Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives

Taj Exotica sits on Embudhu Finolhu in South Malé Atoll, in the middle of one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives, 15 to 20 minutes from Malé by speedboat. It has 64 sea-view villas and suites, butler service, and some of the most spacious suites in the Maldives, according to maldives.com.

The villas have recently been renamed, and the agencies use different names. The official fact sheet lists Lagoon Villas with a deck straight onto the lagoon, Deluxe Lagoon Villas with a plunge pool, beach villas and one-bedroom beach and ocean suites with pools, a two-bedroom beach suite with its own spa room, and the Rehendi Presidential Overwater Suite with two bedrooms, two salas and a hammock over the lagoon. The Lagoon Villa (71 m²), Deluxe Lagoon Villa with Pool (94 m²) and Rehendi suite (500 m²) keep their names; the Sunrise Oceanfront Villa with Pool (193 m²) and the Two Bedroom Sunset Beachfront Suite with Pool (365 m²) are listed under their new names with Resortlife's sizes.

24 Degrees is the main restaurant, with nightly themed menus and a teppanyaki table; Mediterraneo by Jeffrey Vella serves Mediterranean food alfresco over the water; the Pool Bar & Restaurant by the infinity pool does pizzas and snacks; and the Equator Lounge has cocktails, cigars, shisha and wines from the cellar on a sunset patio. In-villa dining runs around the clock, and there's the Jiva spa, diving, catamaran sailing and sunset cruises.