The Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives takes its name from the Maldivian word for crystal white sand, and it isn’t difficult to see why. Dhonveli is situated on a private island, surrounded by the sparkling turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. A secluded tropical paradise, the resort combines authentic Maldivian design and décor with modern comforts, facilities and amenities, to offer guests the ultimate Maldivian holiday experience. Why not treat yourself to a stay in an Over Water Suite — resting over the shallow waters surrounding the island, they offer privacy and seclusion. They have a spacious bedroom and a living area with glass panel to watch the marine life below, whilst outside a private sun deck has steps directly down into the water.
Amenities
Kayaking
Snorkelling
Honeymoon
Bar
Hot tub
Restaurant
Safety Deposit Box
Swimming Pool
Where is it
On its own private island in Kaafu Atoll, in the heart of the Indian Ocean. Transfer time from Malé International Airport: 25 minutes by speedboat.
Hotel information
148 rooms. All with balcony or terrace, air conditioning, satellite TV, mini-bar, tea/coffee-making facilities, hairdryer, iron, safe, and spacious indoor/outdoor bathrooms, some with bathtub and/or separate rainfall shower and bath amenities. Superior Ocean View Rooms are located in two-storey buildings facing the ocean, with 1 king-size bed (2 additional beds on request), sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.
Full Board option: Includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mineral water and regularcoffee/tea will be included during meal times only (upon request).
All-Inclusive package: Run from 08:00am–midnight. Any drinks consumed outside of thesehours will be charged on consumption. Includes buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner.Selection of local snacks are serviced between the hours of 10:30am-11:30am,4:30pm–6:00pm & 10:30pm–11:30pm (on request).Alcoholic & Non Alcoholic beverages housebrand: Regular House Poured Wines. Mini Bar - Soft Drinks and Canned Beerentitlement - refilled once daily. All House Brand Alcohol served by the glass.Selection of Cocktails from the Menu. Draught Beer. Selection of Aerated Soft Drinks & Canned FruitJuices. Bottled Still Water. Tea & Speciality Coffee
Room upgrades
Beach Bungalows are located around the bay, offering stunning views of the glistening Indian Ocean, with 1 king-size bed and separate divan/day bed, sleeping maximum 3 adults and 1 child.
Water Bungalows are located on the southwest side of the island and offer 66 sq m of living space, state-of-the-art entertainment facilities and a spacious private terrace leading out to the lagoon. Each bungalow comes with a Jacuzzi, 1 king-size bed and separate divan/day bed, sleeping maximum adults.
Junior Beach Suites are located on the beach with an outdoor verandah and terrace and an open-air shower or bathtub with 1 king-size bed and separate divan/day bed, sleeping maximum 3 adults.
Over Water Suites are situated on the northwest side of the island and have a total of 85 sq m of living space with a glass floor panel, and a private outdoor terrace, sleeping maximum 3 adults. Over Water Suite guests enjoy exclusive access to the resort’s Rehendhi Restaurant and Bar, serving gourmet buffets and wines from the attached wine cellar, plus an exclusive swimming pool to while away the hours.
Beach Suite with Pool are a 2 story unit with a separate living and bedroom space overlooking the beach front and an outdoor shower with 1 king-size bed and single/day bed on upper floor and the option for a rollaway bed, sleeping maximum 3 adults.
Ground Floor Suites have a day bed which can be used as a single bed, sleeping maximum 5 adults and 3 adults and 2 children.
Koimala Main Restaurant (open for buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner; international cuisine), Maakana Restaurant (buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, exclusive for Water Bungalow guests), Tex Mex* (à la carte, Mexican cuisine), Rehendhi Restaurant & Bar (exclusive for guests in Overwater Suites and Beach Suites with Pool). Raalhu Bar (serving a selection of cocktails). Raiyvilla Bar. Beach Bar. Room service*.
Please note: guests staying in Water Bungalows may also dine at Maakana Restaurant and guests staying in Suite categories may dine at the exclusive Rehendhi Restaurant, as well as Koimala or Maakana. Other guests may also dine in Rehendhi with a local surcharge (reservations required, subject to availability).
Wide variety of entertainment and activities including beach parties, cocktail demonstrations, cookery sessions, saxophonist, Balinese dance and live bands.
Freshwater swimming pool with kids pool, plus exclusive infinity pool for Over Water Suite guests. Chavana Spa* with sauna and aromatherapy bath. Mini-gym. Snorkelling*, windsurfing*, kayaking* and catamaran sailing*. Motorised water sports*. PADI certified scuba diving*. Tennis court, beach volleyball, table tennis (floodlighting*), billiards. Excursions available*, including fishing, island visits and dolphin watching.
Complimentary WiFi for Virgin Holidays' guests.
*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.
