SO/ Maldives Is the New Design-Forward Resort Showcasing the Islands’ Fun Side
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Is there a more thrilling way to start a holiday than by racing across the Indian Ocean on a speedboat? It seems unlikely. After I stepped out of the terminal at Malé Airport and onto the zippy inter-island runabout due to take me to SO/ Maldives, it wasn’t long before the malaise of long-haul travel faded into the distance, along with the capital city’s skyscrapers.
And after no more than 15 minutes of sea spray and coastal bluster? I was on a private island in an archipelago overlooking the Emboodhoo Lagoon, tottering down a catwalk-inspired jetty into a bold, stylish resort; outrageous vistas every way I looked.
Photo: Natelee Cocks
Of course, outrageous vistas are kind of the Maldives’ thing. It is a tropical paradise after; a nation of postcard-perfect white sands, lush greenery, and aquamarine water. SO/ Maldives—a manmade island in the nation’s midsection—has got all of the above in spades. But it also feels enticingly different to the minimalist, eggshell resorts you’ll usually find speckled across the ocean here. The petite spot is the first resort in the Maldives from Bangkok-based hotel group SO/, known for maximalist spaces inspired by the likes of Christian Lacroix and Karl Lagerfeld. And its aesthetic? Just as fab. Statement, rebellious fashion was front of mind for interior designers Eco-ID when creating the resort, with some interior details referencing Chanel’s cruise shows; the carousel set from 2008, and the fake beach from 2018. And thus, it’s a colorful, vibrant gem of a place; a hot pitstop for groups of friends and new couples rather than honeymooners.
Photo: Natelee Cocks
Take the hotel’s statement infinity pool, for example. Multi-tiered and rainbow-striped, it’s so playfully designed that it practically begs you to sip a sundowner from its edge. The dopamine-decorated Lazuli Beach Club it sits within is equally punchy. Every detail—from the color-blocked mosaic outdoor showers to the Art Deco DJ tower to the raffia sun shades to the orange and blue woven pool furniture—feels infused with fun. Did I spend many hours lying on its ultra-comfy shaded daybeds, complete with mini fridge and towel storage? Absolutely. But, naturally, not before I’d lounged by my own private pool first.
Photo: Courtesy of SO/ Maldives
There are 80 contemporary villas at SO/ Maldives, half of which are the stilted over-water style, now synonymous with the country’s resorts, and half can be found nestled on the beach. All of them are inspired by movie star makeup trailers, with sweeping mirrors, floor-to-ceiling windows, stylish stone baths, peaceful sun terraces, and unique woven pieces from Thai artist Ploenchan Vinyaratn. (They also come with bikes, allowing you to zip from one side of the island to the other in 15 minutes, although the island does have a buggy service too.)
I began my stay in an over-water villa, delighting in watching stingrays swim past my terrace at night and heading down its steps to plop myself into the sea each morning. It was my two nights in a beach villa, though, that made me truly fall in love with the island. The airy room opened onto a peaceful, jungle-walled garden with a private path down to a quiet beach. One of the most special nights of my stay involved simply grabbing a rosé from the mini bar and heading down to the shore to watch the sunset. It felt so secluded and luxurious.
Photo: Natelee Cocks
Of course, you don’t come to a resort like SO/ Maldives just to have quiet evenings on the beach. You come because you know the food, drinks, and nighttime vibes will be impeccable—and the bar and three restaurants here are peppered at the island’s center. Middle Eastern spot Hadaba was my stand-out. I greedily feasted on mezze and shawarma in its atmospheric upstairs space, overlooking the sea. The cocktails at the open-walled bar downstairs were also excellent—an orange-infused Patrón Negroni was a real treat. Tables at high-end Chinese joint Citronelle tumbled onto the beach come the evening, with a live DJ playing from the shoreline. (The umami lamb and cumin pancakes and classic kung pao chicken were killer.) For lunch, I often found myself pottering over to Lazuli for salads and genuinely brilliant Neapolitan pizza.
Photo: Natelee Cocks
There’s a somewhat sustainably-minded approach to food at SO/. Menus are kept tight. Breakfast at Citronelle—think creamy avocado on toast and nutritious acai bowls—is largely à la carte to avoid the extreme buffet food waste many islands produce. It’s a priority elsewhere on the island too. Solar panels on the roofs of the over-water villas provide 40% of the resort’s power, and the spa—the spa!—is careful to focus many of its treatments on natural products that won’t harm the Maldivian wildlife. The bespoke hour-long massage I enjoyed there included hot and cold stone therapies, tailored to my needs, in a calming, elegant studio. It was so, so reviving.
Photo: Natelee Cocks
Much of my stay involved moments of total relaxation like this; sipping a sweet, fiery ginger tea at the wellness center; kayaking around the lagoon on a breezy afternoon; an outdoor sunset yoga session with the island’s resident yogi Alok Kumar Rai, with the sea so close I could taste the salt.
Perhaps surprisingly for a five-star luxury resort, there’s something of a summer camp feel to SO/ Maldives. The team is small (by the end of my stay, I was on first-name terms with most of the waiters), and each group of guests is paired up with their own island guide (essentially cast in the role of “clued up, organized friend”). Then, there’s the activity schedule. There’s a daily roster of complimentary sessions for guests, spanning cocktail-making classes, mobility workshops, and excursions to neighboring islands. There’s also a board games room and a well-stocked water sports and snorkeling center, providing everything from scuba lessons to jet ski hire to dolphin-spotting cruises.
Photo: Courtesy of SO/ Maldives
The real highlight of my trip, however, was a snorkeling excursion. Taken out on a boat with the island’s marine biologist, I swam in an area beloved by nurse sharks and stingrays. Tens of them surrounded me—a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience—and the journey back to shore was just as exciting. We sailed alongside spinner dolphins as they leaped, twirling, into the air and then we took a final dip amidst shoals of rainbow-coloured finish at the hotel’s coral garden.
The spinner dolphins visited me again as I got the speed boat back to Malé Airport. (A final treat!) And on the ride to shore, I thought about how refreshing SO/Maldives is. It’s a bright beacon of a resort—a youthful, modern new addition to a long-beloved holiday destination. I left totally blissed out.
