Velaa Private Island is the realization of a "beyond luxury" dream by Czech billionaire Jiří Šmejc, who spent years visiting top-tier resorts to identify and improve upon every luxury detail. The result is a boutique sanctuary that offers amenities rarely seen on a private island, including the Maldives' only snow room and its highest building—the ivory-white Tavaru Tower. The island is designed with "polite luxury" in mind, blending contemporary European design with local materials like mahogany and coral stone. From its world-class golf academy to its James Bond-style semi-submarine, Velaa is engineered to exceed the expectations of the world's most discerning travelers.
Accommodations & Design The resort features 47 private villas, houses, and residences, each with its own large private pool and dedicated butler service.
Velaa Private Residences (4 units): The only 4-bedroom residences of their kind in the Maldives, offering 1,350 sqm of space including private gyms, spa rooms, and kitchens.
Romantic Pool Residence: Suspended over the lagoon and accessible only by boat, this one-bedroom sanctuary is the ultimate honeymoon retreat, featuring a private chef, gym, and sunset dining gazebo.
Water Villas: Feature mahogany louvered panels, high ceilings, and glass floor panels to view the marine life below.
Design: Conceived by architect Petr Kolář to reflect "the turtle" from a bird's-eye view, with water villas forming the head and the beach villas forming the body.
Amenities & Inclusions Velaa hosts an unmatched array of high-tech and high-luxury facilities:
Golf & Sport: The Velaa Golf Academy by Olazábal features a 9-hole short-game course and a state-of-the-art indoor swing studio. It also boasts the only fully covered tennis court in the Maldives.
Culinary Excellence: Aragu offers signature European-Asian fusion, while Tavaru provides teppanyaki theater within a striking tower that also houses one of the Indian Ocean's most extensive wine cellars.
Wellness: The Velaa Spa (formerly My Blend by Clarins) includes a "Cloud 9" pod and a snow room, alongside a Wellbeing Village featuring Ayurveda and Pilates.
Marine Adventure: Features a PADI dive center, a two-passenger private submarine, Seabobs, and a fleet of luxury yachts and trimarans.
How Private Is This Island? Privacy is the cornerstone of Velaa's design. The island’s 47 villas are spread across a significant footprint to ensure that lush tropical vegetation acts as a natural visual buffer between neighbors. The Romantic Pool Residence represents the pinnacle of seclusion, being entirely detached from the island and reachable only by a short boat shuttle. For high-profile groups, a full island buyout transforms the entire Noonu Atoll gem into a secure, sovereign estate where the world’s best chefs, golf pros, and dive masters are dedicated exclusively to a single party.
