Beach Pool Villa Sunrise
248 m² · Private pool · On the beach, sunrise side · 13 villas
Marriott International · Shaviyani Atoll
JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa
- 55 min by seaplane
- Land by 15:00
- 4.7 on TripAdvisor · 461 reviews
- Travellers' Choice 2026
- All taxes in the price
The villas
On the beach
Beach Pool Villa Sunset
248 m² · Private pool · On the beach, sunset side · Only 3 villas
2-Bedroom Duplex Beach Pool Villa, 2 adults and 2 children
285 m² on the beach · Two bedrooms and a private pool · Priced for two adults and two children
Over the water
Overwater Pool Villa Sunrise
234 m² over water · Private pool · Sunrise side · 9 villas
Overwater Pool Villa Sunset
234 m² over water · Private pool · Sunset side · 10 villas
Duplex Overwater Pool Villa
274 m² over water, on two floors · Private pool · 12 villas
House reef
Our rating
3/5
Fine
Which side of the island you sleep on decides this one. The sunrise side works: swim out past the barrier rocks and guests report blacktips, green turtles, eagle rays, nurse sharks and octopus, although it takes some nerve the first time. There is a second entry in front of the Thai restaurant. The lagoon side is rubble, and a steady stream of guests report seeing nothing at all. The passage between the breakwaters drops to about forty centimetres at low water over sharp coral, and the current runs hard at times. Ask for a sunrise villa if the reef matters.
How we score house reefs, and every island ranked →Getting there
Route
Seaplane
- Journey
- 55 min, airport to island
- Last arrival that works
- 15:00
Land at Velana after 15:00 and the last seaplane of the day will have gone, which means a night in Malé before you reach the island.
A resort Welcome Ambassador meets you at Velana and takes you through the seaplane lounge. Seaplanes fly in daylight only, so land by 15:00 to reach the island the same day.
Transfer details last checked 18 August 2026. We re-check yours against your actual ticket before we quote. See what your flight can reach →
What guests say
4.7out of 5 on TripAdvisor · 461 reviews
Amazing experience!
As a Marriott Titanium Elite member, JW Marriott Maldives stands out as the absolute best property for Marriott Bonvoy point redemptions. We were upgraded to a duplex two-storey overwater villa — perfect...
A stay I'll be thinking about for a long time
I spent 4 nights in a Sunset Beach Pool Villa — one of those trips you keep thinking about weeks later. From the moment I got off the seaplane, everyone knew my...
Perfect Resort!
Perfect vacation! We stayed in one of the overwater rooms and it was PERFECT. The room was massive, the views were out of this world, and the bed was exceptional. Beaches, service,...
Travellers' Choice 2026. Rating checked 21 September 2026. Read all the reviews on TripAdvisor →
About the resort
JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa is on Vagaru Island in Shaviyani Atoll, 55 minutes north of Velana by seaplane. All 60 villas have a private pool and butler service, and the island suits families as much as couples.
Children under twelve stay free and eat free from the kids' menu, whatever meal plan their parents choose. There is a kids' club, FAMILY by JW, and a two-bedroom villa on the beach built for families.
What you pay
Pick your dates, a villa and a meal plan, and the price is for two: the villa, your meals, the return seaplane and every Maldivian tax, green tax included. Four nights is priced on every meal plan, and seven nights on half board. The 2-Bedroom Duplex Beach Pool Villa is priced for two adults and two children, seaplane seats for all four included.
The Overwater Pool Villa Sunrise is the cheapest villa on every date we price. The sunrise side is also the better side for snorkelling, so it is the one we steer most couples to.
The green season is the cheap window. In the wetter southwest monsoon the same villa comes to about a third less than in the dry season. Seven nights comes to well under twice the four-night price.
What's included, and what isn't
In the price: your villa with its private pool, breakfast plus lunch or dinner on half board, all three meals on full board, meals and a set list of drinks on all inclusive, the return seaplane, butler service, bicycles, snorkel gear and the non-motorised water sports, Wi-Fi, and every Maldivian tax including green tax.
All inclusive also brings one beach dinner, one floating breakfast and a daily minibar of soft drinks, wine and beer.
Not in the price: your international flights, travel insurance, drinks on half and full board, drinks outside the all-inclusive list, in-villa dining and destination dining, the spa, diving and excursions, Indian TCS, and anything not named above.
Who this isn't for
Anyone landing at Velana after 15:00. The seaplane flies in daylight only, so a late arrival means a night in Malé and a paid night on the island lost.
Families with teenagers on a tight budget. From twelve, a child is charged as an adult for the room, the meals and the seaplane.
Half board diners who want to roam. Dinner on half board is at Aailaa, with sixty per cent off the food at Shio and Hashi. Full board opens Fiamma and Kaashi too.
