Ultimate luxury is pretty much a given when you head anywhere in the Maldives, but The Ozen Collection’s Ozen Reserve Bolifushi takes that to another level.
Perched on its own tropical island in the South Malé Atoll, Ozen Reserve Bolifushi is your perfect holiday – with every fine detail taken care of. An all-inclusive retreat with curated experiences, pristine beaches and ultra fine dining all wrapped up in one beautiful, remote sanctuary.
Location and Getting There
The South Malé Atoll area of the Maldives is a popular choice because of its short transit time from the airport, while still offering pristine beaches, diverse marine life and excellent diving opportunities. While it’s home to around 30 luxury resorts, Bolifushi feels exclusive and remote.
We flew from London Heathrow with British Airways into Sri-Lanka’s Colombo airport which took around 10 and a half hours, and then took another short 90 minute flight into Velana International Airport in Malé.
Transfers are included with your holiday booking so the team from The Ozen Collection will be there to meet you at the airport, where you can relax in their fancy lounge before boarding the luxury catamaran. You’ll be whisked over to paradise in just 30 minutes – quicker than it’ll take you to drink you ice cold coconut water!
The Resort
Pulling into Ozen Reserve Bolifushi’s jetty is guaranteed to put a huge smile on your face. Lush palms swaying in the gentle breeze, the trademark white sand and bright turquoise water… And then the traditional Maldivian welcome as you step from the boat complete with ‘bodu beru’ drums and the blowing of conches. This wonderful greeting is made all the more special by a feet-bathing ritual in the lobby while you sip on a refreshing Kurumba welcome drink.
At check in you’ll be assigned your own private butler who you can connect with on What’s App and contact any time you need anything. The cute island buggies transport you along winding paths and incredible views to drop you at your luxurious villa.
With 90 villas on the island ranging from private beachfront villas and garden villas to overwater suites, there’s also the incredible Royal Reserve villa, but more about that later! While the buggy will take you everywhere you wish to go, we’d definitely recommending making use of the beautiful bikes with personalised names plates to explore the island at your leisure. You’ll find Ozar’s all day restaurant next to the huge main pool – the perfect spot for all day casual dining and drinks. There’s also a dive centre, the ELE|NA spa, several more restaurants including the fine dining spot ORIGINƎ and signature restaurants Saffron and Soyi, a kids club, shopping emporium, library, photo lounge, clinic and mosque.
The Villas
Modern, quiet luxury meets tropical warmth in Ozen Reserve Bolifushi’s beautiful villas. We stayed in an Earth Pool Sunset Villa which as the name suggests came with beach access and incredible sunsets as well as a private pool hidden amid lush greenery with an outdoor tub and covered cabana.
Designed with the bedroom at the front and the bathroom at the back of the villa allowed plenty of light to flood in, combining natural textures and plenty of windows for stunning ocean and garden views from every window.
We loved the enormous bathroom and combined dressing room as well as the shower – a complete walk in room with more space than you could ever need and two vanity areas and sinks – one for each of us.
An indoor table area, TV and fridge (fully stocked with wine, beer and soft drinks and replenished daily), four poster bed and separate desk area were all thoughtfully positioned to make our villa as comfortable and spacious as possible.
The Most Luxurious Villa on the Island – The Royal Reserve
The art of luxury living at Ozen Reserve Bolifushi really comes into its own with the Royal Reserve. I’ve stayed in several ultra-luxe resorts but never seen anything quite like this ‘estate’ hidden among the island’s villas.
Consistently winning top hotel villa awards, the Royal Reserve is spread over an impressive footprint, boasting its own private beach and jetty, lagoon access, an expansive pool, personalised chef and bar service, its own dining room overlooking the ocean and a 24-hour butler support as well as nanny quarters and the most luxurious furnishings.
This isn’t just accommodation, it’s literally an entire retreat for families, special occasions or anyone wanting maximum privacy and bespoke luxury. With panoramic Indian Ocean views and its own dedicated experiences, the Royal Reserve is quietly redefining what ‘exclusive’ means in the Maldives.
Restaurants
Dining at Bolifushi is an exceptional culinary journey rather than a ‘which one shall we dine at tonight?’ checklist. Thanks to the RESERVE™ Plan, most meals and premium drinks including Champagne, fine wines and top-shelf spirits are included.
There are several restaurants including all-day global and Mediterranean fare at Vista Del Mar, a la carte Indian classics at Saffron (where we challenge you to finish the decadent Thali experience!), fine dining at ORIGINƎ, Levantine and Middle Eastern cuisine at Sangu Beach with stunning views, and the Ozar Pool Bar on the lagoon.
Every single restaurant experience set the bar incredibly high but our most memorable evening was spent with The Ozen Collection’s Executive Sommelier Rohit Salunke. Showcasing his talents with a flawless sabrage on arrival, we were treated to the most incredible wine tasting experience at ORIGINƎ’s private dining room Cuvee – sat at an impressive yellow onyx marble table surrounded by thousands of bottles of wine. Here we tried earthy, spicy reds like D’ourea Cote du Rhones, the aromatic 2022 vintage Domaine D’Ouréa from Rhône, a 2018 vintage of Château Montaiguillon from the limestone-clay slopes of Montagne Saint-Émilion, and a dreamy Argentinian Decero 2012 with herbaceous and liquorice notes.
In October last year, Ozen Reserve Bolifushi received the prestigious MICHELIN key – an accolade which has only been awarded to 12 five star resorts in the country – testament to the incredibly high level of excellent cuisine.
Relaxation, Activity and Adventure
While Ozen Reserve Bolifushi is certainly peaceful and relaxing, it also has a playful side. Water sports, sunset cruises, fishing trips and open-air yoga sessions as well as snorkelling trips and swimming with turtles and rays are a wonderful way to while away the days in paradise. We spent an afternoon swimming with nurse sharks which was pretty incredible!
By contrast, ELE|NA Elements of Nature Spa is the ultimate relaxation treat – an exclusive wellness sanctuary where you can be preened or pampered, treated to mindful movement sessions, nourishing treatments, resets or simply a traditional massage to let your mind wander where it needs to go. Signature treatments include a detoxifying seaweed bath by Voya, flow facials from Philosophia Botanica, and energy healing to balance the body’s energies.
Anything Else?
What really elevates The Ozen Reserve Bolifushi is the way it merges laid-back island living with bespoke luxury. Staff are intuitive yet unobtrusive, experiences feel personalised rather than templated, and every sunset seems like a carefully curated event.
Whether it’s a romantic hideaway for two, a family adventure or a milestone celebration, this resort consistently delivers a luxury Maldives experience that feels rare, refined and utterly irresistible.
For families, the Kuda Koli Kids’ Club ensures younger guests have their own imaginative adventures, meaning adults can enjoy quiet spa moments, fine wine by the pool or grown-up sunset sails.
In fact, the only down side is that Ozen Reserve Bolifushi sets the bar so high, you risk the danger of never finding a holiday that lives up to this one. In that case, you best probably book another stay straight away! Check out the website and more information, here.