Velaa is a private island in Noonu Atoll, 45 minutes from Malé by seaplane, at the very top of the Maldives market. Its 47 villas and residences all have a private pool and are among the largest in the country, with teak interiors and thatched roofs, and there's a butler and a resort doctor around the clock. The island has a golf academy designed by José María Olazábal, a PADI dive shop, a marine biology team running what it calls the largest coral restoration programme in the Maldives, and a house reef worth exploring.
Beach Pool Villas (287 m²) and Deluxe Beach Pool Villas (313 m²) have 8 and 9-metre pools, and over the water the Sunrise Water Pool Villas (223 m²) and Sunset Deluxe Water Pool Villas (245 m²) sit on an extended jetty with direct lagoon access. For families there are two-bedroom Beach Pool Houses (581 m²) and Ocean Pool Houses (493 m²) at the tip of the jetty. The Romantic Residence (598 m²) is a one-bedroom overwater villa reached only by boat, and the four Velaa Private Residences (about 1,324 m²) each have four bedrooms and a 17-metre pool; the Nika residence was redesigned by Patricia Urquiola and the Kuredhi by Winch Design.
Aragu is the signature restaurant, over the water with a piano, serving contemporary European food with Asian influences and an 800-bin wine list. Athiri is the beachfront all-day restaurant, with chefs from 14 countries and a wood-fired oven, and Tavaru serves teppanyaki and Japanese tasting menus at the top of a tower, the tallest building on any Maldivian resort island, above a wine cellar of more than 500 bins. CRU pours rare Champagnes over the water, Avi is the poolside sunset lounge with a DJ and live music, and Faiy serves wellness food in the gardens. The overwater Velaa Spa has six double treatment villas and the Maldives' only snow room, and the Eveylaa Wellbeing village offers Ayurveda and manual medicine.