Multigen

Why people come here

Most Maldives resorts are designed for couples. Walkways are narrow, villas are one-bedroom, and the kids’ club is a windowless room with a TV. The properties below flip that script. They start with two-bedroom villas and scale up to full private islands that sleep 21. Each villa has a private pool—some with slides, some with glass floors so the grandparents can watch the reef from the living room. Butler service is standard, so the parents can order room-service breakfast while the teenagers sleep in. And the kids’ clubs aren’t afterthoughts; they’re mini resorts with waterparks, VR headsets, and surf simulators.

The villas that actually fit everyone

COMO Maalifushi’s two-bedroom Water Villas sit on a jetty with a private pool, dining pods, and enough space for a family of six. The upstairs bedroom has a king bed; downstairs, two twins share an ensuite. The villa is long enough that the kids can watch a movie while the parents sip wine on the deck.

At Emerald Maldives, the three-bedroom Royal Beach Villa is two storeys: two bedrooms downstairs, master suite upstairs. A private garden with a spa area, gazebo, and pool gives everyone their own corner. The villa is 400 sqm—bigger than most London flats.

The Nautilus Mansion is a three-bedroom duplex on Thiladhoo island. Upstairs, two bedrooms with ocean views; downstairs, a master suite steps from the sand. The spiral staircase is wide enough for a stroller, and the organically shaped balcony has room for morning coffee for eight.

For groups of eight or more, The St. Regis’s John Jacob Astor Estate is three villas linked by a jetty: one master, two plunge-pool villas. Total size: 1,540 sqm. The Island Reserve at the same resort is a four-bedroom beachfront villa with a slide into the pool and space for two extra kids on rollaway beds.

If you need a full island, Four Seasons Voavah sleeps 21 across a beach house and two villas. The overwater villa has a spa; the beach house has three pools. The island comes with a 19-metre yacht, so the teenagers can fish for sashimi while the grandparents nap in the spa.

Dining that keeps the peace

Niyama Private Islands has two islands: ‘Chill’ for the adults, ‘Play’ for the families. The kids can eat at Subsix, the underwater nightclub turned breakfast spot, while the parents have a quiet dinner at Edge, the overwater restaurant. At COMO Maalifushi, the butler can set up a private dinner on the villa’s deck or pack a picnic for the beach. The Nautilus offers a ‘wine and dine’ option indoors or out, so the grandparents can eat early and the parents can stay up late.

SO/ Maldives has a Family Beach Pool Villa with ‘sleep pods’—adjoining rooms for kids or grandparents. The villa comes with a kitchen, so a chef can cook breakfast while the family argues over the day’s plans. The menu is Pan-Asian, with pho for the teenagers and French toast for the toddlers.

Kids’ clubs that don’t feel like babysitting

Niyama’s kids’ club is award-winning, with programs split by age. The youngest guests get turtle-spotting from a semi-submarine; the oldest get jet-skiing lessons. Waldorf Astoria’s Stars Club has a waterpark, trampolines, and a surf simulator. JOALI Maldives’s Muramas club offers mini massages and yoga for kids who need to wind down. The best part? None of these clubs feel like after-school care. They’re designed so the parents can drop the kids off and actually relax.

Four Seasons Voavah has a Kids’ Concierge who plans activities from six months to 12 years. The resort also provides high-quality strollers and monitors, so parents don’t have to pack their own. At COMO Maalifushi, the kids’ club has a climbing wall and a ‘flying lesson’ in the resort’s seaplane—enough to keep teenagers off their phones for an hour.

The honest bit

Not at most resorts with a kids’ club is built for multi-gen groups. Some have villas too small for six; others have kids’ clubs that close at 5pm, leaving parents with no evening break. The resorts above solve those problems, but they come with trade-offs. Niyama’s ‘Play’ island is lively—great for families, less so for grandparents who want quiet. Four Seasons Voavah is a private island, so the transfer is a seaplane ride (20 minutes from Malé), not a speedboat. And while SO/ Maldives’s sleep pods are genius for toddlers, they’re not soundproof, so light sleepers might hear the ocean.

The other thing to know: these villas book up fast. I’ve had clients message me in January for a Christmas trip and find the three-bedroom villas already gone. If you’re planning a reunion or a big family trip, message me on WhatsApp as soon as you have dates. I’ll hold options while we finalise the group.

Who Fede guides where

For families of four to six: COMO Maalifushi’s two-bedroom Water Villa. The jetty is long enough for everyone to have space, and the butler can arrange private snorkelling trips for the kids while the parents nap.

For groups of six to eight: The Nautilus Mansion or Emerald’s three-bedroom Royal Beach Villa. Both have private pools, separate wings, and enough bathrooms that no one has to share.

For reunions of 10–21: Four Seasons Voavah. The private island has three pools, a yacht, and a spa. The teenagers can Seabob with turtles; the grandparents can get ayurvedic treatments. Everyone gets their own space, but the beach house is big enough for group dinners.

For families who want a mix of adventure and relaxation: Niyama Private Islands. The ‘Play’ island has jet-skis and a kids’ club; the ‘Chill’ island has an underwater restaurant and a spa. The butler can shuttle the group between the two.

Transfers—what to expect

Most of these resorts are in remote atolls, so transfers are part of the experience. COMO Maalifushi is a 30-minute seaplane ride from Malé, followed by a 10-minute speedboat. Niyama is a 40-minute seaplane ride. Four Seasons Voavah is a 20-minute seaplane ride. The Nautilus is a 35-minute seaplane ride. Emerald Maldives is a 15-minute speedboat from Dharavandhoo Airport, which is a 35-minute seaplane from Malé.

Seaplanes only fly during daylight, so if you’re arriving late, you’ll spend a night in Malé. I usually book the Hulhulé Island Hotel—it’s a 10-minute speedboat from the airport, and the rooms have ocean views. The next morning, the seaplane picks you up from the hotel’s jetty.