Five-star Two MICHELIN Keys Noonu Atoll, Malé
Soneva Jani
Villas over a 5.6-kilometre lagoon in Noonu Atoll, many with a slide from the roof deck into the water, and a cinema where the film plays through headphones.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- Two Keys
- Lagoon
- 5.6 kilometres, around five islands
- Opened
- November 2016
- From the airport
- About 40 minutes by seaplane
The hotel
Slides, stars and a silent cinema.
Sonu and Eva Shivdasani founded Soneva in 1995. Soneva Jani opened in November 2016 on Medhufaru, one of five uninhabited islands ringing a lagoon of 5.6 kilometres in Noonu Atoll. Eva Shivdasani designed the villa interiors; most villas stand over the water, with a roof deck above the bedroom. At launch there were twenty-four water villas and one on the island; island villas were added later.
From the top deck of many villas a slide drops straight into the lagoon. Cinema Paradiso, out on the water, was the first silent cinema in the country: guests listen through wireless headphones so nesting wildlife is left in peace. At night a resident astronomer opens the observatory and its sixteen-inch telescope. Rooms set aside for cheese, chocolate, ice cream and charcuterie are open to guests at no charge.
- So Starstruck The observatory, with a sixteen-inch Meade telescope and an astronomer to guide you through the night sky.
- Cinema Paradiso An open-air screen over the water, heard through headphones.
- Rooms of treats Cheese, chocolate, ice cream and charcuterie, set out in rooms of their own and free to guests.
Rooms & suites
Over the water, with a way down.
Every villa has a private pool. Sizes are the resort's and include decks and outdoor space.
- On the island 1 Bedroom Beach Hideaway 480 square metres on the sand, with a private pool.
- Over the water 1 Bedroom Water Reserve with Slide 555 square metres, with a pool and a slide from the deck into the sea.
- Four bedrooms 4 Bedroom Sunset Water Reserve with Slide 1,421 square metres over the lagoon, facing west.
Dining
A tasting menu, a crab shack and a chef's table for five.
Restaurants as listed in the resort's 2024 factsheet. No MICHELIN Guide covers the Maldives. Shown for information.
- The Gathering Several kitchens under one roof Live cooking at So Fresh, experimental menus at So Imaginative
- So Engaging Chef's table A surprise menu for five guests
- The Crab Shack Crab dishes from around the world In the resort
- The Director's Cut Modern Japanese Set menu or à la carte
Recognition
Awards and listings.
- Two MICHELIN Keys Current selection
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 2 pm, check-out by noon.
- Children Welcome. The Den has dressing up, Lego and island activities, and babysitting can be arranged.
- Choosing a villa Slides come with some villas only, so ask for one with a slide when booking.
Getting there
Flying to Malé.
Scheduled flights and private jets land at Velana International in Malé, and the seaplane flies on to Medhufaru in about forty minutes. Seaplanes fly by daylight only, which is worth knowing when choosing a flight.
- Mumbai 2 h 30
- Dubai 4 h 20
- Doha 4 h 40
- Singapore 4 h 45
- London 11 h 35 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does Soneva Jani have?
- Two, in the current selection.
- Do all villas at Soneva Jani have a waterslide?
- No. Many over-water and island villas do, and their names end "with Slide". It is worth asking for one when you book.
- How long is the seaplane from Malé?
- About forty minutes direct to Noonu Atoll.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Malé?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Malé, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Malé
Other hotels worth the trip.
- Cheval Blanc Randheli Forty-six villas on the lagoon and in the gardens, and a spa on its own island, reached by dhoni.
- JOALI BEING JOALI’s island given over to wellbeing, with villas on the beach or over the water and private infinity pools.
-
Soneva Fushi Thatched villas on Kunfunadhoo, thirty minutes by seaplane, where shoes come off on arrival.
- Soneva Secret Villas in the far north of the country, on the beach or over the water, opened in 2024.
- One&Only Reethi Rah One&Only’s island in North Malé Atoll, with espresso machines and vast terrazzo baths in the villas.
- The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands Villas by the architect Kerry Hill, forty-five minutes by boat from Velana.
-
The Nautilus Maldives On Thiladhoo, and awarded two Keys in its very first year in the selection.
- JOALI Maldives On Muravandhoo, billed as the first art-immersive resort in the Maldives.
Staying at Soneva Jani?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Malé, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.