Noku Maldives, Vignette Collection — Hotel in South Miladhunmadulu

We just returned from a fabulous 11 night stay at Noku (nb first visit to the Maldives for us) and would thoroughly recommend. Our favourite aspects were:||- gorgeous huge villas: there are 50 villas all more or less the same size and decor, so really you are choosing between beach / over water, with pool / without pool and whether sunrise or sunset facing. We stayed in an over water villa (no pool) facing north which had the sun pretty much all day but others are more directly west or east facing. Beds very comfortable and plenty of wardrobe space, huge bathroom with outdoor shower - we absolutely loved the villa. ||- very relaxed feel: admittedly it was low occupancy at the time but we loved the very laid back vibe. Staff are attentive and chatty but not over the top and it feels friendly not stiff. We would occasionally chat to other guests but otherwise we felt like we were on our own private island at times. Dress code is relaxed which also helped with the vibe. There were so many lovely people in the team we spoke to and they are all very good at having a conversation with you for a few minutes or even longer if you wish to, but then leaving you to it. A big thank you to Nuwan and his team in the restaurant in particular and Myra who looked after us as our host. Sai really looked after us attentively at the sunset bar and he makes an excellent cocktail to your taste!||- spa: we had some lovely massages and there were nice spacious therapy rooms with small bathing pools outside. The therapists were really friendly and always wave and greet you when you walk past (it’s near the main restaurant so this happens regularly). They also run an hour kids activity every day which gave us a chance to snorkel on our own (eg painting their own t-shirts which was their favourite).||- the island itself has a nice feel - one really huge beach on east facing side (maybe too big even as the water can be far from the villas on that side) and a very nice beach further up on the west facing side which is also near to the better snorkelling and not in front of other villas. The grounds are well maintained and nice variety of palm trees and various plants - well looked after but also some parts seem more natural and left alone which is a good thing. We suspect that possibly other hotels may have better snorkelling areas than here (unproven though) as this was ok but not exceptional. We did regularly see small reef sharks (harmless) off the jetty and rays, turtles on a few days - you’ll see something every day if you spend a little time looking out for it.||Things that were very good but not quite at the highest quality:||- the food: it was mostly very good and we had some lovely meals including some excellent local curries, beef tenderloin, beef wellington and seafood. We ate mostly off the a la carte menu which ensured our dishes came out fresh and hot. We did enjoy the evening buffet a few times and there is a good selection of options but slightly more controlled given the size of the hotel. We gave feedback that dishes in the hot plates were often not that hot and we suspected that was because of the low occupancy / low turnover of dishes being replenished with fresh/hot food. We really enjoyed the breakfast buffet options. Our feeling is they can probably take the food up one more level to really make an impact on the overall experience. So take this as the food being regularly 8/10 and occasionally higher than that but I suspect other hotels in the Maldives probably can hit the highest scores (again unproven).||- the IHG brand has recently taken over the hotel and it is due for a formal relaunch at end of October 2025 I believe. As a result there were some things being worked on at the time, with refurbishments in the rooms and the Thari restaurant being closed which reduced our options to just the main restaurant. This only had a minor impact on our overall experience and the positive is that we expect Noku to go up another notch within the next couple of months when the work is completed. By extension of this we feel there could maybe be a few additions of things like a proper library/games area (as we mainly used the space by reception), more facilities on the beach, and some hammocks etc, that sort of thing. I am sure they will look at ways to further improve the experience with the refresh, and the team managers were actively seeking and listening to feedback.||Overall we had a lovely time and are considering returning next year and look forward to seeing it...

All in all, it was amazing from A to Z. The property & staff were excellent. They go above & beyond for you from the moment you step on the island until the last second. One arrival you’re being greeted by staff with drums and when we left, they waved goodbye while our water plane flew past them. They were soo adorable.

I will come back to Noku & absolutely, without any reservations, recommend others to go there. Thank you Basil (manager) for your excellent job in keeping everyone in this resort superb!

We chose a water sunset pool villa because we live in Miami Beach in a beachfront property and see the sunrise every day, so we were excited to see sunsets. We had villa 29 and I feel that this was the best villa of the island. It was at the end of the row, clean & very spacious. Right in front of our villa, facing the ocean, there was an adorable little turtle that we named Trudi, who seems to live there as we saw her multiple times every day.

