Co-founder & CEOMarco Di CesareHe spent weeks comparing hotels and kept finding that the detail deciding the trip was missing from the hotel website. 10 years in marketing technology, 2 of them building with AI.About MarcoHow we write the guideLinkedIn
The black edition of Three Lumi: no weak side on any of the 5 things that matter.
1 hotel of 335.
Three Lumi
Exceptional: guests, critics and we all say so.
3 hotels of 335.
Two Lumi
Exceptional: two of our three readings say so.
25 hotels of 335.
One Lume
Gives more than the other hotels of its place and price range.
82 hotels of 335.
A spa worth the trip
Held by a hotel in the guide’s top tenth for what guests write about the spa, when at least 30 of them mention it, or by a hotel whose spa has, in our reading of its official pages, one of the highest readings in the guide.
28 hotels of 335 hold it.
A story inside
Held by a hotel whose character has, in our reading, one of the highest readings in the guide, and whose history begins before 1950.
31 hotels of 335 hold it.
A table worth the trip
Held by a hotel in the guide’s top tenth for what guests write about the food, when at least 30 of them mention it, or by a hotel whose table has, in our reading, one of the highest readings in the guide.
30 hotels of 335 hold it.
Adults only
Held by a hotel that states a minimum age of 12 or more for its guests.
8 hotels of 335 hold it.
Children’s kingdom
Held by a hotel whose club takes children aged 4 or younger, and where at least 30 guests write about children and nearly all of them write well of it.
8 hotels of 335 hold it.
Doing nothing, very well
Held by a hotel in the guide’s top tenth for what guests write about the beach and the lagoon: at least 30 of them must mention it.
18 hotels of 335 hold it.
Far away, in no time
Held by a resort in the Maldives on an island of its own, 20 minutes or less from the airport.
20 hotels of 335 hold it.
Gentle giants
Held by a resort for which a source says where and when manta rays or whale sharks are met: a named site, a season or the time it takes to reach them.
16 hotels of 335 hold it.
Honeymoon
Held by a hotel in the guide’s top tenth for how many of the reviews that say who was travelling are honeymoons: at least 50 reviews must say so.
19 hotels of 335 hold it.
Just for us
Held by a hotel with 40 rooms or villas at most.
15 hotels of 335 hold it.
Reef at the door
Held by a resort whose reef you can swim to from the beach and which, among such resorts, is in the top 15% for what guests write about it: at least 30 of them must mention it.
17 hotels of 335 hold it.
The bill feels right
Held by a hotel where at least 30 guests write about the price and at least 6 in 10 find it fair.
19 hotels of 335 hold it.
The city at the door
Held by a city hotel in the top third of the guide’s city hotels for what guests write about its location: at least 30 of them must mention it.
17 hotels of 335 hold it.
They read your mind
Held by a hotel in the guide’s top 8% for what guests write about the staff and the service: at least 30 of them must mention it.
18 hotels of 335 hold it.
True quiet
Held by a hotel in the guide’s top tenth for what guests write about the quiet: at least 30 of them must mention it.
14 hotels of 335 hold it.
Up for breakfast
Held by a hotel in the top sixth for breakfast, among the guide’s hotels where at least 30 guests write about it.
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.
The first of the guide. Here: each couple has an island host, who sets up a WhatsApp group and asks every day how things went; honeymooners find the bed decorated, and waiters remember your drinks from the first day. 488 of the 493 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 99 in 100 happy.
The only resort in Laamu Atoll: turtles in the seagrass, manta rays all year, 8 surf breaks and a marine biology centre, 65 minutes by seaplane from Malé.
Here: every guest has a GEM, a Guest Experience Maker, who arranges each day and whom guests remember by name; at table someone already knows which tea to bring after dinner. 293 of the 305 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: breakfast, 100 in 100 happy.
270 studios and villas, 10 restaurants and bars, Kandiland and go-karts: the family resort for under $300 a night.
