Top 3 All-Inclusive Resorts in the Maldives

The phrase "all-inclusive" carries a lot of weight in the Maldives, and most of it is undeserved. Half of the resorts that claim it offer a half-board package with the bar locked behind à la carte pricing. We have stopped recommending those.

What we keep on the list are properties where the all-inclusive plan is genuinely all-inclusive: premium beverages, every restaurant, most experiences, the dive centre, the kids' club, the spa minibar. The kind of stay where the only line item at checkout is whatever you bought from the boutique.

After two years of testing the field, three properties stand out. Each does it slightly differently, and the right pick depends on whether you want a no-children adults-only island, a multi-island family resort, or a wellness-led one.

Kudadoo Private Island is the highest-end of the three. Fifteen residences, no folio, every wish fulfilled. We send honeymooners and high-net-worth couples here and have never had a guest report disappointment with the inclusions.

Soneva Jani's Chapter Two upgrade is the family pick. It includes nearly everything across two islands, gives families room to spread out, and the kids' club is genuinely good rather than dutiful.

Joali Maldives' all-inclusive package is the wellness-leaning option, especially if combined with a stay at sister island Joali Being. Thoughtful inclusions across both properties, art-led on one side, immersive wellness on the other.