REVIEW : Joali Maldives

Joali Maldives

  • Room Type: Luxury Sunset Water Villa Room
  • Typical Nightly Rate: ☀️ $3000++, ☔️ $2000++
  • Price Paid: hosted stay
  • Loyalty Program: Virtuoso


Intro


Having previously enjoyed an incredible seven night stay at Joali Being, a wellness focused resort with quite possibly the most spectacular architecture and interior design that I’ve ever seen in a hotel, I was very excited to finally try the original Joali Maldives.

Both properties are located in the Raa Atoll, around 45 minutes by seaplane from Male and only 10 minutes or so apart from each other by boat.

Joali was conceived as the vision of one woman: Esin Güral Argat. Prior to launching Joali she held various prominent roles in her family’s conglomerate, The Güral Group and would visit the Maldives on holiday multiple times each year to relax and unwind.

Over the years, she had the chance to experience all of the top resorts in the Maldives (much like myself!) and built Joali as the perfect blend of everything she had enjoyed the most from every other property, together with her own unique design aesthetic.


Booking Joali Maldives


Our clients are able to enjoy additional Virtuoso benefits when booking Joali Maldives:

  • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Daily breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom
  • Welcome Amenity: fruit basket and a bottle of champagne
  • $150 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
  • Complimentary 30-minute spa treatment for up to two adults, once during stay
  • Early check-in / Late check-out, subject to availability
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi

Otherwise, room rates match the best rates offered on the Joali website, with payment taken directly by Joali during your stay.

Given our unique and trusted relationship with this property, no advance deposit is required for clients of The Luxury Traveller.

Note: If you ever find a price that beats the Joali website, we can ask Joali to honour the cheaper for you, with the above benefits STILL added to the booking.


Joali Lounge and Seaplane Transfer


Since the process for arriving at both Joali and Joali Being is identical, a lot of what I’m writing below is also covered in my previous review of Joali Being.

This time, we arrived directly from an international flight, rather than connecting from another hotel, so we were met at the international arrivals hall by a uniformed Joali representative, holding up a Joali sign.

Joali’s airport team is very polished indeed and makes a great first impression. Other hotels tend to put their most junior staff at the airport and this lack of attention to detail tends to bleed through to the rest of the experience.

Joali knows how much first impressions matter and the experience was truly wonderful from the moment that we were met by our smiling airport host and guided towards the pristine SUV, which took us to the seaplane terminal.

Joali Maldives-2
Joali Maldives-1

For those of us that have been visiting the Maldives since before the pandemic, the seaplane terminal is very much a sight to behold. Sleek, modern and air conditioned, it is the antithesis to what came before and hopefully a sign of what is to come for the international terminal.

Velana International Airport - Seaplane terminal
Velana International Airport – Seaplane terminal.

Joali’s lounge is located in a prime position on the top floor of the airport and even from the outside, the playful yet elegant Joali style is manifestly evident.

Joali Being - seaplane lounge
Joali – seaplane lounge.

Once inside the airport, hosts introduced us the the lounge team, who offered us a glass of sparkling Copenhagen sparkling tea each as well as a QR code containing a full lounge menu.

Joali Being-106
Joali Maldives-9

The fact that Joali offers a complete food and (soft) drink menu, including proper barista-made coffee, with non-dairy milk options is extraordinary. No other hotel in the Maldives comes close to this level of luxury in any of their seaplane lounges.

Joali Being -seaplane lounge
Joali – seaplane lounge coffee.

The bar area was just as impressive as I remembered it with the extravagant blue and white marble reminding me of our bathroom at the Park Hyatt Kyoto.

Joali Maldives - Seaplane lounge
Joali Maldives – Seaplane lounge.

One of my comments during my last visit to the lounge was that it felt a little too open and that there was something of a lack of privacy between the seating areas. I was pleased to see that this feedback was taken on board and that foliage had been added to provide an additional degree of separation and privacy for guests.

Joali Maldives - Seaplane lounge
Joali Maldives – Seaplane lounge.

Joali tends to be very good at timing things so that guests don’t have to wait too long for their seaplane flight, but we did have just enough time to enjoy a quick bite before being escorted downstairs to the departure gate.

I was impressed to not only see the more typical lounge fare, like the toasted tuna melt:

Joali Maldives - Seaplane lounge tuna melt
Joali Maldives – Seaplane lounge tuna melt.

…but also something more modern and nutrition forward like the quinoa and beetroot bowl.

Joali Maldives - Seaplane lounge quinoa, beetroot and avocado bowl
Joali Maldives – Seaplane lounge quinoa, beetroot and avocado bowl.

Last time we were fortunate enough to be upgraded to Joali’s own VIP configured seaplane, which looks like this:

Joali - luxury seaplane
Joali – luxury seaplane.

Although Joali will always try to surprise and delight guests with this upgrade where possible, on this occasion we were told that we could board a seaplane flight within 30 minutes of arriving in the lounge but it would be a shared service on TMA.

Although this was by no means a luxurious experience, we were escorted all the way to the gate by a Joali host, who took care of carrying our luggage and boarding passes. Once at the gate we were given front row seats and our Joali host even handed us a small amenity bag containing mineral water and earplugs for the 45 minute flight.

Joali Maldives - TMA Seaplane
Joali Maldives – TMA Seaplane.
Joali Maldives - TMA Seaplane
Joali Maldives – TMA Seaplane.

As usual, I picked a seat as far back as possible to ensure that the propellers didn’t get in the way of the views (or my photos!).

Although seaplane flights are cramped, hot and noisy, I do always enjoy the unique experience of flying over the amazing azure waters of this unique nation of atolls.

Joali Maldives - seaplane flight
Joali Maldives – seaplane flight.
Joali Maldives - seaplane flight
Joali Maldives – seaplane flight.

After a very smooth and sunny 45 minute flight, we landed directly at Joali Maldives. As a general rule, guests from other resorts have to wait for Joali guests to be dropped off first on shared seaplane services.

Joali Maldives - TMA Seaplane
Joali Maldives – TMA Seaplane.

As is customary in high-end Maldives resorts, there was a substantial greeting party ready to welcome us to the island, including several senior members of resort management as well as our personal butler.

Joali Maldives - arrival jetty
Joali Maldives – arrival jetty.

It seems that every resort in the Maldives has its own unique name for the butlers that act as guests’ main points of contact throughout their stays and Joali is no exception!

At Joali the term used for the butlers is Jadugar, which is the Dhivehi (Maldivian) word for magician.

Our Jadugar, Riyaz, sprung into action from the moment that he first introduced himself to us at the arrival jetty.

He ensured that we had our hands free to enjoy some refreshing scented towels, which were immediately followed by ice cold young coconuts, topped with fresh flowers.

Joali’s arrival jetty is conveniently located at the base of the single pier where all of the overwater villas are found; this meant that it was a very short buggy ride to our spectacular new home!

Joali Maldives - Arrival jetty and water villas
Joali Maldives – Arrival jetty and water villas.
Joali Maldives - water villas
Joali Maldives – water villas.

Joali Water Villa


Joali Maldives Map

Joali Maldives has two main categories of overwater villa categories:

  • Water Villa with Pool
  • Luxury Water Villa with Pool

Standard water villas are located exclusively on the sunrise side, whereas the luxury water villas can be found on both the sunrise and sunset sides of the pier.

Joali Maldives – map.

Something worth nothing is that there are effectively four neighbourhoods on the pier, which, when viewed from above looks like two infinity symbols, side by side.

