JOALI Maldives

The Maldives comprise more than a thousand islands, the vast majority of which are uninhabited. In recent years, the sustainability-driven lifestyle brand JOALI has claimed two of them, building a pair of luxury resorts in Raa Atoll. The secluded Muravandhoo Island is home to JOALI Maldives, billed as the archipelago’s first art-immersive resort — and indeed, it’s art and design that separate this hotel from its rivals. Art installations and interactive exhibits are everywhere, an artist-in-residence runs creative workshops, and one-of-a-kind artworks are displayed in the resort’s sophisticated over-water bungalows and thatched-roof beach villas.

The indoor-outdoor design is striking: spacious, high-ceilinged villas are airy and opulent, featuring white marble, dark carved-wood panels, futuristic lighting and sound systems, Art Deco–style bars for mixing a drink, and spa-like bathrooms with freestanding tubs. All come with private infinity pools, outdoor rain showers, and round-the-clock butler service. Outside, the resort has everything you’d expect and then some, including several high-end restaurants and bars, a spa with glass-walled treatment rooms and a floating yoga pavilion, and an impressive main pool with dazzling sunset views.