Contemporary and Sleek Tropical Design at One&Only Reethi Rah

Surrounded by the crystal blue waters of the Indian Ocean, set on one of the largest islands in North Malé Atoll, One&Only Reethi Rah was designed by Jean Michel Gathy, Design Director of Denniston International Architects. Gathy was tasked with creating a design that lives up to the resort’s namesake - Reethi Rah means ‘Beautiful Island’ in Dhivehi. Gathy and his team were responsible for the architecture, interiors and lighting of the all villa resort, as well as the design of the exterior spaces surrounding each of the 118 guest villas with three words in mind - luxury, space and privacy. Sleek and spectacular, offering unprecedented seclusion, One&Only Reethi Rah offers the ultimate Maldivian experience for those seeking the pinnacle of tropical luxury. Nowhere else in the Maldives is there a resort with as much space and exclusivity.

One&Only Reethi Rah’s is set on an expansive island stretching across 109 acres, with six kilometres of coastline and 12 powder-soft white sandy beaches, each one lying in a secluded cove. Sprinkled across the island, guest villas are nestled in lush greenery, offering unmatched levels of privacy. As Gathy explains, “if your villa is one side of the island, you wouldn’t even know who is on the other side.” Guests are afforded an abundance of private space surrounding their island home, elegant Beach Villas are perched on the shoreline, enveloped by tropical gardens and with unfettered access to secluded beaches, while Water Villas are surrounded by the Indian Ocean have extensive outdoor decks, perfect for alfresco living.

Arrival Experience
Guests of One&Only Reethi Rah arrive on the resort’s own luxury yacht and make their way through a spectacular reception, an open wooden pavilion leading from the marina. Tropical in design, with eight large carved interior columns atop cool black polished terrazzo floor, inset with teak, the space is scattered with low comfortable seating and boasts enticing vistas of the Indian Ocean.

The Villas
The villas at One&Only Reethi Rah are some of the most well-appointed, elegant and spacious in the Indian Ocean and take the concept of island chic to new heights.

Guests are offered a choice of villas:
77 Beach Villas, each one occupying 135m² of space, including large verandas and external showers (41 with their own private infinity pools - 23m² and 1.2m deep)
26 Water Villas with split level verandas and large netted ocean hammocks suspended from the deck for over-water lazing (6 with their own private infinity pools - 30m² and 1.2m deep)
6 Two Villa residences – all with private infinity pools - (23m² and1.2m deep)
5 Grand Beach Villas with two bedrooms and private infinity pool (50m² and 1.2m deep)
2 Grand Water Villas with one bedroom and private infinity pool (13 m² and1.2m deep)
1 Grand Residence with three bedrooms and private infinity pool (50 m² and 1.2m deep)
1 Grand Sunset Residence with three bedrooms and two private infinity pools (50 m² and 23 m²)

Each villa, whether on a private beach or suspended above the waters of the Indian Ocean, is a totally self-contained private sanctuary, complete with generous terraces and verandas made from Balan wood from the Malaysian part of Borneo, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor living. Perfectly positioned hammocks, oversized daybeds and sun loungers, just steps from the doors of the villa, offer guests a peaceful place to enjoy their exceptional ocean-view surroundings, with thoughtful design ensuring that even neighbouring villas are completely unaware of each other. Connected to the island by overwater walkways, the Water Villas are set in small clusters of four villas dotted around the island. Each villa is positioned to face a different direction, offering the ultimate seclusion and uninterrupted vistas of the turquoise ocean.

Every villa was traditionally thatched by local craftsman, using young coconut palm leaves. The exterior timber frames and cladding are made from Kapur wood from Malaysia. Inside, the villas are gloriously elegant, cool spaces. “The villas were designed to be architecturally simple and the lush vegetation surrounding them was to blend into the island-feel, however this is coupled with a dramatic interior with an almost flamboyant feeling of space, height and flair,” said Jean Michel Gathy.

Inside the villas, comfort has been combined with style. The décor is influenced by Asian style, with the use of strong vivid colours, mixed with tropical materials and natural textures – teak, rattan, mahogany, coconut shell, and silk. The flooring is polished terrazzo, inlaid with Indonesian teak. The large bathrooms each have two vanities and a huge, over-sized, custom-made terrazzo bathtub, each of which took seven days to form and polish, placed at the window, for stunning views over the Indian Ocean. The clever design ensures privacy; the bathtub itself is low - so that guests can lie in the bath with the blinds up and not be seen. The bathrooms also have walk-in showers, which offer the option of rain shower or power showers. Every detail has been carefully considered from the colour of the walls to the hook for the bathrobes, with smart features such as full-length wardrobes and glamourous dressing tables.

