• The W Retreat is an island that brings a bit of city sophistication to paradise.
• Villas come complete with a very expensive private deck and a personal plunge pool.
• It has some of the best snorkelling in the Maldives.
The Whole Story
Theatrical, sexy, fun, W Retreat & Spa in the Maldives has made its mark by daring to be different. Amongst this collection of 2,000 little specs in the surrounding Indian Ocean known as the Maldives, there is no shortage of places that have opted for the thatched-roof hut jungle approach. So the W Maldives, the first W resort, opted to go bling. It’s the kind of place where your wife can wear a little Dolce & Gabbana number for dinner, and if she’s not your wife even better. W created an island that gets dressed up at night. During the day it’s not just an island paradise; a speck of jungle surrounded by a white sand border in turquoise water, it also has some of the best snorkelling in the Maldives, because it is much further south than all the other resorts. As you are walking along the jetties that connect to all the villas, it is not uncommon to see hammerhead sharks swimming beneath you. In fact, the spa is situated above the best part of the islands house reef. This is the spa that looks like it is the result of an architecture prize; a dramatic series of blindingly white giant geometrical shapes suspended from white steel rigging, providing very theatrical shade for a series of bleached timber decks suspended over the coral. From a visual point of view it is a spa like no other.
Shades of blue and white dominate the day, and at night it’s orange and red’s turn. Both the restaurant on the pontoon called Fish and the barbecue restaurant called Fire make hefty use of Hari Krishna-coloured fibre optics for effect.
FIRE, the barbecue restaurant, lays claim to being the longest single grill in Asia, with something like 20 chefs standing in a row cooking on its flames. By contrast, FISH is a much quieter affair. Situated on a pier over the reef, it’s entirely illuminated by fibre optics embedded between the planks, and apart from its highly inventive visuals the food could give Nobu a run for its money.
For the bar/club aficionados there is an unusual choice. Buried under the beach is an underground nightclub, an unexpected departure from the usual resort poolside bar, although the W Retreat also has one of those, as well as another by the restaurant over the water.
The thing with the W Maldives is that a lot of the places and facilities on this island look like they could be in New York or London. And that was the point; to bring a bit of city sophistication to paradise. The over-water bungalows are a perfect example. On the inside they could be lofts in Manhattan, if it were not for the thatched roof. Eclectically furnished and equipped with every conceivable electronic gadget (huge flatscreen TV, iPod dock, BOSE indoor/outdoor speakers etc) each villa is the size of a New York loft, complete with a personal plunge pool.
The Rooms
All guestrooms have the following as standard:
Features - Private Plunge Pools, Shallow Pool Lounge Area, Direct Lagoon Access, Sun Lounges, Outdoor Daybeds with Shade, Outdoor Rainforest Shower, Individual BBQ Stations and a W Signature Bed.
Amenities - DVD Player, 42" Plasma TVs, CD Player, DVD/CD Library via Whatever/Whenever®, Dual Vanity Basins, Wine Fridge, Munchie Box and Mini-bar
Room types
Beach Oasis – 188 sq.m beachfront villa with private sweep of beach, open roofed bar area with standalone bath and rainforest shower, king-size signature W bed, private viewing deck with thatched roof for beach and ocean views.
Ocean Oasis – perched above the lagoon with steps down to it, shower and lounge with sections of glass floor to view the marine life, state of the art sound system.
Seascape Escape – 323 sq.m. 2 bedroom, over the water villa with a master suite, a junior suite with twin beds, 2 bathrooms, huge sundeck, table for six and indoor and outdoor lounge.
Other room types are available.