OZEN by Atmosphere at Maadhoo South Male atoll

Opened in July 2016, OZEN is the next offering from Atmosphere in the Maldives, and a step up from the preceding Atmosphere Kanifushi and OBLU at Helengeli resorts. The island is a long, narrow strip on the Eastern rim of the South Male Atoll. Like most of its Male neighbours, there’s no house reef straight off the beach, but twice-daily complimentary trips should provide a sufficient snorkelling fix for most of OZEN’s guests. Both Beach (‘Earth’) and Water (‘Wind’) Villas are spacious (Wind Villa decks could be bigger) and comfortable, without necessarily reaching the refined luxury of the very top-end resorts, and come with or without an attractive pool, those with a pool all being on the sunset side. With a growing demand for 2 bedroom villas in the Maldives at anything approaching a reasonable price, the very large Earth Family Pool Suites are likely to be snapped up.

So much for the hardware. What’s got everyone’s attention with OZEN is the ‘5 Star’ All Inclusive package. It wasn’t that long ago that All Inclusive in the Maldives meant an uninspiring buffet, obscure (usually dire) brands behind the bar and a choice between red or white wine with dinner. Some resorts haven’t improved much on this, and if you don’t fancy the Chateau Battery-Acid house wine then spending $50-a-bottle on something from the ‘premium’ list that’s regularly on offer in your local supermarket for £5 just makes you feel exploited. OZEN has genuinely set out to address this widespread sense of punter-mugging, and a browse through the drinks list should be enough to convince you that a great deal of thought has been put into the offering. The variety and quality of brands ‘on tap’ is unprecedented, from the collection of single malt whiskies to the different pouring Champagnes that have been selected for specific outlets. Fancy a glass of the delectable Cloudy Bay? Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, you choose.

Even more surprising is the quality of dining at OZEN. Our dinner at IndoCeylon was nothing short of spectacular. In our view, it’s the best Indian cuisine the Maldives has to offer, and at a level that would command top dollar in a swanky London restaurant. Raw, serving healthier lunchtime options at an outside stool bar, including delicious sushi & sashimi, looked to be highly popular. The underwater M6M is a real treat, with the 7 course degustation menu with wine flight only just eclipsed by the mesmerising array of marine life on display, coaxing gentle oohs & aahs from the clientele. 2 and a half hours literally whiz by and you’re very likely to find yourself chuckling over another glass of bubbles, each time you remember that this is all part of the ‘package’ and there’ll be no wince-inducing bill at the end of your meal. By the second or third day, it might be worth casting an eye over the schedule of free exercise classes.

The only shortcoming from our perspective is the presence of just one main bar on the island. As nice as Joie De Vivre is, it’s modern and buzzy, and more Miami Beach than Maldives. A second, more intimate chill-out bar on the beach would be a great addition, and the resort management assure us that options for this are currently under consideration. In the meantime, there’s always the option of lounging in your villa and dipping into the complimentary mini-bar, re-stocked twice daily.

It may not appeal to those looking for the more rustic and traditional islands, but OZEN has set a new benchmark for All Inclusive luxury in the Maldives. As long as the dining quality and service are maintained at the post-opening ‘honeymoon period’ levels, OZEN will fill its villas with ease and be sending ripples around the atolls, prompting some well-established resort brands to review their propositions.