Back in the day, the Maldives were an ultra-luxurious holiday hotspot that was reserved for the rich and the famous. In fact, just ten years ago you would be hard-pressed to find an all-inclusive Maldives resort that cost less than $1,000 a night. Luckily, times are changing now, and now with over 220 different Maldives resorts all competing for business, you can actually find some pretty good deals on your Maldives resort stay.
If you have been putting off a Maldives getaway for fear of how much it will cost, then you are in the right place. We’ve done the hard work for you to reveal are top four favourite Maldives resorts that cost less than $300 a night.
Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives Hotel
Located in the beautiful South Male Atoll, the Holiday Inn resort Kandooma Maldives is possibly one of the best value resorts in the country. There are no less than ten different room types available to choose from, each with their own style, amenities and mod cons. For the best value accommodation choose the deluxe room. This single-story beach villa is bright, airy, and it is just steps away from a white sandy beach (plus it has a rather wonderful outdoor bathroom with rain shower too).
For a little extra space as well as some additional features such as dining tables, sleeper couches, hanging closets, a large bathtub and a separate vanity area, then choose to go for one of their suite rooms.
The Kandooma Maldives island is pretty small, and it is catered around the hub of a sparkling infinity pool as well as the main dining area. The restaurant here serves up a wide variety of international and local cuisines, with both a la carte and generous buffet dining options available. A bonus is that kid’s aged 12 and under can eat for free when they choose items from the Kids Menu. Children 12 and under also stay for free when they share a room with an adult family member.
Kandooma Maldives is a very family-friendly resort. They have a dedicated play area to keep little ones entertained, which includes mini snorkelling activities, an arts and crafts centre, and a table game area. A babysitting service is available too.
There are many activities to keep grown ups happy as well. Here, you can choose to head out on a catamaran tour, snorkel or scuba dive in the stunning marine-filled ocean, or hit the on-site spa for a pampering massage or mani/ pedi. If you like to keep fit when on vacation, then you’ll love the gym here. The fitness centre is fully equipped with treadmills, bikes, free weights and elliptical machines as well as yoga mats.
On top of the already low-cost room rates, you can actually save quite a bit more on your vacation to the Maldives because getting to the Holiday Inn Resort doesn’t require a seaplane transfer. The Holiday Inn Maldives concierge will arrange for someone to greet you at the arrivals of your international flight that lands in Male Airport, where you will be taken to the results private arrival jetty for a 40-minute speedboat transfer directly to the resort. This can help you to save a big chunk of money as seaplane transfers can cost more than your international flight!
Overall, the Holiday Inn Kandooma Maldives is a particularly great value stay for families. Click here to check out more photos and the latest deals on the Holiday Inn Maldives.
Kurumba Maldives Resort
Kurumba is famous for being one of the original resorts in the Maldives. It’s beautifully positioned amongst the warm water on the North Male atoll on an island that used to be home to a coconut plantation. A plus is that this Maldives resort is also pretty near to Male International airport, so you can simply jump on a ten-minute speedboat instead of having to book a pricey seaplane ride.
For the most affordable room option, choose to book a superior room at the Kurumba Maldives. Despite its low price tag, this room comes in at a rather spacious 74 sqm. Decor is classic themed with lovely bright touches that add to that island-vibe. A nice touch is that this room is just steps away from powdery soft sand and warm waters.
You will probably be pretty surprised about just how little the room rates are here (hint: it’s way cheaper than you think – click here to find out how much during your dates). Because of this, you may have a little extra in your Maldives budget for a little room upgrade. If so, you may want to take a look at booking the Beach Villa with Jacuzzi. This 103 sqm luxury villa has an adjoining sitting room and stunning wraparound veranda with ocean views. It is able to accommodate up to three adults, as well as up to three children (depending on their ages). Don’t be put off by the age of the resort, all of the rooms have been recently renovated, and the wonderful team of staff work hard to keep everything looking as good as new.
Kurumba comes with everything you’d expect from such a Maldives mega resort. Here you can lounge on a private stretch of beach, hit the spa and indulge in a sauna or steam room treatment, play tennis, or workout in the indoor fitness centre. As well as the large infinity main pool there is also an indoor pool if you want to swim but stay out of the sun. There are also four other different room types that come with their own private pools.
Kurumba is also home to one of the best ranked eateries in the Maldives called Thile Restaurant. On top of this, you’ll find seven other restaurants and three different bars from which to take your pick. There are plenty of options when it comes to booking your board type too, as Kurumba have made it really easy with their customisable board packages. Choose the half board option if you want some flexibility with your meal plans, while the all-inclusive option is always a great idea if you want to save money on your Maldives vacation in the long run.
