Stay at the Le Meridien Maldives: ULTIMATE Review
Le Meridien Maldives on the Lhaviyani Atoll in Northern Maldives is the newest Marriott property in the island nation. It’s an incredible resort on a gorgeous island and has wonderful amenities.
We spent a heavenly three days here, and although we had already been in the Maldives for a week, it’s safe to say we didn’t want to leave this resort. The resort felt like a wellness retreat with an excellent gym, superb dining, and a full-service spa. The modern resort had every amenity we could want to stay in the Maldives.
We cover the best time to visit the Maldives if you’re looking for that information. See the full review below.
Le Meridien Maldvires
The Island
One of the greatest draws of the Le Meridien is the island itself. Le Meridien Maldives is on Thilamaafushi Island in the Lhavyani Atoll, about 123 kilometers north of Malé. Many resorts in the Maldives build small islands up to house the resorts.
In the process, it destroys much of the local ecology and wildlife. However, Le Meridien sits on a natural island, so much of the island feels wild and untouched. It is particularly true of the beach that rings the entire island.
Many hotel facilities are tucked away on the island, but for visitors, it feels like a wild and untouched place. The one-mile-long island allows for long walks along the beach, or you can rent bikes to cruise around the island. While exploring the island, you’ll likely spot plenty of local birds and bats darting between the island’s thick vegetation.
The cost of the bike rental is not included in the room rate, but the charge goes back to a local charity that that assists with the development of the local school and community near the island.
There is not much for development around the island, so guests only see white sand, coral reefs, and sparkling water. It’s easy to feel removed from the rest of the world and relax. It’s a true oasis, one of our favorite islands we’ve visited in the Maldives.
Due to the island’s size, the water is very nice for swimming with a sandy bottom, but it does make the reef less accessible. On some islands, the reef drop-off is a short swim away, but at Le Meridien, it’s a lengthy swim in currents, so it’s best to join the dive shop for an excursion.
The Resort
Le Meridien Maldives opened in September 2021, which was still very new on our visit. It’s evident that everything around the resort is modern, and the facilities are new. There are 141 villas on the resort 91 are overwater villas, and 50 are beach villas. In its first six months, it appears they’ve worked out any kinks that come with a new resort as the service was excellent.
We were happy to see the reception team ready to greet new arrivals after the 45-minute seaplane. The landing dock is a large open-air seating area next to the dive center, where guests sort their bags before being escorted to the open-air lobby for check-in.
The Interior in the open-air lobby has a minimalist barefoot chic theme. It features exposed rafters, beach wood, weave lighting fixtures, and sand floors. This theme carries through to many facilities throughout the resort. The lobby check-in process is seamless with a welcome drink and cool towel while you review options with the check-in staff.
The Rooms
All of the rooms at the Le Meridien Maldives are villas. Guests can choose from a range of villas, the most common being a beach, lagoon, or overwater villa. There are some with and without private plunge pools among the beach villas.
The same goes for the overwater villas. You can choose between sunset or sunrise, and several sunset villas feature a plunge pool. There are a handful of two-bedroom villas and the three-bedroom Thilamaafushi Villa. The layout of the lagoon villa and overwater villas are the same throughout the property.
We stayed in both a Lagoon Villa and Sunset Overwater Villa with a pool. Aside from the collection, the villa layouts were the same. The Lagoon Villa is a good choice for those who do not wish to stay overwater but would like to enjoy a similar view. In some ways, we even enjoyed the view of our Lagoon Villa more as it gave a lovely view over the island’s white sand beach and the water.
Guests can choose a Sunrise or Sunset Overwater Villa, with the Sunset the more expensive option. They do not come with more amenities other than a western-facing view, and many of the Sunset Villas have a plunge pool instead of a hanging net. No Lagoon Villas feature a pool option.
Similar to the design elements throughout the resort, you’ll find the rooms minimalist with small pops of flair. The colorful design elements include flamingo walls in the closet, swing doors in Le Meridien blue, and a bathroom with pattern cement tiles.
The room has many amenities, such as intelligent USB charging ports, international outlets, a walk-in closet, a mini-bar, double vanities, a makeup vanity, a couch, LED TV, and a lounge chair.
Bathrooms are a real standout as they feature expansive floor-to-ceiling windows with slate tiles. The Overwater and Lagoon Villas feature a waterfall shower and a large soaker tub. The bathroom opens up to the deck for a seamless ocean-to-shower experience.
Other amenities, such as bedding, robes, towels, and bath products, are standard for the Le Meridien brand. They’re all nice and fall in the middle of Marriott’s luxury brands in terms of quality.
Explore Spa
No resort in the Maldives is complete without a spa. The Le Meridien Maldives has an excellent spa on the island’s south side and lies in several overwater buildings.
Spa services are exceptional, and the rooms are a real stand out. We loved that rooms feature a floor window that looks down on a coral reef while you get your treatment!
The Dining
Six island restaurants and guests can also choose from several destination dining experiences. Guests can choose between three meal plans, Half Board, Full Board Plus, and All Inclusive.
The two main restaurants are Turquoise and Velaa, which lie adjacent. Turquoise is the Le Meridien Maldive’s primary restaurant, where guests have the breakfast buffet. They also offer an international menu for lunch and dinner.