Ideally you want to be in the first couple of these as the bike and buggy rides start to get quite tedious the further along the pier you go!

Joali Maldives - Water villa neighbourhood
Joali Maldives – Water villa neighbourhood.

Our Water Villa with pool was located in the second of these neighbourhoods, on the sunrise side, facing the same way as the arrival jetty.

Joali Maldives - Water Villa with Pool, exterior
Joali Maldives – Water Villa with Pool, exterior.

Joali Water Villa floor plan

Joali Water Villa Entrance

What distinguishes the standard water villas from their Luxury counterparts is the fact that the standard villas have entrance halls separating the bedroom from the bathroom.

In contrast, the Luxury Water villas have a larger living room which sits at the far end of the villa, with the bedroom and bathroom being next to each other.

Since my job requires me to effectively work 24/7 365 days a year, I was very happy indeed with this desk setup.

You really couldn’t ask for a better view and the desk was actually set up for working rather than being an ornamental table with tables and chairs set at uncomfortable heights.

There was ample space to use multiple screens, plenty of storage and a really beautiful reading lamp to add an extra touch of luxury to the spectacular view. Two universal power ports completed the work space.

Joali Maldives - universal power ports
Joali Maldives – universal power ports.

Joali Water Villa Bedroom

Although I’d been dreaming of visiting this property for years and had spent hours meticulously studying images of these exact rooms, I still wasn’t prepared for just how extraordinary this design is when you see it in person.

Joali Maldives - Water Villa Bedroom
Joali Maldives – Water Villa Bedroom.

All too often I find that Maldivian properties fall into one of two categories:

  • Island castaway rustic pastiche
  • City hotel minimalism or glamour bolted incongruously onto a water villa

Of course, there’s no such thing as a traditional Maldivian water villa, people in the Maldives live on dry land. So seeking authenticity in water villa design has always been something of a quixotic endeavour.

Personally I feel like Joali’s design is the most appealing of any Maldivian resort because it isn’t pretending to be ‘authentic’ and it isn’t forcing city hotel design elements. It is unashamedly and wholeheartedly itself.

The colours, the texture, the lighting, the whimsical overhead fans, it’s all just so well put together that I actually found myself laughing in disbelief when I first saw our room.

Obviously mosquito nets are unnecessary in well air-conditioned rooms and doubly so at Joali where mosquito control meant that we never got a single bite, even outside the room. However this small amount of netting really added a sense of cosiness to the bed, making it feel like we were somewhere truly exotic and adventurous as we reached to switch off the lights each evening.

The headboard surround also added to both the sense of drama, with its oversized dimensions, as well as adding a beautifully warm tone of lighting.

Both sides of the bed featured universal power, USB ports and a complete set of a very well labelled light switches.

Joali Maldives-31
Joali Maldives-32

The bed itself was also supremely comfortable and was complemented by plump and luxurious feather pillows that were supportive and kept their shape very well.

Joali Maldives - welcome bed message
Joali Maldives – welcome bed message.

Comfortable though the bed was, I would argue that the most impactful piece of furniture in the room was the stunning minibar area, which featured the same blue-toned marble as the bedside tables and of course the bar in the seaplane lounge.

This sense of continuity and attention to detail is really what sets Joali apart from the competition.

Joali Maldives - minibar
Joali Maldives – minibar.

Not only was the physical design of the bar cabin beautiful, the bottles, glassware and ice bucket were all selected to fit the overall space perfectly.

As somebody who has a very strong aversion to ultra-processed Nespresso coffee, I was also delighted to see a far superior Illy machine on offer. (How putting George Clooney in a few adverts somehow convinced millions of people that the Swiss are better than the Italians at coffee is truly beyond me…)

Joali Maldives-37
Joali Maldives-38

Welcome amenities are always very special in the Maldives but what was waiting for us on the oversized coffee table was arguably the best I’ve ever seen in this country.

Given the cost of importing a bottle of Ruinart to the Maldives, this welcome amenity was very generous indeed!

Joali Maldives-33
Joali Maldives-34
Joali Maldives-35

Bathroom

Crossing the entrance hall from the bedroom, I took the opportunity to marvel our villa’s supremely spacious and extravagant bathroom.

Joali Maldives - Water villa bathroom
Joali Maldives – Water villa bathroom.

Although there’s an undeniable similarity to the room layout and overall villa design at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives, Joali just does everything much better, in my opinion.

Here, the freestanding tubs sit directly in the centre of the bathroom, surrounded by space, with an uninterrupted view of the ocean beyond. There are also so many small details like the bamboo style frames for the towel racks and mirror as well as the candle-style lamps that provide a warm glow throughout the bathroom and indeed the villa as a whole.

Joali Maldives-41
Joali Maldives-40

Although many hotels have moved to larger reusable toiletries, recently Joali provides its own line of cosmetic products, exactingly designed to the owner’s specifications (like everything else here) and the idea is very much that guests will take these home with them as a memento of their stay.

Joali Maldives - toiletries
Joali Maldives – toiletries.

Facing in the other direction from the bathtub I was very impressed to see two oversized freestanding sinks, each with ample storage space underneath.

Joali Maldives - Water Villa bathroom
Joali Maldives – Water Villa bathroom.

One design trend I can’t really understand is removing hand towel rails from all bathrooms at luxury hotels. Although rolled up towels on a copper tray are very aesthetically pleasing to look at, immediately after they’ve been used they just become clutter. I wish Joali would have broken the mould in this regard.

Joali Maldives-43
Joali Maldives-46
Joali Maldives-44

Beyond the sinks was undoubtedly the most impressive part of the bathroom, the enclosed green Lapponia marble sections holding the shower and the toilet.

Although the physical bones of these rooms were stunning, I was surprised to see a very basic toilet with a manual hand hose, rather than a more modern Toto washlet.

Joali Maldives-57
Joali Maldives-56

The shower however was absolutely fantastic, with glass walls on two side providing ample sunlight together with ocean views.

Joali Maldives-59
Joali Maldives-58

Dressing Room

Another way in which I prefer Joali’s villa layout to that of the Waldorf Astoria is in the fact that there is a bona-fide dressing room, at the rear of the bathroom.

Much like the wardrobes at Joali Being I felt that our dressing area had the feel of a high-end boutique, with the various rails, shelves and drawers being perfectly positioned to make accessing all of our personal items into a very intuitive and appealing process.

The dressing area also contained numerous small gifts for us including beach bags, waterproof bags, aloe vera gel and face mist.

Joali Maldives - Dressing room amenities
Joali Maldives – Dressing room amenities.

I also loved both the woven bamboo flip flops which we were given, as well as the immensely thick and cloudlike slippers, which are firm contenders for the best hotel slippers of all time!

Joali Maldives - Flip flops and slippers
Joali Maldives – Flip flops and slippers.

At the back of the dressing room was a dedicated dressing table, featuring a Hollywood-style makeup mirror as well as numerous drawers and shelves for storing cosmetics.

Although both a hairdryer and hair straighteners were provided, my only criticism is that I would expect these to be Dyson. We all know it’s the best brand for hairdryers and I would bet that 99% of guests who can afford Joali’s room rates will have a Dyson at home.

Given how luxurious everything else in the villa was, it seemed really odd to downgrade from my Dyson to the generic carbonic 1900 hairdryer which would more often be seen at an airport hotel.

Joali Maldives - Hairdryer and hair straightener
Joali Maldives – Hairdryer and hair straightener.

