"Why book? For the Maldives at its most glam. For dining at its most opulent. This is an island that attracts a fashionable globetrotting crowd, and loyal St Regis fans—arguably one in the same. Set the scene During the day it’s less barefoot luxury and more Chanel heels on the beach. At sunset its Amina Muaddi slingbacks, when honeymooners head to the bar to make the most of the martini shots while a could-be-a-model DJ plays cool and breezy beats in a midriff-bearing top. It’s a scene that wouldn’t look out of place in Manhattan, and yet this bar couldn’t be further from New York, sitting over the Indian Ocean and shaped to resemble a whale shark. The backstory The St Regis landed a prime spot of tropical paradise when it opened in 2016 on the previously uninhabited natural island of Vommuli. The lush environment played a big part in the hotel’s look and feel, with Singaporean-based film WOW Architects | Warner Wong Design taking a nature-inspired approach to the design. Instead of the traditional thatched bungalows, overwater villas here are shaped like manta rays and made from predominantly cross laminated wood, while the impressively large library swirls into the sky like a cone shell. The rooms 77 villas, all spacious, sleek and polished in varying shades of oak. On the lagoon, villas open out onto sweeping wooden decks with opalescent plunge pools, cabanas, floor hammocks that hover over the sea as well as steps that lead right into it. Beach villas are A-frame with soaring ceilings and sculptural pendant lights that look like the shells that line the beach in front. Bathrooms include illuminated sink basins and cocoon tubs, as well as inside and outdoor showers, shaded by swaying palms. The two bedroom villas are ideal for families, or you can take over the John Jacob Astor Estate, the largest three bedroom overwater villa in the country. Although an overwater mansion may be a more apt description—there’s a full kitchen, private beach set up, private gym, and three separate massage rooms. Food and drink Undeniably decadent, with Maldivian lobster plucked straight from the sea and served at every turn—even in the omelette at breakfast. At Pan Asian restaurant Oriental, the lobster comes to the beachside tables looking like plump scoops of ice cream, and is best ordered alongside the black pepper wagyu beef. Ingredients reach a new level of exotic opulence at Kaiseki-style restaurant T-Pan—think snow wagyu beef (said to be found in only four restaurants in the world), white albino caviar, and turquoise shrimp caviar from Australia. There are a total of seven restaurants on the island, all perfectly placed in spectacular settings. Follow the lanterns towards the sandy alcove in the middle of the island to find Middle Eastern restaurant Cargo, where chunky lamb chops and freshly baked pita bread are prepped in a shipping container kitchen. At the signature restaurant Alba, the Paella is impressively authentic, while down on the beach, Crust & Craft offers a laid back lunch option with locally caught tuna tacos and wood fired pizzas. Spa Morning yoga classes are held at the overwater Iridium Spa, with mats placed over the open-air lounge’s glass floor portholes, so you can watch trumpetfish paddle past in between poses. Follow it up with a glass of crystal-infused water and a muscle-melting dip in the Blue Hole Pool, one of the largest hydrotherapy pools in the country. The spa menu is suitably jetsetter—facials by Parisian brand Biologique Recherche, massages using a tailored blend of Asian techniques as well as Ayurvedic packages and acupuncture. There’s even a caviar ritual, which uses the fish egg proteins to firm and tone the skin, followed by a post-treatment caviar snack with a glass of Champagne, served in a lavender-scented bath on the private terrace of an overwater treatment room. Kids While the lobster is plentiful and the Champagne flows, the St Regis artfully avoids any pretension. This is best displayed in the no spill Paw Patrol cup provided to my toddler at one of the restaurants. Little guests can order the usual kid’s menu classics as well as dishes that reflect the various restaurants—think mango sushi or tempura at Oriental. All ages have plenty to keep themselves busy within the mammoth recreation centre, which houses the gym and aerial yoga studio, as well as the multi-room kid’s club. There’s a dedicated kitchen for cooking classes, a craft and activity room as well as a pirate ship playground outside. For teens, the Socialite Club is the ultimate holiday hangout with a pool table, chess station and video games. Pool toys can be arranged at the beachside infinity pool, and bicycles are provided at each villa, including mini ones with training wheels. The service A butler service has been a signature for all St Regis hotels long before it became a mainstay in the Maldives. And it shows—from the personalized butler video message shown at the airport lounge to arranging reservations and assistance with unpacking and packing, every aspect of the service is incredibly considered. When we were facing a very early seaplane departure, we were even able to settle the bill with our butler in our room the night before. Across the island, staff are very professional but in a warm and breezy manner that’s perfectly suited to the environment. Eco effort Eco efforts are an obvious focus for much of the Maldives and one that Vommuli’s general manager Vincent Pauchon has big plans for. He’s already hired a marine biologist in Hazel Araujo who has the dream job (and Instagram) of managing the island’s coral recovery programme. Hailing from Guatemala, Hazel moved to the island in early 2023 to begin regenerating coral around the island. She does this by tying small coral fragments to a wire pyramid frame that’s placed in the reef, where the fragments then begin to reproduce and spawn new coral. During my visit there were 33 coral frames that had been set up on the reef. When I left it was 34—guests can join Hazel by the dive centre to help put together a coral frame. Once Hazel adds it to the reef she’ll continue to monitor the fram and even send you photographs six months later so you can see the progress. On land Vincent has also set up a solar panel above the beachside bar, with plans to add more to the staff quarters in order to reduce the island’s reliance on generators. Rooms are supplied with glass bottles of water that are produced on the island, with plans to replace selling imported water in the restaurants with the island’s water, with proceeds going towards producing more coral frames. Accessibility While it is not technically a wheelchair-accessible resort, the hotel will take necessary steps to make it as easy as possible for guests. For example some restaurants, such as the main restaurant ALBA, can be set up with ramps, while the hotel has wheelchairs available onsite that are suited to hard surfaces. Anything to mention The morning breakfast spread at Alba is an experience in itself. Don’t sleep on the intriguing looking Maldivian section—ask the staff to put together a bit of everything for you and enjoy the delicious adventure." - Lauren Burvill
