JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa

Maldives, Indian Ocean

Star rating

The hotel

Boasting chic and modern style, with traditional Maldivian influences, the JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa is an ideal destination if you're seeking luxury, privacy, and personalised experiences in a stunning tropical setting. With a choice of villas (all equipped with private pools!) you can sink into your surroundings with the help of natural materials, warm tones and breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean. Days are best spent on the beach, exploring the local marine life and hiring out kayaks, then perhaps popping over to the multipurpose playground for a friendly game of volleyball. Kids are also catered for with their very own Little Griffins Kids Club, offering a family-friendly environment and various activities such as arts and crafts, games, and educational programmes.

Amenities

  • Kayaking
  • Snorkelling
  • Kids Club
  • Families
  • Honeymoon
  • Bar
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Restaurant
  • Spa
  • Swimming Pool
  • Beachfront location

Where is it

Located on Vagaru Island in the Shaviyani Atoll. Transfer time from Malé International Airport: 55 minutes by seaplane (remember to pack light for the seaplane transfer as luggage allowance is 20kg plus 5kg hand luggage, per person).

Hotel information

60 contemporary beach and overwater pool villas. All with air-conditioning, satellite TV,  complimentary bottled water, mini-bar*, tea/coffee maker, WiFi, and safe. Master bathrooms in all villas are equipped with separate bathtub, rain shower, double vanities, separate toilet and bidet. Overwater Pool Villas offer a private wooden deck and pool with sunset or sunrise views, and 1 king-size bed sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Board basis options

Half Board option: includes buffet breakfast and lunch or dinner. Applicable in Aailaa, Fiamma, and Kaashi restaurants. Meal plans are based on a three-course menu per person, composed of a starter, main course, and dessert. A 60% discount on the total food bill is offered or can be utilized when dining in the following signature outlets (only while choosing dinner as part of the Half Board Package): Shio and Hashi.

Full Board option: includes buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner. Applicable in Aailaa, Fiamma, and Kaashi restaurants. Meal plans are based on a three-course menu per person, composed of a starter, main course, and dessert.

Half Board Plus option: includes the same inclusions as Half Board but include unlimited beverages such as soft beverages, water, beers, mocktails, and wines only from the selected beverage list.

All Inclusive option: includes buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner. Applicable in Aailaa, Fiamma, and Kaashi restaurants. Meal plans are based on a three-course menu per person, composed of a starter, main course, and dessert. A 60% discount on the total food bill is offered or can be utilized when dining in the following signature outlets: Shio and Hashi. Unlimited beverages such as soft beverages, water, beers, cocktails, mocktails, and wines only from the All Inclusive beverages list. A one-time floating breakfast and one-time 3-course beach dinner from the Aailaa menu.

All Inclusive Plus option: includes the same inclusions as the All Inclusive option, plus selected beverages (wine, beer, soft beverages) from the mini-bar and is refilled once during the day.

Room upgrades

Beach Pool Villas are located along the beach with direct access to the sand, with sunrise or sunset option, and 1 king-size bed sleeping maximum 3 adults, or 2 adults and 2 children.

Duplex Overwater Pool Villas offer a spacious master bedroom, plus an upstairs lounge area with views of the Indian Ocean, and 1 king-size bed sleeping maximum 3 adults.

Duplex Beach Pool Villas are an ideal option if you're travelling with friends and family. Offering 2 bedrooms, 1 master king bed, 1 twin bed, separate spacious upstairs living area, 3 bathrooms (2 downstairs and 1 upstairs) there's enough space for everyone. Sleeping maximum 5 adults or 2 adults and 3 children.

5 restaurants, 3 bars and award-winning wine room. Aailaa (all-day beach restaurant, breakfast buffet and à la carte menu for lunch and dinner). Fiamma (Italian cuisine, lunch). Hashi (Japanese fare, dinner). Shio (signature grill restaurant, dinner). Kaashi (Thai restaurant in a treetop location, lunch). Rum Baan bar. Horizon (pool bar). Wabi Sabi (hand-crafted Japanese inspired cocktails and whisky). Wine room*. Destination Dining* (private fine-dining experiences around the resort).

3 pools including adult-only pool. Spa*. Ocean view gym. Open air overwater yoga pavilion. Volleyball and football courts. Dive & Water Sports Centre* (with kite-surfing*, parasailing*, kayaking* and paddle boarding*). Daily excursions* (snorkelling*, dolphin watching* and fishing*). Little Griffins kids' club (with over 100 activities, including arts and crafts, pizza making, island exploration and beach yoga. Plus kids pool). Teen Lounge (aged 12 and above).

Complimentary WiFi. Room service*. Babysitting service*.

* Denotes local charge.

Please note: to ensure our customer's safety, we are unable to offer over water accommodation to children under the age of 12.

