- Found tucked away on its own private island
- Offers a choice of eight restaurants and five bars
- Five star PADI-certifies dive centre
- Personally tailored spa treatments available at LUX* ME
On the island of Dhidhoofinolhu you will only find one resort settlement, the LUX* South Ari Atoll. During your stay there are some fantastic activities and indulgences that await you. From a team of professionals personalising massage treatments for you at the LUX* Me Spa, to the huge range of cuisines available throughout the resort’s fine dining restaurants there is luxury around every corner.
Spend your days relaxing and taking in the views from one of the hotel’s infinity pools sprawling out into the ocean or enjoy a range of activities, including scuba diving, snorkelling, and lots of watersports. Little ones will find themselves catered to as well, with the onsite Kids’ Club offering all day fun.
A range of hotel child prices applies to ages 0–5, 6–11 and 12–17 years. Sovereign does not accept children under the age of 13 in the water villa or over-water categories.
Optional All Inclusive includes
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner in any restaurant as per their opening schedule (excluding Umami). Afternoon tea served every afternoon at The Bar. A wide selection of drinks in all restaurants and bars. Minibar replenished daily, and the ice-cream bar is available between midday–17:00.
Yoga and stretching classes, sauna, and steam room.
Selected watersports.
Unlimited access to the gym, floodlit tennis courts, table tennis, and beach volley.
Facilities
Bars & Restaurants
Beach Rouge
Set on the hotel’s glorious sandy beach, Beach Rouge is an à la carte restaurant that specialises in freshly made pizzas cooked in a wood fire oven.
Open: 12:00–17:00 and 18:30–22:00
East Market Restaurant
The East Market Restaurant serves authentic cuisines of Thailand, China, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines under the same roof. Interactive stalls fill this Asian-market inspired restaurant.
Open: 07:00–10:30 and 19:00–22:00.
Included for guests staying on Half Board, All Inclusive and Bed & Breakfast.
Veli Pool Bar
The Veli Bar can be found next to the hotel’s main swimming pool. As the waters stretch out to the sea, so does the length of the Veli Bar. Enjoy a refreshing cocktail or something softer from the comfort of your sun lounger.
Open: 11:00 - 17:00.
Senses Restaurant
Standing at the edge of the hotel’s infinity pool, choose from Middle Eastern and Indian Ocean inspired cuisine. With a menu full of exquisite tandoori prawns, tagines and unique tropical sorbets, Senses is the go to restaurant to satisfy your taste buds.
Open: 18:30 - 22:00.
Included for Half Board and All Inclusive guests. The dress code is smart casual.
Umami Restaurant
Enter into a world of bold flavours and a vibrant sense of the drama of food. The restaurant is perched high on stilts over the shimmering waters and serves Japanese teppanyaki style cuisine. Talented and entertaining chefs will cook your meals at your table.
Open: 19:00 - 22:00.
Beach cover ups must be worn during the day. In the evening, the dress code is smart casual.
Mixe Restaurant
The dining area is set out on the beach, housed under the tall thatched roofs. Live cooking stations are evenly dispersed and serve up a wide range of mouth watering meals, including pizzas cooked in wood fire ovens and stir fry grills with Maldivian inspired twists. Enjoy your evening meal with a backdrop of live music.
Open: 07:00 - 10:30 and 19:00 - 22:00.
Included for All Inclusive guests. Beach cover ups must be worn during the day. In the evening, the dress code is smart casual.
Allegria Restaurant
Enjoy the authentic Mediterranean stylings of the Allegria restaurant, which is set on a stunning beach facing deck. Escape the Maldives briefly and indulge in the beautifully constructed Italian cuisine sourced from quality ingredients and cooked to perfection by the skilled and passionate chefs.
Open: 19:00 - 22:00.
Included for Half Board and All Inclusive guests. Beach cover ups must be worn during the day. In the evening, the dress code is smart casual.
Beach & Pools
Beach
The beach is populated by lush palm trees and offers a canopy of shade and a large selection of sun loungers where you can while away the day. The beaches of the South Ari Atoll have breath taking views and luscious golden sands.
For Families
Kids' club
PLAY is a Kid’s Club for guests aged 3 - 12, allowing children to explore the nature and culture of the island. Activities include art classes, Teddy Tennis lessons and grand treasure hunts.
Older children can enjoy a wide range of activities during their stay at Studio 17, including language and dance classes, water sports and adventure trips which take place across the island.
Ages: 3-12 years or 12-17 years.
Open: 09:00 - 19:00.
Spa & Wellness
Lux* Me Spa and Fitness
The LUX* Me spa tailors treatments to each guest, using an exclusive range of LUX* Me products to make your spa experience a truly unique one. There is also a sauna and steam room and a plunge pool available to all guests.
The state of the art fitness area offers personal training with complimentary Body Balance Analysis and personal workout plans tailored to your needs. Guests can also enjoy yoga classes for every ability level.
Activities & Entertainment
Daytime activities
Among the grounds, tennis and volleyball courts can be reserved for guests, and there are also billiards tables, table football games and other table top sports.
