Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon, in North Ari Atoll: a reef all round the island, reached from the beach, on an island you walk round in a quarter of an hour.
A week here, month by monthEllaidhoo suits a diving holiday, from $338 for 2 adults for one night taken alone, the lowest price any seller showed on Google. For a trip with long beach walks, I would choose a larger island.
Official siteDoes it suit you?
5 pairs of hotels, and the guide tells you whether this one suits you.
I would ask for the 38 m² Beach Bungalow, with a private deck and the sand outside. A returning guest writing in January 2023 recommends it for reading and lingering on the terrace.
In the reading of 12 October 2026, the dates 16–22 April 2027 showed $338 for each night taken alone; 30 December 2026 reached $3,066. I would start an April search with those dates.
The shared speedboat costs $250 per adult return and the shared seaplane $405 per adult return, for ages 12 and above, from 27 October 2025 to 31 December 2026. I would choose the transfer before settling the accommodation budget.
Even on all-inclusive, drinks at the Iruohsenee Bar are charged separately: the same rule applies to every meal plan. I would keep that in mind when choosing where to have a sunset cocktail.
The island has held a resort since 1985 (Ministry of Tourism register); today it carries the Cinnamon name, and its Booking.com listing still carries the old name, Chaaya Reef, in its address (Booking.com). In 2017, 62 rooms were refurbished (Maldives Magazine). The island has a kilometre of shore on OpenStreetMap: a quarter of an hour on foot.
Rooms come in 4 types: the 35 m² Standard Room in the garden, the 38 m² Beach Bungalow on the sand, the 52 m² sea-view Superior Room and the 79 m² Water Bungalow with its glass floor (official site).
The reef rings the island, with reef sharks and turtles (official site); the best known is Tripod, a hawksbill born with 3 flippers (Tripod). The resort counts more than a hundred dive sites within reach by boat (experiences), and the dive centre is Dive & Sail (diving).
It scores 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 2,631 reviews, 4.6 on Tripadvisor from 5,808 (Tripadvisor) and 9.1 on Booking.com from 652, read on 5 October 2026 (Booking.com).
Lumina Guide 2027
At Ellaidhoo the reef runs all round the island and you walk into it from the beach: a 4-star in North Ari Atoll for snorkellers and divers, on an island you can walk round in a quarter of an hour.
How we choose the hotelsWhat we found reading the hotel’s own pages, one thing at a time.
North Ari: an hour and a half by speedboat, but the reef is a few strokes away.
A resort since 1985, with 62 rooms refurbished in 2017: a 4-star for days spent in the water.
35 to 79 m²; the Water Bungalows with glass floors.
A buffet at the Madi with sand underfoot, à la carte at the Seanic and The Junction.
The Chavana Spa, one pool, a gym open from 6am to 10pm.
$338 to $3,066 a night for 2 on Google; $542 in November.
A badge is an experience travellers look for, that is really here and that few hotels in the guide have.
Here: the reef circles the island and you walk in from the beach; it is home to Tripod, a hawksbill turtle born with 3 flippers.
563 of the 594 guests who write about the reef are pleased. 17 hotels of 335 hold it.
Every hotel with this badgeHere: a buffet at the Madi with sand underfoot, à la carte at the Seanic and The Junction.
From the hotel’s restaurant pages. 30 hotels of 335 hold it.
Every hotel with this badgeWhat do Ellaidhoo’s guests say? They write it in their reviews, even those who only came for a drink or dinner: we read every one and tell the 5 things that matter, from the location to the bill.
9 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Guests write about the house reef, which runs right round the island and is reached from the beach, among reef sharks and turtles, and about a small, quiet island.
8 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Guests write about clean, comfortable rooms, the Beach Bungalow that opens onto the sand with its own loungers and the Water Bungalow, where you watch the fish from the balcony.
8 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Guests thank waiters, bar staff and the reception team by name, and write about the dive centre and the marine biologist who talks them through the reef.
8 in 10 guests who mention it are happy with it. Breakfast is the buffet at Madi, feet in the sand: at one station the cooks prepare dishes to order.
Guests who find the bill fair recommend the all-inclusive, which covers 3 meals, snacks and drinks by the glass; the Iruohsenee Bar is charged separately on every plan.
| What | Score out of 10 | Guests who mention it | Happy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | 8.7 | 217 | 87% |
| Room | 7.7 | 146 | 83% |
| Staff and service | 8.4 | 406 | 84% |
| Breakfast | 7.6 | 21 | 76% |
| Price | – | 77 | 38% |
The scores come from 500 Google reviews with text, left from 13 July 2023 to 3 October 2026. The other hotels are the ones weighed for a stay in the Maldives: for each we read its latest 500 Google reviews with text, or all of them where there are fewer, as of 6 October 2026. The score is the average of what they say, from 0 if they speak of it very badly to 10 if they speak of it very well. Where only a few mention something, the score stays close to the guide’s average: a handful of voices does not make a reputation.
