LUX South Ari Atoll
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US$597
Free cancellation until 21/10/23
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US$1 515
US$300
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Free cancellation until 21/09/27
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* Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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Pool & Beach (1758)
Room & Suite (1117)
Travel safe during COVID-19
Visit our Travel Safe hub to see how we're helping you make more informed travel decisions during COVID-19.
What you can expect during your stay
- All linens sanitised in high-temperature wash
- Face masks required for staff in public areas
- Hand sanitiser available to guests & staff
- Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
- Staff required to regularly wash hands
- Regular temperature checks for staff
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Updated 20/10/07 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
A note from LUX South Ari Atoll
Updated 20/10/07 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
About
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Travellers' Choice
Dreamy atolls of tropical islands scattered across the Indian Ocean, the Maldives are a kaleidoscope of colours and earthly pleasures. Get away from it all at LUX* South Ari Atoll (formerly LUX* Maldives), the only settlement on the postcard-perfect island of Dhidhoofinolhu. Fuss free and laid-back, the resort surprises with pop-up cinema screenings right on the beach, impromptu musical performances and strolls along secret pathways through the lush tropical gardens. Just steps from the thatch-roofed suites and ocean-perched villas, the island's unspoilt beaches are yours to claim. A prime spot for snorkelling and whale-shark spotting, the resort's unblemished lagoon is a diver's dreamworld. Back on land, island street food and fine dining await in the tempting restaurants and bars. In the shade of coconut palms, lounge by the two turquoise pools, luxuriate in the ocean-view spa and surrender to the charms of this castaway idyll.
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Property amenities
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Fitness Centre with Gym / Workout Room
Bar / lounge
Beach
Bicycle rental
Babysitting
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Infinity pool
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Private pool
Fitness / spa changing rooms
Fitness classes
Sauna
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Complimentary instant cofffee
Complimentary tea
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Poolside bar
Canoeing
Diving
Snorkelling
Tennis court
Aerobics
Entertainment staff
Evening entertainment
Table tennis
Nightclub / DJ
Kids club
Airport transportation
Spa
Couples massage
Facial treatments
Foot massage
Full body massage
Head massage
Massage
Salon
24-hour security
Concierge
Currency exchange
Gift shop
Shops
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
Butler service
Private check-in / check-out
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Blackout curtains
Bathrobes
Air conditioning
Private beach
Housekeeping
Minibar
Flatscreen TV
Extra long beds
Private balcony
Room service
Safe
VIP room facilities
Laptop safe
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Room types
Ocean view
Suites
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Great View
Languages Spoken
French, Arabic, Chinese, Filipino and 2 more
4917Reviews716Q+A100Room tips
Reviews
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Popular mentions
+1
Ok- brace yourselves. This review is going to be long and detailed! There is SO much to be said! I highly recommend this resort! My boyfriend and I booked the Maldives trip (with slight reluctance due to it being monsoon season) but we are SO glad we did, and especially happy we chose this resort! The weather although very windy was beautiful and it only rained twice for no longer than 10 minutes in our stay before clearing up to a sunny day. The beaches here are clean, the sand is soft and the water is crystal clear and brimming with life! Especially with sharks! I never thought I would be excited about that but it was truly an experience I never thought I would have! All the staff are incredibly kind and helpful. The rooms are magnificent! We initially booked in an overwater villa for our entire stay which was absolute perfection. Unfortunately it was on the windy side of the island and only due to that reason did we decide to pay extra to move to the pool overwater villa on the other side of the island after only one day in our first villa. The pool villa was stunning and we really enjoyed spending time lying in the nest on the deck. All the furniture in and outside the villa is SO comfortable! Real luxury. The pool villas were much more secluded from the wind and we were able to spend more time enjoying our villa to the full. In our opinion though, we both actually preferred the initial water villa as it has an overwater netting that you can lie on, and the first night we stayed there, albeit windy, it was very romantic and we saw sharks swimming underneath the netting we lay on. It also has a bath looking over the ocean which I adored! I was sad I couldn’t enjoy this during my stay as the pool villas don’t have baths. When we book again, I will definately choose the overwater villa (if it’s the correct season) and next time I’m very keen to try the beach villa too! Honestly I’m a bit sad we didn’t book it because they truly look divine! I would