Three Maldives resorts have just given travellers fresh reasons to plan a winter escape, spanning a festive season programme, a beefed-up all-inclusive package and a ten-day Italian chef residency.
Coco Bodu Hithi, part of Coco Collection and a two-time Condé Nast Johansens award winner (Best Service 2025, Best Waterside Hotel 2026), is running an "Island Glow" festive programme from 22 December 2026 to 7 January 2027. It opens with a tree-lighting ceremony, and the calendar packs in a Christmas Eve Gala Dinner, a Santa arrival at the Main Jetty on Christmas morning, sandbank picnics and underwater photoshoots for couples, family cook-offs and sushi and cocktail workshops. New Year's Eve brings a sunset cruise, a gala dinner, a raffle draw and a DJ-led midnight countdown. Notably, the season runs all the way to 7 January, closing with an Orthodox Christmas Eve Gala Dinner and a beach BBQ — a rare nod to travellers who celebrate Christmas later.
Over at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, the pitch is about what's already included rather than what costs extra. The resort now offers a 24-hour premium all-inclusive dine-around across 15 restaurants and bars, with 66 curated wines and champagne. Kids under 15 stay and eat free when sharing a villa with two adults, and the inclusions extend well beyond meals: guided snorkelling at the resort's Nemo Park, kayaking, paddleboarding, yoga, a trial dive, a spa facial for female guests, sunset cruises and a local island excursion. Cultural touches run through it too, from Bodu Beru drum arrivals to the weekly Maldivian Roots programme with spice grinding, henna and Dhivehi language basics.
Food-focused travellers should look at Alila Kothaifaru, which hosts Chef Joshua Acquaviva from Park Hyatt Milan's Pellico 3 for a residency from 25 October to 3 November 2026 at its beachside Italian restaurant, Pibati Sul Mare. The Naples-born chef — with stints at Michelin-starred VistaMare, two-starred Kresios and four years on the Amalfi Coast — will cook alongside executive chef Frank Wackerhagen, using herbs grown on the island rather than importing Milan by the sea. He'll also run intimate pizza-making sessions at the restaurant counter, capped at eight participants each.
Why it matters: the Maldives in peak season is expensive, so knowing what a resort throws in for free is where real value lies — Sun Siyam's free stays for under-15s could swing a family decision, while the Coco Bodu Hithi programme suits anyone who wants a structured festive calendar rather than a quiet villa week. Booking windows matter too: the Alila residency is a fixed ten-day event, so it needs planning now.