Here: in the restaurant someone remembers your name and room number from the second day; for a birthday, a decorated room and a cake; every day, a new towel sculpture. 448 of the 467 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 96 in 100 happy.
The former Mövenpick, on its way to Mondrian: 105 villas, all with pools, 45 minutes by seaplane, from $603 a night, with a chocolate hour.
Here: the host who looks after you answers any request on WhatsApp; at breakfast they remember your coffee or tea from the first morning, and the staff once set up a marriage proposal in secret. 469 of the 483 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 97 in 100 happy.
151 all-inclusive villas 40 minutes by speedboat from Malé: Kiddie Cove for the children, The Market’s buffet and a house reef that divides guests.
Here: the island host checks in every day and rearranges your plans when needed, the day you leave included; for birthdays and anniversaries a cake arrives and the room is decorated. 467 of the 477 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 98 in 100 happy.
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.
Here: at the front desk someone speaks French and looks after guests from arrival to departure; in the restaurant you have your own waiter, who learns what you like and tops up your glass unasked. 472 of the 487 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the location, 97 in 100 happy.
An adults-only resort on 2 islands in Meemu Atoll: water and beach bungalows, an all-inclusive plan and an islet with its own restaurant and pool.
Here: your waiter learns your order by heart and brings the morning coffee before you order it; for a birthday the kitchen bakes the cake and someone dresses the room. 480 of the 490 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 98 in 100 happy.
A reef within reach of the villa, with a livelier evening.
Here: the “Whatever/Whenever” team answers fast on WhatsApp; waiters know your favourite cocktails, and for honeymoons and birthdays there are petals in the villa and a bubble bath run. 75 of the 76 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 99 in 100 happy.
127 villas 7 minutes by speedboat from Malé, all-inclusive: 5 restaurants, drinks, children’s and teens’ clubs
Here: waiters remember what each guest eats and drinks, lend a hand with the pushchair and go from table to table; many guests thank them one by one. 459 of the 478 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 96 in 100 happy.
282 water and beach villas, 7 restaurants and all-inclusive plans, 20 minutes by speedboat from Malé
Here: every morning the island host sends an update on WhatsApp and stays reachable there all day; in the restaurant your usual drinks are on the table before you ask. 476 of the 486 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 98 in 100 happy.
81 pool villas and residences in Raa Atoll, with Club InterContinental for every guest and manta rays in the lagoon
Here: every guest has a curator, on call at any hour, who books tables and outings; in the restaurants they remember your name and favourite dish, and the managers are about among the tables. 247 of the 257 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the location, 97 in 100 happy.
125 beach and water villas with pools, 24-hour all-inclusive, 45 minutes by seaplane from Malé, with the reef just off
Here: the ambassador assigned to your villa meets you off the seaplane and sets up a WhatsApp group for any request; at the bar they remember your drink and room number. 449 of the 468 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the location, 96 in 100 happy.
221 villas, every type with its own pool, on a large island 45 minutes by seaplane from Malé, with a kids’ club and an adults-only pool
Here: your villa’s butler messages every day on WhatsApp, books restaurants and the spa and sets up birthday surprises; waiters remember tastes and names. 440 of the 458 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 96 in 100 happy.
153 villas on the beach and over the water, a house reef a few metres from the sand and a 24-hour all-inclusive plan, by seaplane from Malé
Here: the same host looks after your villa for the whole stay and answers on WhatsApp; in the restaurant and bar they call even the children by name from the first day. 400 of the 417 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 96 in 100 happy.
150 rooms and pool villas on the club’s all-inclusive plan, food guests rave about and a house reef 150 metres out, in Noonu Atoll
Here: in the restaurant they know guests’ names from the first day and use them at every meal; for a birthday the room is decorated without anyone having asked. 415 of the 432 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
50 villas of 175 to 400 m² on a quiet Noonu Atoll island, in IHG’s Vignette Collection, 45 minutes by seaplane from Malé
Here: a personal host answers on WhatsApp and sends the day’s programme every morning; around the island staff greet guests by name, and for a birthday they run a bubble bath. 75 of the 75 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: the location, 100 in 100 happy.
