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Best private-island luxury hotels

These are whole-island resorts and properties so remote that getting there is part of the trip. The seclusion has to buy something: privacy you can feel, water and reef worth the boat ride, and service that holds up when there's nowhere else to go for dinner.

The top five of 13

  1. 1 Soneva Fushi Legend · 18/20
  2. 2 Nihi Sumba Legend · 18/20
  3. 3 Park Hyatt Maldives Legend · 18/20
  4. 4 Cheval Blanc Randheli Favorite · 17.5/20
  5. 5 One&Only Reethi Rah Favorite · 17.5/20
  1. Soneva Fushi — Baa Atoll, Maldives Fat Legend, 18 out of 20. Baa Atoll, Maldives 1 Soneva Fushi A barefoot-luxury island resort on Kunfunadhoo Island in the Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives.
  2. Nihi Sumba — Sumba, Indonesia Fat Legend, 18 out of 20. Sumba, Indonesia 2 Nihi Sumba A villa resort on a private stretch of coastline on Sumba island, Indonesia, built around a noted surf break.
  3. Park Hyatt Maldives — Hadahaa, Maldives Fat Legend, 18 out of 20. Hadahaa, Maldives 3 Park Hyatt Maldives A small-island Maldives resort reached by boat transfer, built around a 360-degree house reef and roughly 50 villas.
  4. Cheval Blanc Randheli — Noonu Atoll, Maldives Fat Favorite, 17.5 out of 20. Noonu Atoll, Maldives 4 Cheval Blanc Randheli An LVMH-owned, Jean-Michel Gathy-designed resort of 47 villas on its own islands in the Maldives’ Noonu Atoll.
  5. One&Only Reethi Rah — North Malé Atoll, Maldives Fat Favorite, 17.5 out of 20. North Malé Atoll, Maldives 5 One&Only Reethi Rah A One&Only resort on a 109-acre private island in the North Malé Atoll, Maldives, with a dozen beaches, beach and overwater villas, and a dive centre.
  6. Amilla Maldives — Baa Atoll, Maldives Fat Favorite, 17 out of 20. Baa Atoll, Maldives 6 Amilla Maldives A large private-island resort in Baa Atoll, Maldives, with overwater and inland villas and a surrounding house reef.
  7. Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru — Baa Atoll, Maldives Fat Favorite, 17 out of 20. Baa Atoll, Maldives 7 Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru A 103-villa Four Seasons on a private island inside Baa Atoll’s UNESCO Marine Biosphere Reserve, reached by seaplane.
  8. Eden Rock St Barths — St Barthélemy, France Fat Favorite, 17 out of 20. St Barthélemy, France 8 Eden Rock St Barths A beachfront Oetker Collection hotel built into a rock outcrop over Saint-Jean Bay in St Barthélemy.
  9. Six Senses Krabey Island — Krabey Island, Cambodia Fat Favorite, 16.5 out of 20. Krabey Island, Cambodia 9 Six Senses Krabey Island A private, hilly jungle island resort off Cambodia’s coast, reached by air and boat transfer, with pool villas and an on-site spa.
  10. Soneva Jani — Noonu Atoll, Maldives Fat Favorite, 16 out of 20. Noonu Atoll, Maldives 10 Soneva Jani A large overwater and beach villa resort on the edge of Noonu Atoll, Maldives.
  11. Six Senses Fiji — Malolo Island, Fiji Fat Approved, 15 out of 20. Malolo Island, Fiji 11 Six Senses Fiji A secluded beachfront resort on Fiji’s Malolo Island, reachable by boat or helicopter from Nadi.
  12. Four Seasons Bora Bora — Bora Bora, French Polynesia Fat Approved, 15 out of 20. Bora Bora, French Polynesia 12 Four Seasons Bora Bora Overwater bungalows framed by Mount Otemanu, where the Pacific meets unparalleled luxury.
  13. Amanyara — Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Fat Approved, 14.5 out of 20. Providenciales, Turks & Caicos 13 Amanyara An Aman resort on an 18,000-acre nature reserve in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, with villas set along the beach and a private waterway.

What fat travellers ask about private-island hotels

What makes a great private-island hotel?

The isolation has to earn its keep. The best ones pair genuine privacy with a setting worth the journey: clear water, real reef or beach, room to disappear, and back it with service that stays sharp when guests can’t simply leave.

Is a remote island worth the long transfer?

It depends on what’s waiting at the end. A seaplane or boat leg is worth it when the property and its surroundings justify the effort and the price; it’s a tax when they don’t.

How many private-island hotels does Fat Voyage cover?

Right now, 13 hotels in the collection carry the private-island tag, led by Soneva Fushi with a Fat Score of 18/20.