The Maldives – almost 2000 islands south of India in the Indian Ocean, arranged like pearls on a necklace – represent the perfect destination for many people to fulfill their longing for a paradise getway. At The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, this dream comes true. Pure luxury, outstanding service and modern design await you here from the very first moment and blend with the breathtaking beauty of the Maldives.
In this hotel review of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, I would like to give you a detailed insight into our stay and help you decide whether this luxury hotel is the right choice for you.
Hotel Review: The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
Location & Transfer
As part of the Fari Islands, the Ritz-Carlton Maldives is a 500-meter-long resort consisting of three interconnected artificial islands in the Kaafu Atoll. It is located just 45 minutes by speedboat from the international airport of the capital Malé. As soon as you land, you will be greeted by a Ritz-Carlton Maldives staff member and escorted to the speedboat. It is a real bonus not to have to wait for a seaplane after landing, but to start the transfer directly to the resort. This also gives you more flexibility before your return flight and allows you to maximize your time at the hotel. As with all resorts, the speedboat transfer is not included and costs $900 for two people each way.

The concept of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
The name The Ritz-Carlton stands for outstanding service and luxury in a class of its own. This can also be felt at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands. Every guest has a personal butler who can be reached at any time via WhatsApp and takes care of all requests.
Combined with impressive architecture, the resort’s motto is: “Embrace the circle of island life”. That’s why you’ll find circles everywhere in the resort and the overall design. Starting with the pool and the shape of many buildings, through to the interior design. The artistic and modern design of the island and the villas is unique, but may seem a little cool to some. I usually prefer a cozy, typical Maldivian design of the villas – made of wood with palm leaf roofs, but the Ritz-Carlton deliberately wants to stand out with its modern design.


As already mentioned, the Ritz-Carlton Maldives is located on an artificially constructed island. Three small islands were created and then connected with jetties to form a resort. As you can imagine, the vegetation was still rather sparse when the resort opened in 2021. But now, after only three years, the islands are already well vegetated, which not only creates a dreamlike tropical ambience, but also provides privacy around the beach villas. Even native animals such as birds, flying foxes and lizards have found a new home here.
Fari Islands
Why is the Ritz-Carlton Maldives called Fari Islands? The reason is the combination of different resorts, each on its own island. Together they form the “Fari Islands”. To date, there is Patina Maldives, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives and Fari Marina Island – an island with a bar, restaurants and pool for guests of all resorts. Another luxury resort is expected to be added in 2026/27. A free boat shuttle takes guests back and forth between the resorts – so you can make your stay more varied and also try out the restaurants at the other islands.


The villas at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
One Bedroom Water Villas
According to the island motto “Embrace the circle of island life”, the one-bedroom water villas are round and all have a curved pool. From the outside, they remind me a little of a spaceship.
The interior includes a large room with a seating area and bed, from where you can enjoy a fantastic view of the outside. There is also a large window front that can be opened, giving you direct access to the terrace. At the back of the villa, you enter the open bathroom – with two washbasins, open closet, bathtub, separate toilet and indoor and outdoor showers.
The Beach Villas are identical in design, but are located on the beach. They also each have their own pool.


Two Bedroom Beach Villas
The two-bedroom villas are the only ones that are not circular, but rectangular. As you enter the villa, you arrive in the spacious living room with dining table, sofa area and a large fully equipped bar. The glass front is facing the sea and private terrrace. It can be fully opened and leads onto the terrace, where you will find sun loungers and a seating area with table. The pool is significantly larger than in the round one-bedroom villas. Behind it, you have direct access to the beach and the lagoon.
The two bedrooms are located to the left and right of the living room and have the same layout as the One Bedroom Villas – each with its own spacious bathroom. This makes it to the perfect villa category at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives for families.



Pool and Beach at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
As all villas at the Ritz-Carlton Maldives have their own pool, there is only one additonal main pool. This round pool, surrounded by a blue lagoon, is located on the middle island of the resort. It is usually very quiet here, as only a few guests use it during the day. In the evening, however, it becomes a popular spot at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands to enjoy the sunset (read more about the Eau Bar under “Breakfast and Restaurants”).
There are some beautiful stretches of beach around the island and in front of the beach villas to enjoy peace and relaxation. Those who prefer chilled Ibiza vibe will love the beach at the Beach Shack – more on this further below…


Snorkeling and Diving at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
Snorkeling is an option, but compared to natural islands, it is less spectacular here. As the islands are man-made, there is no large house reef surrounding the resort. However, there are many great snorkeling and diving spots nearby to see sharks, turtles and other marine life. We have been diving at the reef edge in front of the water villas several times and were impressed by the variety of corals, fish and even stingrays.
Nearby, you can also snorkel with turtles or dive with sharks. However, you will need to book a tour in advance. The local provider is: Dive Butler Fari Kandu, where you can find numerous offers and tours. We spontaneously decided to complete our advanced diving license on site (the PADI Advanced Open Water) so that we could visit one of the advanced shark diving spots. The team is super friendly and takes care of everything – I highly recommend them for beginners and advanced divers, both for diving and snorkeling.


