Cheval Blanc Randheli: Booking the Maldives Maison

Reached only by seaplane across the remote Noonu Atoll, Cheval Blanc Randheli occupies its own island, a barefoot expression of French luxury that ranks among the most coveted addresses in the Maldives. Here is what to know before booking.

Designed by Jean-Michel Gathy, the 46 villas are secluded between greenery and turquoise water, each with a private infinity pool, in styles from Island and Garden Water Villas to overwater Lagoon and Horizon Villas, from one to two bedrooms. The scale, generous by Maldivian standards, is matched by a level of service and design that is unmistakably Cheval Blanc.

A private island in the Noonu Atoll, 46 villas, each with its own infinity pool.

Five restaurants range from an ode to French gastronomy with a Maldivian flair, its chef's exclusive eleven-course dégustation served in a tropical garden, to a brasserie that runs from sunrise to starlight, and an Italian restaurant suspended over the water. On a dedicated island, the Cheval Blanc Spa offers treatments by Guerlain, and the resort even has the Maldives' only surf simulator.