Velaa is open for lunch and dinner and features an extensive bar next to the hotel pool. The restaurant specializes in wood-fired pizzas and grilled seafood or meat. It has a lovely beach bar menu, and we enjoyed lunch here.
On the other side of the island is Riveria and Waves Cafe. Riveria is an adults-only casual bar and restaurant. Below the gym and next to Riveria is the Waves Cafe which serves coffee, cakes, juices, and several health-conscious options. We loved the Waves Cafes, and it was in the perfect location to refuel after a visit to the gym.
Tabemasu is a Japanese restaurant located over the water and is the most excellent restaurant on the resort. We had dinner here one night, and the service, menu, and food were excellent. Along with the Waves Cafe, it was our favorite meal at the Le Meridien Maldives. The last restaurant is Latitude which is attached to the reception, and we never dined at the small cafe.
There are several destination dining experiences guests can book. We enjoyed the floating breakfast and chef’s table in the garden.
The chef’s table is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a romantic setting for a special occasion.
Activities
Gym
We need to start here as the gym is one of the best resort gyms in a hotel. It was excellent with personal trainers to lend a helping hand or book a private appointment. They were super friendly and responsible for the resort’s weekly fitness activities each time we visited. If you’re serious about your fitness, the gym has everything you could want.
Snorkeling
As it is in the Maldives, coral reefs and sparkling blue water surrounds the resort. Snorkeling equipment is available for free to all guests, and one of our top Maldives travel tips is to take advantage of it. You can follow buoys to the coral reef, but currents can be strong around the island. If you’d like to go for a nice snorkel, it’s best to book an excursion through the dive center.
Water Sports
There is a variety of water sports, and rentals guests can use during their stay. The paddleboards are accessible to guests, while all others incur a fee for rental. Guests can choose from wakeboarding, water skiing, kayaking, windsurfing, and more.
Dive Centre
There is a brand new full-service dive center on the island. So for anyone who would like to go for a dive or take a course there, the Maldives is one of the best destinations in the world. I’ve been experiencing inner ear problems for a while, so my diving days are over, but we have gone diving in the Maldives, which rank as one of the best destinations.
Resort Activities
Le Meridien Maldives also offers weekly activities such as cocktail making, cooking, group fitness, sunrise/sunset yoga, and a movie night. We enjoyed learning how to paint our own Maldivian landscape. Movie night is a standard feature for many resorts in the Maldives, but the Le Meridien has one of the best we’ve seen.
Sustainable Initiatives
There are several sustainable initiatives on the island that we greatly appreciated during our stay at the Le Meridien Maldives. First and foremost, the natural island is something to note in comparison to several of the islands in the Maldives. The vegetation is drastically different than the manufactured island resorts we’ve visited previously.
A water filtration system supplies the resort with water, and guests can choose between still or sparkling without the worry about plastic waste. It is vital as some islands go through mind-boggling amounts of plastic water bottles to supply guests with water. Similarly, bathrooms do not use single-use bottles and instead refill large ceramic containers.
Another notable feature is the massive greenhouse that supplies the resort with fresh greens. At the time of our visit, it grows the beautiful greens for all of the resort’s salads and fresh herbs. The modern structure was imposing.
Marriott Bonvoy
One of the most significant appeals of the property is its excellent redemption or chance to earn points for Marriott Bonvoy members. We’re active Bonvoy members and maintain Titanium Elite Status.
Although we were hosted as media during our visit to Le Meridien Maldives, we trust our status would have earned us a similar treatment to many other properties we visited as members. It typically includes a friendly welcome and room upgrade when available.
Point redemption is one of the most significant appeals of the resort for members sitting on a large bank of Marriott Bonvoy points. We garner much of our Bonvoy points thanks to our branded travel credit card.
What to Pack for Le Meridien Maldives
We have a post on what to wear in the Maldives if you’re looking for some packing advice.
Travel Insurance
We don’t travel without travel insurance, and neither should you. You never know what can happen while traveling, so it’s best to be prepared. HeyMondo provides excellent short-term and long-term travel insurance plans.
Sunscreen
Skin cancer is for real! Don’t forget your SPF when traveling around the Philippines. We recommend ordering some online before your trip, as it can be tough to find sunscreen abroad.
Sunglasses
Make sure to protect your eyes from the sun. There are many sunglasses options; everyone should own at least a pair. It’s best to ensure they have UV protection for the health of your eyes.
Plan For Your Trip
- Protect Your Trip: We don’t travel without travel insurance, nor should you. You never know what can happen while traveling, so it’s best to be prepared. HeyMondo provides excellent short-term and long-term travel insurance plans.
- Find Cheap Flights: Sign up for Going (formerly Scotts Cheap Flights) to get notified when prices get low.
- Book a Rental Car: We use Discover Car to book all our rental cars! You can also read our top tips for renting a car abroad here.
- Travel Adapter: Make sure you find a good adapter to keep your personal electronics charged. Otherwise, you may be paying for a cheap one once you land. Purchase one here.
- Travel Backpack: We like the Nomatic Travel Backpack for our travels. Check the price here.
- Our Favorite Travel Shoes: Our answer to this question is always Allbirds! Check them out on their site!
- Get a Travel Credit Card: We travel worldwide for free because we have leveraged our spending into points. See how you can do the same with our favorite travel credit cards.