Explore the island with a scenic cycle route, or search for a LUX* Message in a Bottle. If you’re lucky enough to find one, you will be rewarded with a range of prizes, such as a romantic meal for two, a free cocktail and more.
Watersports
Take a swim or snorkel through the intricate coral reefs of South Ari Atoll or enjoy complementary use of the hotel’s kayaks and pedal boats. For a small fee, you can also try your hand at windsurfing, water skiing or jet skiing, or take a ride on an exhilarating banana boat.
About the location
Each of the Maldives’ 1,000 islands plays host to its own private hotel, creating a huge range of exclusive luxury paradises just waiting to be explored. Try a wide range of cuisines, or simply spend the day on the white sandy beaches where you can soak up the sun and fully relax.
When it comes to exploring, head into the capital of Malé where you’ll find a selection of bars and restaurants, as well as little market stalls and a thriving culture. Head inland for luscious rainforests and glittering lagoons, or take to the water with snorkelling and scuba diving excursions.
Transfer time
LUX* South Ari Atoll is 25 minutes by seaplane from Malé Airport.
Beach Pavilion
Max 2 adults, 1 child
Beach Pavilions offer comfortable accommodation with a double bed or twin beds, luxurious bathroom with a bathtub and separate shower, as well as a refreshing outdoor shower, outdoor terrace, satellite TV, DVD player, air conditioning, safe, minibar, private sunbeds, WiFi and direct access to the beach.
65m²
Beach Villa
Max 3 adults, 1 child
Beach Villas are decorated in light sand and ochre tones, offering magnificent sea views and direct access to the beach. All Beach Villas include an en suite outdoor bathroom with an oversized bathtub and separate shower.
95m²
Beach Pool Villa
Max 2 adults, 1 child
Beach Pool Villas offer a private garden and an outdoor wooden deck with a sunken swimming pool and sun loungers.
116m²
Water Villa
Max 3 adults
Water Villas are ideal for those looking for extra privacy. Each villa has a furnished terrace with direct access to the lagoon.
98m²
Romantic Pool Water Villa
Max 2 adults
Romantic Pool Water Villas are located on stilts over the crystal blue waters. The luxurious villas comprise a stylish bedroom, bathroom with separate double rain showers and come with their own private plunge pool and direct lagoon access.
110m²
Temptation Pool Water Villa
Max 2 adults
Temptation Pool Water Villas are designed with couples in mind and offer opulent accommodation. The villas comprise of a spacious living area with floor to ceiling glass windows and glass floor, a modern bedroom with large round bed and a spacious wooden terrace with dining area and private pool.
220m²
Family Lagoon Pavilion
Max 4 adults, 2 children
Located adjacent to the lagoon, the Family Lagoon Pavilions are spacious and offer a furnished terrace with wonderful views as well as private sun loungers on the beach.
Honeymoon Offer
Honeymooners save up to 30% on the hotel price, receive a complimentary fruit platter, a bottle of sparkling wine and one free 30-minute couples message per stay (appointment required) for holidays between 06 January 2019 - 05 January 2020.
Please note that not all offers are combinable.
Based on 4416 traveller reviews
97% of travellers recommended this hotel
Travellers Ratings
Excellent
4017
Very Good
307
Average
62
Poor
23
Terrible
7
Reviews
“ 60th Birthday Celebration
ann M,
Jan 23 2020
My husband and I travelled as a couple to celebrate my "special birthday". We loved the seaplane experience although everything was a little haphazard at the check in. It wasn't a problem though as...
My husband and I travelled as a couple to celebrate my "special birthday". We loved the seaplane experience although everything was a little haphazard at the check in. It wasn't a problem though as we were well looked after. On arrival at the island we were greeted by Jonas and his team and specifically Vi-vien. Jonas certainly runs a well oiled operation as everything was pretty faultless. Vi-vien looked after us from a concierge perspective and did an excellent job. Indeed all the staff at the resort seem incredibly happy to be there and all have smiles on their faces. Particular credit to the boys at the Vill Bar. They had an incredible memory for remembering faces, names and even favourite cocktails! The food there was also varied and without fail delicious.
We were fortunate to be able to experience both the sunset pool beach villas for the first few days and the over the water romantic pool villas for the second part. It is difficult to say which we preferred best. We loved the beach and the private pool with bath tub setting, but we also loved being over the water for sunrises. Both rooms were immaculately clean and the beds were extremely comfortable with high quality linens (as you would expect from a resort of this standard). The in room mini bar was regularly replenished, my only thought here was that an ice making facility would have been good but I'm certain had we asked for it, we would have got it.
The restaurants were all outstanding and we had no problems getting into any of them but we did book in advance.
The island itself is spectacular, especially the sand bank... pure paradise.
I would not hesitate to recommend this resort to anyone and would certainly return in a heartbeat.
Ann & Dave
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“ ReLUX*!!
452chiarac,
Jan 21 2020
We have visited LUX* a week ago and already want to go back! The resort is unique, nicely designed with attention to small details that make the difference. Food is great everywhere and our favorite...
