LUX* South Ari Atoll

Maldives, Indian Ocean

Star rating

Beach Villa
Beach Villa
Beach Pavillion
Beach Pool Villa
Overwater Infinity Pool Villa
Veli Pool
Swimming pool - Senses
Spa
EAST Market
Beach Rouge
Beach Rouge terrace
Spa
Spa
LUX* Villa
LUX* Villa
LUX* Villa
LUX* Villa
LUX* Villa
Temptation Pool Water Villa
East Bar
Overwater Infinity Pool Villas
Beach Villa
Beach Villa
Beach Pavillion
Beach Pool Villa
Overwater Infinity Pool Villa
Veli Pool
Swimming pool - Senses
Spa
EAST Market
Beach Rouge
Beach Rouge terrace
Spa
Spa
LUX* Villa
LUX* Villa
LUX* Villa
LUX* Villa
LUX* Villa
Temptation Pool Water Villa
East Bar
Overwater Infinity Pool Villas

The hotel

This stunning resort gives a true insight into island living. As well as being exceedingly laid back, there’s a spontaneous atmosphere with open air cinema on the beach, pop-up musical performances and much more. If you’re a water sport enthusiast you’re in for a treat, the diving here is spectacular, with plenty of underwater sites to explore for beginners to advanced divers. There’s also land sports aplenty, two pools (both fully serviced by poolside bars), two miles of sandy beach and the LUX* Me Spa, an oasis within an oasis. The kids, meanwhile, can engage in a variety of activities at PLAY, including decadent cake decorating and art classes. There are plenty of eateries to choose from: at the core of the island, MIXE offers everything from wood-fired pizzas to grills & stir fries, with a tempting island twist; for Italian cuisine, there is Allegria or head to East Market for Asian-inspired dishes.

Amenities

  • Bicycle Rental
  • Kayaking
  • Scuba Diving
  • Snorkelling
  • Tennis
  • Windsurfing
  • Babysitting service
  • Kids Club
  • Families
  • Bar
  • Fitness Centre/Gym
  • Internet Access

Where is it

On the island of Dhidhoofinolhu in the South Ari Atoll. Transfer time from Malé International Airport: 25 minutes by seaplane (remember to pack light for the seaplane transfer as luggage allowance is 20kg plus 5kg hand luggage, per person).

Hotel information

Choice of thatched roof beach villas/pavilions and overwater villas, including 62 with a private pool. All with air-conditioning, private terrace or balcony, satellite TV, telephone, complimentary WiFi, mini-bar*, tea/coffee-making facilities, safe, hairdryer, iron and board (on request). Beach Pavilions are interconnecting pavilions on the beach with individual outdoor terrace, they have 1 king-size bed plus rollaway bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 1 infant (in baby cot) or 1 child or 1 teen.

Board basis options

The current season until 31 January '26

Bed & Breakfast: includes breakfast in MIXE and East Market.

Half Board (Dinner) option: includes breakfast in MIXE and East Market. Dinner in MIXE, East Market, Beach Rouge or Senses. You are entitled for a 40% discount on the food charges at Umami or Allegria. Beverages will be charged upon consumption.

Full Board (lunch and dinner) option: includes breakfast in East Market or MIXE. Lunch in Lagoon Bar, Veli Bar, Beach Rouge and Senses. Dinner in MIXE, East Market, Beach Rouge and Senses. You are entitled for a 40% discount on the food charges at Umami or Allegria. Beverage will be charged upon consumption. Still water, sparkling water, soft drinks, and Café LUX* coffee are included during your meal only. All other beverages will be charged upon consumption.

All-Inclusive option: includes breakfast in East Market or MIXE. Lunch in Lagoon Bar, Veli Bar, Beach Rouge and Senses. Dinner in MIXE, East Market, Beach Rouge and Senses. Pastries at Café LUX* and ice cream at ICI parlour are included in your meal plan. You are entitled for a 40% discount on the food charges at Umami or Allegria.

Beverages: in all restaurants and bars, a wide selection of beverages - soft drinks, tea, coffee, beers, wines, sparkling wine, fresh seasonal or canned juices, water, cocktails, liquors and Taittinger champagne by glass

- Wine library featuring 90 labels of wine bottles included in AIP. • Tea and coffee facilities in the villas and coffee at Café LUX* are included in your meal plan

- Mini-bar: water, juice, soft drinks, wines, vodka, gin, beers, sweet and savoury bites are included and replenished once a day.

From 1st February-31st January '27

Bed & Breakfast: At MIXE and East Market.

