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The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
Fari Islands, Maldives · Ritz-Carlton · Apex Luxury
Opened on 1 June 2021 as The Ritz-Carlton's first-ever Maldives property, the Fari Islands resort was designed by Kerry Hill Architects with circular villas directly inspired by the Bodu Beru — the large ceremonial drum at the centre of Maldivian music and culture. It sits within Fari Islands, a four-island archipelago developed by Singapore's Pontiac Land that dedicated an entire 12-hectare island (Fari Campus) exclusively to staff accommodation, the first such staff-living island in the Maldives. Both resident resorts earned Forbes Five-Star in their inaugural year of operation.
- 100 rooms
- Opened 2021
- Neighborhood: Male 20013
- Architect: Kerry Hill Architects
- Interiors: KHA Pte Ltd
About The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands
- Every villa at The Ritz-Carlton Fari Islands is built in a circular form directly referencing the Bodu Beru — the Maldivian ceremonial drum — making the architecture a literal cultural artifact rather than a generic tropical design.
- Pontiac Land's Fari Islands development, which commissioned the project in 2015, gave one of its four islands entirely over to staff accommodation — Fari Campus — housing nearly 1,000 employees in a planned community with recreational facilities and career programs, the first arrangement of its kind in the Maldives.
- The structure used cross-laminated timber and prefabricated components to minimise reef disruption, building on an existing sandbank that allowed the coral reef beneath to remain intact throughout construction.
History
Nestled in the North Male Atoll on man-made islands within the Fari Islands chain, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands overlooks a turquoise lagoon encircled by vibrant coral reefs, dive sites, and pristine sandbanks. Opened in 2021, the resort blends modern, eco-conscious architecture with Maldivian cultural elements like circular forms inspired by traditional Bodu Beru drums and sustainable practices including cross-laminated timber construction to minimize reef impact. Villas float over azure waters or anchor on beaches, embracing the dual personality of open ocean swells and calm lagoon tranquility.
The setting
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands sits within Fari Islands, a purpose-built four-island archipelago in North Male Atoll developed by Singapore's Pontiac Land. Opened in June 2021 as the brand's first Maldives property, it lies 45 kilometres from Velana International Airport — 50 minutes by speedboat or 10 minutes by seaplane. Its island, designed by Kerry Hill Architects, holds 100 beach and overwater villas set among white-sand shores and turquoise lagoons. The Fari Marina Village — the archipelago's shared hub of boutiques, art galleries, a beach club and upscale dining — gives guests complimentary boat access across all three island resorts, making this the most socially connected luxury enclave in the Maldives.
Restaurants and bars
- La Locanda — Restaurant · Italian
- Summer Pavilion — Restaurant · Cantonese
- IWAU — Restaurant · Japanese
- Beach Shack — Poolside · Mediterranean
- Arabesque — Restaurant · Indian
- EAU Bar — Restaurant · Japanese
- Tum Tum — Restaurant
Amenities
- spa
- overwater villas
- dive center (scuba/snorkeling)
- private beach
- butler
- infinity pool
- kids club
- tennis
- Sauna
- Fitness center
Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star (2026)
- MICHELIN Two Keys (2026)
- Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards (2025)
- World's 50 Best Discovery (2024)
- AHEAD Asia Resort (2022)
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