Based on 9105 reviews
Rating summary
Location
Sleep Quality
Rooms
Service
Value
Cleanliness
Traveller rating
Excellent (7417)
Very good (1188)
Average (302)
Poor (113)
Terrible (90)
Wonderful stay
Aug 9, 2026Sasha W
We had a wonderful stay at Cinnamon Dhonveli. We were completely surprised to find out that they upgraded our room to a water bungalow and we are so grateful for this. We would highly recommend staying here, beaches are stunning, facilities lovely and the food and restaurants were great. A special thanks to Bhagya, Zareer and Lasaan for being so…
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We had a wonderful stay at Cinnamon Dhonveli. We were completely surprised to find out that they upgraded our room to a water bungalow and we are so grateful for this. We would highly recommend staying here, beaches are stunning, facilities lovely and the food and restaurants were great. A special thanks to Bhagya, Zareer and Lasaan for being so kind, friendly and looking after us so well during our meals.
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Rafa is the best 👌 👍 😍
Aug 9, 2026Ержан К
Rafiqul and moklesh beach bar they both are very good 👍 bartender 👌 rafa he was making best cocktails 🍸 very friendly with us 👌👌👌👌
Dreamy holiday
Aug 8, 2026Nejc P
We had a great time at the overwater villa suites. The villa is great, clean, and well-equipped with a private deck and glass floor window.
The island is great, offering many possibilities to keep you occupied during your stay. With a help of manager Ren all the activities and organisation on the island is at ease.
Overeater suites even have a…
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We had a great time at the overwater villa suites. The villa is great, clean, and well-equipped with a private deck and glass floor window.
The island is great, offering many possibilities to keep you occupied during your stay. With a help of manager Ren all the activities and organisation on the island is at ease.
Overeater suites even have a private restaurant and cocktail bar. The all-inclusive package is recommended since it's a great value—amazing food with many worldwide options and friendly staff (thank you, Ahmed!).
Cocktails are plentiful, with many options available. I need to give special praise to Suraj. This guy is a magician with liquor, with a special talent for coctails. He really adds on the overall experience and is a cherry on top for the resort!
The sole drawback encountered was a slight disorientation upon arrival when attempting to locate the designated meeting point, exacerbated by the absence of personnel at the airport stands. However, this is a minor issue that does not warrant significant concern.
I was a bit concered because it summs up to quite a bit of money, but it is worth every penny and will stay forever a memory of mine! 100/10 comming back!
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Perfect babymoon destination🤍
Aug 8, 2026milly pHertfordshire, United Kingdom
We stayed here for 10 nights in a water bungalow for our babymoon. The hotel is lovely and very clean, no single use plastic and no rubbish to be seen anywhere. The staff are all very attentive and helpful, particularly Lasaan and Bhagya from our restaurant, Sattar on the beach and Ren who was our main point of contact throughout our stay. Being…
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We stayed here for 10 nights in a water bungalow for our babymoon. The hotel is lovely and very clean, no single use plastic and no rubbish to be seen anywhere. The staff are all very attentive and helpful, particularly Lasaan and Bhagya from our restaurant, Sattar on the beach and Ren who was our main point of contact throughout our stay. Being almost 30 weeks pregnant the distance from Male was very good for us as it only took 20 mins on the speedboat, after a long flight the last thing you want is another long journey to your resort. There were times the restaurant felt busy meaning there was a lot of people there, however, the island never felt crowded or full aside from when we were eating which was perfect. We did a private boat trip to see the dolphins which was lovely, they swam right by our boat and were doing flips in the water close by. We also saw nurse sharks, octopus, manta rays, sting rays and lots of fish from our balcony too which was amazing.
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Paridise on earth
Aug 7, 2026Søren A
Thank you to Cinnamon Dhonveli for the most amazing holiday.
We visited Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives during our summer vacation from 25 July 2026 to 5 August 2026.
It was our first time in the Maldives, and our expectations were sky-high – all of them were fulfilled at Cinnamon Dhonveli.
We received a very warm welcome, and Ren was absolutely…
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Thank you to Cinnamon Dhonveli for the most amazing holiday.
We visited Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives during our summer vacation from 25 July 2026 to 5 August 2026.
It was our first time in the Maldives, and our expectations were sky-high – all of them were fulfilled at Cinnamon Dhonveli.
We received a very warm welcome, and Ren was absolutely fantastic at showing us around and explaining all the facilities on the island.
We immediately felt very welcome, and there are no limits to the helpfulness we were met with.
The staff on the island are truly outstanding, and the facilities were also excellent.
We stayed in an overwater bungalow, which we can highly recommend, and it was only a short walk to the most wonderful beach, with plenty of space for everyone and the clearest water, where you could experience rich marine life on the many snorkeling trips.
The food and drinks were likewise fantastic and very varied.
We can only give our very best recommendations to the Cinnamon Dhonveli resort and hope that, with this review, other guests will also experience this paradise on earth.
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Wonderful stay