There are several hotels and guesthouses in Malé, although most visitors stay on resort islands. There are no guest houses or self-catering facilities on any of the resort islands, although the new government have recently announced plans to build a network of guesthouses on inhabited islands to attract independent travellers.

There are numerous resorts, which vary from extravagantly luxurious to fairly simple. Accommodation almost invariably consists of thatch-roofed coral cabanas with en suite facilities. Most of the resorts have air-conditioned rooms with mini-bar, although some of the resorts still have fan-cooled rooms. Many resort groups have recently installed desalination plants to provide clean tap water.

The resorts are fully integral communities with sport and leisure facilities including scuba-diving and snorkelling, restaurants and bars and, in some cases, a shop and/or disco. There is a shop on every resort island. Different islands tend to attract different nationalities.