Before you book
Book ahead and the villa comes down. Book ninety days before arrival and the resort takes twenty per cent off the villa, fifteen at sixty days and ten at thirty. It turns on the day you book rather than the day you travel, so it is not in the prices on this page. We will apply it.
Not every date is priced on this page. Pick your dates above and anything unpriced comes through to us with the dates already filled in. The festive period is one of them: the gala dinners are compulsory and nobody checks out over New Year.
Honeymooners get extras on four nights or more, if the wedding was within six months: a bubble bath, cake, wine and a short photo session. Long stays in the Duplex Overwater Pool Villa and the two-bedroom villa earn a free night. Parents sign a disclaimer for children under twelve in the overwater villas.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will price the villas side by side. Message our Maldives specialists on WhatsApp or send us an enquiry. We reply within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Where is JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa?
On Vagaru Island in Shaviyani Atoll, in the north of the Maldives, 55 minutes from Velana International Airport by seaplane. There are 60 villas on the island, and every one has its own pool.
How do I get to JW Marriott Maldives?
By seaplane, about 55 minutes from Velana, and the return seaplane is in the price on this page. Seaplanes fly in daylight only, roughly 06:30 to 15:30, so your international flight needs to land by 15:00. A resort Welcome Ambassador meets you at the airport and takes you through the seaplane lounge. Land later and you spend the first night in Malé, so send us your flight times before you book them.
What villa types are there?
Five one-bedroom villas and one family villa, all with a private pool: the Beach Pool Villa Sunrise and Sunset (248 m²), the Overwater Pool Villa Sunrise and Sunset (234 m²), the two-floor Duplex Overwater Pool Villa (274 m²), and the 2-Bedroom Duplex Beach Pool Villa (285 m²) for families. There are only three Beach Pool Villas Sunset, so ask early for those.
Is there a butler?
Yes. Every villa has butler service, called a Thakuru here, who looks after dining reservations, activities and anything you need during the stay.
What dining options are available at the resort?
The resort features 6 dining venues: Aailaa (international all-day dining with live cooking stations and the Wine Room), Fiamma (Italian poolside with wood-fired pizza), Kaashi (Thai treetop restaurant), Hashi (Japanese teppanyaki overwater), Shio (fine-dining overwater grill), and RIHA (intimate 6-seat Indian degustation by reservation). Destination dining, including floating breakfasts and candle-lit beach dinners, is also available, as is 24-hour in-villa dining.
Which meal plan should I choose?
Half board is breakfast plus lunch or dinner, full board is breakfast, lunch and dinner, and all inclusive adds a set list of drinks. Everyone in the villa has to be on the same plan. On all inclusive, drinks come by the glass rather than the bottle apart from beer, soft drinks and water, you cannot take drinks back to the villa, and you cannot buy for guests who are not on the plan. Ask us for the drinks list.
What facilities does the Spa by JW offer?
The Spa by JW is a fully overwater wellness complex. It has six couples' treatment rooms, a Deluxe Treatment Suite with its own steam room, ice room and plunge pool, a hair salon, a spa boutique, a 24-hour overwater gym and an open-air yoga pavilion. It is open daily from 10:00 to 20:00, and booking ahead is recommended.
Is the resort suitable for families?
Yes. There is a kids club, FAMILY by JW, a teen lounge and babysitting. On the prices on this page, children under sixteen stay free and eat from the kids' menu. Children aged two to eleven pay only their seaplane seat and green tax, and from twelve the seaplane is charged at the adult fare. Parents sign a disclaimer for children under twelve in the overwater villas, and the 2-Bedroom Duplex Beach Pool Villa is built for families.
What water sports and activities are available?
The resort offers PADI diving across the dive sites of Shaviyani Atoll, jet skiing, kayaking, parasailing, stand-up paddleboarding, kite-surfing, windsurfing, catamaran sailing and water skiing. Excursions include dolphin cruises, sandbank picnics, local island visits, sunset and big-game fishing, and private yacht charters. Snorkel gear and the non-motorised water sports are free.
What are the check-in and check-out times?
Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 11:00. Early check-in and late check-out depend on availability, so book the extra night if you need the villa for certain. The island keeps its own clock, one hour ahead of Malé, which gives you an extra hour of daylight.
Can we book Christmas or New Year?
Not from the prices on this page: the festive period is not priced here. The Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve gala dinners are compulsory, nobody can check out from 31 December to 2 January, and the beach villas need seven nights over the festive period. Ask us and we will price those dates for you.
The resort
Tap any photo to see it full size.
More photos on Instagram: @jwmmaldives (opens in a new tab)
Tell us your dates and who is travelling
We will price two or three villas with the seaplane and every tax included, and we can quote any dates outside the ones above. We reply within 24 hours.