Crown & Champa Resorts

Ten Maldives Islands, One Booking Engine

Crown & Champa Resorts is the trade name for a group of Maldives island resorts established in 2000 and run from Champa Building in Malé, owned and operated by a mix of Maldivian and foreign partners. The portfolio is ten properties. In the luxury tier: Kudadoo Maldives Private Island in Lhaviyani, fifteen residences on a fully-inclusive basis; Hurawalhi Island Resort, adults-only from fifteen, in Lhaviyani; Kagi Maldives Resort & Spa, all-pool-villa and wellness-focused; Veligandu Maldives Resort Island in North Ari; Jawakara Islands Maldives, across two connected islands; and Nala Maldives by Jawakara, adults-only from twelve. In the All-In-One tier: Meeru Maldives Resort Island and Vilamendhoo Maldives Resort Island in South Ari, both family-oriented, and Kuredu Island Resort & Spa in Lhaviyani, which carries adults-only zones at O Resort from twelve and Sangu from fifteen. Komandoo Island Resort & Spa, on Kuredu's sister island, is boutique and adults-only from eighteen.

The booking engine prices in US dollars and the resorts accept US dollars, euros and sterling alongside Visa, Mastercard and American Express; nothing in the booking flow restricts US travellers. Published rates start from around $197 per person per night at Meeru and $359 per person per night at Hurawalhi on all-inclusive plus. Board basis varies by island: Veligandu offers bed and breakfast, full board and all-inclusive, with full board pre-paid at roughly $60 to $80 per person per day and all-inclusive at roughly $160 to $200. Hurawalhi's all-inclusive plus covers buffet and à la carte dining, a stocked minibar and premium drinks, and excludes spa treatments, seaplane transfers and private excursions. One local quirk: Kuredu does not accept US $100 white-series notes on the island.

Transfers are priced separately from the room, as they are throughout the Maldives, and they are the largest avoidable surprise on a quote. Kuredu, in Lhaviyani Atoll, is reached by a 35 to 40 minute Trans Maldivian Airways seaplane at roughly $400 return per adult and $205 per child, or by domestic flight to Madivaru and speedboat at roughly $295 return per adult and $226 per child; excess baggage runs $5 per kilo plus 17% GST and the airport business lounge is $45 per person for three hours. Veligandu, in North Ari, is a seaplane transfer at roughly $390 return per adult. Kudadoo is a 40 minute seaplane and Vilamendhoo a 25 minute one.

Cancellation and deposit terms are set per resort and differ materially, so the policy to read is the one for the island you are booking. Kuredu requires a 10% deposit with the balance due 30 days before arrival, 45 in peak season; cancellations inside 30 days are charged at 50% and inside 15 days at 100%, rising to 100% inside 45 days over the 24 December to 10 January festive period, with charges including airport transfers and a no-show charged in full including the seaplane or speedboat. Hurawalhi and Veligandu use identical wording: a 10% deposit, the remaining 90% settled 14 days before arrival rather than at check-in, and a 100% charge inside 7 days of arrival, extending to 15 days over the festive period and including seaplane transfers. Early departure is charged in full, date changes are treated as a cancellation and rebooking, gala dinner supplements on 24 and 31 December are compulsory, and refunds carry an administrative processing fee. On independent signal, TripAdvisor ratings run 4.7 to 5.0 across all ten properties, with Kuredu at 4.7 across 15,672 reviews, Meeru at 4.7 across 13,942, Vilamendhoo at 4.8 across 8,310, Veligandu at 4.9 across 5,865, Hurawalhi at 4.9 across 4,590, Komandoo at 4.9 across 4,188, Jawakara at 4.9 across 3,309, Kagi at 4.9 across 964, Nala at 5.0 across 367 and Kudadoo at 5.0 across 302.