Joali Water Villa Outdoor Deck

Of course, when spending time in a Maldivian water villa, the indoor space is arguably far less important than the overwater deck where guests will spend much of their time!

Starting from the side door, right by the bathroom, the first outdoor area of our villa featured a very elegant outdoor shower. Details like the varnished green tile wall and the pebbles surrounding the shower, added a palpable sense of quality to the area and I particularly enjoyed how the design maximised both sunlight and the general feeling of openness and space.

Given how many of Joali’s competitors only feature a hand-operated hose next to the deck’s steps or, at best, a simple nozzle attached to a wooden wall – this is yet another big check mark for this property.

Joali Maldives - Water Villa outdoor shower
Joali Maldives – Water Villa outdoor shower.

Continuing on past the outdoor shower you reach the cabana area, which is where I spent much of the day. This spot featured plenty of shade throughout the day, as well as being ideally positioned to catch a wonderful breeze in the afternoons.

Joali Maldives - Water Villa deck
Joali Maldives – Water Villa deck.
Joali Maldives – Water Villa deck.

Whilst many properties in the Maldives favour smaller plunge pools, which quickly reach bath temperature under the searing Maldivian sun, Joali provides all guests with lap pools which are 7 metres (23ft) long.

Joali Maldives - Water Villa lap pool
Joali Maldives – Water Villa lap pool.

What makes these pools most impressive though is not just their size but also the quality of the finishes: the perfectly selected blue tile colour which blends seamlessly into the ocean, the angle of the steps into the water, the gleaming grey stone surround and the same black pebbles that surround the shower.

The combined effect is honestly breathtaking.

Joali Maldives - Water Villa pool details
Joali Maldives – Water Villa pool details.

Indeed, looking around the deck in general I found it hard not to be impressed with just how pristine everything looked. When you’ve visited the Maldives as much as I have you get used to forgiving a certain level of wear and tear.

Humidity and salt water wreak havoc on all materials, which is part of the reason why room rates in this country are so elevated.

Yet here on our water villa deck I struggled to find a single splinter, speck of rust or wooden surface which required repainting of any kind.

Joali Maldives - Water Villa deck
Joali Maldives – Water Villa deck.

Indeed the only items anywhere on the deck that appeared to have succumbed to wear and tear were these two plant pots, which had clearly been deliberately aged in order to add an organic and rustic touch to an otherwise immaculate space.

Joali Maldives - Water Villa plants
Joali Maldives – Water Villa plants.

Despite this being the entry level room category, with the less desirable view, the view from our deck was as spectacular as you would expect from a resort which is so focused on minute details.

Boat traffic from our deck was effectively zero and the nearest visible islands were far enough away as to provide points of interest without spoiling the view (something that cannot be said at a lot of properties in North and South Male Atolls, the price of convenience…)

Joali Maldives - Water Villa deck
Joali Maldives – Water Villa deck.

I also always appreciate villas which have a multi-tiered deck, offering a gradual descent into the water. Of course, you need a substantial amount of real estate to pull this off but the result is that the deck feels much larger and you never feel like you’re leaping into the abyss as you do in the stepladder resorts like Patina Maldives.

At Joali I always felt like I could just drop my snorkel and fins on the grey area immediately after emerging from the water and then easily head up to the sun loungers, completely unencumbered.

Joali Maldives - Water villa steps
Joali Maldives – Water villa steps.

People are often surprised to learn that my favourite time to enjoy a water villa is at night. This was especially true at Joali where the entire overwater neighbourhood was illuminated like an ethereal landing zone for alien spacecraft.

Joali Maldives - overwater neighbourhood at night
Joali Maldives – overwater neighbourhood at night.

Speaking of aliens, a remarkable school of otherworldly eagle rays also danced effortlessly amongst the water villas every night of our stay, beginning the moment the sun began to set.

This is the kind of experience that makes staying in the Maldives so special and is something which you will never witness on one of the many artificial islands that have proliferated in recent years, across the North and South Malé atolls.

Joali Maldives-72
Joali Maldives-71

The searing heat during the day can also make it tough to fully enjoy the pool, especially around midday. However evening temperatures are absolutely perfect and there’s no need to apply sunscreen or move into the shade after dark.

Joali Maldives - Water Villa pool at night
Joali Maldives – Water Villa pool deck at night.
Joali Maldives - Water Villa pool deck at night
Joali Maldives – Water Villa pool deck at night.
Joali Maldives - Water Villa pool deck at night
Joali Maldives – Water Villa pool deck at night.

Joali Luxury Sunset Water Villa


As we were finishing breakfast, after the first night of our stay, our Jadugar came to inform us that the hotel management wanted us to experience an upgraded Luxury Sunset Water Villa instead.

We were told that we needed to pack everything up and have the cases ready by midday in order to facilitate the move.

Joali Luxury Water Villa floor plan

Joali Maldives - Luxury Water Villa floorplan
Joali Maldives – Luxury Water Villa floorplan.

As I mentioned in the previous section, the main point of distinction between the entry level Water Villas and the Luxury Water Villas is that the latter feature a separate living room.

Additionally, in the Luxury Water Villas the living room is located to the far side of the villa, with the bedroom and bathroom being next to each other.

For a couple, I can see how this is preferable as you can walk between the bedroom and the bathroom without interruption. However children sleeping in the living room will have to pass directly through the centre of their parents’ bedroom in order to use the bathroom.

Conversely, in the entry level villas, a rollaway bed could be placed in the entrance hall ensuring more direct access for all the villa’s inhabitants (albeit with much less space around the rollaway bed).

Luxury Water Villa Living Room

Stepping into the living room I felt as if I was in an upgraded version of the seaplane lounge, with the same eye to detail and extraordinary furniture that had wowed me at the airport. I was a particular fan of the bamboo effect frame which surrounded the powder blue sofa, to match the towel racks in the bathroom.

The furniture didn’t just look great, it was extremely comfortable to sit on. Of course it’s also evident that turning the sofa into a bed would require almost no effort at all and even a large teenager would fit easily.

Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa, living room
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa, living room.

I loved the idea of placing storage pegs by the front door. These could accommodate anything from a snorkel mask to an umbrella and everything in between. The asymmetric legs of the bar stool were also perfectly designed for it to slot into a corner.

Both were intelligent, space-saving measures in a villa, which was so capacious that they could have easily been omitted, without many people noticing. I however did notice and appreciated the diligent design immensely.

Joali Maldives-79
Joali Maldives-80

Of course many elements that feature in the entry-level water villas were carried over here, including the incredible floor-to-ceiling wood engravings and the immaculately presented minibar.

Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa, living room
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa, living room.

Luxury Water Villa Bedroom

The key difference in the bedroom here was that there was no wraparound headboard surrounding the bed. This felt like more of a true, dedicated sleeping space free from clutter and visual distractions, with the imposing wooden doors providing the requisite separation from other parts of the villa.

Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa, bedroom
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa, bedroom.

Lying in bed at night I actually found myself focusing on the amazing craftsmanship of the tatami style ceiling panels, held in place by perfectly carved and dust-free support struts.

Joali Maldives - Villa ceiling panels
Joali Maldives – Villa ceiling panels.

In one corner of the bedroom was a shelving unit featuring the TV as well as some additional storage space.

Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa, bedroom
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa, bedroom.

In the opposite corner was the writing desk, which I’m sure most people won’t be using whilst in the Maldives. However I must admit that I was rather disappointed to find myself answer emails whilst facing a wall, when our previous villa featured what amounted to a private office with direct views of the turquoise ocean.

Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa, bedroom
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa, bedroom.

One small detail which I noticed was the fact that the doors between sections of the villa don’t actually reach the ceiling, unlike the huge villas doors at Soneva Fushi or the revolving panels in Cheval Blanc Randheli.

Instead the doors come close to about one third of the height of the ceiling. This means that light sleepers may be disturbed by noise and light emanating from other parts of the villa as a result.

Joali Maldives - Water Villa doors
Joali Maldives – Water Villa doors.

Luxury Water Villa Bathroom

The bathrooms and dressing areas in the Luxury Water villas are identical to those in the standard water villas, for all intents and purposes. The only difference is that they connect directly to the bedroom, rather than the entrance of the villa.

Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa, bathroom
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa, bathroom.
Joali Maldives - Water Villa bathroom

Joali Maldives – Water Villa bathroom.

Luxury Water Villa Outdoor Deck

Initially, as I stepped out of the bathroom and past the outdoor shower, things looked very similar to the standard water villa.

Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa, pool deck
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa, pool deck.

However, the outdoor configuration was set up rather differently, with the side closest to the bathroom being a more active area, containing the shower, steps to the pool and the sun loungers.

Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa, pool deck
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa, pool deck.
Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa, pool deck
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa, pool deck.

Then at the other end of the pool we effectively had a second outdoor living room, right next to the one indoors.

Unlike the small gazebo in the regular water villa, this area featured an extremely large and robust extension of the villa’s roof, which could serve to shield us from pretty much anything short of a typhoon.

Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa, outdoor living room
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa, outdoor living room.

A couple of points to note:

The Living room area wasn’t 100% private – it felt like it was missing additional foliage or panels, in order to truly shield it from the main public walkways.

Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa deck
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa deck.

The sunset view from the sunset-facing water villas is sideways on, rather than being direct.

Personally I prefer this since facing directly into the sun means generally means that villas overheat and there’s absolutely no shade anywhere near the pool for the entire afternoon.

If you’re a 1980s style sun worshipper this may be a concern however.

Joali Maldives - Luxury Sunset Water Villa deck
Joali Maldives – Luxury Sunset Water Villa deck.

Housekeeping at Joali Maldives

Housekeeping was excellent for the most part and we very rarely encountered the cleaning crew when returning to our villa. On the one occasion that we did, they were almost finished and we just waited on the pool deck for five minutes as they finished up inside.

It still amazes me the number of hotels that ask for your room number as you sit down to breakfast and miss the opportunity to relay this information to housekeeping, so they can clean at a time when you’re guaranteed to be otherwise engaged.

Items were carefully laid out on folded linen cloths in the bathroom and clothes were very neatly folded and arranged.

Joali Maldives - Housekeeping
Joali Maldives – Housekeeping.

One small annoyance was the fact that neither housekeeping nor our Jadugar were able to source hair ties other than a cotton scrunchy, anywhere on the island. Given that we needed hair ties in order to go in the water and snorkel, it would have been very helpful to have something better suited to sport.

In the end I had to use a piece of string to tie my hair back because apparently there was no way to get a delivery of a $1 pack of hair ties in less than a week!

Joali Maldives-98
Joali Maldives-100

The turndown service was also great, with wonderfully relaxing lighting being set up throughout the villa.


Joali Two Bedroom Beach Villa


During our extensive site inspection of the property we had a chance to take a look at one of the Two Bedroom Beach Villas. What many will find interesting is that Beach Villas are a superior category to Water Villas at Joali.

Indeed it’s often a surefire indicator of a top-tier resort when you see the pricing this way round. Repeat Maldives guests tend to universally favour Beach Villas, due to the increased personal space and privacy, the closer proximity to resort facilities and the lack of noise from buggies traversing the wooden piers.

The best resorts are the ones courting these very high value clients and catering the villa offering to their requirements.

Joali Two Bedroom Beach Villa Floor Plan

There are actually two possible configurations for 2 Bedroom Beach Villas at Joali. We visited the one below, which features a single swimming pool and has both bedrooms in the same building.

This is ideal for families with smaller children.

JOALI Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa Floor Plan
JOALI Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa Floor Plan.

The other version of the 2 Bedroom Beach Villa is referred to as the family version. It comes with two pools and has a separate pavilion for the second bedroom. This is ideal for families with teenagers or perhaps multi-generational families with children sleeping in the living room and grandparents sleeping in the separate pavilion.

Unfortunately these were all occupied during our stay so we were unable to see inside one but here’s the floorplan for reference:

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Family Beach Villa Floor Plan
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Family Beach Villa Floor Plan.

Two Bedroom Beach Villa Entrance

Unlike the water villas, beach villas are set well away from the main thoroughfares of the resort. The length of the villa’s interior path really made it feel like we’d entered a sanctuary away from the rest of the hotel guests.

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa, entrance
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa, entrance.

Two Bedroom Beach Villa Living Room

Heading into the living room, I was presented with something that looked very similar to our Luxury Sunset Water Villa, albeit with two bedrooms leading away from it, rather than one.

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa, living room
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa, living room.

Two Bedroom Beach Villa Master Bedroom

The villa contained two bedrooms – a King and a Twin. The master bedroom contained a king-sized bed, which faced directly out onto the villa’s pool, with the same spectacular design that I highlighted in the other villas in this review.

I felt that the location of both the TV and the writing desk was better here than in our water villa and the bedroom felt much brighter here too, thanks to the additional window by the desk.

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa, Master bedroom
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa, Master bedroom.

Another major improvement over our water villa was the addition of a very large and bright, boutique-style dressing area behind the bedroom.

I really enjoyed how this liminal space effortlessly bridged the gap between the bedroom and the bathroom in a way which felt very natural and ergonomic. Having seen this, I suddenly felt that our water villa dressing room was quite dingy and pedestrian in comparison!

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa, Master bedroom
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa, Master bedroom.

Each of the two bedrooms in this villa featured its own bathroom.

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa Master Bathroom
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa Master Bathroom.

The major difference between the beach villas and the water villas is that there is an outdoor bathtub, with the outdoor shower located directly behind. Much though I love the views from a water villa, I still think that I personally prefer the freedom of enjoying an enormous outdoor bathroom in a beach villa.

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa Master Bathroom
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa Master Bathroom.

Two Bedroom Beach Villa Twin Bedroom

The Twin Bedroom featured a smaller overall footprint than the master but still featured beautiful design and plenty of storage and seating space.

The bathrooms in the Twin bedrooms are much smaller than those in the master suites though. These consist of a shower, a toilet and a single sink, facing directly into the bedroom. A far cry from the palatial proportions on display in other bathrooms at this property.

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa Twin Bedroom
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa Twin Bedroom.

The view isn’t exactly anything to write home about either but it’s worth nothing that this door leads to the master suite’s outdoor bathroom. Ideal for bathing kids and getting them to bed without having to drag them all the way through the inside of the villa.

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa Twin Bedroom
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa Twin Bedroom.

Two Bedroom Beach Villa Pool Area

Stepping outside, it became clear why these villas are so favoured by people in search of privacy. When you’re in a water villa you can really feel like you’re on display; here, the layout makes it feel like you are in a secluded sanctum. This is particularly true when you’re at the far end of the pool, away from the beach access.

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa Pool
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa Pool.

Even on the beach access side, the furniture is arranged in a way which emphasises privacy. The poolside loungers and the outdoor dining table are still sheltered by trees and further layers of chairs and loungers.

