Escape to your Brennia Experience, in our exquisite resort surrounded by a huge white sandy beach, and a pristine turquoise lagoon.
Brennia Maldives is a haven of natural beauty and luxury located on Kottefaru Island in the northern atoll of Ari Atoll. A resort with eight types of villas strewn across its realm, Brennia offers a total of 102 land villas and 84 over-water villas to choose from. Each villa is a personal haven inspired by the hues and rhythms of Maldivian nature, providing a pure sanctuary where guests can effortlessly unwind, surrounded by our dazzling landscape.
At Brennia Kottefaru you’ll be offered a variety of dining options including an International buffet to a-la-carte Asian Fusion Restaurant and Grill Restaurant with an amazing view of the sun setting against the horizon. Our chefs prepare fine cuisine using only the freshest ingredients, prepared in front of you. You can experience this and more at our restaurant options that will surely satisfy your appetite!
Nature meets luxury at Brennia Kottefaru, as you are immersed in a sanctuary designed by a local designer inspired by a leaf. Eternity Spa from entry to exit will give you an impression of being in a village surrounded by exotic local vegetation, and palm trees that depict hope, renewal, and revival.
This secluded island resort is 40 minutes from Velana Airport by seaplane.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, are served in the Lime Restaurant, featuring ‘all you can eat’ buffets, with a variety of international cuisines to please everyone’s taste.
Beverage non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages during mealtime at the main restaurant Lime Restaurant and in the Main Bar La Pella from 10h00 till 00h00 midnight.
Dine Around Options of a special 3-course lunch or a 3-course dinner at Manta Restaurant or at Sunset Grill, daily (pre-booking required one day in advance subject to space availability) and are not valid for special events.
Daily Afternoon “High Tea” with snacks served at La Pella from 16h00 – 17h30
Soft Drinks – Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Orange, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Bitter Lemon, iced tea, tonic, and soda
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, are served in the Lime Restaurant, featuring ‘all you can eat’ buffets, with a variety of international cuisines to please everyone’s taste.
Beverage non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages during mealtime at the main restaurant Lime Restaurant and in the Main Bar La Pella from 10h00 till 00h00 midnight.
Dine Around Options of a special 3-course lunch or a 3-course dinner at Manta Restaurant or at Sunset Grill, daily (pre-booking required one day in advance subject to space availability) and are not valid for special events.
Daily Afternoon “High Tea” with snacks served at La Pella from 16h00 – 17h30
Soft Drinks – Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Orange, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Bitter Lemon, iced tea, tonic, and soda
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, are served in the Lime Restaurant, featuring ‘all you can eat’ buffets, with a variety of international cuisines to please everyone’s taste.
Beverage non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages during mealtime at the main restaurant Lime Restaurant and in the Main Bar La Pella from 10h00 till 00h00 midnight.
Dine Around Options of a special 3-course lunch or a 3-course dinner at Manta Restaurant or at Sunset Grill, daily (pre-booking required one day in advance subject to space availability) and are not valid for special events.
Daily Afternoon “High Tea” with snacks served at La Pella from 16h00 – 17h30
Soft Drinks – Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Orange, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Bitter Lemon, iced tea, tonic, and soda
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, are served in the Lime Restaurant, featuring ‘all you can eat’ buffets, with a variety of international cuisines to please everyone’s taste.
Beverage non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages during mealtime at the main restaurant Lime Restaurant and in the Main Bar La Pella from 10h00 till 00h00 midnight.
Dine Around Options of a special 3-course lunch or a 3-course dinner at Manta Restaurant or at Sunset Grill, daily (pre-booking required one day in advance subject to space availability) and are not valid for special events.
Daily Afternoon “High Tea” with snacks served at La Pella from 16h00 – 17h30
Soft Drinks – Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Orange, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Bitter Lemon, iced tea, tonic, and soda
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, are served in the Lime Restaurant, featuring ‘all you can eat’ buffets, with a variety of international cuisines to please everyone’s taste.
Beverage non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages during mealtime at the main restaurant Lime Restaurant and in the Main Bar La Pella from 10h00 till 00h00 midnight.