The hotels we weigh it against in the Maldives:
Price: for two on the night of 16 April 2027, from $338 (seen on Google Hotels on 12 October 2026).
In the reading of 12 October 2026, one night taken alone cost $338 on 16–30 April 2027, while 30 December 2026 reached $3,066. I would check the whole-stay quote before booking: for 7 nights from 16 November 2026, Google’s lowest seller and the resort’s own listing each asked $806 a night.
| Period | Dollars a night |
|---|---|
| 13 October to 19 October 2026 | 376–420 |
| 20 October to 24 December 2026 | 420–806 |
| 25 December 2026 to 15 April 2027 | 613–1,339 |
| 16 April to 7 September 2027 | 338–382 |
The lowest seller price on Google for one night taken alone, for 2 adults, read on 12 October 2026. The separate high nights were 24 December 2026 at $1,112 and 30 December at $3,066; the calendar ends on 7 September 2027. Booked as 7 nights from 16 November 2026, the lowest seller Google listed that day asked $806 a night; the resort’s own listing, $806.
Choose Ellaidhoo for a speedboat journey from Malé; Cocoon suits a trip beginning with a 30-minute seaplane flight. Mercure Kooddoo suits travellers prepared for a 55-minute domestic flight followed by a 5-minute buggy ride to the villa.
| Hotel | A night, from |
|---|---|
| Ellaidhoo | $542 |
| Cocoon | $540 |
| Mercure Kooddoo | $545 |
Lowest single-night seller price on Google for 2 adults within 16–22 November 2026, read on 12 October 2026.
You walk into the water from the beach, swim with sharks and turtles and dine with sand underfoot.
It rings the whole island and is reached from the beach, with coral, reef sharks, turtles and shoals of fish (official site). Guests since 2024 describe it as alive and nearly all praise the snorkelling; the Dive & Sail centre also runs trips to the atoll’s sites (diving).
A hawksbill turtle, a critically endangered species, born with 3 flippers and now the reef’s emblem (Tripod). The resort grows coral on reef cubes of recycled glass and sells them to guests (sustainability).
A pool near the beach, with the Seanic Café & Bar beside it for à la carte dishes and cocktails (wellness, dining).
The Madi Restaurant serves its buffet on a sand floor, the Seanic Café & Bar and The Junction cook à la carte (dining). The resort counts 3 restaurants and 3 bars on one page and 4 bars on another.
The Chavana Spa has private treatment rooms, according to Booking.com (Booking.com), and booking on the site a Balinese massage can be one of the 2 gifts you pick (book direct). The gym opens from 6am to 10pm.
The dolphin trip, from 3 to 5pm by dhoni, costs $60 a person; sunrise or sunset fishing $50, taxes included (dolphin safari, sunrise fishing, sunset fishing). There is also a visit to Hangnaameedhoo, the inhabited island with coral-stone houses (Hangnaameedhoo).
Snorkelling gear is rented at the resort: in 2026 guests report $8 a day for mask and snorkel and $5 plus service for fins; life jackets are free. Source: 500 Google reviews read, 13 July 2023 to 3 October 2026
The Iruohsenee Bar is charged separately on every meal plan, the all-inclusive included, and spa treatments are paid for. Source: cinnamonhotels.com
The shared speedboat from Malé takes an hour and a half and costs $250 per adult return, the seaplane $405; for children $125 and $245, prices valid until 31 December 2026 (Booking.com). In rough seas it takes longer, up to 2.5 hours in guests’ accounts (Google).
Book on the site and with 7 nights or more the speedboat is free both ways, with fewer nights one way: the winter offer had to be booked by 15 October 2026 and covers 2 people, the summer one must be booked by 31 October 2026, and both transfers must be booked through the resort (winter offer, summer offer).
Christmas and New Year carry a compulsory supplement of $125 and $150 for each child (offer terms); on Google the night of 30 December cost $3,066 (Google Hotels).
Snorkelling gear is not provided for the swim-and-snorkel excursion: bring your own or rent it at the resort (terms).
The island is small, a kilometre of shore (OpenStreetMap), and takes a quarter of an hour to walk round.
A concrete breakwater rings the island and is visible from the beach: inside, the water is calm and suits children, and the reef begins just beyond it, guests say (Google).