recommend splitting your stay to try two different types of villa. The products supplied (soap, shampoo etc) are wonderful. All natural and free from parabens/SLS and smell gorgeous. The only amenity in the room I was not really happy with was the hairdryer. It’s poor quality and takes very long to dry hair. If you are used to powerful hairdryers, rather bring yours along. The restaurants here were wonderful. There are so many options to choose from! I am vegan and was worried it would be an issue. When I discovered this place on Instagram and saw they had vegan food I was so excited! And let me tell you, they truly cater for all dietary requirements! They have two buffet restaurants (East Market and MIXE). These are open for breakfast and dinner. East Market was our favourite! The view is gorgeous, especially in the morning when you can watch the fish whilst sipping your coffee. At night we were lucky and spotted sharks whilst enjoying our meals. Be sure to pick tables outside by the water to witness this. You can reserve tables. There are two la carte restaurants for lunch and dinner which are the indian restaurant (Senses) and Beach Rouge. Veli Bar and Lagoon Bar are open for lunch. I highly recommend trying the Beyond Burger, the Buddha Bowl from Lagoon and the falafels from Veli. Oh and the Pina Coladas - don’t miss out on those! Then there is an Italian restaurant Allegria and Japanese restaurant Umami that are open for dinner (these are not included in the all inclusive. You do get 30% off. We did not try them though as we were happy with our selection of places to eat). Not all the restaurants are open everyday. The resort closes a couple, at least during the season we went in, but this is communicated to you and you still have options. I highly recommend going all inclusive if you are planning on drinking and are someone that likes to eat throughout the day like my boyfriend and I. Items on the menu are expensive as everything is imported. Also, last but not least there is an ice cream shop!!! And it has an array of amazing flavours! I was over the moon to see all the vegan options! Make sure to try the coconut lollies and chocolate sorbetti, topped with sugar coated pistachios! The first day I went in, a gentleman called Rasheed helped me and he is such a nice man. He remembered my name and always greeted my boyfriend and I throughout our stay. He works in Beach Rouge as a waiter too and on one of the nights that there was a party, my boyfriend accidentally dropped his drink and within seconds Rasheed had called a cleaner and brought my boyfriend a new drink (remembering exactly what he drank)! He also organised an a la carte menu item for me when beach rouge was having a fish buffet and they did not have an option for me. In order to allow my boyfriend and I to enjoy the beach party, he took the order and brought my meal to me at the buffet. What a gentleman! Another huge thank you goes to chef Pong at East Market. Pong made us a special dinner for my boyfriends birthday even though it was buffet restaurant. He made us a 3 course menu and everything was cooked to perfection! Pong and the staff sang Happy Birthday to my boyfriend and the joy in Pongs face was just priceless. It truly came from the heart and you can see he loves and is proud of his job. Pong surprised me with oat and coconut milk yoghurts for our stay since there was not this option at the breakfast buffet. What more can I say - he is a gem to your company! Enver (I saw him at multiple restaurants) was such a lovely chef. Always had a big welcoming smile on his face. He also made me food wholeheartedly if an option for me wasn’t on the menu and made me feel like nothing was too much trouble! He made me delicious pancakes for breakfast and an array of tapas at beach rouge. Subbhinhi, the chef at Senses also accomdated my requests and came out personally from the kitchen to offer recommendations. The island is big and therefore they offer a free buggy service to get around. This comes often. All the drivers are truly special! Always so happy and bubbly. Mofiso was very kind to us. We rented bicycles for 5usd a day. This was fun although the bike brakes are not in good condition which did make me quite anxious if I had to stop suddenly. I do think some maintenance is necessary. We went for snorkelling in the house reef a few times which we loved. We did get sea sick the first day and I highly recommend bringing motion sick tablets as we forgot to. In saying this I would like to thank the Dr and nurse on the island. When we arrived my boyfriend had sprained his ankle. He was given medication immediately. When we got sea sick we were given motion sick tablets. And at 1am when I woke up feeling absolutely TERRIBLE and I thought I would need to be whisked to hospital, my boyfriend called the Dr and he sent me medication to help me. And all of this, for absolutely no charge! I was truly surprised and EXTREMELY grateful! Back to the snorkelling trips, I highly recommend paying for the whale shark and turtle excursion on the speedboat. It’s much nicer than the boat that goes to the house reef and we were lucky enough to see both whale shark and turtle! We also saw three manta rays. Truly incredible experience! Abdul was great and often grabbed my hand to show me things, one of them being the whale shark! He is also great with the go pro and got footage of my boyfriend and I swimming with the fish. I truly felt SO happy with the level of service we received on this trip. You will be assigned a manager who messages you daily to let you know the itinerary for the next day. You can also ask them any questions