The second resort in the country from The Small Maldives Island Company (who also manage nearby stunner Amilla Fushi), Finolhu aims itself at a young, wealthy crowd who want to party and enjoy the island's magnificent beaches. While the resort's commitment to 'youth' seems a tad contrived, it's a beautiful resort with fabulous facilities and a dreamy 2km-long sandbank.
Finolhu looks a bit like how a fashionable interior designer imagines a hippy would design a private island: loud music, amusing signs and VW camper vans greet you when you step off the boat. Much of this is just a surface nod to the resort's fairly heavy-handed marketing; at ground level Finolhu is actually little different to most five-star private islands.
The rooms here are divided into the Moorish-style beach villas (which come with retro-looking Marshall bluetooth speakers, Smeg kettles, Nespresso machines and Neal's Yard toiletries) and the vast line of water villas, the top category of which comes with plunge pools. They're big and comfortable but rather gimmicky, including a record player (apparently an object of fascination to its Millennial guests), old ABBA records and a button that says 'press for champagne'.
As well as the main 1 Oak Beach Club, which does food and drink around the vast pool, there is also Kanusan for pan-Asian food, Baa Haa for North African cuisine and the 'retro tuck shop' Milk Bar. The most striking thing about the entire island is the enormous shimmering white sandbank, one of the longest in the country. Towards its far end there's the charming Fish & Crab Shack, which sits on the gorgeous lagoon and serves up fresh seafood in a relaxed atmosphere. There's a boat from the main island here every half hour to save you the long, hot walk. Easily one of the best beaches in Maldives, this is where many guests spend much of their time.
Free transfers to sister resort Amilla Fushi run several times a day.