11 Cheap Hotels in the Maldives Under $100 Per Night

This post may contain affiliate links. This just means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you for helping them promote their product or service. I don’t endorse any services I don’t personally use or recommend.

The Maldives is consistently ranked in the top 5 honeymoon destinations in the world. And yes, it’s a splurge-worthy romantic getaway but you don’t have to be rich to revel in this beach paradise. We visited the Maldives twice this last year, hopping from island to island, exploring above and below the sea while on a backpacker budget. While the country does have hundreds (maybe thousands) of luxury 5-star hotels on private islands, it also has hundreds of cute local guesthouses scattered across its inhabited islands.

These are my favorite cheap hotels in the Maldives. Proof that you can have a picture-perfect exotic beach vacation on any budget.

5 Tips For Scoring the Cheap Hotels in the Maldives

Here are a few useful tips to try to get you the best hotel deals in the Maldives.

Make sure when browsing on booking platforms that the website doesn’t give you options a few miles away because that is likely on an entirely different island than the one you intended. Use the maps function on booking.com to make sure your hotel is in the right place.

1. Use Booking.com

I love booking.com. As far as lodging in the Maldives goes, I’ve found the platform to have the cheapest options, and since you can show “cheapest properties first” it’s easy to find deals for your dates.

2. Visit the Maldives in the Off-Season (May-November)

Off-season in the Maldives isn’t bad! We visited Ukulhas and Lux South Ari Atoll in the off-season and only had one rainy afternoon. Typically in the Maldives, you can expect rain to slide in at about 4 PM in the off-season but most days will still be sunny.

3. Book in Advance

The cheapest accommodation options fill up first! I recommend booking at least 8 weeks in advance if you can. Sometimes, if you book early enough, you can even find rooms as low as $30 per night.

4. Book Longer Stays

Many guesthouses require that you stay 2+ nights at their hotel. The resorts do it too. In the long run, you’ll end up saving money by staying longer on each island. Transportation costs and moving from island to island is where a lot of your money gets spent in the Maldives.

5. Don’t be Bamboozled by the Tourism Tax

You’ll notice on Booking.com that all the hotels in the Maldives have a large tax/fee added. The is a tourism tax required by the government and you’ll have to pay that no matter where or how you book your stay. The money goes to environmental programs set up to protect the delicate ecosystems of the atoll nation.

For More Budget Travel Tips in the Maldives Read These Posts…

11 Cheap Hotels in the Maldives Under $100

These are my top choices for cheap hotels in the inhabited islands of the Maldives. All the options listed here have clean rooms with comfortable beds and great hotel amenities. Overall I was blown away by the level of hospitality shown by even the lowest budget hotels in the country. Here are my favorite cheap hotels in the Maldives.

Note: Although I did stay at all these hotels listed below, I failed to take photos of the rooms in most cases so I grabbed some photos from booking.com.

Nap Corner: Best For Overnight Stays in Male (Male)

Highlights: Quiet, Convenient, Comfortable, Good for Solo Travelers

This little Nap Pod isn’t going to win any awards for its scenery or beach access but for those of you who have an early flight out of the Maldives or missed your local ferry to your intended island — this is the spot for you. Male is an uninspiring island with little to see or do and a lot of extremely over-priced lodging. This quiet place to sleep is only about $25 per night per person and suits your basic one-night travel needs.

Sandy Heaven Maldives: Best for Snorkeling Excursions (Gulhi)

Highlights: Naturally lit Spacious Rooms, Excellent Snorkeling Excursions, Free Breakfast, Gulhi Island is one of the Best, Short Transit, Great Beach

This is my favorite place we stayed in the inhabited islands of the Maldives. For starters, the rooms were 10/10. We had our own second-floor patio and lots of natural light. The owners helped us join their full-day snorkeling excursion for cheap and in a single day we saw Nurse Sharks, Manta Rays, Sting Rays, Turtles, tons of tropical fish and pristine reefs, and Dolphins. It was my favorite tour or day trip we took in the country. The island is tiny so everyone is essentially beachfront at all times.

Nala Veli: Best for Seeing Manta Rays (Ukulhas)

Highlights: Manta Rays Year-Round, Lots of Local Food Options, Lovely Beaches, Quiet Island

I wrote a whole blog post detailing Ukulhas Island and why it’s the best place to see Manta Rays year-round in the Maldives. This hotel is right in front of the bikini beach (the best one on the island) and has super quiet comfy rooms with free breakfast. It also happens to be the best local restaurant on the island and is located next door to the best international cuisine. But what made me love Nala Veli was the excursions. The guides at Nala Veli are professional and care deeply about the animals.

Green Leaf Guesthouse: Best for Beach Bums (Omadhoo)

Highlights: Best Beaches in Maldives, House Reef for Snorkeling, Whale Sharks, Quiet Island, Free Snorkel Gear + Beach Loungers

Omadhoo is a stunning island. As far as beaches go, you’re not going to get much more pristine. This is the island that ruins you for all other beaches. This hotel is a favorite of mine because of the restaurant, the rooftop panoramic views and star-gazing lounger, and the beach amenities that the owner provides. He has a section of beach loungers reserved for his guests and also snorkel gear that is free to borrow. This is one of the islands where you can snorkel with whale sharks.

Noomeraka Inn: Best for Backpackers (Omadhoo)

Highlights: Great Breakfast, Beachfront location, Exceptional Island for Whale Sharks and Beaches

This is another option for the island of Omadhoo (that I described above). I feel like this place had a bit more of a backpacker vibe to it (although solo travel in the Maldives is rare). The breakfast felt very communal and the hosts were super friendly.

Cheap Hotels in the Maldives by Island

If you’ve got your eye on a specific island in the Maldives not listed above or on my island-hopping Maldives itinerary, you can always try one of these budget-friendly stays that I have earmarked for my next trip to the country!

Kuramathi Resort: Best for Splurgeworthy Overwater Bungalows

Highlights: Pristine Colorful House Reef, Exceptional International and Local Cuisine, Pure Luxury-Level Stay, Overwater Bungalows, Pristine Beaches, Sustainable + Locally-Owned

I know this entire blog post is supposed to focus on properties under $100 per night…and this is not one of those places. But at about $400 per night (big splurge–I know) you can enjoy the “traditional” luxury Maldives vacation of your dreams. I’ve been to several private island resorts in the country but none impressed me the way Kuramathi did. The food, the snorkeling, the beaches, it’s all around the best bang for your buck. Even when the buck is that big.

If you’re visiting the Maldives for a special getaway I recommend at least considering Kuramathi Resort for a portion of your stay. You can read about my entire Kuramathi experience here.

These are my 11 favorite cheap hotels in the Maldives perfect for your next budget-friendly island getaway. You can hop from island to island or split your time between a few choice accommodations (with maybe a few days at Kuramathi thrown in). Let me know in the comments if you found any other local guesthouses to add to this list!

Save This Post For Later!