Dine Around Options of a special 3-course lunch or a 3-course dinner at Manta Restaurant or at Sunset Grill, daily (pre-booking required one day in advance subject to space availability) and are not valid for special events.
Daily Afternoon “High Tea” with snacks served at La Pella from 16h00 – 17h30
Soft Drinks – Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Orange, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Bitter Lemon, iced tea, tonic, and soda
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, are served in the Lime Restaurant, featuring ‘all you can eat’ buffets, with a variety of international cuisines to please everyone’s taste.
Beverage non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages during mealtime at the main restaurant Lime Restaurant and in the Main Bar La Pella from 10h00 till 00h00 midnight.
Dine Around Options of a special 3-course lunch or a 3-course dinner at Manta Restaurant or at Sunset Grill, daily (pre-booking required one day in advance subject to space availability) and are not valid for special events.
Daily Afternoon “High Tea” with snacks served at La Pella from 16h00 – 17h30
Soft Drinks – Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Orange, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Bitter Lemon, iced tea, tonic, and soda
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, are served in the Lime Restaurant, featuring ‘all you can eat’ buffets, with a variety of international cuisines to please everyone’s taste.
Beverage non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages during mealtime at the main restaurant Lime Restaurant and in the Main Bar La Pella from 10h00 till 00h00 midnight.
Dine Around Options of a special 3-course lunch or a 3-course dinner at Manta Restaurant or at Sunset Grill, daily (pre-booking required one day in advance subject to space availability) and are not valid for special events.
Daily Afternoon “High Tea” with snacks served at La Pella from 16h00 – 17h30
Soft Drinks – Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Orange, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Bitter Lemon, iced tea, tonic, and soda
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, are served in the Lime Restaurant, featuring ‘all you can eat’ buffets, with a variety of international cuisines to please everyone’s taste.
Beverage non-alcoholic & alcoholic beverages during mealtime at the main restaurant Lime Restaurant and in the Main Bar La Pella from 10h00 till 00h00 midnight.
Dine Around Options of a special 3-course lunch or a 3-course dinner at Manta Restaurant or at Sunset Grill, daily (pre-booking required one day in advance subject to space availability) and are not valid for special events.
Daily Afternoon “High Tea” with snacks served at La Pella from 16h00 – 17h30
Soft Drinks – Coke, Diet Coke, Fanta Orange, Sprite, Ginger Ale, Bitter Lemon, iced tea, tonic, and soda
Lime. Tranquillity is a word that can be used to describe the ambiance at Lime Restaurant. At our all-day dining multi-cuisine restaurant, savor the assortment of buffet meals available to you. With an array of tempting dishes that offer the perfect taste for every palate, the main restaurant is a haven of culinary delights.
Manta. Welcome to Manta, a stunning Asian specialty à la carte restaurant. Indulge your taste buds with the distinct flavors of Asia and experience a luxury dining experience unlike any other.
Sunset Grill. The Sunset Grill is the perfect place for a relaxing, romantic sunset dinner with your loved ones. From seafood to your choice of meat, our à la carte restaurant celebrates the zest of grilled food for dinner.
Bars
La Pella. La Pella, the main bar is the place to enjoy a drink and some light bites after an exhilarating afternoon in the ocean. It serves as a coffee shop, tending to the lounge area by the poolside as well.
Sports Bar. Experience the excitement of your favorite sports with this bar designed to capture the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Whether you’re soaking up the sun on your own private island or cheering with friends around the world, let a chilled beer rouse you from the island daze as sports enthusiasts gather around to cheer on their favorite teams.
Трансфер
Seaplane
Roundtrip Seaplane services (45-minute air transfer time per way), are operated by Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) only during daylight hours. To arrange Seaplane transfers, Your Outbound flight must arrive in the Maldives between 0600hrs and 1545hrs and your Inbound flight from the Maldives must depart between 09:00hrs and 20:00hrs. The baggage allowance for seaplanes is 25kgs per person including hand luggage. The Carrier reserves the right to charge for excess baggage directly from the passengers.
