Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Maldives / Makunudhoo Atoll / Soneva Secret
Soneva Secret
Makunudhoo Atoll, Maldives · Soneva · Apex Luxury
Opened January 2024 after thirty years in the making, Soneva Secret occupies the only island in the Makunudhoo (Haa Dhaalu) Atoll — the most remote and westernmost atoll in the Maldives, 1.5 seaplane hours from Malé — with just 14 villas, each served by a dedicated private chef from a different country (Japan, Italy, Brazil, South Korea, the Maldives, and nine others). It introduced the Maldives' first floating villa, the Castaway, a 461 sq m two-floor dwelling with a saltwater pool and retractable bedroom roof that can be repositioned to any anchor point in the lagoon.
- 14 rooms
- Opened 2024
- Neighborhood: Makunudhoo Atoll, North Maldives
About Soneva Secret
- Soneva Secret debuted the Maldives' first floating villa: the Castaway, a 461 sq m two-storey structure with a saltwater pool and curved water slide, accessible only by boat and repositionable to any point in the lagoon to track sunrise and sunset.
- Each of the 14 villas is assigned a dedicated private chef representing a different nationality — 14 chefs from 14 countries including Japan, Brazil, Italy, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, South Korea, the Maldives, and others — providing bespoke cuisine as part of the all-inclusive rate.
- Out of This World, the resort's fine-dining venue, can only be reached by zipline across 80 metres of open ocean; guests ride from The Living Room to a lagoon tower housing a wine cellar, open kitchen, and overwater observatory — all three elements vertically stacked.
- The resort generates roughly 90% of its electricity from a 1.6 MWp floating solar PV system and offsets all guest air-travel emissions, making it the first net-zero-carbon resort Soneva has operated from day one.
History
Soneva Secret is the newest and most exclusive property from Soneva founders Sonu Shivdasani and Eva Malmström Shivdasani — thirty years in the making. Unveiled in January 2024 in the Maldives' remote Makunudhoo Atoll (Haa Dhaalu), the resort supercharges everything Soneva is celebrated for: breezy barefoot luxury, sustainability, and personalised service, compressed into just 14 villas on an island where no other land is visible on the horizon. Each villa is assigned a dedicated Barefoot Guardian, Barefoot Assistant, and private chef — with 14 chefs from 14 different countries serving bespoke cuisine. The resort also introduced the Maldives' first floating villa, the Castaway, which can be moved to any anchor point to follow the sunrise and sunset.
Opened January 2024 after thirty years in the making, Soneva Secret occupies the only island in the Makunudhoo (Haa Dhaalu) Atoll — the most remote and westernmost atoll in the Maldives, 1.5 seaplane hours from Malé — with just 14 villas, each served by a dedicated private chef from a different country (Japan, Italy, Brazil, South Korea, the Maldives, and nine others).
The setting
Soneva Secret occupies a private island in the Makunudhoo Atoll — also known as Haa Dhaalu — in the far north of the Maldives, the westernmost point of the archipelago. A 1.5-hour seaplane transfer from Malé places it among the most remote resorts in the Maldives, surrounded by waters frequented by manta rays, dolphins, whale sharks, turtles, and an abundance of tropical marine life.
Restaurants and bars
- Out of This World — Restaurant · Chef Henrique Lork
- The Living Room — Restaurant
- So Primitive — Restaurant · Seafood
Experiences
- Island Buyout — Exclusive buyouts for up to 50 guests across 13 villas on the secluded private island, with multi-day programmes tailored by Event Designers.
Amenities
- 14 beach and overwater villas (each with private gym and spa treatment room)
- Dedicated private chef per villa
- Soneva Soul Spa
- Crusoe Villas (accessible only by electric boat)
- The Castaway (Maldives' first floating villa, with saltwater pool)
- Coral nursery
- Zipline to Out of This World restaurant
- Overwater wine cellar
- Kids Den
- Natural playground
- Diving and snorkelling (manta rays, dolphins, whale sharks)
- Floating solar PV system (1.6 MWp; 90% energy target)
- Net-zero carbon (guest air travel offset)
Awards
- MICHELIN Three Keys (2026)
- Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards (2025)
- Robb Report 50 Greatest Hotels on Earth (2025)
- World's 50 Best Hotels 51-100 (2025)
Open Soneva Secret in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
More Soneva hotels
- Soneva Fushi — Baa Atoll, Maldives · Apex Luxury
- Soneva Jani — Medhufaru, Maldives · Apex Luxury
- Soneva Kiri — Koh Kood, Thailand · Apex Luxury
Soneva in The Maison: the brand's idea, history and every house on the atlas.