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.
Stone pavilions with gardens and pools in the Menoreh Hills, Borobudur at the end of the valley and the gamelan every evening.
The first of the guide. Here: each pavilion sits inside its own walled garden, on a slope above the rice fields of Central Java; the country around is rural and silent. 195 of the 198 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
The rainforest resort above Datai Bay: villas on stilts, a path down to the beach and naturalists who lead you among hornbills and monkeys.
Here: the pool beside the main building is for adults, from 16; 2 guests in 2024 noted that no music is played in the restaurant. 143 of the 158 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
33 dhoni-shaped villas over the water, COMO Shambhala spa with its hydrotherapy pool and the reef below the terraces.
Here: the whole island has one restaurant and one bar; in a July 2022 review a couple wrote that there is no loud music and there are no parties. 50 of the 50 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 98 in 100 happy.
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.
Here: the island is for adults only; a guest who stayed 14 nights in September 2026 praised its silence. 233 of the 255 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 99 in 100 happy.
A lagoon for 2, Baan Huraa above the water and a garden spa
Here: only adults sleep on the island; in April 2026 one guest wrote of deserted beaches and the sound of the waves, another of having the shore almost to themselves. 66 of the 70 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
What guests love most: the location, 97 in 100 happy.
For travellers who put the house reef and a small island ahead of a quick transfer.
Here: an April 2026 guest praises the silence of an island with no noisy water sports; another, with the resort almost full, rarely saw anyone until dinner. 66 of the 68 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 92 in 100 happy.
Here: on an island 600 metres long, 4 villa types, the Sunset Ocean among them, take guests from the age of 12 only. 94 of the 99 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
What guests love most: the location, 93 in 100 happy.
36 bungalows on the beach of a natural island and a reef off the shore, 45 minutes by speedboat from Malé
Here: no entertainment team and no television in the bungalows: the evenings are Friday’s bonfire and the cinema on the beach. 74 of the 76 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
What guests love most: the location, 95 in 100 happy.
122 all-inclusive villas on an 18-hectare island in the far south of the Maldives, with the reef and its sharks under the jetties
Here: 18 hectares of palms crossed by paths: guests find the island quiet even when it is full. 136 of the 145 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
What guests love most: the staff and service, 86 in 100 happy.
65 beach and water villas for adults only, a house reef off the beach and a buffet guests praise, 40 minutes by seaplane from Malé
Here: there are no children on the island and the water sports are non-motorised, with anything else on request. 52 of the 53 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
What guests love most: the location, 95 in 100 happy.
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: 50 villas set well apart: the quietest are on the sunset side, while the sunrise ones watch the seaplanes land. 74 of the 76 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
What guests love most: the location, 100 in 100 happy.
40 villas on a Vaavu island, half on the beach and half over the water, with a house reef and an all-inclusive plan, 75 minutes by speedboat from Malé
Here: no loud nightlife, the resort says so itself; on some evenings a Maldivian acoustic band plays at White Sands. 215 of the 222 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
What guests love most: the location, 97 in 100 happy.
52 private-pool villas in Club Med’s Exclusive Collection, all-inclusive, 30 minutes by boat from Malé
Here: one restaurant, 2 bars and one pool for 52 villas; the club life stays on Kani, 5 minutes away. 90 of the 95 guests who write about the quiet are pleased.
What guests love most: the location, 95 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.