Reviews
422 reviews
Rating Summary
Sleep Quality
Location
Rooms
Service
Value
Cleanliness
Rating Summary
Terrible
23
Poor
10
Average
19
Very good
60
Exellent
310
Jandorothy
Amazing snorkling in crystal clear water.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in a beach villa, it was gorgeous to have our own loungers and umbrella right outside our Villa on the whitest sand. There were also lounges in our little outdoor area. Just in front of our Villa there was fabulous snorkeling, heaps of fish and super visibility, it was about 200m off shore, so you’d have to be confident swimmers. We also enjoyed the snorkel off the boat, a different experience as there were schools of fish and turtles.
The service throughout all 3 restaurants and the Sports Bar was excellent, the staff were very friendly and helpful. The service wasn’t nearly as good in the main bar, despite not being busy, we had to seek out a server to help most nights.
We enjoyed Manta & Sunset Grill, lots of choice and exemplary service. The buffet had lots of options, we loved the curries, but there was always other options.
It was great having beach all around the island, which is not always the case.
All in all a relaxing and indulgent holiday- we had an inclusive package, so we ate & drank lots! We would go back.
The only down side was leaving the island, we had to get a 7.30 sea plane arriving in Male at 8.15am despite that our onward flight wasn’t until 12.55. A long time to hang about the airport…..would have rather been at the beach!
1978emmalouwatts
Good 4*
Having read some of the reviews on here and other sites I had huge anxieties about what this resort would be like. I can only go by my own experience which on a whole was really positive despite a really negative start ( not really anything to do with Brennia but our outbound flights). Our IST-MLE flight got into
Male just after 5pm and this meant it was too late to catch the sea plane to the island. We had to wait until 11pm on the night to catch a domestic flight to Ifuru and then speedboat ( in pitch black) to resort. On reflection I think we would have preferred being booked into a male hotel for the night and going by sea plane early next morning ( we were so tired from travelling and delayed flights that hanging around Male for an additional 6 hours was unbearable)
Our room ( water villa) was lovely and couldn’t fault anything here. Lovely view across the reef and I found the noise of the sea quite therapeutic.
The food has a heavy Asian feel. Also themed nights in main lime restaurant. Manta restaurant is without doubt the best of all three not only for food but Alen the waiter is exceptional. Very friendly and efficient. The murgh makhani curry is one of the best curries I’ve ever had.
I found it annoying to have to go off on a boat to go snorkelling but there is very little close to the resort without going off on the boat.
Majority of staff are exceptional- Mina in the lime restaurant treated my daughter like s princess every time she saw her.
Agree with previous reviews whereby it’s highlighted that there is very little for children to do. My 10 year old daughter was mainly entertained by us but I imagine some kids might be a challenge if no other kids to play with.
The resort really is missing opportunities to create a better overall experience for the customer, the entertainment is woeful and could do with more perhaps at sunset grill beach ( it fire pit/ dj etc).
I also think having some chilled music playing by the pool would be a good addition.
It’s not a 5* resort but is a good 4* resort and we really enjoyed our stay.
53garvinp
A wonderful Honeymoon!
We were not disappointed for our honeymoon.. this place was perfect! We were upgraded to an ocean view pool villa which was the icing on the cake! Idyllic small island that you can walk around in 30 minutes. Every bar and restaurant is quite easy to access. Staff very friendly and helpful. We had a very enjoyable honeymoon at Brennia
Bunster007
Best...Holiday...Ever!!!
The place is wonderful, just go, you'll have a wonderful time.
Some tips and things to keep in mind...
Leaving a tip is not necessary but is very much appreciated. If you do tip, use U.S. dollars.
Take biting insect repellent to keep the sand flys away in the evening etc. They do a BBQ night on the beach and we forgot to slap the repellent on and oh how the sand-flys rejoiced. Fresh legs to feast on!
Over water villas are lovely. We were offered an upgrade to over water villa with pool at opposite side of island but didn't feel any extra value for $200 dollars a night.
The manta restaurant is lovely. Ask the waiter what's good on the menu and you'll eat like a king/queen. Thanks to Alen our waiter.