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa Pool
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa Pool.

It’s worth noting that seawalls are visible from all the beaches at this property, it’s an inevitability at the vast majority of Maldivian properties, unless you’re facing into a sheltered lagoon.

Joali Maldives - Two Bedroom Beach Villa, beach access
Joali Maldives – Two Bedroom Beach Villa, beach access.

You will also not find any beach villas here with open sea views from the bedroom (like you might find at O&O Reethi Rah, for example).

Indeed the emphasis at Joali is very much on privacy. Guests have the option to walk a few short steps, leaving the confines of their villa in order to go and enjoy the beach but the two are clearly separated.

Here is an example of one of the more private pool areas on offer in another Beach Villa:

Joali Maldives - Private beach access from villa
Joali Maldives – Private beach access from villa.

Food and Drink at Joali Maldives


An undeniable reality of visiting the Maldives is that you are very much captive to your resort when it comes to dining options. Other than some rare exceptions like Patina and Ritz Carlton Maldives, you have no option but to eat and drink in a limited selection of restaurants offered by your hotel.

As such, this means that the emphasis on dining is huge here; as a captive to your resort’s restaurants the quality of the dining options can very much make or break your stay.

Over the last year the degree of interaction between Joali Maldives and the sister resort Joali Being has increased significantly. There are now complimentary shuttles offered to guests, allowing them to experience dining and spa facilities across both resorts.

Even without this added culinary diversity it has to be said that Joali has an absolutely top tier F&B offering across all of the establishments on offer. Indeed here, more than anywhere in the Maldives, it felt like each and every restaurant had received top-to-toe attention from a high-end marketing and design team.

Every dining establishment has its own unique branding, interior design, menu layout and tableware and in every case it feels like these restaurants could be seamlessly dropped into New York, London or Paris and perform admirably.

Joali Maldives Vandhoo Breakfast

Vandhoo restaurant is located in a cluster of dining outlets, at the foot of the overwater pier, together with Mura Bar, Bellinis and the pool area. It is the only restaurant serving breakfast to guests at Joali.

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Joali Maldives - Breakfast at Vandhoo

I found the seating and layout to be a bit disappointing compared to rival hotels that offer expansive beach and lagoon views at breakfast time. In contrast, Vandhoo feels quite dark and jungly.

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast.

What Vandhoo lacked in ocean views it more than made up for in terms of service and food quality, though. I ordered my first coffee with trepidation, knowing that hotels like Cheval Blanc and St. Regis think it’s OK to serve ultra-processed Nespresso to guests instead of real espresso.

Thankfully, my fears were unfounded as Joali uses the best and freshest beans available in the Maldives, roasted in Malé by Third Wave darlings Meraki. Even their iced coffees were reassuringly dark in colour, coming with double shots as standard.

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Joali Maldives-132

The breakfast buffet was spread across two air conditioned rooms, ensuring that flies and heat were absolutely not a concern.

The first room contained uncooked items, with an enormous central display of nuts and cereals.

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast cereals
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast cereals.

Then running along the outside of the room (on the same blue marble as the bar in the seaplane lounge) was a variety of pre-bottled smoothies, booster shots and non-dairy milk alternatives.

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast drinks
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast drinks.

There was a dedicated fruit chef ready to slice a dizzying selection of fruits to your liking, although the presentation was so beautiful that I almost felt bad ruining the displays!

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast fruit
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast fruit.

Not content with offering guests a fresh honeycomb in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Joali offers six other types of honey for good measure.

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast honey selection
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast honey.

It wasn’t all sweet in this room, there was also a wonderful selection of cold cuts, many of which were made of pork (unusually for the Maldives).

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast cold cuts
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast cold cuts.

There was also a greater selection of cheeses on offer than in most Parisian restaurants.

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast cheese selection
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast cheeses.

Finally, for those who are keen to get a dose of healthy fats with their breakfast there were also six different types of olives available.

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast olive selection
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast olive selection.

In the outdoor space between the two buffet rooms there was an additional drinks station featuring homemade cold brew and flavoured fruit waters….

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast drinks station.

….as well as a mimosa station featuring Victoire champagne, numerous fresh juices and purees, to be served with some very elegant, long stemmed glassware.

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Joali Maldives-142

The next buffet room contained a live cooking station, where we were able to order eggs to our liking as well as dosas and hoppers.

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast egg station
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast egg station.

Although some Maldivian properties buy factory-made baked goods, Joali takes no such short cuts. The number of different pastries that were on display was borderline ludicrous.

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast pastries
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast pastries.
Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast pastries
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast pastries.

A fresh juice station was placed at the far end of this room, in order to bring some semblance of nutritional normality to the proceedings.

Joali Maldives - Vandhoo breakfast juice station
Joali Maldives – Vandhoo breakfast juice station.

Overall it’s safe to say that Joali’s breakfast offering isn’t just good for a remote island resort, it’s amongst the best of any hotel I’ve ever visited.

In addition to the buffet, there is also an extensive a la carte menu that guests are encouraged to order from, without limitations.

My personal favourite dish was the local seafood omelette, containing lobster, shrimp and reef fish.

Joali Maldives - Blue swimmer crab omelette
Joali Maldives – Local seafood omelette.

Having said that, I’m always a sucker for the Maldivian breakfast classics too like Mashuni. After my first order it was quickly established that I needed at least three time as much tuna for this many roshis. This was promptly noted and recalled on subsequent days.

Joali Maldives - Maldivian Mashuni
Joali Maldives – Maldivian Mashuni.

For those preferring a sweeter breakfast option there were some beautifully presented açai bowls, although they were rather more watery and topping heavy than you may be accustomed to if you’ve eaten these in Brazil.

Joali Maldives - Açai bowl
Joali Maldives – Açai bowl.

Joali Maldives Manta Ray Breakfast (Destination Dining)

One morning, we were offered the opportunity to sample a destination dining experience for breakfast inside the resort’s famous manta ray treehouse.

Joali Maldives - Manta ray treehouse
Joali Maldives – Manta ray treehouse.

This extraordinary piece of art looms over a stretch of beach, away from the main pool and once we were inside it felt very private and secluded.

The manta ray can comfortably seat four people and for two of us it felt very luxurious and spacious. In terms of amenities, there’s a Dyson airblade to keep diners cool, as well as power sockets and bluetooth speaker. The wifi connection was also very strong here, so we had no issues connecting our music.

Joali Maldives - Manta ray treehouse
Joali Maldives – Manta ray treehouse.

Our breakfast started with coffees and juices as our server re-confirmed our menu choices.

(We were asked by our Jadugar to confirm our breakfast order the night before and were told that we could basically order anything we wanted.)

Joali Maldives - Manta ray treehouse breakfast
Joali Maldives – Manta ray treehouse breakfast.

We ordered Mashuni, soft shell crabs, Mas riha (extra spicy) and pandan pancakes. Our server told us that the chef added yoghurt and a massive platter of fruit because he was worried we hadn’t ordered enough!

Joali Maldives - Manta ray treehouse breakfast
Joali Maldives – Manta ray treehouse breakfast.

Mura Bar Lunch

I generally only eat two meals a day at home but I figured for the sake of completeness that I should review Mura bar, since it’s the poolside lunch option and therefore the one that will be of most interest to the majority of our clients.

It’s also the main hotel bar, for guests looking to while away the night drinking cocktails….