Half Board (dinner) option: includes breakfast in MIXE and East Market. Dinner in MIXE, East Market, Beach Rouge or Senses. You are entitled for a USD 30 per adult per meal at Umami or Allegria

Full Board (lunch and dinner) option: includes breakfast in East Market or MIXE. Lunch in Lagoon Bar, Veli Bar, Beach Rouge and Senses. Dinner in MIXE, East Market, Beach Rouge and Senses. A credit of USD 30 per person per meal on the food charges at Umami or Allegria. Beverages are not included and will be charged upon consumption.

All-Inclusive option: includes breakfast in East Market or MIXE. Lunch in Lagoon Bar, Veli Bar, Beach Rouge and Senses. Dinner in MIXE, East Market, Beach Rouge and Senses. Pastries at Café LUX* and Ice cream at ICI parlour are included in your meal plan. Allegria and Umami are excluded from the All-Inclusive Package. A credit of USD 30 per adult per meal will be deducted in the invoice.

Beverages: in all restaurants and bars, a wide selection of beverages - soft drinks, tea, coffee, beers, wines, sparkling wine, canned juices, water cocktails and liquors

- Wine library featuring 90 premium bottles included in AIP

- Tea and coffee facilities in the villas and coffee at Café LUX* are included in your meal plan

- Mini-bar: water, juice, soft drinks, wines, vodka, gin, beers, sweet and savoury bites are included and replenished once a day.

Premium All Inclusive option: includes breakfast in East Market or MIXE. Lunch in Lagoon Bar, Veli Bar, Beach Rouge and Senses. Dinner in MIXE, East Market, Beach Rouge and Senses. Pastries at Café LUX* and Ice cream at ICI parlour are included in your meal plan. Guests will receive one complimentary dinner at both Allegria and Umani during their stay. Additional dinners will incur a credit of USD 30 per adult per meal deductible on the invoice.

Beverages: in all restaurants and bars, a wide selection of beverages - soft drinks, tea, coffee, beers, wines, sparkling wine, fresh and canned juices, water cocktails, liquors and selected champagne by glass

- Wine library featuring 90 premium bottles included in AIP

- Tea and coffee facilities in the villas and coffee at Café LUX* are included in your meal plan

- Mini-bar: water, juice, soft drinks, wines, vodka, gin, beers, sweet and savoury bites are included and replenished once a day.

Room upgrades

Beach Villas enjoy magnificent sea views and direct access to the beach and lagoon, with 1 king-size bed, a sofa bed and single rollaway bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 1 teen.

Beach Pool Villas are on the sunset side of the island, and have a private plunge pool, garden and a direct access to the beach, with 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 1 teen or 1 child or 1 infant.

Family Lagoon Pavilions are a two-bedroom pavilion located on the beach with a common entrance and separate terrace, sleeping maximum 4 adults and 2 children/teens/infants or 2 adults and 4 teens/children/infants.

Family Beach Pavilions are located on the beach with two entrances and separate terrace, sleeping maxium 4 adults and 2 infants or 2 children or 2 teens , or 2 adults + 2 infants or 4 children or 4 teens.

Water Villas are located directly over the lagoon on the far sunset side of the island and offer optimal privacy and seclusion, with 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 teens.

Overwater Infinity Pool Villas are luxurious over-water villas with a private pool offering sunrise views and a direct lagoon access, with 1 king-size bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults.

Temptation Pool Water Villas are ideal for couples, with a dedicated living space, spacious wooden deck with dining area and cabana, a 14-metre infinity pool, a glass Jacuzzi room and a circular king-size bed, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 1 teen.

LUX* Villas feature panoramic sunset views at the jetty's end. Glass floored living and dining room, extensive outdoor terrace and lounge area with infinity pool, sleeping maximum 2 adults and 1 teen.

9 restaurants; MIXE (feet-in-the-sand international buffet, open for breakfast and dinner), Allegria Restaurant (Mediterranean cuisine, open for dinner), Senses Restaurant (Middle Eastern and Indian ocean cuisine, open for lunch and dinner), East Market (over-the-water Asian market-inspired restaurant, open for European breakfasts and authentic Asian dinners), Umami (Japanese fusion, open for dinner), Beach Rouge (beach club and restaurant, open for all day dining), Cafe LUX* (freshly ground coffee served all day), Veli Pool Bar (all-day poolside drinks, open for lunch), Lagoon Bar (sociable beach bar, open for lunch), Senses Bar and Lounge (cocktails, drinks, teas, light lunches and evening snacks), East Bar (hip over-the-water hangout, open in the evenings). Ice cream once a day from the ICI tricycle.

Daily programme for adults and children including performances by local artists and themed evenings. Cinema Paradiso - open air movies on the beach.

