Top Picks: Luxurious Overwater Villa Stays
Ocean horizons, lapping tides, panoramic skies — there’s something truly magical about an overwater stay. If you love the idea of a private sanctuary of your own, a luxury water villa in the Maldives or the Middle East is the ultimate holiday home base. Escape to an adults-only retreat at Anantara Veli Maldives Resort. Enjoy a whole-family getaway at The Crescent at Niyama Private Islands Maldives, or splash out with a stay in an urban villa above the waters of The Palm Jumeirah.
Explore the best overwater villas for every type of stay…
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas: Indulgently Luxurious Overwater Villas in the Maldives
It’s not hard to find a luxury villa in the Maldives, but Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas is something special. Nestled in Baa Atoll’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, this private island resort is home to an overwater observatory and an under-the-sea all-day dining restaurant.
Your overwater villa, perched in the sandy shallows at the reef's edge, is a haven of serenity. Start your day with a snorkelling expedition off your private deck, bask by your oceanfront infinity pool, and stargaze from your villa. Embark on adventures across the seas: diving, dolphin cruises, manta-ray snorkelling, and more.
Anantara Veli Maldives Resort: Romantic Overwater Villas in the Maldives
Romance is practically a given in a place like the Maldives, but Anantara Veli Maldives Resort offers something more: an island exclusively for adult guests. It’s a tranquil haven reserved for couples' time, complemented by a wealth of activities and entertainment across the lagoon at Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort and Naladhu Private Island Maldives.
Immerse yourself in a tropical idyll with private terrace dining under twinkling skies and a Wellness Villa complete with a Wellness Host for a restorative couple’s retreat. Enjoy midnight plunges in your overwater pool as the moonlight dances across the sea.
Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort: Overwater Villas in Nature
Enjoy a nature escape closer to home with an overwater stay at Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort. Just a 45-minute drive from Dubai, the resort brings chill Maldivian vibes to the UAE. Choose from a selection of family-sized villas boasting views of mangroves and the open ocean.
From your luxurious villa, explore the mangroves by kayak. Or head inland and hike the landscapes of Ras Al Khaimah, with a guided summit trip to Jebel Jais. Cruise across the waters on a dinner sailing across the dazzling Persian Gulf. Return to an overwater villa with a private pool, expansive sundeck, and exclusive villa experiences.
The Crescent at Niyama Private Islands Maldives: Overwater Villas for Extended Families
Private chefs and butlers, barbecue nights and movies under the stars — The Crescent at Niyama Private Islands Maldives has it all and more for families on a multi-generational break. A cluster of five overwater villas at the island's tip, The Crescent offers privacy, space, and a world of activities for guests of all ages.
Gather for dinners in the central two-bedroom pavilion, tour the island on complimentary bicycles, and snorkel around the house reef with the resident marine biologist. Enjoy the extra space and seclusion that comes with five private villas.
Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort: Urban Overwater Villas in Dubai
The overwater villas of Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort come with a dramatically different view. Branching out from the edge of one of The Palm Jumeirah’s golden fronds, they gaze towards the city's panoramic skyline. Here, enjoy the best of both worlds: the thrills of Dubai and the stillness of the water.
Get active with water skiing or wakeboarding, choose a PADI course and get certified onsite, or book a wellness journey at Anantara Spa with Ayurvedic healing and Turkish hammam rituals. Or, simply relax with water views — off your balcony, from your bed, and through the glass window on the floor of your villa.
Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara: Family Overwater Villas in Doha
Golden beaches, all-ages activities, kids’ and teens’ clubs — Banana Island Resort Doha by Anantara in Doha is the ideal family getaway destination. Retreat to your sprawling overwater villa, complete with a villa host and private pool.
Hit the slides at the kids’ water park or see a family movie in the cinema. Drift around the island on a private pontoon cruise, play 10-pin bowling, or learn to surf. Then, spend quality time together in your luxurious overwater abode.
Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort: Stylish New Overwater Villas in the Maldives
Fun’s never far away at Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort in Baa Atoll. Explore the lagoon by jet ski or soar above it with some kitesurfing. On land, there’s tennis, wellness, a world of gourmet dining, and nightly DJ beats after dark.
Take a dip in your infinity plunge pool or in the lagoon off your deck. Drift with baby sharks and spot dolphins around the house reef. Venture to Hanifaru Bay and swim with manta rays and whale sharks.
Loy Pela Voyages: A Different Kind of Overwater Stay in Bangkok
Few overwater experiences can offer shifting scenery every hour of the day, but Loy Pela Voyages is no ordinary stay. Here, your "villa" is a converted wooden rice barge, luxuriously restored in the style of old Siam.
Launch from Anantara Riverside Bangkok Resort and head upriver to UNESCO-listed Ayutthaya. Immerse in the slow life on the river, on an overnight journey to Thailand’s former capital. Take a seat on the deck and watch the scenery roll by, from skyscrapers and stilt houses to rice fields and ruins.