Kurumba is an excellent choice if you like to experience old school luxury and island charm at really reasonable prices. It’s less of a family-friendly resort in comparison to Kuredu Island resort, partially because of the all-inclusive packages. Many people here do like to take advantage of the generous drink offerings, and the bars can get quite lively after the sun sets over the Indian Ocean. Saying this, the island is large enough to find your own little quiet spot away from the crowds if you prefer.
Are you interested in staying in the Kurumba Resort Maldives? Click here for more photos and the lowest prices on a stay at this wonderful resort.
Meeru Island Resort
Meeru Island Resort is a firm contender for one of the best cheap resorts in the Maldives. You only have to take a look at reviews from past holidaymakers to see how much people love staying here. In fact, many people choose to return to Meeru Island resort year after year, stating they wouldn’t stay anywhere else.
There are a total of 286 guest rooms in the Meeru Island resort, and it has an average occupancy rate of around 500 people in the high season. On top of this, Meeru Island Resort has nearly 800 staff living on the island at any one time. Meeru has been designed with privacy and seclusion in mind, so despite these large numbers, you’ll often feel like you are one of the only people staying here. It has that feel of a quiet, desert island, making it the perfect choice for loved-up couples or newly-weds. Meeru also operates on the ‘no shoes, no news’ theme, which means that you can kick your footwear off the second you step off the plane and don’t have to put them on until you leave. It’s this unpretentious attitude that helps to win guest’s hearts and only adds to the island’s chilled vibe.
You can also opt for a speedboat to get here instead of a seaplane ride. Meeru island owns seven different boats, and concierge are on hand to arrange your transfers for you. Expect to pay around $200 for the return speedboat ride (which is a very reasonable amount for the Maldives). Once you land on the island a team of friendly staff are there to greet you with the warmest welcome.
When it comes to board types you have two to choose from: Full board or all-inclusive. The majority of guests that stay at Meeru Island Resort actually choose to go for the all-inclusive option as this includes extra perks such as drinks and snacks outside of meals times. The buffet bar here has rave reviews, and even has themed sections such as a taco bar, salad bar, pasta bar and much more to choose form. Vegetarians and vegans are particularly well-catered for with many non-meat options. The buffet bar is open for breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
If you are staying for a week or more, then it’s certainly worth mixing up your dining options with some a la carte meals. Meeru has the Hot Rock Restaurant and Bar which is located by the pretty pavilion pool bar. This is a great spot to dine for a casual lunch, or sip on a glass of wine. There is also the Asian Wok Restaurant which serves up Asian-fusion cuisine in a stunning traditional overwater pavilion set out on the water on a jetty. Meals in the a la carte restaurants are actually surprisingly cheap for the Maldives. Here you can enjoy a lunch or a dinner for around $30 if you choose a few of the lower-priced items. Bar drinks are also great value too – expect to pay between $6 and $8 for local wines, beers and spirits.
Overall, Meeru Island is one of the best affordable resorts in the Maldives. The staff, the food and the fabulously low room rates all help to make it a top notch resort. Are you interested in staying here for your next Maldives vacation? Click here for the best deals for Meeru Island Resort.
A Note on Maldives Board Options
It is worth noting that some of the other low-cost Maldives resorts (not listed above) have very low room rates because they intend to make up for it with the that money you will spend on food and drink. The high important tax rates, plus transportation costs for produce help to make things pretty expensive on the resort islands. On top of this, Maldives Resorts know that you can’t actually eat anywhere else, and so they often increase the food and drink costs even more.
So if you do choose to go for a room-only option, then make sure that you properly budget for your food costs during your stay. It’s a wise idea to check out the resort’s website, and see if you can view a few sample menus so you can get an idea of prices of meals, snacks, drinks and additional activities.
You may find that even though all-inclusive Maldives resorts have a higher fee per night, they may work out more affordable than choosing to go with the board-only or breakfast and room option. Do a little math and decide for yourself before booking your dream getaway to the Maldives.
If you are looking for that champagne-filled Maldives holiday on a lemonade budget, then we have a whole host of other articles to help you find the best deals around. It’s always best to book your stay during the low season, when rates are slashed and the resorts are less crowded too. Check out this article which lists the monthly weather and best times to visit so you can plan your affordable Maldives trip.
We also have this extensive guide which explains how you can save up to 50% off your Maldives vacation, as well as this one which provides some of our best tips on finding great Maldives deals.
Did you manage to snag yourself an incredible value Maldives resort? Let us know where in the comment section below. Happy travels!
