The Best Budget-Friendly Hotels to Book in the Maldives

The Triton Beach Hotel & Spa on Maafushi is a fantastic budget hotel in the Maldives – and we’re not pulling your leg. The professional masseuse based here, however, will pull every stress out of your legs and the rest of your body and there’s also a muscle-relaxing sauna. You won’t need to spend all of your sand dollars to stay a minute’s walk from the beach, admire the tiled pool from your balcony, or soak up the sun on the rooftop terrace after dining on local catch of the day. With a little extra cash in hand, you can easily arrange a snorkeling tour from the hotel.

The owners of Stingray Beach Inn understand that an easy-going trip to the Maldives can also be easy on your wallet. There are only ten rooms in this boutique hotel, which means fewer guests seeking out the hot tub. Asian dishes taken in the atmospheric thatched-roof restaurant will perk you up enough to enjoy an impromptu game of billiards. Large balconies and rain showers hammer home the Maldives resort feel, but your bill at checkout will reflect that of a motel.

When you’re gazing out at the Indian Ocean swell – the same waves that the luxury resort dwellers are staring at – you’ll be glad it didn’t cost you an arm and a leg. Luxury for a whole lot less is standard business here. Sea-view rooms, soporific spa treatments and tiny umbrellas in every drink will activate vacation mode in seconds at this Maafushi hotel. The real wow factor? A gorgeous rooftop pool where priceless sunsets are free to watch every night.

This Maldivian guest house with a handful of boutique-style rooms with tropical feature wallpaper and palm-tree views will make you feel like you’re in an exclusive resort. In-room hot tubs and a budget hotel in the Maldives are a perfect pairing of phrases here on Dhangethi island. Minutes from the soft sandy beach and with a lovely garden terrace, you’ll have no trouble enjoying Budget – excuse us – Banyan Villa.

Ride a wave of lavishly furnished lodging at Reef Edge. This Maldivian spot is ideal for those who want to surf, suntan and swim without sinking their budget. All nautically-decorated rooms are oceanfront or have ocean views – luxury you’d pay a premium for elsewhere. How can you not feel refreshed after a morning swim followed by a stop at the juice and mocktail bar? And if you couldn’t fit your board or bike in your luggage, Reef Edge has you covered no matter which way you prefer to explore Thulusdhoo.

Surfers seeking an easy-going, wallet-friendly place to flop love Hulhangu Lodge, a 20-minute speedboat ride from Malé. On tiny Himmafushi, known for its snorkelling and surfing, this simple guesthouse with six light-filled rooms is three minutes from the jetty. Less travel means more time for surfing JailBreak and Sultans, two of the best surf spots in the area. If you’re celebrating with friends, go large and hire the whole place for special stays feasting on fresh fish and Maldivian lady cocktails in the garden.

Solo travellers and couples love the light and airy rooms at this charming guesthouse on Fodhdhoo with warm wooden vaulted ceilings and floors. Soak up the sun on the private beach and marvel at the expansive ocean views, or ask the hotel to arrange a snorkel or dolphin-spotting trip. Cook your favourite dishes with produce from the local stores, such as tuna steaks grilled on the barbecue. Surrounded by so much natural beauty, it’s unlikely you’ll feel stressed, but massages can also be arranged.

Petal-strewn beds in cute, whitewashed cabins and open-air showers combine to create the perfect low-cost slice of paradise at this Thoddoo Island resort. Famed for its sweetly-scented fruit farms and affordable local restaurants, if you like your laid-back Maldives trip with a touch of romance, you’ll love the nicely-priced extras, from candlelit beach dinners to a picnic on an uninhabited island.

The sandy-coloured exterior of this low-rise hotel on Ukulhas Island creates the perfect backdrop to the pretty flower-filled gardens set with bistro tables and chairs for evening sundowners or fruit-filled breakfasts. Once inside, it’s a similar theme livened up by sunshine-yellow accents. Try a meal at the sister hotel, Paguro Beach Hotel, for a change of scene, safe in the knowledge that the Villa costs less and all guests share the same knockout white-sand beach and wildlife-rich reef.

Budget-conscious divers will swoon over the kaleidoscopic underwater world of Rasdhoo Atoll close to this charming guesthouse, known for its friendly owners. Meters from a brochure-worthy white-sand beach, every light-filled room dressed with jaunty palm-print cushions has a patio for quiet contemplation or an early morning mint tea. Sample local Maldivian dishes such as moreish samosa and tasty fish soup, although there is a shared kitchen if you’d rather keep costs down and cook for yourself.