2 swimming pools. Spa*. Fitness centre. Complimentary snorkelling equipment, canoe, pedal boats, kayaks, snorkelling trips to the house reef. Water sports* including diving, tube rides, waterskiing, kite surfing, fishing, flyboarding and windsurfing. Whale shark safaris*. Access to volleyball court and tennis courts with complimentary rackets and balls (upon availability). Bicycles*. Beach yoga. PLAY kids club (3–11 years), Teens programme. Weekly activities cater to different age groups and include fun themes like gardening, cooking, swimming, yoga, storytelling, and more.

 Babysitting* (on request). Laundry service*. 24-hour room service*. Complimentary WiFi in public areas.

4 nights from the 31st December.

* 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

  • Location Image of the Tripadvisor rating
  • Sleep Quality 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 (6766)
  • Very good (398)
  • Average (92)
  • Poor (35)
  • Terrible (19)
Image of the Tripadvisor rating An unforgettable experience!

Jul 12, 2025 chloee865

The best holiday we’ve ever had! Lux South Ari Atoll is one of the most perfect places you will visit. Incredible food, the most beautiful setting and some of the friendliest and most hard working staff you will find. Naseer, Rimaah, Shaukat, Shaiff and Bek are just a few of the many staff members who made our stay unforgettable! Thank you. We… Read more
The best holiday we’ve ever had! Lux South Ari Atoll is one of the most perfect places you will visit. Incredible food, the most beautiful setting and some of the friendliest and most hard working staff you will find. Naseer, Rimaah, Shaukat, Shaiff and Bek are just a few of the many staff members who made our stay unforgettable! Thank you. We spent our days snorkelling with whale sharks, rays, and turtles, or relaxing by our pool water villa spotting dolphins as they swam by. The island is large enough to offer a true sense of privacy and peacefulness - and gives you so many wonderful spots to relax, eat and have fun! We love it so much we might visit for a third time next year! Thank you Lux South Ari Atoll! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating A dream family holiday.

Jul 10, 2025 Nick M

A genuinely incredible island. Beautifully and meticulously maintained. Lux manages to combine both a sense of privacy and intimacy, whilst also offering a wide variety of things to do: fantastic restaurants, activities, spa, water sports. But most impressive of all are the staff; their sense of warmth and happiness and by consequence the superb… Read more
A genuinely incredible island. Beautifully and meticulously maintained. Lux manages to combine both a sense of privacy and intimacy, whilst also offering a wide variety of things to do: fantastic restaurants, activities, spa, water sports. But most impressive of all are the staff; their sense of warmth and happiness and by consequence the superb service that comes with it. Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Amazing resort all around!!!

Jul 8, 2025 Dani E

Amazing resort all around!!! We stayed here for our honeymoon for two full weeks. We stayed the middle two weeks of July and from my understanding that is rainy season/off peak season. Well, we lucked out because it only rained two of the fourteen days we were there. And given that it was off peak season, the resort wasn’t crowded and we had our… Read more
Amazing resort all around!!! We stayed here for our honeymoon for two full weeks. We stayed the middle two weeks of July and from my understanding that is rainy season/off peak season. Well, we lucked out because it only rained two of the fourteen days we were there. And given that it was off peak season, the resort wasn’t crowded and we had our pick at whatever beach chairs we wanted, whatever restaurant we wanted, and we had lot of face time with the staff and their undivided attention. I’ll start by saying we chose the all- inclusive option and ate at all of the restaurants/bars including those that weren’t fully all inclusive. We also participated in a few special dinners that were add-ons. Everything was amazing - the views, the rooms, the service, the food, and the staff. The views are absolutely stunning. Every morning we would see clear blue skies and every night we would see beautiful colorful sunsets. I took so many pictures of the sunsets. The water was so clear and there was so much sea life to see. Just while swimming off the shore of the Lagoon Bar, we saw a small shark, a manta, a sea turtle, and so many different fish. The rooms were spectacular. We stayed one week in the romantic beach pool villa and one week in the romantic pool water villa. The beach pool villa had so much space and was perfectly situated in the middle of the island with easy access to either side of the island. The water villa allowed us to have direct access to the ocean and was along the pier with access to two restaurants and a bar. The rooms were very clean and modern. The service was absolutely amazing. All of the staff went above and beyond to make sure we were having an unforgettable time on our honeymoon. They set up cute designs of coffee beans and sprinkles on our dinner tables to commemorate our honeymoon. They would bring us our favorite drinks to our pool chairs without us even asking. One staff member gave us a tour of the gardens and explained the different fruits and vegetables they were growing. The chefs were so hospitable and explained to us foods from around the world and made us different dishes to try out. One of the cleaning staff asked us if there was anything more he could do - truly a demonstration of willing to go above and beyond. All of the staff would say hello as we were walking back and forth on the island and were so friendly. By the end of our two-week stay, we had made friends with so many members of the staff. The food was absolutely incredible. We chose the all-inclusive option. While we’ve never stayed at an inclusive resort before and we have high expectations of food, we can say Lux far exceeded our expectations. The food was incredible. We ate at every restaurant and every bar, varying for lunch and dinner. All of the ingredients were fresh and there was so much flavor. My favorite restaurant was Senses and my favorite bar was Veli. We loved how all of the drinks were different at each bar/restaurant. The staff did an amazing job coordinating all of the various activities/events. Every few days there was bingo night or trivia night at Senses, which was so much fun. We won a dinner at a private table off to the side of East Market surrounded by the water. The staff also organized a Full Moon Dinner at the end of the island past Senses. This was absolutely my favorite night of the trip. The end of the island was set up with tables, lanterns in the sand, and lights and decorations. There was a musician singing and playing guitar throughout the night. There were maybe six or eight tables throughout the area - so it was very exclusive and private. We watched the ocean and the full moon as dinner was served to us and listened to the musician. The staff also organized a Maldivian night. It was so much fun! There was music and dancing and traditional Maldivian food. All of the guests got a Maldivian skirt to wear to the event. The last night of our stay, the staff had a seafood night at Mixe. It was fantastic. We got to pick out our fish we wanted to eat and watched them grill it. Everything was so fresh and delicious. We spent most of our days going from breakfast at either Mixe or East Market, to the beach at the Lagoon Bar or to the pool either at Veli or Senses, having lunch at either Veli, Senses, Beach Rouge, or Lagoon Bar, to walking around the island. It was very humid when we were there but it didn’t matter because it was truly an amazing resort all around. This was truly an unforgettable trip and honeymoon all because of Lux South Ari Atoll! Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating Escape from Reality ! & the Staff make it even better :)