Rating summary

  • Sleep Quality Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Rooms Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Service Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Value Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Cleanliness Image of the Tripadvisor rating

Traveller rating

  • Excellent (370)
  • Very good (22)
  • Average (15)
  • Poor (7)
  • Terrible (11)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Unforgettable Memories, Genuine Hospitality

Jul 16, 2025 GLoo23

2nd time back in Maldives because we had such a magical trip the 1st time in Sept 24. My partner decided to choose another resort within Marriot Bonvoy Group so that we could capture new experiences. From the moment we arrived at the resort, about a 50-min sea plane ride from Male, it was clear that we were going to have a great time. We were… Read more
2nd time back in Maldives because we had such a magical trip the 1st time in Sept 24. My partner decided to choose another resort within Marriot Bonvoy Group so that we could capture new experiences. From the moment we arrived at the resort, about a 50-min sea plane ride from Male, it was clear that we were going to have a great time. We were greeted warmly with Maldivian drums and staff by the jetty. Our Butler - Hassan was assigned to take care of us for the week at the resort. The service provided by him was not only seamless but attentive without being intrusive. He was always just a message away, arranging our floating breakfast, photoshoot, spa, beach dinners, even personally delivering sweet treats to us on some days after his work shift. Honestly, we were so blown away by his dedication after our disastrous encounter with our previous butler from our 1st trip. We bumped into 1 of the staff member - Sovia (Aailaa restaurant) who was working at the previous resort we were at. That was a nice surprise seeing a familiar face! After which,we also found out another staff member - Uzam had transferred over. We had such a wonderful time catching up (truly happy and proud that their career progression is going well), exchanging contacts to keep in touch this time around since fate works in mysterious ways of allowing us to cross paths again. Every staff member, to name a few (Bhgyashree, Rameez) that we have encountered, from our villa attendent (Nabeeh), restaurants hosts (Sovia, Tia, Zahuvan, Reni, Zahir, Aalif and many more - I tried my very best to remember their names) and chefs (Dinesh, Upali, Kenika) were genuinely invested in making our stay perfect. We met Chef Dinesh and Chef Upali, Sovia, Tia every day when we were at Aalia Restaurant to have our breakfast.  Seeing them was our way of knowing that we were going to have a great day, every day. I was utterly spoilt by them like royalty, my expanding waistline and weight gain can attest to it. We also met Chef Kenika who handles the Thai restaurant - Kaashi on the island. We had our 1st dinner - Treetop Thai Night (only on Mon). The menu was curated well that we went back for more thai food over the next few days. It was like having a piece of thailand in Maldives - what a perfect combination. Chef Kenika cooks from her heart and you can tell that from the flavours of the food. Zahuvan , who was stationed at Kaashi (lunch), Hashi & Shiro (dinner) was so attentive in his service and we always look forward to seeing him. We also had a great pleasure to meet and connect with GM Mohit Dembla during our stay. We were very surprised when we were invited to have drinks with him which followed up by dinner. It was such a warm and personal setting of conversations and personal outlooks in life. The dinner at Hashi & Shiro was perfect. Unfortunately, I was too engrossed in the dinner conversations that I forgot to take pictures of the food. In a destination as beautiful as the Maldives, it is relatively easy to be impressed - clear turquoise water, postcard perfect sunsets etc. But it was clear to us that it was the people of the resort that matters the most to us - genuine human connection, thoughtful gestures that made us feel seen and deeply valued - not just as guests but as cherished individuals. We had a great time strolling around the whole resort, clocked our 10k steps easily - probably known as the crazy couple who rejects buggy services (except on the day it rained). As what Richard Branson says 'If you look after your staff, they will look after your customers', and it is evident that the staff are flourishing under GM Mohit Dembla. If I had to choose 1 thing that could be improved - it would be hoping that there would be a slight variance in the menu offering for lunch and dinner at Aalia. At the end of the trip, we once again left with unforgettable memories, full hearts, a nice tan & a longing to return. Saying farewell is always tough but as the saying goes, it's not a goodbye but a See You Soon. Thank you my JW Marriot Maldives family. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating LUXURIOUS RESORT WITH WORLD CLASS SERVICE