and book whatever excursion/ dinner you would like to do. It’s like having your own concierge. I really liked the idea and convenience of this. Our manager was Vivian. My only complaint or disappointment was that often during our stay I made comment to Vivian that we chose to come to Maldives and Lux specifically to celebrate my boyfriends birthday on the 2nd. Unfortunately I felt like I constantly had to remind her as I wanted all the special things for him that are offered by Lux but she never spoke of them to me. For instance they offer a free cake, free bath ceremony (although not in the pool villas - which we had moved to :( as there is no bath). I sent her a private message to ask what was planned and she ignored that message. She only responded to the part where I asked what special dinner options were available that were chargeable with a romantic setup. Instead of cake (he isn’t a fan of it) I asked if Gavin could get one free coconut (as these are not included in the All inclusive and he loves them) She said she would check and get back to me. She never did. She never wished Gavin Happy Birthday which I found disappointing since she was our point of contact for our trip. On his birthday the coconut did not arrive as I thought it would. I would have liked to have been told so I could have at least arranged it for him myself. She did arrange a bed decoration after I asked her for it. And after asking what happened to the coconut request, she sent it two days later and then said it was because a do not disturb sign was on our door. But this was not true. We NEVER used it at night which both times that the staff supposedly attempted to bring it was at night. All in all, I think she was fine. She was not bad or rude. She did her job professionally but I certainly don’t think she went the extra mile like all the rest of the staff in our stay. I just felt she did what she had to do and nothing more. I would have appreciated a more personal and considerate touch with her. Last tips I can offer is go play pool by Senses Beach Bar and enjoy cinema paradiso. Definately do games night and take part in the message in a bottle which happens daily to win cool prizes! Check out the disco bathroom where you can take photos in a booth! The quality is pretty bad though unfortunately- I do recommend the backgrounds and green screen or quality is increased as otherwise I think a lot of the photos will be thrown away which is a waste. I think it’s a great idea and I think it should be improved on to really up the experience! Also definately book your free photo shoot. We got a lovely picture together which I will forever cherish. The photographer got very nice photos of us in our shoot but more than 1 photo is chargeable and for us the prices were very expensive. We were grateful to take away our one beautiful photo, for free, to remember our stay! Things which we didn’t do and wish we had - Tree of wishes Coffee Roasting Class Yoga From start to finish this holiday was wonderful. We were taken care of from start to finish, from our arrival in Maldives up until our departure at the airport to go home. I was so impressed to even have the head manager of the resort at the dock of our seaplane to say farewell and check we enjoyed our stay. If anyone has made it this far in my review, I hope this helps you! I know it was long, but there was just so much I could go on about this resort! Definately book! We LOVED our time there, and truly can’t wait to return someday. It was a dream come true! Thank you LUX!…
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: If going in monsoon season, stay in a pool villa or a beach villa on the non windy side. Read my...
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Helpful
My husband and I came to Lux Ari Atoll for a quick getaway. It was beyond amazing. Every tiny detail is well thought. The service was truly 5 star. I would like to extend a special thanks to Rachel who was in charge of checking us in and taking care of us during our stay. She was super attentive and sure our every need was met. She really is a star in hospitality. We will definitely be returning here, actually we are considering making this resort a regular destination every year, as we believe it’s hard to find a match. I highly recommend this resort to everyone, you will not be disappointed!
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Helpful
Response from Executive Office LUX South Ari Atoll, Other at LUX South Ari Atoll
Responded 4 days ago
Dear Hadeel, I am glad to hear that Rachael has been looking after you well, and because of her great effort, you are considering to visit us every year ! Thank you for sharing the review and giving your recommendations to other travelers who are planning to come to the Maldives. I would like to thank you once again for choosing our island to celebrate the holiday and look forward to hearing from you soon sharing your next LUX* holiday plan with us. With the best regards, Patrice Aira General Manager
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I cannot say enough wonderful things about this resort. It is absolutely stunning, the food is fantastic, and the staff are friendly and accommodating. Ale our concierge, Ahusan from housekeeping, and Evi from the spa were especially amazing. The whale shark excursion and parasailing is a must- we will cherish that memory forever. The grounds and suites are so well maintained. It is truly paradise. The resort also has several fun features (like finding the glass bottles and the wishing tree) that make the stay even more special. I cannot recommend this place enough!
