Amilla – Maldives

The Amilla villa estate

Super-savvy travellers, privacy seekers and celebrities alike have been quick to discover the Amilla Villa Estate – perhaps the Maldives’ most sought-after six-bedroom home. This glorious beachfront pad promises an ultra-luxury away-from-it-all island vacation with a breezy laid-back vibe for parties of up to 14 people.
Sleek and contemporary in design, it offers acres of space both inside and out. Nearly all the rooms open onto (or overlook) the huge 20-metre pool that sits on the very edge of the beach, paces away form Amilla Fushi’s turquoise lagoon waters and coral reef. Relax in the elegant light-filled living rooms – all exquisitely decorated in cool calming neutrals with must-have designer furniture and mesmerising sea views. Linger over a massage in the spa room, work out in the gym or sneak a siesta in a hammock on the palm-fringed beach. Sip sunset cocktails on the rooftop terrace then enjoy a gourmet seafood barbecue under a galaxy of stars. At no point will the kids be bored, with PlayStation 4 in the games room, an iMac in the study, a cinema room, volley ball, pool table and table tennis. Plus there’s babysitting service at small extra cost (and staff quarters for those bringing a nanny or security staff).

You’ll feel very much at home here – Amilla Fushi means ‘my island home’ in the local Dhivehi language – and when your kitchen is stocked with all your favourite treats, and delicious meals can be delivered to your door at an extra charge, you might be tempted to stay put. But parked outside is your own beach buggy and a fleet of bikes to explore the island’s astonishing facilities: world-class restaurants; myriad diving, water and land-based activities; kids club; beach club; and a world-class spa, gym and well-being centre.

Villa Layout

The Amilla Villa Estate’s six bedrooms and numerous living spaces luxuriate across a two-storey U-shaped building framing a 20-metre pool and oriented towards the panoramic beach and ocean views. To the left of the entrance lobby is a lounge, guest washroom, study/library, and guest bedroom with garden access. To the right is the guest kitchen (with service kitchen and guest staff quarters behind) leading to the dining room, alfresco dining lounge and bar, cinema and games room. On the floor above are five ensuite bedrooms. A separate wing houses the gym, spa room and steam/sauna, above which is a rooftop sun deck/cocktail lounge.

Bedrooms

Elegant custom-designed furniture, extensive wardrobe space, and a calming colour scheme are features of the six air-conditioned bedrooms – all large and light-filled, with ultra-comfy beds dressed with top-quality bedlinen and super-sized pillows relaxing on polished teakwood floors. The hi-tech features here will have everyone reaching for the remote: Bose sound system, 42-inch or 50-inch TVs with satellite channels and Marantz DVD player, pre-loaded iPad (in some rooms) and code-protected computer safety box.

Master suite

Take a ringside seat for the spectacular sea views on offer from every corner of the master suite. The beach spreads beyond the wall of glass at the foot of the super-king bed, and the adjacent balcony looks over both pool and pearly sand. Access is through a light-filled study and dressing room with extensive wardrobes. Within the roomy ensuite bathroom is a steam/sauna, rain shower, twin basins and a sea-view bathtub.

Guest suites – upper level

All four upper level guest suites are surprisingly spacious, open onto private balconies, and enjoy sea vistas. Sink back onto the divinely comfortable bed for a siesta, soak in the stately tub, or dive into a comfy chair on the private balcony for a riveting read or sea-breeze snooze.

Guest suite – garden level

The only bedroom on the ground level has the advantage of its own separate entrance across the courtyard garden, as well as a private deck tucked away out of sight. So it’s perfect for independent-minded teens or older relatives who are happy to avoid the stairs.

Living Areas

Indoor living

A feature of the Amilla Villa Estate is the prodigious number of sea-vista living zones – from air-conditioned entertainment areas that can host a full house to cosy away-from-the-crowd corners. All garden level living areas open onto the pool deck; the sliding glass doors can be left open for fan-assisted tropical living, or closed for air-conditioned comfort.

With three walls of glass opening onto the pool deck, the living lounge is flooded with natural light. A creamy colour palette, sheer curtains, elegant sofas and designer leather chairs create a calming oasis at the very heart of the villa. Those wanting less peace and quiet can fill the space with music courtesy the multi-zone Marantz sound system, or settle into a movie on the 60-inch TV with satellite channels and DVD player.

In the dining room, ten upholstered chairs gather around a teakwood table opposite a well-stocked service bar – the perfect spot for a formal dinner in air-conditioned comfort. For casual snacking there’s a breakfast counter within the large semi-open-plan kitchen – exceptionally well equipped with countless culinary gadgets including wine fridge and Nespresso coffee maker.

Teens and kids may well gravitate to the cinema and games rooms, conveniently sited a hop and skip from the pool. PlayStation 4 and diverse board games will keep them occupied, and there’s no need to argue over the choice of movie as there’s a large screen TV and DVD player in both.

Four walls of white plantation shutters filter the bright tropical light into the library/study; with its iMac and printer, plus a small selection of books, this restful space will appeal to kids of all ages. Arguably more relaxing is the spa room with twin massage tables, separate sauna/steam room, and beach-edge air-conditioned gym with Life fitness equipment including state-of-the-art running machine, G7 workout machine, weights and bench.

