The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

This is one of the more architecturally confident resorts in the Maldives. The villas are round, a deliberate echo of the atoll shapes below, and the spa is built as a floating ring set out in the lagoon and reached by boat. The effect is closer to a piece of sculpture than a conventional beach resort.

It forms part of the Fari Islands development, a small cluster of islands in North Male Atoll that share a marina village of shops, cafes and a beach club. That gives guests somewhere to wander to in the evening, which is rare in a country where most resorts are self-contained worlds with a single bar.

Practically, it is among the easier high-end properties to reach: a speedboat from the international airport rather than a seaplane with its fixed daylight schedule, which makes late arrivals and early departures far less painful. Families are well served, with a children's programme run in partnership with Jean-Michel Cousteau's environmental education outfit.