"Joali’s strongpoint is simple: an island hotel in the relatively undeveloped Raa Atoll that’s sensible and unselfconscious, its Maldivian natural wonder combined with a Mediterranean feel (the owner is Turkish). This mood sets it apart from other Maldivian hotels, many of which scrabble about trying to reinvent the country’s Paradise Found with some trumped-up USP. The laid-back Med luxe is epitomized in the sunset-facing Mura Bar, the sky-blue shutters, wicker globe lamps, and chic cane sofas making it the hotspot for a sundowner and a suck on a shisha pipe. Every last detail is simple and delicious, down to the coconut croissants. And there’s been no scrimping when it comes to design: Istanbul-based architects Autoban, known for the extraordinary Baku airport international terminal and London’s Duck + Rice, have created 49 overwater and 24 beach villas that are both smart and vast, with palm roofs and rose-gold taps resembling giant pebbles. Slinky silk gowns hang in the wardrobe—a one-off print by Ardmore, which designs for Hermès—while the island is peppered with unexpected sculptures including a manta-ray tree house by artist Porky Hefer and an underwater coral garden by Misha Kahn. Japanese Saoke, one of three restaurants, serves 50 different sakes. But the highlight is lying back in a hammock and watching soft-bellied fruit bats swoop down while nursing a cocktail." - CNT Editors