Jul 13, 2025 A S

As a repeat visitor to Maldives after WA and LUX we were looking forward to a new experience. Had an awesome 9 days stay at JW. Even at a decent occupancy it felt like our private island - only time we realized how many guests are on the island was at breakfast or dinner but that too was all well organized. I wish i could remember all the names… Read more
As a repeat visitor to Maldives after WA and LUX we were looking forward to a new experience. Had an awesome 9 days stay at JW. Even at a decent occupancy it felt like our private island - only time we realized how many guests are on the island was at breakfast or dinner but that too was all well organized. I wish i could remember all the names as everyone we encountered on the Island was remarkable. Villa Had the spacious 2 bedroom duplex villa which was perfect for our family of 6. It was modern and well maintained. The pool is big for a comfortable swim and private with a nice green partition from the beach. Butler Saddam was awesome, he was like a "genie in the bottle". Immediately responsive providing top notch service. With no spares on this trip, I lost my glasses while swimming in the ocean (yes tell me about it) - i sent Saddam the prescription, he shared few options to select from and WOW - the new glasses arrived within 24hours. As my prescription is quite high he really saved my trip and really appreciate how challenging it must have been to get me prescription frames on a remote island within such short time. Other random requests like these were managed effortlessly. Service at this resort is truly world-class. Food We were All inclusive which included Alacarte order for lunch/dinner which i always prefer more than buffets. Breakfast buffet had a varied selection of fresh fruits, juices and different cuisine. Lunches and Dinners were all marvelous and by the third day we were just being made customized meals. True gastronomical bliss. Ex Chef Denish and others chefs and servers were all amazing. Thai tree top restaurant which is open for lunch led by the talented Chef Kanaka and her team was awesome and we mostly had lunches there. My heartfelt thanks to all of them. All inclusive includes amazing mocktails which we enjoyed. The speciality Japanese and Steakhouse are great we had a meal there in a specially arranged outdoor setting. Kids Club The crew led by Gordano are all wonderful and caring. The kids loved the activities. On the last day even though we were leaving early morning, Gordano came with gifts for the kids and gave a warm see-off, again a kind gesture and example of how the team at JW goes the extra mile. Kids still talk about the kids club and its team everyday. SPA Good facilities and enjoyed the SPA sessions. They have complimentary YOGA and Workout sessions at sunrise and sunset. The instructor customized it, whereas at other resorts those were just come do it and leave. At JW these lessons had personalized tips for my daily routine. Ankit the Yoga instructor and the SPA therapist was excellent. Happy Island It was an overall happy place with all staff sharing the shared purpose of keeping guests happy. I felt the inter staff volleyball tournament which was taking place during our stay was nice as happy staff means better service for the guests. My kids enjoyed some of the games. The GM of the hotel Mohit is amazing and true asset for Marriott, i foresee him climbing very high on the Marriott ladder as he has amazing warmth, care and compassion towards the guests and was always active around the resort. Having stayed at top notch properties around the world i can safely say this resort is amazing and we look forward to being back. As there is always room for improvement. I have two suggestion: The wifi signal on the beach should be stronger, there should be hotel sponsored snorkelling trip few times a week. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating worst stay

Jul 13, 2025 FATMA F Doha, Qatar

was worst stay ever i went 3 nights only first day i took my villa 4:30 pm when i woke up morning my back all stain from the bugs. second day i went for breakfast for half an hour then i saw the cleaning guy in my villa cleaning without informing me i told them to come later . he came the second shift and he didnt clean this well , i kept quite… Read more
was worst stay ever i went 3 nights only first day i took my villa 4:30 pm when i woke up morning my back all stain from the bugs. second day i went for breakfast for half an hour then i saw the cleaning guy in my villa cleaning without informing me i told them to come later . he came the second shift and he didnt clean this well , i kept quite . third day i ask to clean my villa 8:00 am i came to my villa 11:00 am wasn’t cleaning at all. when i asked my they told me coz new arrival 😌. i got made really and spoke to the manager which try her best to make me happy. 4th day i woke up 3:00 am the same day there is now electricity in my villa coz the storm only my villa was off. i should leave the island my friends family should leave 3:00 pm but for the weather conditions they left 2:00 pm i told them to put us since we are going to same international flight they didn’t . the manager know about the weather and she told us .i was outside the villa since 2:30 pm till 3:30 i keep contacting them about the seaplane they told us they have 2 options . we might be in the seaplane which will reach the resort if not they have to keep us in the beach villa for one day . then they contact me and told me the weather not good and no seaplane can come to island and 50% off the food so i had to change my international flight since it was less than 3 hours i had to pay for it . the. they book for us seaplane 8:30 am i told them i have health conditions i should sleep more my international flight was 19:45 pm they didn’t even care . i left the island 9:00 am . i would never go back to this resort again . Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Dream stay in paradise

Jul 10, 2025 PaulS883 Cambridge, United Kingdom

My wife and I visited the JW Marriott resort for the first time but certainly not the last. The whole experience from arrival to departure was an absolute pleasure. Greeted by the team and then taken to our villa by our butler Hassan. Hassan was on call all week for anything required and he did the job admirably. The food was excellent and a… Read more
My wife and I visited the JW Marriott resort for the first time but certainly not the last. The whole experience from arrival to departure was an absolute pleasure. Greeted by the team and then taken to our villa by our butler Hassan. Hassan was on call all week for anything required and he did the job admirably. The food was excellent and a special shout out to the sommelier and bar manager Lahiru. Attentive to our every need he went above and beyond anything one would expect. Incredible location and incredible hosts. A travellers dream. Thank you all. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating A Stunning Escape with Heartfelt Hospitality, Though Serenity Matters

Jul 6, 2025 Woranun P

My stay at JW Marriott Maldives was truly memorable—highlighted by a generous upgrade, a magical birthday dinner by the beach, and exceptional service from my butler, Ziyad. Thai chefs Kwan and George made me feel at home with their authentic cuisine. However, one area for improvement is communication around maintenance. Unannounced noise… Read more
My stay at JW Marriott Maldives was truly memorable—highlighted by a generous upgrade, a magical birthday dinner by the beach, and exceptional service from my butler, Ziyad. Thai chefs Kwan and George made me feel at home with their authentic cuisine. However, one area for improvement is communication around maintenance. Unannounced noise disrupted the peaceful atmosphere, which is vital for guests seeking tranquility. I hope this can be addressed to uphold JW Marriott’s high standards. Read less