Joali Maldives - Mura Bar
Joali Maldives – Mura Bar.

…or perhaps enjoying a stoagie or two, in the dedicated cigar lounge.

Joali Maldives - Mura Bar, cigar lounge
Joali Maldives – Mura Bar, cigar lounge.

Aside from the cigar lounge, the bar has some limited indoor seating.

Joali Maldives - Mura Bar
Joali Maldives – Mura Bar.

Really though, the focus here is on relaxing around the pool and the beach.

Joali Maldives - Mura Bar
Joali Maldives – Mura Bar.
Joali Maldives - Mura Bar
Joali Maldives – Mura Bar.

What’s amazing is that even on a bright and sunny day, with the hotel at 80% occupancy, we were the only people eating lunch here. Apparently most Joali guests stay in their villas during the day, only venturing out to the restaurants at night.

We started the meal with a couple of spicy watermelon margaritas, which were served with totopos and a freshly made tzatziki style dip.

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Joali Maldives-163

We then shared an amazing Cobb salad, laden with huge amounts of protein, together with an equally generously proportioned seafood pide.

Joali Maldives - Mura Bar lunch
Joali Maldives – Mura Bar lunch.
Joali Maldives - Mura Bar lunch
Joali Maldives – Mura Bar lunch.

Joali Maldives Wine Tasting

One afternoon we were invited to a private wine tasting in the spectacular wine cellar, hosted by the resort’s sommelier Sid.

Joali Maldives - Wine tasting
Joali Maldives – Wine tasting.

The selection of wines was genuinely interesting as was the conversation, discussing all the finer aspects of winemaking, importation and of course drinking! A really great way to spend a couple of hours on a hot afternoon.

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Joali Maldives-168
Joali Maldives-170

Joali Maldives Lunchtime Cookery Class

Another afternoon activity that involved some active participation from our side was a cookery class, offered in Joali’s overwater Japanese restaurant, Saoke.

I love the walkway that leads up to Saoke which, fittingly for a sushi restaurant, reminds me of the library hallway at Park Hyatt Tokyo…only with added Krug.

Joali Maldives - Saoke cookery class
Joali Maldives – Saoke lunch cookery class.

As is very often the case with cookery classes offered in hotels, I would classify the difficulty level as remedial and it’s unlikely you’ll learn a huge amount, assuming you’re used to cooking for yourself at home.

Our teacher for the afternoon was very friendly and welcoming though and it was great to have the place entirely to ourselves.

Joali Maldives - Saoke lunch cooking class
Joali Maldives – Saoke lunch cookery class.

Despite this being a Japanese restaurant, we were shown how to make three different Thai dishes.

(I guess geeking out over how to sharpen a Yanagiba with a sushi chef would be of limited wider appeal.)

The dishes we made were:

  1. Som Tum with grilled prawns
  2. Pad Thai in an egg nest (bringing back memories of meals at Longrain in Sydney and Melbourne)
  3. Mango sticky rice
Joali Maldives - Saoke lunch cooking class
Joali Maldives – Saoke lunch cookery class.

Saoke Dinner

Returning at night, we saw the space completely transformed, the understated Zen-like rock leads guests up a dramatically illuminated path and then through the equally spectacular wine library.

Joali Maldives - Saoke dinner
Joali Maldives – Saoke dinner.
Joali Maldives - Saoke dinner
Joali Maldives – Saoke dinner.
Joali Maldives - Saoke dinner
Joali Maldives – Saoke dinner.

The arrival experience alone adds a huge sense of occasion to dining here. As the staff greet you at the host counter, it genuinely feels like you have reservations at the hottest restaurant in town.

The restaurant was so bustling each night that I never managed to get a better shot than the one below without other guests in it!

Joali Maldives - Saoke dinner
Joali Maldives – Saoke dinner.

Here’s a publicity shot which shows the extravagant wooden table which was reserved just for the two of us on this occasion:

© Joali Maldives – Saoke Dinner

We started the meal with a couple of glasses of Ruinart, together with a welcome non-alcoholic drink and an amuse bouche of tuna tartare, served on a paper thin cracker.

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Joali Maldives-182

Service was fantastic from the outset. Indeed, I had stupidly forgotten to charge my camera before coming to dinner but one quick mention of this to our server and he rushed over with a portable charger for me to use.

After the amuse bouche, we went for the Sri Lankan prawn tempura and a yellowtail hamachi ceviche.

The prawns tasted incredibly sweet and fresh and the batter was perfectly crisp and light. Meanwhile the ceviche, served in a bowl of ice, was a symphony of flavours, expertly balanced and presented.

Joali Maldives - Saoke dinner
Joali Maldives – Saoke dinner.

For the main course, we opted for the MB9 Sher Wagyu beef tenderloin, together with the miso black cod.

The cod was an impeccable interpretation of a modern Japanese classic but I would personally have preferred the tenderloin to be served a little more rare.

Joali Maldives - Saoke dinner
Joali Maldives – Saoke dinner.
Joali Maldives - Saoke dinner
Joali Maldives – Saoke dinner.

Although we insisted that we didn’t need any dessert, our server told us that the chef insisted on giving us a matcha cheesecake to share. Although I’m not really one for desserts, I appreciated the gesture and quite enjoyed the chef’s tiramisu-like take on this dish.

Joali Maldives - Saoke dinner
Joali Maldives – Saoke dinner.

Overall this was a fantastic meal, with a wonderful variety of dishes, all superbly executed and presented. Everything from the tableware, to the food, to the setting was absolutely excellent.

Rakuzen Teppanyaki Dinner

On another night we returned to Saoke but made a right at the host counter, finding ourselves at the overwater Teppanyaki pavilion, which goes by the name of Rakuzen.

Joali Maldives - Rakuzen teppanyaki dinner
Joali Maldives – Rakuzen teppanyaki dinner.

I personally always find Teppanyaki experiences outside of Japan to be a little cheesy and lacklustre but they seem to be super popular at high-end resorts around the world. I figured it would be a good idea to start the meal with a cocktail, just in case the chef required audience participation later in the evening.

The cocktail was delicious and I can imagine that cleaning the very unique and delicate glassware must be quite a complicated endeavour!

Joali Maldives - Rakuzen teppanyaki dinner
Joali Maldives – Rakuzen teppanyaki dinner.

The meal commenced with us being offered a steaming hot oshibori, together with a small amuse bouche of seared tuna.

Joali Maldives - Rakuzen teppanyaki dinner
Joali Maldives – Rakuzen teppanyaki dinner.

Next the chef went around to each of the groups of diners at the table, to confirm their specific menu choices. I tried to get a picture of him in action but he was just too fast for my camera to keep up!

Joali Maldives - Rakuzen teppanyaki dinner
Joali Maldives – Rakuzen teppanyaki dinner.

What followed was a variety of fresh meat and seafood cooked competently but in all honesty this could just as easily have been prepared at a chef station at a buffet, to much the same effect…I did end up catching a prawn that was torpedoed across the room into my mouth though, so that’s something.

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Joali Maldives-196

Dessert consisted of a soufflé pancake with matcha ice cream and adzuki beans, with a palate cleanser of yuzu sorbet.

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Joali Maldives-197

Overall, a serviceable meal but lacking in the finesse and presentation of the experience at the main Saoke restaurant. On the plus side, we did get a better view of Joali’s native colony of nurse sharks from here.

Joali Maldives - Saoke nurse sharks
Joali Maldives – Saoke nurse sharks.