Outdoor living

The focus of the Amilla Villa Estate is the huge 20 x 8-metre lagoon-style pool, set in a teakwood deck that spans the full width of the villa. Here, loungers are sunk into a shallow section for the ultimate chilled sunbathing experience. Eight more sun loungers lie on the beach of powdery white sand in front of the pool, and hammocks sway among the palms. To one side is the sea-breeze-cooled outdoor dining lounge and bar – designed for supine siestas sprawled on the modular sofa, and elegant dinners in the glow of candlelight.

On the other side of the garden, a jacuzzi set into the beachfront deck promises warm bubbly dips under a canopy of stars, perhaps after a rooftop sundowner cocooned in a loveseat on the sunset deck/cocktail lounge.

For private alfresco living, the six bedrooms offer quiet areas of relaxation on sea-view balconies and decks.

Staff

It’s through the island staff that you experience the true Maldivian soul. Amilla-style service is exceptional – laidback, unpretentious, unstuffy; very much from-the-heart. Guests at Amilla Beach Residences enjoy the attentions of a personal butler, Amilla-style – a highly experienced katheeb (house master). There to greet you at the jetty on your arrival, your accomplished katheeb is passionate about exceeding your every expectation during your stay on the island. He makes sure everything runs smoothly, staunchly protects your privacy, ensures housekeeping staff are unobtrusive to the point of invisibility, and makes everything happen as if by magic – excursions and spa sessions booked, prime restaurant spots reserved. Mindreading is second nature to him; he has a razor-sharp eye for detail and will know what you want before you do!

Your residence is your island home-from-home, so your katheeb won’t come in unannounced, and you’ll be given a phone so you can reach him whenever you need to. But you’ll be embraced by the unique Amilla spirit throughout this tropical paradise; rewarded with beaming smiles and a heartfelt by-name welcome by everyone you meet.

Quick Facts

Location

Amilla Fushi, Baa Atoll, North Islands, Maldives.

Capacity

12 people (6 ensuite bedrooms: 4 with super-king beds and 2 with twin beds). Can accommodate up to 2 additional guests on extra beds (extra charge) + 2 baby cots.

Living areas

Air-conditioned living lounge; air-conditioned dining area with table for 10 and service bar; cinema and games rooms; library/study; outdoor dining lounge; rooftop sun deck/cocktail lounge; seating areas on bedroom balconies and verandas; extensive pool decks.

Pool

20 x 8 metre lagoon-style beach-edge swimming pool.

Staff

Residence manager overseeing all villa residences; house master (katheeb) and assistant house master who can prepare snacks and light meals; housekeeping; maintenance; island security. Chef is on request at an additional charge for special dining requests.

Dining

Providore: an extensive grocery list, ranging from standard provisional items to gourmet delicatessens, from which guests pre-select food items which are stocked at the villa to cater for guest breakfasts and light lunches are available on extra charge.

Wine Shop & Cellar Door: extensive wine list charcuterie and cheese.
Communication

Mobile phone, in-room phones; WiFi; computer and printer.

Entertainment

iPods (living room and master bedroom); TVs and DVD players (living lounge, cinema and games rooms and all bedrooms); selection of books and DVDs; Table tennis table; PlayStation 4 (plus games); board games.

Providore

It stands to reason that you would like the kitchen at your Amilla Beach Villa Residence to be provisioned according to your tastes and preferences, exactly as you would at home. This is an expectation we’re happy to fulfill with Harrods-style efficiency and Fortnum flair. Order your favourites from an extensive grocery list– Providore. Items on the Providore list as well as premium meats, seafood and cheeses can be ordered from the Providore Gourmet list and charged to your account.

Island Life

Island transport

A personalised ‘Rolls’ beach buggy and a fleet of bicycles are provided at every villa, but if a gentle, sand-between-the-toes, walk is your preferred mode of transport, most island amenities are just a short stroll away.

Marine activities

Scuba diving; PADI dive training; dolphin-watching; snorkelling with mantas; turtle safari; big game fishing; jet skiing; water skiing; wakeboarding; parasailing; catamaran sailing; windsurfing; skibob wave-runner; speedboat and dhoni hire (all on guest account).

Land activities

Glamping; Football; badminton; volleyball; table tennis; Frisbee; Pétanque; giant chess; arcade games; book library; board games; artist studio (classes on guest account) and use of 2 tennis courts. Guests may book a session with a Tennis Pro managed by Lux Tennis for an extra charge.

Wellness

World-class spa with private therapy pods; hair salon and barbers; beauty bar; ocean-front sauna and steam rooms with dipping pool; over-water yoga pavilion; Pilates; weekly workshops; well-equipped ocean-front gym; fitness trainer; wellness retreats and detox programmes.

Families

Sultan’s Village Kids Club with day-long activities, an air-conditioned supervised clubhouse full of toys and games, fenced garden with paddling pool and playground; babysitting service is available (extra charge applies).

Additional facilities

Barbecue; complimentary laundry service.