Jul 7, 2025 Doaa H

The stay at LUX South Ari Atoll was escape from reality that is much need. The island is just naturally beautiful with its turquoise water flowing to the deeper blue color that makes you forget the world around you. The differentiation factor at LUX is the staff. Their warmth and naturally friendly approach makes it feel home. If not done… Read more
The stay at LUX South Ari Atoll was escape from reality that is much need. The island is just naturally beautiful with its turquoise water flowing to the deeper blue color that makes you forget the world around you. The differentiation factor at LUX is the staff. Their warmth and naturally friendly approach makes it feel home. If not done already, LUX must introduce some perks to ensure retaining such talent (e.g offering a family stay for expat workers so they can enjoy the beauty of the island with the family just as they make the tourists stay unforgettable). Some staff that I would like to thank for making the stay extra special are: • Rimaah, Zahir, Nasser, Rauan and Basil – staff working at the restaurants • Rushan – from the water activities • Naufal – from the reception • Shawkat – the buddy driver Still, LUX can work more on the WOW factor that resonates more with the vibes of the Maldives. For example, there is a Phone Home idea to call back home for free. With all the free calling apps today, I do not see the value of it. Also, there is a free coffee from the LUX coffee. While that seems nice, I would have loved a more Maldivian vibe, offering Sai Tea with gulha and keemia for example. The outdoor cinema and the library are some nice experiences. Overall, it is recommended that LUX revisits its WOW strategy embracing it with the Maldivians vibes as the nature of the Maldives is by itself astonishing. Also, when a pest control is scheduled, the residents needs to be notified. I was on the pool when suddenly the smoke and smell was all over the place and had to rush inside. Usually, the pest control is notified to the residents so residents stay inside for a while. This is from a Health & Safety perspective. Lastly, introducing an app for the place would make it easier to track buggies, check and book activities and share feedback for the specific stay . Overall, a highly recommended place. The room was well equipped, clean and spacious. As for the restaurants, they were all top notch with various different styles of food. Lovely attentive staff 😊 Read less
Image of the Tripadvisor rating I really recommend Lux hotel

Jul 4, 2025 pom p

I stayed Lux hotel with total pax 3 families. Food and drinks are very high quality. Chef Pong, Thai chef took care of us very well. He did some special menus as our requirements. Anfal, a cleaner who clean our villas is superb. He is polite and very helpful. All staffs are excellent. They can remember everything we ate and drank. Hotel is… Read more
I stayed Lux hotel with total pax 3 families. Food and drinks are very high quality. Chef Pong, Thai chef took care of us very well. He did some special menus as our requirements. Anfal, a cleaner who clean our villas is superb. He is polite and very helpful. All staffs are excellent. They can remember everything we ate and drank. Hotel is beautiful. I really recommend Lux hotel. Read less