Summer Island Maldives

Opened in 1993, Summer Island Village underwent a massive renovation, reopening in March 2015 with a stylish makeover, added features, and a (sort of) brand-new name -- Summer Island Maldives. The upgrades brought things like contemporary style to the rooms and villas (including beautiful black limestone from India), a row of slightly dim Garden Rooms (that are a bargain), an expanded deck off the main bar, a new infinity pool, and small details such as aromatherapy scents and fresh flowers in the public bathrooms. Actually, If you choose to take a speedboat from Male, the details start during the ride when free bottles of water and cool towels are handed out to guests. 

Even before the renovations, Summer Island attracted return guests. Many guests and staff know each other, stopping to have quick conversations that go beyond polite pleasantries. This gives the island a very welcoming and warm vibe that is only compounded by the fact that everyone seems to be in high spirits. In this sense, the island and its guests are usually very sociable, so if you like making new friends, this place is ideal -- but if you'd rather be completely left alone, you might want to consider a boutique property on a larger set of land. That's not to say there is no privacy at Summer Island -- just that guests here appear more open to interacting than those other islands. 

Located close to Male on North Male Atoll's Ziyaaraifushi island, Summer Island is a quick 15-minute seaplane jaunt from Male airport or a 45-minute speedboat ride on the open turquoise waters. The island's close proximity to Male allows guests to experience relaxing island vibes as well as grab easy excursions to the chaos and culture of the capital city. 

Summer Island Maldives has 156 rooms and villas across six categories, plus one suite. Light woods, tile, fabrics, and wall paint serve to create a larger sense of space as well as mimic the surrounding colors of the sea and beach. All rooms have contemporary, minimalistic wood furniture, coffee and tea facilities including kettles, flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, CELYON Summer Island bath products in glass pump containers, stocked minibars or mini-fridges, and sitting areas -- and all but Superior Vista rooms have outdoor bathrooms.

While you will be sacrificing a beach or ocean view choosing these, the Garden Rooms are also the smallest rooms but, they're big on bang-for-your-buck. They come with all the standard amenities -- like fully private outdoor bathrooms with (smaller) rain showerheads, faux-stone tiled floors, wicker patio furniture, air-conditioning, tons of outlets and lights (there's not much natural light), and blackout curtains that you can pull over the wooden blinds that hang over the glass windows and doors. While you can get beach views with the next bump up to Superior Bungalows, you won't get direct beach access until you hit the Superior Beach Rooms. In blocks of four, with Superior Beach rooms on the bottom and Superior Vista rooms on top, these rooms have just a little less space than the Premium Beach Villas. Another bonus to the Premium Beach Villas are the introduction of the Nespresso machine to the list of additional room amenities, as well as a designated changing area, whirlpool tub, and stocked minibar in each. Water Villas have all of this, but lack the outdoor bathrooms due to their overwater locations, though there is a glass peekaboo cutout in the floor on each for easy underwater views. 

The beach here, while covered in powder soft white sand and surrounded by a turquoise lagoon, is also home to vibrant green beach plants. In some areas, this drastically reduces the amount of sand along the beach, leaving sun lounges to rest on top of these patches of plants instead of sand. Also, unlike many Maldivian islands, Summer Island does not have a natural house reef. Instead, there's a manmade reef around the island that seems to work rather well bringing in fish. If you'd rather snorkel in a natural reef, the resort runs four daily trips to nearby reefs. 

When and where you'll be dining is set by the hotel, with most guests (those in non-villa rooms) grabbing their breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the large, open-air Samuga buffet restaurant. This casual beach and poolside spot has a large, central buffet featuring international items (though there are a lot of curries and Chinese dishes), live cooking stations, and a large dessert table. There's plenty of breezy, open seating available for tables of two and larger parties. Guests staying in the Water Villas and Premium Beach Villas have a much smaller and more enclosed place to dine. Located next to the AVI cocktail lounge, this buffet has one wall open to the ocean. The buffet selection here is smaller and features pretty much the same dishes as the Samuga restaurant, but if non-Water Villa and non-Premium Beach Villa guests want to dine here, they can -- for an extra fee. 

In high season, guests have an additional option when AVI turns into an a la carte restaurant -- for an extra cost.

Summer Island Maldives has two bars with distinctly different vibes, so -- between the snazzy overwater cocktail lounge and the relaxed beachside Nevi bar with table games and live entertainment --  guests shouldn't have trouble finding one to fit their fancy. Located near the Water Villas, AVI cocktail lounge is a an upscale overwater cocktail lounge with a casual vibe. Here you'll find teak wooden floors and furniture topped with bright aquamarine cushions, premium liquor (extra cost), and practically 360-degree sea views. There are also glass cutouts in the floors to peep the ocean action below. In high season, this is the spot that becomes the resort's only a la carte restaurant. If you prefer to be a beach or pool bum with a cocktail in hand (and a slightly more social vibe), head to the expanded Nevi bar over by the pool and Samuga restaurant. This place is massive, with indoor sand floor seating, a self-serve ice cream cooler, table games, outdoor deck seating lining the beachfront, and nightly activities like magic shows and live music. 

At Summer Island Maldives, you've got two choices: full-board or all-inclusive. Full-board is included in your room rate and includes your basic breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- at your designated restaurant, as well as soft drinks, mineral water, and the coffee and tea in your room. Upgrades to the all-inclusive package will get your drinks included plus some extras. This includes all well liquors, beers, house wine by the glass, the cocktail of the day, afternoon tea snacks, and a daily snorkeling excursion. Top shelf booze and wine by the bottle are extra no matter which plan you are on. 

With the 2015 makeover, Summer Island Maldives installed a slightly small but beautiful two-sided infinity pool hanging over the edge of the sea. This narrow pool is surrounded on two sides by beach and ocean views and on the other two sides, a wooden deck with loungers and a few colorful bean bag beds running down the long edge. Guests can pick up fresh folded pool towels at the entrance where they will also find a freshwater shower to use before entering the pool. From here it's an easy walk past the Nevi bar and Samuga restaurant to the convenience shops, selling everything from disposable underwater cameras and medicine to blow up rafts and souvenirs; the air-conditioned library room, with cushy seats and tons of books; and the state-of-the-art gym, complete with a separate yoga room. The 24-hour gym, though small, is filled with towels, water, and modern exercise machines, and has glass walls for everyone to witness you doing your fitness. Just behind the gym, you'll find a shaded volleyball court. 

Located by the lobby, the resort's PADI-certified dive school, with its colorful painted mural, is hard to miss. This outfit has night dives, snorkeling, manta ray watching, diving classes, and a dedicated team behind it. If you're looking to stay above the water, across the path is the watersports area stocked with canoes, banana boats, windsurfing boards, and a catamaran. 

Also added during the renovation was the new overwater location for the Firuma Spa. Part of the Serena Spa family, this large spa area has big and bright individual treatment rooms with hardwood floors, whirlpool tubs, ocean views, and high ceilings. There's also an open-air area that drops off directly over the water where you can get treatments. A free voucher for a super relaxing 10-minute neck, head, and shoulder massage is part of the resort's welcome packet, but it must be used within 24 hours of arrival. 

Unlike almost all resorts in the Maldives, Summer Island has drinkable tap water thanks to an on-site treatment facility that also mineralizes the water. Each guest receives two free (refillable) bottles in his or her room. 

The resort also has free resort-wide Wi-Fi.