The Ritz-Carlton Spa
I was particularly impressed by the unique architecture of the circular Ritz-Carlton spa, which is built over the water. There is a round opening in the roof and floor right in the middle, so that sunlight falls on the lagoon and illuminates it. As soon as you enter, the spa area exudes a deep sense of tranquillity. You will find cozy treatment rooms for couples with lots of wooden elements. We enjoyed a relaxing couple’s massage here.


Breakfast and Restaurants at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
There are seven restaurants in total, five of which are located directly in the resort and two on Marina Island.
La Locanda
This authentic Italian restaurant, whose chef comes from Italy, serves the best Carbonara Pasta and pizza I have ever eaten outside of Italy. It is open for lunch and later again for dinner. In the morning there is a breakfast buffet with an additional à la carte menu. If you like, you can even toast with a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa free of charge to welcome the new day.

Summer Pavilion
Cantonese cuisine awaits you here in a wonderful ambience. The restaurant is located above the water, decorated with lots of cute lanterns that immerse everything in an enchanting light. There is also a pond in which colorful koi swim. It feels like you’ve actually traveled to China. The cuisine is absolutely authentic – with delicious dim sum. But beware: the spiciness of the dishes is also authentically Asian. I accidentally ordered the spiciest dish on the menu.
The Summer Pavilion is only open for dinner.
Beach Shack
Here you will find a restaurant and bar in one. With your feet in the sand and sitting under palm trees, you can enjoy a delicious meal , but also relax on one of the loungers or in a cabana at the beach. A DJ usually plays the perfect music, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of Ibiza or Tulum. The menu is Mediterranean – with tapas, paella and a selection of delicious burgers.
Eau Bar
The Eau Bar is located by the main pool and offers you a fantastic view of the sunset when you visit in the evening. You will be served a Japanese menu, primarily consisting of homemade sushi and vegan bowls. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner. The adjoining cocktail bar is perfect for relaxing in the evening, with a DJ often playing after sunset. There is also a sunset ceremony every evening: Drummers in traditional Maldivian dress say goodbye to the sun and ignite a ring over the pool. Unfortunately, we were a bit unlucky with the weather during our stay and therefore didn’t see a beautiful sunset for the ceremony.
IWAU
This restaurant, with a very private atmosphere, invites you to a Japanese live BBQ, just around the corner from the Eau Bar. During the live multi-course menu, up to eight people are seated directly around the teppanyaki hotplate. The menu includes plenty of fresh fish and seafood, but there is also high-quality A5 Wagyu beef from Japan and vegetarian options. You can also order Japanese sake or opt for a wine pairing.
More Restaurants at the Patina and Fari Marina Island
The restaurants in the resort Patina and on Fari Marina Island can be reached by the free boat shuttle. My favorite outside The Ritz-Carlton was Arabesque, with a cuisine from Lebanon to North India. The lentil soup in particular was incredible. I would never have thought that such a simple dish could be created so perfectly that it would cause such a huge explosion of flavor. The soup was so good that I even asked the chef for the recipe so I could try to recreate it at home.
My Conclusion
The restaurants at the Ritz-Carlton Maldives and on the Fari Islands were all consistently very good, with outstanding service. Thanks to the diverse selection of dishes, it never gets boring. However, the prices in the restaurants are very high, which is typical for resorts in the Maldives, but particularly noticeable here.
The Kids Club at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
This great Kids Club is located in the center of the resort. Also with a circular design, the entrance is reminiscent of a hobbit’s house, immersing children in a fantasy world. The outdoor area includes a water slide and a climbing playground. Indoors, children can choose from a wide range of activities and are cared for at the same time. Special mention should be made of the interactive activities that bring children into contact with nature and the importance of sustainability.

Résumé of my hotel review of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives clearly stands out for its luxury and first-class service. Without exception, we met friendly and attentive staff who responded promptly to all inquiries or requests. Everyone always had a smile on their face! The guest is always the focus and comes first.
The unique villas with their round shape and extravagant furnishing concept are particularly eye-catching. You won’t see them like this a second time in the Maldives. I was particularly impressed by the design of the spa area. At one point or another, I found that the villas lacked a little of the quaintness and coziness that I had previously found on the traditional islands. But as the architectural focus of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives is on art and modernity, this has been perfectly implemented and is of course also a matter of taste.
In culinary terms, I was impressed by the wide selection of authentic international cuisine and its excellent quality. The Ritz-Carlton Maldives is one of the most luxurious but also most expensive resorts in the Maldives, which is reflected in the prices of the food and drinks. For snorkeling enthusiasts, it is not as exciting on site, as the artificial islands are not surrounded by their own house reef.
I hope my hotel review of the Ritz-Carlton Maldives has given you an impression of the quality and location of this luxury resort and helped you plan your own dream Maldives vacation.