Tuh’U Dinner

Tuh’u is Joali’s pan Levantine restaurant, specialising in grilled meats, flatbreads and salads. We arrived when all other tables were occupied so apologies for the lack of dining room shots. The restaurant is located inside a single high-ceilinged wooden pavilion, facing out towards the beach.

Service here, as always at Joali, was impeccable. Despite the sand floor and relaxed seating, there was an unmistakable air of elegance here, helped in great part by the table settings and the professional demeanour of the staff.

We started the meal with a copious fattoush salad, accompanied by two glasses of Ruinart.

Joali Maldives - Thu'u Dinner
Joali Maldives – Thu’u Dinner.

We weren’t massively hungry, since this was the day that we had the lunchtime cooking class, so we kept things light with a delicious lamb kebab…

Joali Maldives - Thu'u Dinner
Joali Maldives – Thu’u Dinner.

…together with a simple but effective portion of fried calamari.

Joali Maldives - Thu'u Dinner
Joali Maldives – Thu’u Dinner.

At the end I was absolutely adamant that I didn’t want dessert but our waiter sensed hesitation from Kamara and managed to convince her to order an outrageously decadent and gigantic baklava with pistachio ice cream. “I regret nothing”, was her verdict.

Meanwhile, I ended the meal with a pot of freshly brewed mint and lemon tea (which I also did not regret).

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Joali Maldives-222

Joali Maldives Bellinis Dinner

My final review of Joali’s gastronomic oeuvre is reserved for the property’s signature Italian restaurant: Bellinis. I would classify this as a level up from Tuh’u in terms of formality, given the tiled floors and sleek, marble topped bar.

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Joali Maldives-205

I also loved the minimalist profile of the chairs here; clearly it wasn’t enough for the food and tableware to be Italian, the furniture had to match too, whilst still being functional in an island setting. Joali’s design team did a fantastic job here once again.

Joali Maldives - Bellinis dinner
Joali Maldives – Bellinis dinner.

Having said this, there’s still the option of beach seating for those looking for a less formal atmosphere:

Joali Maldives - Bellinis dinner
Joali Maldives – Bellinis dinner.

Our dinner commenced with a non-alcoholic welcome drink served alongside a warm towel on a custom stand. We tried one of the restaurant’s signature Bellinis as well, to compliment our meal.

We were then presented with a selection of extremely fresh bread, baked only moments earlier and presented alongside a caddy filled with a variety of ultra high-end olive oil and balsamic vinegar, each of which was explained to us in exacting detail by what can best be described as an oil sommelier.

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Joali Maldives-209

Over the course of the next 90 minutes we sampled a selection of truly incredible dishes such as steak tartare with black truffle, pan seared scallops with lardo, braised oxtail tortelli, Tajima tenderloin Rossini, butter poached lobster with caviar and giant tiger prawns.

Each and every single dish was spectacular. This is not only one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten in the Maldives, it’s up there with the very best I can remember eating anywhere in recent times!

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After all of that, we kept things very light with a small tiramisu to finish, which was served alongside a batch of freshly baked amaretti, compliments of the chef.

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Joali Maldives-218

Joali Maldives Facilities and Activities


Joali Maldives - landscaping
Joali Maldives – landscaping.

As you walk around Joali Maldives, it is abundantly clear that you are on a natural island, with dense foliage and powdery white sand, quite unlike what you see on reclaimed islands such as Ritz Carlton Maldives.

I know this isn’t technically a facility but it bears repeating what a difference it makes to be protected from the heat of the sun by a dense but perfectly manicured jungle canopy. Not only does it look better, it feels better and you notice a far greater amount of wildlife (both marine and land-based) whenever you’re on a natural island.

Joali Maldives - landscaping
Joali Maldives – landscaping.

Of course, nothing is left to overgrow, given the owner’s exacting standards. Everywhere you look you will see foliage tamed to present a picture perfect scene.

Joali Maldives - landscaping
Joali Maldives – landscaping.

Joali Maldives Beach and Pool

Speaking of picture-perfect scenes, Joali’s main beach is truly a sight to behold, nestled alongside Mura Bar, at the beginning of the overwater villa pier.

Joali Maldives - Beach
Joali Maldives – Beach.

As I mentioned in the section on Beach villas, the resort does make use of wave breakers though to stop erosion. Some people have a huge aversion to this (even though the majority of resorts have them) so I think it bears highlighting.

Joali Maldives - Beach
Joali Maldives – Beach.

Once you get away from the immediate vicinity of the pool, there’s also a huge expanse of unspoilt beach stretching for a good 150m or so.

Joali Maldives - Beach
Joali Maldives – Beach.

Although the hotel offers guests numerous loungers on the beach, just past the main pool area, I personally preferred to stay close to the pool for the added shade and privacy afforded to us by the foliage.

Joali Maldives - Beach
Joali Maldives – Beach and Pool.
Joali Maldives - Beach and Pool
Joali Maldives – Beach and Pool.

The pool itself is beautifully designed, built around existing trees, at great cost, rather than risking damaging them by uprooting and replanting them.

Joali Maldives - Pool
Joali Maldives – Pool.

Snorkelling and Diving at Joali Maldives

Given that I spotted a group of eagle rays from the villa on our first evening here, I had high hopes for the snorkelling from the beach.

I was not disappointed! Not only did I spot nurse sharks and black tips, there was also plenty of vibrant coral (thanks to Joali’s regeneration project) providing shelter to a multitude of brightly coloured fish and the house reef even featured turtles!

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Joali Maldives-278

Given that Joali is in the Raa Atoll I was really keen to get out on some dives, in search of Manta Rays. Joali’s dive boat is certainly not a patch on the sleek dive yacht we had at Patina for example but it was perfectly comfortable for us, plus the other couple that dove with us on the day we headed out.

Joali Maldives - Diving
Joali Maldives – Diving.

All of our gear was meticulously laid out for us before each dive…

Joali Maldives - Diving
Joali Maldives – Diving.

…and I really appreciated the fact that the briefing cards for each dive had been designed to fit with the Joali branding.

We didn’t manage to find any mantas on this occasion but over the course of three dives we saw some breathtaking coral caves and an abundance of flourishing marine life.

Our dive instructor was also very clear in his communication and more than happy to talk about marine life between dives.

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Joali Maldives-293

The ship also offered plenty of space in which to relax when we weren’t in the water, the bathrooms were surprisingly decent and we were provided with very cute bento snack boxes. Having said that, they were just pure carbs… I wish at least some token protein had been provided, like a boiled egg or some cashews.

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Joali Maldives-282

Joali Maldives Gym

Having previously been absolutely blown away by the gym at Joali Being I was very excited to see how the facility at Joali Maldives would compare.

Joali Maldives - gym
Joali Maldives – gym.

Thankfully, I was not disappointed. Joali Maldives’ gym is absolutely in the top tier of anything I’ve seen, across the 26 resorts I’ve personally visited in this country.

Joali Maldives - gym
Joali Maldives – gym.

I always say that the bare minimum you need for a complete workout is a smith machine and a cable crossover but thankfully the Joali Maldives gym builds upon this foundation and adds a considerable number of free weights as well as a leg extension, leg curl, pull up station and all manner of bands, balls and ropes.

Joali Maldives - gym
Joali Maldives – gym.
Joali Maldives - gym
Joali Maldives – gym.
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Joali Maldives-232

In addirtion there’s also a room dedicated to yoga and pilates.