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Helpful
Response from Executive Office LUX South Ari Atoll, Other at LUX South Ari Atoll
Responded 5 days ago
Dear Carrie, Thank you very much for choosing our island to celebrate your honeymoon, and your recommendations to other travelers is very much appreciated. It is truly reassuring to know you have enjoyed every moment on the island, and Alessandra, Ahusan and Evi have made this trip even more special ! Hope you enjoy the beautiful weather today until the seaplane departure in the afternoon. The team and I would like to wish you a pleasant journey back and look forward to welcoming you to the island again for many more celebrations and holidays in the coming future. Best regards and wishes, Patrice Aira General Manager
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+1
Diving with Euro divers 5 Star at lux Ari atoll south. Excellent dive center with diver master of great experience and very professional. Dive sites are amazing with whale sharks, mantas, shark dives and very nice thilas. We were diving there for two weeks.
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Date of stay: May 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
Helpful
Response from Executive Office LUX South Ari Atoll, Other at LUX South Ari Atoll
Responded 5 days ago
Dear Claude, It is lovely to hear from you again. I am sure you and your family had a smooth and pleasant trip back to Europe. Great to know that you have enjoyed two weeks of dives with our professional diving team, and I hope I would have the opportunity to join one of the trips with your family when you return in the coming future. Thank you once again for the review. Please keep in touch and let our team know if there is anything we could assist later. The team and I look forward to seeing you on the island again soon. Best regards, Patrice Aira General Manager
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+1
This resort has been the perfect haven for my vacation. The beaches are clean. The restaurants are delicious and varied, Japanese, Indian, Italian, which is the best for me, and Asian. We had booked for the romantic villa which includes a swimming pool. The villa has an amazing view. There are some defects in our villa, as the TV was not working well, the shower was broken, the umbrella was also broken, and only the umbrella was repaired. The resort staff is very welcoming and helpful. The spa was good. There are several marine and beach activities. We were lucky and won the resort competition, which is to find the message in the bottle once. I enjoyed and loved the stay.
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Date of stay: April 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip: Sunblock needed , snacks
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Helpful
Response from Executive Office LUX South Ari Atoll, Other at LUX South Ari Atoll
Responded 1 week ago
Dear Mezen, Thank you for sharing the review on-line. It is lovely to hear from you again ! We are glad to hear that you have enjoyed the holiday overall and have certainly noted the feedback and experience in the villa. The areas where you have highlighted have been looked into right away after your departure and the regular maintenance plan has been adjusted to make sure the service is in place so the guest's experience would be not effect. Once again, thank you for choosing LUX* South Ari Atoll to celebrate the tropical holiday in the Maldives. Should there be anything our team could assist in the coming future, please do not hesitate to contact us. Looking forward to welcoming you back. Best regards, Patrice Aira General Manager
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PRICE RANGE
US$314 - US$949 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
lux* maldives hotel south ari atoll, diva maldives hotel, diva maldives south ari atoll
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Diva Maldives
LOCATION
MaldivesAlifu AtollSouthern Ari AtollDhidhoofinolhu Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
193
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about LUX South Ari Atoll
What are some of the property amenities at LUX South Ari Atoll?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at LUX South Ari Atoll?
Top room amenities include a minibar, air conditioning, and a flat screen TV.
What food & drink options are available at LUX South Ari Atoll?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and a poolside bar during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to LUX South Ari Atoll?
Conveniently located restaurants include Hermit's, Green Park Cafe, and Absolute Thai.
Are there opportunities to exercise at LUX South Ari Atoll?
Yes, guests have access to a pool, a fitness centre, and a sauna during their stay.
Does LUX South Ari Atoll have an airport shuttle?
Yes, LUX South Ari Atoll offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are any cleaning services offered at LUX South Ari Atoll?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at LUX South Ari Atoll?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and Filipino.
Does LUX South Ari Atoll have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.
Is LUX South Ari Atoll accessible?
Yes, it offers facilities for disabled guests. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.