The new LUX North Malé Atoll, the brand’s second property in the Maldives, strives to separate from the ‘sea of sameness’ with an original approach to a luxury Maldivian holiday
The brand new LUX North Malé Atoll has welcomed guests into its villa-only property for the first time. Opening on 1st February, the resort’s 67 over-sized, double-storey penthouse residences—each with a private pool— ooze contemporary style in a dramatic departure from the traditional thatched villas common among many Maldivian resorts.
“We are so excited to be opening a truly different resort which dares to get away from what we call the ‘sea of sameness’ with a thoroughly original approach to a luxury Maldivian holiday,” said Dominik Ruhl, Chief Operating Officer of The Lux Collective. “As well as offering a fresh alternative to the Indian Ocean’s traditional thatched villas thanks to our penthouses and nautical design, there are lots of impressive new services and surprises — all part of our intention to create an exceptional Maldives experience…”
Designed by Singaporean design house Miaja – which specialises in styling unique properties to reflect the beauty and charm of their surroundings – the resort’s look was inspired by the curves, lines and the impeccable finish of a luxury boat and its sails, and took years of painstaking work to perfect.
Now complete, each bright and breezy residence sits right on the white-sand beaches or stands over the water with living areas that are at least 350 square-metres. The oversized bathrooms are equipped with a bath and couples rain showers as well as an outdoor shower. On higher ground the villas’ rooftop decks and sun terraces give guests a continuous pastel panorama of the Indian Ocean.
In the penthouse villas, guests can enjoy intimate barbecue dinners or summon the bartender to shake up favourite cocktails right on the villa’s roof terrace. A butler-style villa host is also available to organise special island experiences including private spa treatments enjoyed from the comfort of your villa.
The over-lagoon spa’s treatment rooms are positioned right over the water, with a standout treatment in the signature water therapy wellness treatment. Inspired by dolphins, the treatment helps guests connect with nature and deeply relax, with the water creating extra buoyancy and support and conscious breathing soothing the nervous system. The process is followed by a flow yoga or aqua stretch session that eases tension and lengthens the spine through Shiatsu-style pressure-point massage to realign the body. To finish, guests can choose from a balancing aromatherapy scalp or foot massage.
LUX North Malé Atoll is located on Olhahali island, a six-hectare isle fringed by white-sandy beaches and a spectacular reef metres from the beach, teeming with tropical fish, stingrays, turtles, spotted eagle rays, bannerfish, reef sharks, and the occasional pod of dolphins. The resort has a world-class PADI dive centre and a resident marine biologist, and some of the Maldives’ most famous shipwrecks and caves are all situated nearby for those wanting to explore underwater.
On the dining front the focus is on unusual, uplifting environments. Barium is the resort’s secluded private dining room with a wow-inducing underwater fish tank, while INTI restaurant featuring a prepare-in-front-of-you sushi bar helmed by Chef Gaston, the Maldives’ only Peruvian chef. Think: Smoked guacamole, ceviche and aged meats showcasing tastes from Peru, Argentina, Japan, Ecuador and Mexico. GLOW showcases European classics including Italian and Spanish delicacies, as well as South East Asian specialties, while Beach Rouge has a contemporary pool-club feel, with a wood-fired pizza oven and Josper charcoal grill as well as a rooftop shisha bar on offer — all soundtracked by a live DJ.
LUX North Malé Atoll is just a short transfer from Malé by luxury speedboat or scenic seaplane and is open for bookings now.