An all-inclusive Club Med village with a whole island, clubs for children aged 4 to 17 and the Manta overwater suites, 25 minutes by speedboat from Malé
Here: the G.O.s, Club Med’s hosts, teach sailing, snorkelling and trapeze by day and go on stage at night; a birthday means a bed dressed with flowers and leaves. 458 of the 477 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: breakfast, 100 in 100 happy.
A family hotel of 1970 cut into the cliff 2 km from Positano, with a lift through the rock to its private beach and a starred restaurant; open April to October
Here: the general manager greets guests by name every day; at breakfast a waiter, seeing a guest had started eating, took his coffee away and brought a fresh one when the meal was over. 347 of the 351 guests who write about the staff and service are pleased.
What guests love most: breakfast, 100 in 100 happy.
Reef at the doorHeld by a resort whose reef you can swim to from the beach and which, among such resorts, is in the top 15% for what guests write about it: at least 30 of them must mention it.17 hotels of 335 hold it.Gentle giantsHeld by a resort for which a source says where and when manta rays or whale sharks are met: a named site, a season or the time it takes to reach them.16 hotels of 335 hold it.True quietHeld by a hotel in the guide’s top tenth for what guests write about the quiet: at least 30 of them must mention it.14 hotels of 335 hold it.Doing nothing, very wellHeld by a hotel in the guide’s top tenth for what guests write about the beach and the lagoon: at least 30 of them must mention it.18 hotels of 335 hold it.A spa worth the tripHeld by a hotel in the guide’s top tenth for what guests write about the spa, when at least 30 of them mention it, or by a hotel whose spa has, in our reading of its official pages, one of the highest readings in the guide.28 hotels of 335 hold it.Just for usHeld by a hotel with 40 rooms or villas at most.15 hotels of 335 hold it.HoneymoonHeld by a hotel in the guide’s top tenth for how many of the reviews that say who was travelling are honeymoons: at least 50 reviews must say so.19 hotels of 335 hold it.Children’s kingdomHeld by a hotel whose club takes children aged 4 or younger, and where at least 30 guests write about children and nearly all of them write well of it.8 hotels of 335 hold it.Adults onlyHeld by a hotel that states a minimum age of 12 or more for its guests.8 hotels of 335 hold it.A table worth the tripHeld by a hotel in the guide’s top tenth for what guests write about the food, when at least 30 of them mention it, or by a hotel whose table has, in our reading, one of the highest readings in the guide.30 hotels of 335 hold it.Up for breakfastHeld by a hotel in the top sixth for breakfast, among the guide’s hotels where at least 30 guests write about it.15 hotels of 335 hold it.Far away, in no timeHeld by a resort in the Maldives on an island of its own, 20 minutes or less from the airport.20 hotels of 335 hold it.The city at the doorHeld by a city hotel in the top third of the guide’s city hotels for what guests write about its location: at least 30 of them must mention it.17 hotels of 335 hold it.A story insideHeld by a hotel whose character has, in our reading, one of the highest readings in the guide, and whose history begins before 1950.31 hotels of 335 hold it.The bill feels rightHeld by a hotel where at least 30 guests write about the price and at least 6 in 10 find it fair.19 hotels of 335 hold it.They read your mindHeld by a hotel in the guide’s top 8% for what guests write about the staff and the service: at least 30 of them must mention it.18 hotels of 335 hold it.One LumeGives more than the other hotels of its place and price range.82 hotels of 335.Two LumiExceptional: two of our three readings say so.25 hotels of 335.Three LumiExceptional: guests, critics and we all say so.3 hotels of 335.Three Lumi · EclipseThe black edition of Three Lumi: no weak side on any of the 5 things that matter.1 hotel of 335.
