Twenty or thirty years ago the resorts in the Maldives were unfailingly simple affairs of a few dozen basic bungalows scattered around a small tropical island full of sandy pathways, loads of coconut palms and not much else. Then the first of the now ubiquitous water villas on stilts over the sea appeared, and since then the Maldives has embarked on a headlong rush towards luxury with new resorts appearing almost monthly – each more stylish, contemporary and luxurious than the next (and unfortunately increasingly more expensive too)

The Coco Palm Bodu Hithi proudly takes its place amongst the elite of the most stylish resorts in the Maldives – yet by the standards of some of its frankly ludicrously priced competitors it still constitutes reasonable value for money. Make no mistake though – if you’re looking for a dream holiday or honeymoon characterized by superb personal service, space and privacy in surroundings that would like right at home in the pages of the most glossy décor magazines then the Coco Palm is definitely worth a look!

This is the type of place where you could happily spend a week or 10 days ensconced in the luxurious embrace of your villa, emerging for meals and perhaps the odd Spa treatment or diving excursion. And whichever of the 4 villa types you choose to stay in you’re not likely to be disappointed – even the lowest room type, the Beach Villas, are hugely spacious (188 sqm!) and are equipped with private plunge pools, standalone baths overlooking the lagoon, as well as indoor and outdoor showers – not to mention huge king size beds and sumptuous luxury wood finishes. In fact in many ways these Beach Villas are the best value of the whole lot as they boast most of the style of the various water villa types but a lot more space to stretch out in (and of course, a smaller price tag)"if you’re looking for a dream holiday or honeymoon characterized by superb personal service, space and privacy in surroundings that would like right at home in the pages of the most glossy décor magazines"

But it almost goes without saying that most visitors to the Maldives usually aspire to stay in the more glamorous water villas and here the Coco Palm doesn’t disappoint either – in fact there are 3 different types to choose from starting with the plain Water Villas (109 sqm but still boasting their own plunge pools on their private split level sun terraces) then going on to the bigger Escape Water Villas (144 sqm) and culminating in the ultra luxurious and exclusive Escape Water Residences which enjoy their own restricted access section of the island complete with a restaurant called Stars for the exclusive use of Residence guests – they also feature butler service and even an extensive pillow menu for fussy sleepers!

Venturing out of your room you’ll no doubt be delighted by the rest of the island too. Guests staying on Half and Full Board basis will enjoy the bulk of their meals at Air restaurant where the food gets consistent rave reviews – there are also a couple of other extra cost restaurant options including Aqua, specializing in seafood and located spectacularly over the water. Perhaps our favourite though is something a lot more casual altogether – Breeze, where you can dine on the beach under the stars with your toes in the sand enjoying delicious seafood barbeques.

The full range of usual Maldives water sports and excursions are offer – diving, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing etc - although it’s probably true to say that most guests coming here will be more focused on the splendors of the resort itself rather than the riches of the coral reefs offshore. Something that shouldn’t be missed is the chance to be dropped off on a pristine sandbank with a picnic basket full of goodies for the two of you to enjoy in glorious isolation. Then there’s the Coco Spa where a team of talented therapists wait to pamper you with a range of exquisite treatments. But perhaps our favourite unique Coco Palm experience of all and which sums up the essence of this resort is the Coco Cinema – after dinner you take a stroll along the beach where you watch a classic movie under the stars whilst sipping champagne and snacking on delicious canapés!

Cutting-edge contemporary style and luxury make the Coco Palm perfect for style connoisseurs - definitely has the WOW factor!

We love that every villa - even the cheapest room type - boasts a private plunge pool

Fantastic and friendly personal service - nothing is too much of a problem for the staff

A host of stylish wining and dining options for you to choose from - and the food quality is consistently excellent too as you would expect

More reasonably priced than many of its top-end resort rivals

Lovely beaches and house reef - although the focus for many guests here is definitely above the water rather than below

Can you afford it? If you can then there's not really much to fault here

Dining is more formal than many other resorts with men expected to wear trousers to supper

As with all top end Maldives resorts drinks prices are expensive. Then again if you can afford to stay here...