The Design of the Restaurants
Guests visiting One&Only Reethi Rah are offered a culinary journey with a choice of seven world-class restaurants and bars. When designing the restaurants, attention was paid to ensuring each location is distinct and memorable, the exciting and glamorous settings transporting guests to different culinary experience, enhancing the unforgettable tastes that await them.

Reethi Restaurant
Reethi Restaurant, the main dining room of One&Only Reethi Rah, effortlessly transitions between day and night, with the ever-changing scenery of the sky and ocean all around and dramatically high ceilings, over 11 metres at the apex. Approached from Rah Bar, guests pass Epicure - a glass-fronted wine room, the scene of many wine-inspired special dinners, tastings, classes and events. This is flanked by two walk-in wine cellars, displaying some of the resort’s 9,000 bottles of the finest wines in the world, which have travelled from as far away as the valleys of California, the Châteaux of Bordeaux, the wineries of Australia and the wine lands of South Africa. The wine room was purposely designed to be dark, to keep the wine at optimum temperatures, as well as the perfect location for an intimate dinner- stone carvings, embossed bronze panels and mustard coloured fabric on the walls. From here there is a panoramic view of the entire restaurant with its three distinctive seating areas, and the coup de theatre at its heart, a vast floor-to-ceiling glass cube, which is a space for an abundant variety of cold dishes.

The central section of the restaurant, of Reethi restaurant is cathedral-like in its sheer volume and height, complete with teak flooring. The room is unmistakably Asian and mystical, approached through vast carved doors with a rich saffron and red colour scheme. Extraordinary anthracite grey columns and wooden rafters have been intricately carved to give an effect that Gathy appropriately describes as ‘crafted’. The feel is powerful, with a mix of influences evident, be it Thai, Indonesian or Burmese. In contrast, the second seating area ‘Hoshi’ is sleek and chic, with powerful, jet-flamed Absolute Black granite flooring from Zimbabwe, a water feature with floating candles in glass holders, glittering glass tiles from Italy and blue lights. Large timber trunk columns were carved by an artist from Bali called Jojol, with a team of 10 carvers. ‘Earth’, the third seating area, is at the far side of the restaurant with its sunken coffee bar and tables overlooking the water. Lit by candles at night, the atmosphere becomes more classical and French. The giant wicker ball hanging over the bar is from Bali - at close to three metres in diameter it makes both an impressive statement and a focal point in the restaurant.

Fanditha
Fanditha, meaning ‘magic’ in the local language of Dhivehi, is on the northernmost point of the island, a romantic beach restaurant in the sand with day beds and giant cushions, it is the best spot on the island to watch the spectacular sunsets. At night, vintage brass hurricane lamps, huge candles and crystal chandeliers, carved chairs, shisha pipes and magnums of pink champagne creates the ultimate in beach-side chic.

Botanica Restaurant
This inspiring outdoor restaurant allows guests a truly unique ‘Farm-to-fork’ and purely plant-based alfresco dining experience, set amidst beautiful organic vegetables, fresh herbs and the famous Orchid House. Botanica was designed to be aesthetic, intriguing and of course, to supply seasonal bounty to the table. The gardens surrounding the tables are illuminated in the evening with soft lighting, while the scents of the herbs drift through the air. An open-air kitchen allows guests to enjoy the smells and sight of their dishes being prepared while the selection of over 34 gins from around the world are served from the romantic bar underneath a grand Banyan tree.

TAPASAKE RESTAURANT
Temporary Closure

While Tapasake is undergoing exciting renovations in 2023, we are offering Japanese cuisine through our pop-up outlet Hoshi, located at Aqua, where guests can enjoy a world-class Japanese experience as well as some classic Japanese favourites.

“The feeling I’d like people to take away with them as they leave One&Only Reethi Rah is fulfilment in every sense: aesthetically, because they have just spent time in one of the world’s beautiful places, and spiritually, because they have had the most marvellous, refreshing, fun time,” said Jean Michel Gathy. “My designs for One&Only Reethi Rah reflect this – I would say that they are a contemporised vision of tropical architecture, they are sleek, with a touch of Zen – but they are also playful.”

For reservations or more information, please visit oneandonlyresorts.com