Checking in: Why the W Maldives checks every box for millennials in the Maldives

Pushing through all the retired couples, wedding couples, and a couple of millionaires, is there room for millennials in the Maldives? We checked in to the W Maldives to find out. 

The Maldives is not a hard sell. It is a dream holiday destination for many, and sits at the top of many a bucket list. It is a favourite for honeymoons, babymoons, and other what-have-you-moons. However, it often gets stuck to the moodboard as exactly that: a dream. 

Checking in to the W Maldives for a few nights, we wanted to know if millennials with nothing major to celebrate could go to the Maldives and enjoy it all the same. Is the W Maldives somewhere you could revisit if you had already been before? Is it interesting to visit if you aren’t in love, in a relationship, and not even on Tinder? And can it tend to the ever-specific needs of us burnt out and bountiful millennials in 2023? 

Read on to find out how we went night-snorkelling in spite of our fear of sharks (which we encountered), did a boozy brunch and a sunrise sound bath all in the same day (which we adored), and got ‘grams with one of Bangkok’s hottest chefs of the minute (who happened to be doing a pop-up). All at the W Maldives. Here’s the story.

[All images courtesy of W Maldives]

Review: Why the W Maldives checks every box for millennials in the Maldives

Getting there

Various airlines with varying degrees of leg room fly from Bangkok to the Maldives on a daily basis. The flight time is a comfortable 4 hours on a direct flight, before you are greeted and escorted by the W Maldives team from the airplane terminal to the seaplane terminal at Male International Airport. 

At the terminal, the W Maldives has its own lounge for guests to eat snacks and kill time (and efficiently complete the check-in process) before the flight. The seaplane journey itself takes around 25 minutes from Male International Airport to the W Maldives, which is located in the North Ari Atoll.

Those who have been on a seaplane before will know that this is the absolute perfect amount of time for a seaplane ride — short enough before any motion sickness can kick in, and long enough for some breathtaking footage of the atoll. Pro tip? Pop your AirPods in and get yourself a window seat for an incredibly scenic and sensory start to your trip. 

Accommodation

Only 27 beach villas and 50 overwater villas cover the relatively small island village, managing a balance between easy access and walkability to all outlets, as well as peace and privacy inside each of the villas. You can have an intimate holiday if you like, but you can also stroll and stumble upon new friends whenever you like. This clever blend for the introverts and extroverts in our travelling party was highly effective.

During our stay, we called the ‘Wonderful Beach Oasis’ beach villa our home for a few nights. The two-storey villa is decked out with modern gadgets and red reef-inspired decor, with spacious indoor and outdoor living spaces, and a private plunge pool with a jacuzzi for skinny dipping. There’s an outdoor shower (and wonderfully, no bugs there), as well as direct access to the postcard moments you’re familiar with: incredibly soft, almost-velvety, white sand, and the near-neon blue waters of the world-famous Indian Ocean. 

“There’s a huge bird drinking from the pool!” We exclaimed when the staff came with our luggage. To this, they nonchalantly responded, “Oh, that’s just George.”

Dining

At the W Maldives, the focus on “B&F” (you read that right) is strong. There are four dining options: KITCHEN for all-day dining, FISH for elegant specialty seafood above the lagoon, FIRE for grilled goods from 4 different barbecues, and KADA, a casual Maldivian family-style bistro. Beyond this, there are also special events, such as the W Brunch or BBQ, and even international guest chef pop-ups. 

Imagine our surprise when, upon sipping sunset cocktails at the stunning SIP bar, we heard Chef Deepanker Khosla’s laugh at the table next to us. On the island for a 2-day event, his Haoma pop-up was sold out to guests who were both familiar and unfamiliar with the Michelin-starred restaurant. The Green Star chef served a beautiful 7-course dinner on the water, as the sting rays floated beneath the deck for company.

For those who prefer to have no company at all, the W Maldives also provides various venues for private destination dining. The most breathtaking of these is definitely Gaathafushi, a castaway island located about five boat minutes from the resort. A prime spot for wedding parties, divorce parties, cocktail parties, and even overnight glamping, the small island feels very much like being on the set of Cast Away, except there are canapés and clean bathrooms Russell Crowe could use. On our boat ride back, we spotted a sea turtle. The team didn’t bat an eyelid, and calmly responded, “Ah, must be Bob.”

Facilities

The main pool at the W Maldives acts as the lively, pumping heart of the resort. Upstairs from the swim-up bar, there is also a fitness centre and games area. For any hygiene products you may have forgotten, or outfit changes you didn’t account for, W The Store lies a little further ahead for cute boutique shopping.

A place for those who are “overworked, under-slept, or partied out,” our favourite spot on the island was undoubtedly the AWAY Spa. Four quiet treatment rooms sit atop the water with undisrupted views of the ocean, with an outdoor plunge tub and deck for post-treatment relaxing. Whilst the sounds of the waves feel convincingly like a meditative sound bath playlist, we were assured that this tranquil oasis is all natural — so natural, we even spotted Dory (and about 15 of her relatives) swimming beneath the sunrise yoga deck. As it turns out, not only humans come to AWAY to find themselves.

Activities

A “house reef” refers to an island’s very own coral reef, often accessible within easy swimming distance. At the W Maldives, the accessibility is insane (five steps from your villa and you already meet baby reef sharks!), which is why it comes to no surprise that it has been named the resort with the best house reef in the whole of the Maldives.

The DOWN UNDER dive centre is helmed by a PADI certified team of dive masters, who can organise snorkelling tours, fluoro night snorkelling tours, scuba diving, kayaking, paddle-boarding, parasailing, and seabobs, amongst much more. They even provide water-proof phone cases and underwater cameras you can purchase for underwater shots, as well as wet suits should you need them.

Whilst everyone can rent complimentary snorkelling gear to keep in the villa, for first-timers and non-biologists, the guided tours come highly recommended. The trusty guide stops and points out different species along the way, like a swimming encyclopaedia, as you meet clownfish, barracudas, angelfish, parrotfish, lion fish, swordfish, and eels in those crystal clear waters. During our tour, we encountered an octopus with yet no name. We asked if we could name him ‘Sebastian.’

Verdict

The fact that every bird, turtle, and octopus gets a name at the W Maldives is equal parts adorable and clever. Whilst many think of the W brand as an eclectic and magnetic party hotel, it is refreshing and reassuring to know that the brand also understands that sometimes millennials like to slow down before they speed up again. Sometimes, they just want to name an angry octopus.

There is an unpretentious balance here between the detox and the retox, and a magnificent understanding of what modern relaxation looks like, even for younger generations, and even in the Maldives. Daily-changing complimentary fitness classes, sheesha by the cabanas, and a WhatsApp chat for the front desk so you never have to make an actual phone call (a Gen-Y dream), the W Maldives takes its ‘Whatever you want. Whenever you want.’ philosophy really seriously. It shows in the take-it-easy aura of the island, and the warm call-you-by-you-first-name energy of the team. At the end of the day, this is exactly how you bring millennials to the Maldives. You’ve got to pass the vibe check, and the W Maldives does so with flying colours.

You just ask George, Bob, and Sebastian.

W Maldives, Fesdu, Ari North Atoll, Republic of Maldives, +960 666 222.  

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