’re here for the beauty of sitting here and the bespoke experience by lovely staff. For an evening that’s as romantic as it gets, order the full shebang for €150 per person.
My stand-out meal was Kaiyo, an Asian restaurant with fantastic views over the island serving Maldivian, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese dishes. Here I had the ‘reef fish of the day’, a whopping-great whole red snapper steamed with ginger, coriander and chilli, butter-soft, meaty and tender with a light umami broth and this delightfully bouncy, chewy skin.
What’s there to do at NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort?
You’re in the Maldives, so there’s one activity you have to do (ideally multiple times), and that’s snorkelling – but especially here, where the house reef is known to have some of the best marine biodiversity in the country. Book a small-group boat tour to see turtles (we spotted green and hawksbill), and take a guided snorkel through the house reef right by the overwater villas. Our guide was fantastically knowledgeable, and I ended up slap bang in the middle of a huge swarm of parrotfish, angelish, snappers and more – and yes, I saw Nemo plenty. They’ll let you keep a set of snorkelling gear for the entirety of your stay, and if you stay in one of the floating villas, you can dive right in from your terrace and get to snorkelling right away (though there is something equally relaxing about sipping an espresso and watching passing snorkellers go by).
There’s also scuba diving, paddleboarding and jet skiing. Plus, you can choose from a number of short boat excursions, including a one-hour Dolphin Quest and a sunset cruise (with drinks included – be camera-ready for this one). There’s a tennis court, a gym, and a kids’ play area along with a children-only pool, plus REVIVE Spa, which offers massages and treatments. It’s well worth joining the island’s daily beach yoga sessions, at either sunrise and sunset. For an extra-slow morning, order an in-villa breakfast the night before and have it brought right to you for £50 per person, with fresh juice, omelettes, pastries and more.
DETAILS
Address: Fonimagoodhoo, Baa Atoll, 7537, Republic of Maldives
Price per night: Beach villas £400-£1,500, overwater villas starting at £559. Half-board, all-inclusive and family options available.
How to get there: A 35-minute seaplane from Malé airport