Since opening in 2013, Velaa has become a byword for personal attention and ultimate luxury. Rather than being part of an international hotel chain like many of its ultra-top-end competitors, this impressive place is the personal creation of a Czech couple who turned their private-island fantasy into a business.
The island is a stunner – a perfect circle with beach all the way around, perched above a wide circular reef. There are 43 rooms, which range from the one-bedroom Beach Pool Villa to the four-bedroom Private Residence. All have enormous private pools and are decorated in an exotic pan-Asian style with lots of dark-wood furniture and beautifully crafted bathrooms.
The island boasts the white Tavaru Tower, apparently Maldives' highest restaurant at a whopping 22m (Everest by local standards), where a teppanyaki restaurant provides the centrepiece to Velaa's interesting design. There's also a Clarins spa, tennis courts, a small golf course and two more fine-dining restaurants.
The entire place is wonderfully secluded and service is an absolute highlight. The flipside to the more showy international brands in Maldives, Velaa offers exactly the same standards of accommodation and service with a more understated approach, which will appeal to luxury travellers who appreciate a down-to-earth atmosphere.