By speedboat from Malé in an hour and a half, or by seaplane.
| Speedboat | An hour and a half from Malé airport; shared, $250 per adult return and $125 per child, until 31 December 2026 (Booking.com). |
|---|---|
| Seaplane | $405 per adult and $245 per child, return, until 31 December 2026 (Booking.com). |
| Luggage | 20 kg in the hold and 5 kg in the cabin on the transfer (Booking.com). |
| Free | On the site’s offers, booked by 15 or 31 October 2026, the speedboat is free both ways from 7 nights, one way with fewer (winter offer, summer offer). |
Sources read on 4 and 5 October 2026.
The resort, Malé airport and Hangnaameedhoo, the inhabited island of the tour. Tap a place for details.
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At Madi Restaurant, the buffet brings local and international dishes to a dining room with sand underfoot.
The pool opens beside the Seanic Café & Bar, with the ocean beyond it.
A gym session can share the afternoon with tennis or badminton.
A local dhoni carries you across the lagoon as the colours of sunset spread across the sky.
The private dinner pairs 4 courses with wines by candlelight.
Platform scores and what guests write about the reef, the crossing, the food and the package.
Scores read on 5 October 2026
Google2,631 reviews4.8/5
Tripadvisor5,808 reviews4.6/5
Booking.com652 reviews9.1/10
Expedia645 reviews8.8/10From the resort’s Google listing, August and September 2026: the reef, the quiet, the speedboat, a family and an unclear package.
GoogleOn a second stay, in a Beach Bungalow in September 2026, a guest writes in Spanish of having stayed at 6 different hotels and that Ellaidhoo’s reef is by far the best.
GoogleIn September 2026 Italian guests found the resort quiet, with none of the intrusive entertainment of package villages, the dive centre very professional and the reef intact; the buffet, after a while, gets repetitive.
GoogleAlso in September 2026, a guest writing in French describes a speedboat that set off in heavy seas, wind and rain, the most frightening trip of her life; the rooms disappointed her too. 2 stars.
GoogleIn a review from August 2026, a family of 4, after 18 days, praise the reef, the food and the staff, and a room handed over at once though they arrived well before check-in.
GoogleIn September 2026 a review complains of a lack of transparency: the guests were told certain things were in the package and only later found they were charged separately. One star.
Sources read on 4 and 5 October 2026.
On the Google Hotels calendar, read on 12 October 2026 for 2 adults, one night taken alone cost $542 on 16 November 2026, $1,112 on 24 December, $3,066 on 30 December and $338 on 16 April 2027. For 7 nights booked together from 16 to 23 November 2026, the lowest seller and the resort’s own listing on Google each asked $806 a night in that reading. The calendar ends on 7 September 2027.
The calendar gives the lowest seller price for one night taken alone; check the selected seller’s quote for the room, meal plan, taxes and transfer. In the reading of 5 October 2026, for 16 to 19 November the resort’s own site asked $490 a night and Kiwi.com $484; Booking.com asked $526 for a garden-view Standard Room with 50% off the speedboat, taxes included: its booking link came to $1,578 for the 3 nights, $442.38 of it taxes; Agoda asked $592 (Google Hotels). Check the transfer terms of the selected offer before booking.
The site’s all-inclusive offer for the Water Bungalows covers breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks at set times, a selection of alcoholic and soft drinks served by the glass and a minibar restocked daily with some drinks (all-inclusive). The Iruohsenee Bar is charged on every plan (Iruohsenee Bar).
By speedboat from Malé in an hour and a half, $250 per adult return, or by seaplane, $405 (Booking.com). In rough seas the crossing can take 2.5 hours (Google).
On Ellaidhoo island in North Ari Atoll, 67 km from Malé airport as the crow flies, measured on the coordinates, and an hour and a half by speedboat (Booking.com). Guests describe it as quiet, with no intrusive entertainment (Google).
Chavana Spa has 3 double treatment rooms, one single room and a reception with a shop; it opens from 10am to 8pm. Its signature Chavana Massage is performed by 2 therapists; there are also the Purity Facial and a Balinese massage (spa operator, read on 5 October 2026).
A single outdoor pool near the beach, with the Seanic Café & Bar at its edge (wellness, dining); size and temperature are not published, and no room has a private pool.
The resort publishes no wedding packages; for private events it offers the Iruohsenee Bar (Iruohsenee Bar). For couples there is dinner at the Lover’s Deck, 4 courses with wines (Lover’s Deck), and the private beach dinner, $375 a couple (beach dinner).
The resort publishes no day-visit offer or price. A review from September 2026 describes a group’s day on a package, on which some drinks were charged separately (Google). The speedboat from Malé takes an hour and a half each way, and spa treatments are charged.
