Aman Announces Amanolu, Its First Resort in the Maldives
Planned for 2028 in Vaavu Atoll, Amanolu will have 52 rooms by Kerry Hill Architects, an island given over to wellness and 16 residences, each on an island of its own.
Aman has announced its first resort in the Maldives. Amanolu is planned to open in 2028 in Vaavu Atoll, south of Malé, with 52 rooms and 16 private residences. The announcement, made in September 2026, ends a long absence: Aman is the last of the major resort names without a property in the archipelago.
A resort spread over many islands
The plan differs from the usual Maldivian model of one island, one resort. Amanolu will occupy a group of islands in a single lagoon. The hotel’s rooms will be on the main island. A second island is given over entirely to wellness, with an Aman Spa and the group’s Spa Houses, private pavilions for treatments and bathing that Aman has introduced at several recent properties. A third island is for activity: diving, snorkelling and water sports.
The 16 residences each stand on an island of their own. They have five bedrooms, a 25-metre pool, a private beach and separate quarters for staff. Some islands are oriented to the sunrise and others to the sunset, and some have beaches on both shores.
Design
The architecture is by Kerry Hill Architects, the practice behind Aman Tokyo, Aman Kyoto and Amanemu. Details of the buildings have not been released. Aman describes a design drawn from the white coral beaches and turquoise lagoons of the setting, which suggests the low, pale, horizontal manner of the firm’s tropical work.
The location
Vaavu is one of the least developed atolls in the Maldives, with few resorts and a small population. It is known to divers for its channels, where currents bring sharks and other large fish, and for a long unbroken stretch of reef. Guests will arrive from Velana International Airport by seaplane or by the resort’s own speedboat.
Context
The Maldives has been the most competitive resort market in the world for a decade. Recent arrivals at the top of the market include Soneva Secret and Patina, and the wellness island at Joali Being showed that a resort could be built around wellbeing alone. Aman arrives late, with a higher share of residences than its competitors and an entire island for its spa.
Amanolu is one of several Aman projects announced for Asia, along with Aman Niseko in Hokkaido. Rates have not been announced.