We have visited LUX* a week ago and already want to go back! The resort is unique, nicely designed with attention to small details that make the difference. Food is great everywhere and our favorite was Beach Rouge with tapas style menu. We had a taste of ICI the home made ice-cream which was really delicious that you can find in this cute little beach front ice cream hut. We were lucky with the weather and even enjoyed a movie night under the stars at Cinema Paradiso. Be sure not to miss the talented in-house duo of singers! We relaxed at East Bar one evening enjoying their music.
At one hand of the island you can find a long sandbank with super clear water all around, a real breathtaking beauty of nature. We saw many sharks and rays passing by from the shore or from the decks, marine life is all around.
The highlight of LUX* is definitely the friendliness of all the team, everyone made us feel at home and well cared. Will miss it and already cannot wait to go back to our home away from home! Thank you LUX* for everything, will never forget it! Until next time!
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“ Returning to Paradise!
AmeteLander,
Jan 21 2020
We have already stayed at this beautiful resort twice and have now booked to return again this year.
We got engaged here and then came back for our honeymoon, both times staying in (villa no.150...
We have already stayed at this beautiful resort twice and have now booked to return again this year.
We got engaged here and then came back for our honeymoon, both times staying in (villa no.150) one of the absolutely stunning Romantic Water Villas. We were looked after by the lovely Ismail, who could not have done more to make our room more comfortable and special.
The island, staff and food, are truly out of this world and we are so excited to return in September.
We'll check back in September with an update :-)
Mr & Mrs Lander
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“ The best until last - end to our amazing honeymoon
Hannah915, London, United Kingdom
Jan 21 2020
I type this review as we fly at 40000 feet back to Qatar on out journey back to London.
We stayed at the Lux from the 14th January for 7 nights to end our honeymoon after being in Thailand for three...
I type this review as we fly at 40000 feet back to Qatar on out journey back to London.
We stayed at the Lux from the 14th January for 7 nights to end our honeymoon after being in Thailand for three weeks.
As soon as stepped off the plane and were greeted by the representatives from Lux, I had a good feeling about what was coming. We were taken to the lounge and we waited roughly one hour for a sea plane to take us to the hotel.
We were the first stop on the sea plane, about 20 minutes and from the moment we landed seeing the staff waving and welcoming, I knew we had made the right choice.
The food is incredible. I would recommend nothing less than all inclusive as prices are high if you aren???t in the AIP. Breakfast there are two buffets but most food is cooked to order so all fresh. So much choice and one of the best breakfast spreads I have seen.
Our personal favourites were Allegria for dinner and Veli bar for lunch. I highly recommended booking all restaurants before you arrive as some guests were disappointed that they couldn???t get a table at Allegria for the whole duration.
Staff are just incredible. Jonas who is the GM had an amazing team and they really cannot do enough for you but our personal favourites are Shokat (driver), Tika (Mixe chef) and Allaudin (Senses). These three in particular are a credit to the Lux organisation and made our stay incredible in any way that they could.
Rooms are lovely and spacious. We had an over water villa but the beach villas were also equally as nice.
Few developments but nothing that can taint your stay
1) I would like to see a children???s pool or a dedicated adults only pool. As there are two pools, this could be possible.
2) The message and prize in the bottle is such a fabulous idea but I think they could be fairer by communicating to people that they can only pick up one bottle. Although you can only win one prize, we saw people with up to 5 bottles at one time meaning that there were a lot of other guests that couldn???t participate.
We have one negative remark which was the Boat trip we did to see the whale sharks. We had a conversation with the GM about it and it???s such a shame as it actually has nothing to do with Lux as is an independent company but as they are based on site, unless told you wouldn???t know. We witnessed the boat hit someone in the head twice, drive pretty much over the top of someone. They tried to get my husband on the boat whilst the propellers underneath were still in full operation. We did manage to see the whale sharks but it was not a good experience. About 10 boats flocked to the area, hundreds of people shouting to show others where it was (which was handy) but it was completely unsafe with boats just driving full speed to the area so their guests could witness the sharks and putting people in danger. This could be avoided so please just be cautious on these trips as they aren???t arranged via the hotel.
All in all, wonderful stay and we will definitely be back. Thank you Lux!!
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“ Paradise!
PritiPriti, London, United Kingdom
Jan 20 2020
Such an amazing resort. So peaceful and perfect! Thank you to all the staff at Lux South Ari Atoll for looking after us and making our stay so special, and a special Big Thank You to Faruq and Rana...
Such an amazing resort. So peaceful and perfect! Thank you to all the staff at Lux South Ari Atoll for looking after us and making our stay so special, and a special Big Thank You to Faruq and Rana for going the extra mile at the MIXE restaurant.
Also a big shout out to Harish, Fatho, Koo
Axyz, Sowcath and Shafeen for assisting us and ensuring us that nothing was too much trouble. Only criticism was that the more casual restaurants should be more accommodating and should be able to offer slight variations from the food that is noted on the menus. From the Patel Family
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