Afsal, our room service guy surprised us with an amazing decoration for my daughter’s 18th Birthday, a beautiful cake & bottle of Prosecco. Our complementary birthday floating breakfast in the pool was also very nice and recommendable for everyone who has a pool villa. We had a very nice pool guy from Sri Lanka who always made sure that our pool was clean.

The Chef Tarique & our main waiter Khalid were also superb. They made sure that all our wishes were fulfilled. I loved the Eastern/ Oriental style breakfast choices- all were delicious! Dinner was excellent & the food choices were plenty. Don’t be fooled by the in room dining menu, there is much more & better food offered on a daily basis with the regular menu’s that were perfectly prepared by the chef. We ordered our dinner mainly to the villa because we didn’t feel like walking in the dark & every time we went to the restaurants at night, the mosquitoes had a 5 course dinner on us, despite repellent (make sure you bring some Calamine spray, it’s soothing and relieves the itch). Another good thing is that if you voice any complaints, they go above & beyond to accommodate you. Thank you for that!

The island has some nice photo-op’s, which is amazing for people who love to take model type photos. I wasn’t impressed with the beach but that’s because I’m spoiled by my l, soft, clean & white sand beach at home. Also the snorkeling was not impressive, lot of dead corals and only a few colorful fish( but my comparisons are the Red Sea & the outer Great Barrier Reef - which are un-top-able ). We brought our own snorkeling equipment but you can also rent them here for free. The gym was small & clean. I was too lazy to go but my daughter was happy with it. There is complementary paddle boarding & kayaking.

It’s an amazing place for honeymooners & l could see myself coming back with my soon to be husband. Especially during the pandemic, because when you’re here, you feel safe without a mask, social distancing is perfect because it’s not crowded, everyone who enters the island is being tested, most of the staff is vaccinated & also...

I visited this resort back when it was still called Zitahli, and even after staying at 10 different resorts across the Maldives, this island remains a true hidden gem in my heart.

At the time, I was debating between this and the W Resort (which was similarly priced back then), and I'm so glad I chosen this resort. I eventually visited W as well, but the overall experience here was truly unforgettable.

The resort is now under the IHG group as Noku Maldives, and I really hope the new management can restore and even enhance the resort's original charm and reputation.

When I first visited, I didn't know much about the Maldives, but looking back, I realize how lucky I was with this choice. The spacious villas, beautiful turquoise lagoon, great snorkeling, friendly service, and gorgeous views from the overwater villa - everything was perfect.

We stayed in Water Pool Villa #42, and the lagoon view from the villa was absolutely stunning - that vibrant, clear turquoise that I always look for. Many Maldives resorts have nice beaches, but not all have beautiful lagoon views from the overwater villas. Even within the same category, the view can vary a lot depending on the villa number. I personally found the Water Sunset Pool Villas to have less attractive lagoon views.

Another unique and beautiful aspect of this resort is the circular layout of the overwater villas. These days. many OWVs in the Maldives are arranged in straight lines, but at the resort, the villas are built in a graceful arc, surrounding a central lagoon. This design not only enhances the view from each villa but also creates a classic Maldivian postcard scene - perfect for iconic photos. Standing on the deck, you can take in a full panoramic view od the villas and lagoon.

The villa itself was spacious at 190sqm, larger than most Maldives resorts, which makes a big difference considering how much time you spend in the room here. I love the private pool with its sea colored tiles, blemding perfectly with the ocean. The bathroom was my favorite part - a large vanity area (surprisingly rare in the Maldives), outdoor shower, and generous jacuzzi with direct views of the lagoon. Everything was designed to be both functional and visually soothing.

From the photos I've seen it looks like the villa interiors haven't changed much since my stay, but I hope IHG will consider some tasteful upgrades to enhance the sense of luxury.

Back then, the lagoon and marine life were fantastic. I've heard that Noku might be experiencing the seaweed issues that affect many Maldives resorts nowdays, but hopefully the lagoon is still as clean and beautiful as it once was. Fortunately, the area around our villa didn't seem affected at the time.

Overall, this is a truly special resort that delivered on every aspect - from scenery comfort to snorkeling. I genuinely hope Noku continues to preserve and enhance what made this island...