Kandooma Maldives drops the Holiday Inn name and finishes its refresh: family pool villas, a fuller all-inclusive and a pirate Christmas
In this article
The resort you may know as Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives has a new name. Since 1 October 2026 it has been Kandooma Maldives, an independent resort run by HPL Hotels & Resorts, the same group behind Gili Lankanfushi. The island and the 45-minute speedboat crossing from Velana International Airport stay the same. The renovation that ran through the second half of 2026 is now finished, the resort says.
What is new on the island
- Family Beach Pool Villas. Eight new beach villas with a private splash pool and a separate sleeping area for children.
- Bigger family options. The two-bedroom Beach Houses now have pools, and there are two new three-bedroom Pool Villas for larger and multi-generation groups.
- Refreshed villas. The existing villas have a new contemporary look.
- New places to eat and drink. Kandooma Café is now open 24 hours, and there is a new Kandooma Beach Club, the Scoops Gelateria and a Wine Room.
- Pickleball. A new court, open from 6am to 6pm, with paddles and balls to borrow from Reception. Each villa gets one hour of court time a day at no extra cost.
A fuller all-inclusive
Kandooma has moved to an all-inclusive built around experiences. On stays of four nights or more, the plan includes round-the-clock dining at the participating outlets plus, per person:
- one sunset cruise and one sunrise fishing trip per stay;
- a group reef snorkelling session each day;
- one guided dive a day for certified divers, with Kandooma Thila about five minutes away by boat;
- a 30-minute massage at Kandooma Spa by COMO Shambhala (adults only);
- one dinner at the Beach Club for every four nights.
Some of these reset every four nights, so longer stays get more.
A pirate Christmas and New Year
This festive season the resort is turning pirate, with a programme of island adventures and festive surprises aimed at families. The full schedule has not been published yet; we will add it here when it is.
Named the Maldives' Leading Family Resort
Kandooma won Maldives' Leading Family Resort at the South Asian Travel Awards 2026, announced on 8 October.
What it means for your stay
Kandooma suits families who want a natural island, a kids' club and good diving close by, with a speedboat rather than a seaplane from the airport. The new pool villas and the wider all-inclusive add to that, and four nights is the stay length to aim for, since that is when the full plan applies. The resort is planning new photography, so some of the pictures you see today, ours included, still show the island before the refresh.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will price the new family villas on the all-inclusive plan: holidays@360degreeworld.com.
