LUX South Ari Atoll

Maldives

Based on 7295 traveller reviews

97% of travellers recommended this hotel

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 Resort & Villas. 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 water sports. 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 water sports.

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 Resort & Villas is 25 minutes by seaplane from Velana International 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

Facilities

Tea and coffee facilities

Minibar

Bath

Air conditioning

Interconnecting room

Separate shower

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

Facilities

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

Facilities

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

Facilities

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

Facilities

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

Facilities

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.

Facilities

Based on 7295 traveller reviews

97% of travellers recommended this hotel

Travellers Ratings

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6753

Very Good

397

Average

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What to expect

Location

Sleep Quality

Rooms

Service

Value

Cleanliness

Reviews

“

What an experience

Nicola P,

Jun 29 2025

Absolutely amazing experience, well above what was expected, from the moment we arrived we were treated with exceptional customer service by each and everyone. Our dining experience at the Italian...

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“

Just wonderful

admin37, Peterborough, United Kingdom

Jun 29 2025

This was our second visit to Lux and it???s just wonderful???the last time we were in a romantic pool villa this time a beach villa and for us we preferred the beach villa.. on arrival we were given a...

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“

Where dreams come true ??????

agnesdudas,

Jun 27 2025

I wish every single lovely human being on this world would experience this fantastic resort island as just after returning from Lux South Ari Atoll, I can easily say that this was the most beautiful place I have ever experienced. I would like to start from the first day when on arrival of our seaplane the staff welcomes you on the deck and you realise you just arrived in paradise. Our fantastic personal assistant, Kayla made sure that all of our activities are booked and all of our requests are dealt with in a professional timely manner, regardless of her days off she was always a pleasure to talk to ?????? We planned to have a renewal of our vows wedding ceremony on the island, which was organised beyond my expectations. Nasa, our event manager truly made my wishes and dreams come true, she is also a fantastic lady and I will really miss her too!! She is responsible for the quiz and bingo games which we overly enjoyed too! The bar and restaurant manager and his team at Veli and Mixe Restaurant made sure me and my family has everything we need, even catered for my little one, Emili???s peach ice tea special requests and my older daughter Mia, loved the food wherever we ate. Her favourite was of course Teppanyaki where the chef put on a little show for them to giggle. The cleaners, the buggy drivers, the workers, the receptionists, the waiting staff are all super nice kind hearted people who are there to make sure we had the most pleasant stay! Last but not least I would like to say thank you for the two gym and yoga instructors, the classes were amazing, I really enjoyed them! I loved the little boutique, the cafe Lux bar, and the watersport activities. I am truly grateful for Jojo for making my hair and make up beautiful on my wedding day and the lady at the spa reception to make me feel welcomed whether I went for a spa or sauna sessions. Everybody called us by our names, we were like in a big family on the other side of the world. The cleanliness of the places the food and the service by the staff are all 5 stars. We were sad to leave and I cannot wait for us to go back!! Thank you so much for our first Maldives experience of a lifetime! ????????????

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Call to book this hotel

Our Personal Travel Planners can book this holiday for you. You can get in touch by calling

01293 900685

Call to book this hotel

01293 900685

LUX South Ari Atoll

Optional All Inclusive includes

Facilities

Bars & Restaurants

Beach Rouge

East Market Restaurant

Veli Pool Bar

Senses Restaurant

Umami Restaurant

Mixe Restaurant

Allegria Restaurant

Beach & Pools

Beach

For Families

Kids' club

Spa & Wellness

Lux* Me Spa and Fitness

Activities & Entertainment

Daytime activities

Watersports

About the location

Transfer time

Beach Pavilion

Facilities

Beach Villa

Facilities

Beach Pool Villa

Facilities

Water Villa

Facilities

Romantic Pool Water Villa

Facilities

Temptation Pool Water Villa

Facilities

Family Lagoon Pavilion

Facilities

What our guests think