The Best Hotels and Resorts in Asia: The Gold List 2025

"A ring of a gong and an army of smiles signals your arrival at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. Reef villas are cathedral-vast and designed with smooth marble floors, taupe sofas, a minibar stocked with ready-made cocktails, and an outdoor space with a pool large enough for laps at dusk when fruit bats swoop overhead. The culinary choices are staggering and may well offer the most diverse choice in the Maldives. For wellness seekers, the spa excels in its roster of visiting practitioners likeChinese acupuncturists and tarot card readers. Children are in Technicolor heaven here, for here is a sand-dusted, turquoise playground paradise for all generations. From $1,920. —Jemima Sissons" - CNT Editors