Yes: Google’s calendar, read on 12 October 2026, had prices for every month from November 2026 to August 2027 (Google Hotels). From May to August a night cost $382.
Yes, and it is the reason to choose it: the reef rings the island and is reached from the beach, with reef sharks, turtles and Tripod, the 3-flippered hawksbill (official site, Tripod). Guests since 2024 describe it as alive; for the swim-and-snorkel excursion you bring or rent gear at the resort (terms).
The island is small, a kilometre of shore (OpenStreetMap), and sand does not ring all of it: a guest in August 2026 found it mostly between the dive centre and the Water Bungalows, another, in 2025, had a room on the rocky side with no beach. A concrete breakwater rings the island, and inside it the water stays calm for children (Google).
For the reef, the 38 m² Beach Bungalow, which opens onto the sand; for space, the 52 m² sea-view Superior Room, for up to 4 adults; for the water, the 79 m² Water Bungalow with its glass floor. The 35 m² Standard Room faces the garden (official site).
Yes, above all for swimmers: up to 2 children eat free on their parents’ plan and a cot is free up to 2, but there are no extra beds (Booking.com). The site’s family offer lets up to 2 children under 12 stay and eat free (family offer).
Spa treatments are charged separately; booking direct, a Balinese massage can be one of the 2 gifts you choose (book direct). The spa opens from 10am to 8pm for booked treatments. Its operator lists no separate admission fee, thermal circuit included in the room rate or spa day pass for outside guests (Chavana Spa, read on 5 October 2026).
The dolphin trip $60 a person and sunrise or sunset fishing $50, taxes included, the sandbank $60 (sunrise fishing); also big-game fishing, dinner at the Lover’s Deck and the Hangnaameedhoo visit (dolphin safari, experiences). The private beach dinner costs $375 a couple (beach dinner).
For 31 December 2026 the resort announces a sunset cruise, a New Year’s Eve gala dinner, music and a countdown to 2027 (Visit Maldives, read on 5 October 2026). The resort’s terms require a compulsory child supplement of $125 at Christmas and $150 on New Year’s Eve, paid on the island. The announcement does not give the gala menu or adult supplement (official terms).
Scores are high: 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 2,631 reviews, 4.6 on Tripadvisor from 5,808, 9.1 on Booking.com from 652 and 8.8 on Expedia from 645, read on 5 October 2026. The praise goes to the reef and the staff. In rough seas the crossing takes longer; the chosen package does not cover everything, from snorkelling-gear hire to the Iruohsenee Bar, and guests on longer stays write that the buffet starts to repeat after a few days (Google, Tripadvisor).
Plan the island arrival by shared speedboat from Malé airport, taking 90 minutes, or by seaplane; the resort is reached by water or air.
The Maldives’ first resort, from 1972, 10 minutes by boat from the airport: 7 restaurants, the reef from the beach and a kids’ club every day.
2 islands, 134 villas, the kids’ club, a surf wave off the beach and a restaurant under the sea.
The 1972 resort 10 to 15 minutes by speedboat: 220 rooms, a reef off the beach, the oldest dive centre in the Maldives and a hyperbaric chamber, from $340 a night.
A big, green island 15 minutes by speedboat from the airport: 7 restaurants and bars, water villas and a spa on an islet reached by a bridge.
An adults-only island almost entirely over the water: villas with a slide or a pool, 5 restaurants on the all-inclusive plan and H2O, the restaurant under the sea.
A family resort 20 minutes by speedboat from Malé: beach and overwater villas, the Roxity and Teen Spirit clubs, a pool with a waterslide and the restaurants of 3 islands on the meal plans.
A new family resort 30 to 45 minutes by speedboat from Malé: slides, a lazy river, a kids’ club and a bridge to Centara Grand Lagoon.
A small island 45 minutes by speedboat from Malé, with an all-inclusive plan and the reef off the beach; room blocks from 1996 and no pool.
A resort opened in 2025, 30 to 40 minutes by speedboat from Malé: 142 villas with a pool or a Jacuzzi, 5 venues on the island and family-minded Mirage across the bridge.
Pasta Point’s island, 20 minutes by speedboat: the wave for 30 surfers, water and beach bungalows, 3 buffets, from $393 a night.
150 villas furnished by the Italian brand LAGO, all inclusive only, 30 minutes by seaplane from Malé, with a free kids’ club for ages 3 to 12.
A cheerful island in Baa Atoll, 30 minutes by seaplane from Malé: 125 villas, the sandbank with the Crab Shack, clubs for children and teenagers and Hanifaru’s mantas from May to November.
This guide is written with Lumina, the marketing system for hotels.