Joali Maldives - gym
Joali Maldives – gym.

In addition, for those looking to take their workout outside, there’s also a very complete outdoor gym, with even more stations and features than the one at Amilla!

Joali Maldives - outdoor gym
Joali Maldives – outdoor gym.

Joali Maldives Kids Club

As part of our tour of the island’s facilities, we stopped by the Kids Club, to see what our youngest clients can expect! As you’d hope in a beach resort, the focus here is very much on the outdoor space, with plenty of shade to keep little ones from getting burnt by the Maldivian sun, whilst they make use of the climbing frames and the swimming pool.

Joali Maldives - Kids Club
Joali Maldives – Kids Club.

Moving indoors, there are dedicated spaces for children of each age group:

Joali Maldives - Kids Club
Joali Maldives – Kids Club
Joali Maldives - Kids Club
Joali Maldives – Kids Club.
Joali Maldives – Kids Club.

Overall a perfectly adequate facility but clearly no comparison to the lavish and extravagant kids clubs at Soneva Jani, Cheval Blanc Randheli or Ritz Carlton Maldives.

Joali Maldives Spa : Joali Being Cure

As I mentioned earlier in this review, guests at Joali Maldives are now free to use the facilities of the sister resort Joali Being (and vice versa), via a 15 minute speedboat transfer. This includes making use of Joali Being’s Areka Spa, which is undoubtedly the best in the Maldives.

Having said this, I was keen to see how Joali Maldives’ facilities stand up in their own right!

Joali Maldives’ spa is somewhat confusingly named: Joali Being Cure, despite being located on the Joali Maldives island. This is because Joali Being is not only the name of a resort, it’s also the name of the hotel group’s wellbeing philosophy.

Upon entering the spa it was interesting to see how much of the Joali Being DNA was here, in terms of the colour palette and use of materials.

Joali Maldives - Spa by ESPA
Joali Maldives – Joali Being Cure Spa.

The numerous displays and the addition of a dedicated hairlab here are clearly a cut above most properties in the Maldives but still not a patch on the ludicrously spectacular Joali Being Areka Spa.

Joali Maldives - Spa by ESPA
Joali Maldives – Joali Being Cure Spa.

We were warmly welcomed upon arriving for our signature massages and after completing a standard health assessment and enjoying a welcome drink, we were escorted out of the reception area and past an inner courtyard to our treatment room.

Joali Maldives - Joali Being Cure Spa
Joali Maldives – Joali Being Cure Spa.

As luck would have it, we were told that we had been upgraded to an overwater treatment room since it wasn’t being used by any other guests.

On the way, we passed the private spa beach which looked a little moody on this overcast day – perfect weather for getting a massage though!

Joali Maldives - Joali Being Cure Spa beach
Joali Maldives – Joali Being Cure Spa beach.

Our private overwater treatment room featured an expansive dressing area, complete with Hollywood-style mirrors and an oversized steam shower.

Joali Maldives - Overwater spa treatment room
Joali Maldives-255
Joali Maldives - Overwater spa treatment room
Joali Maldives – Overwater spa treatment room.

Better yet, we had our own personal overwater sauna, with panoramic ocean views!

Joali Maldives - Overwater spa sauna
Joali Maldives – Overwater spa sauna.

After getting changed into bathrobes, we headed into our private treatment room and enjoyed some wonderfully relaxing signature massages, accompanied by the sound of the ocean lapping against the posts of our treatment room.

Joali Maldives - Overwater spa treatment room
Joali Maldives – Overwater spa treatment room.

Afterwards, we were given the option to enjoy a herbal tea either inside our own private living room…

Joali Maldives - Overwater spa treatment room
Joali Maldives – Overwater spa treatment room.

Or outside on some comfy chairs, on the overwater deck.

Joali Maldives - Overwater spa treatment room
Joali Maldives – Overwater spa treatment room.

We were then shown around the public relaxation areas which, together with the spa beach, are open to all adult hotel guests.

Joali Maldives - Spa relaxation lounge
Joali Maldives – Spa relaxation lounge.

Joali Maldives Sports Facilities

Aside from the gym, Joali provides a variety of outdoor sports facilities for guests, including a floodlit tennis court which can be used at all hours.

Joali Maldives - tennis court
Joali Maldives – tennis court.

Joali is also an eager participant in the Maldivian arms race that requires all top hotels to build padel courts.

Joali Maldives - padel court
Joali Maldives – padel court.

We also tried our hand at archery, which was a lot of fun!

Joali Maldives - archery
Joali Maldives – archery.

Joali Maldives Art Studio

Joali Maldives is a property which has a huge focus on art, with sculptures dotted throughout the island. The Art Studio is an extension of this philosophy with different artists offered residencies throughout the year.

In addition to creating pieces for Joali, the resident artists also host workshops for guests.

Joali Maldives - Art Studio
Joali Maldives – Art Studio.

Conclusion


Basics Checklist

☑︎ Power sockets near the bed
☑︎ Easy to understand light switches
☑︎ Coffee machine in the room
☑︎ Separate shower and bath
☑︎ Blackout blinds
☑︎ Stable, fast and free Wifi
☑︎ Feather pillows
☑︎ Quiet and powerful aircon

Joali is my personal favourite of the 26 resorts I’ve been fortunate enough to visit in the Maldives so far.

The design is hands down my favourite of any hotel in the country, clearly this is a hotel that didn’t require sign off from committees or corporations. There is a single, cohesive design ethos that is expressed from the moment you set foot inside the seaplane lounge and encapsulates every aspect of your experience for the entirety of your time on the island.

I can point to other resorts that do individual things better than Joali, some have better house reefs, others have restaurants that I prefer but in those cases Joali is still a close second or third.

What’s more interesting though is the fact that Joali Maldives really has no weaknesses, it is absolutely top tier in every single category by which I measure luxury hotels in the Maldives.

Other resorts in this price point will have issues that our clients need to be made aware of before booking. More often than not, this is due to the proliferation of man-made islands with their coarse sand and lack of marine life and vegetation. Other times the villas are great but it’s hard to fit a rollaway bed for children. Some resorts have privacy issues where villa decks and even bedrooms are open to people walking past on public footpaths or beaches.

Joali suffers from none of these issues. Moreover, the service is absolutely amazing from the moment you first meet the airport hosts.

Nobody is awkward or unsure, the staff are very well trained and polished. You’re impeccably taken care of by a team of true professionals and never have to worry about things being overlooked. Indeed all of the staff at Joali Maldives seem to be empowered to go above and beyond at all times, recognising guests’ preferences and doing whatever is necessary to elevate the guest experience.

In short, everything works exactly as you would expect and any surprises are positive in nature. The perfect recipe for complete relaxation in one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever laid eyes on.


Book Joali Maldives with Virtuoso Benefits


Our clients are able to enjoy exclusive Virtuoso benefits when booking Joali Maldives:

  • Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
  • Daily breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom
  • Welcome Amenity: fruit basket and a bottle of champagne
  • $150 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
  • Complimentary 30-minute spa treatment for up to two adults, once during stay
  • Early check-in / Late check-out, subject to availability
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi

Room rates exactly match the best rates offered on the Joali website, with payment taken directly by Joali during your stay.

Given our unique and trusted relationship with this property, no advance deposit is required for clients of The Luxury Traveller.

NOTE: If you ever find a price that beats the Joali website we will ask Joali to honour the cheaper rate for you, with the above benefits still added to the booking.

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