Same goes to Sunset Grill. Rhodie & Rosie were great and they recommended some lovely dishes.
Now lets talk about the mini bar. The mini bar inside your villa is restocked every day. However, this ain't Mexico, you don't get a bar full of optics and alcohol on tap with an endless supply. If you want a week or so of drink fuelled nonsense, then this place is not for you. There's also no butler service to your villa unless you want pay crazy prices for room service.
Snorkeling is off the chart amazing, especially from the water villas. Having spoken to a number of staff and couples at the resort, the overriding feeling was that the best snorkelling on the island was to be found at the Manta restaurant side of the island. However, I never tried the other areas so couldn't really say. All I do know is there is a wonderful piece of coral rock between water villa 613 and 614 which is about 20ft x 20ft that is literally swimming with tropical fish. We saw a Moray eel, two octopus and numerous different species of fish all with beautiful colours etc. We even saw Dory from finding Nemo who looked lost and was a frequent visitor to coral rock. A word of warning. Most folk are usually more concerned about what might bite them beneath the surface of the water than above the surface but the sun will bite in ways you can't imagine. It is so strong that the UV warnings were classed as extreme when we visited. You'll need to cover up when snorkeling either using sunblock, which is ocean friendly or better, a rash vest and pants that cover all your arms and legs. Failing that, prepare to burn in ways you never thought possible.
Also, snorkeling shoes are a must as the coral is very sharp.
All the restaurants are really laid back and shorts, sandal etc are fine. Nobody seems to dress up which might have something to do with the fact that none of the restaurants have aircon. You have aircon in your villa, the spa, and the dessert room but the reception and restaurants have none so dress light, you'll be glad you did.
The local options of food in all restaurants is the best choice. Try the numerous different curry dishes and you'll eat well, try the pasta, and you'll wish you hadn't, this ain't Italy its the Maldives. If you don't like curry, firstly, why? and second, you might want to think about popping off to somewhere else in the world. The curries are mild and so tasty.
I never visited the Sports Bar but having spoken to other couples, there was little sports going on. A bar? Yes, sports? Mmm, no.
When we stayed the island was running with only 55% capacity and it felt like we had the place to ourselves, bliss! Having said that I'd imagine even at full capacity, this place wouldn't feel over populated. Some would say that the restaurants lack atmosphere due to lack of punters but we loved it. Each to there own I guess.
Finally, you have to complete a visa when entering the Maldives which is easily done online, however, you have to complete the same visa on leaving, again online. We forgot, and it was a bogging nightmare. So before you leave your villa use the WiFi to complete the visa, I promise you'll thank me...have a fab holiday.
m0hamedwajdib
Brennia Kottefaru :)
This is one of the most memorable resorts I’ve stayed at anywhere. The island is gorgeous and has a pleasant size.
The staff was very friendly. The resort is spotless with great food and a variety of activities from water sports, excursions, la-Manta resturant is nice as well (Thanks chef Mustafa). I loved the Ocean Pool Villa, the room is extremely spacious and beautiful. There are many fish to be seen. I would say my stay here is totally worth it! I would recommend this place to anyone who loves Maldives and who want a special experience.
03.05.2023
Jandorothy
Amazing snorkling in crystal clear water.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in a beach villa, it was gorgeous to have our own loungers and umbrella right outside our Villa on the whitest sand. There were also lounges in our little outdoor area. Just in front of our Villa there was fabulous snorkeling, heaps of fish and super visibility, it was about 200m off shore, so you’d have to be confident swimmers. We also enjoyed the snorkel off the boat, a different experience as there were schools of fish and turtles.
The service throughout all 3 restaurants and the Sports Bar was excellent, the staff were very friendly and helpful. The service wasn’t nearly as good in the main bar, despite not being busy, we had to seek out a server to help most nights.
We enjoyed Manta & Sunset Grill, lots of choice and exemplary service. The buffet had lots of options, we loved the curries, but there was always other options.
It was great having beach all around the island, which is not always the case.
All in all a relaxing and indulgent holiday- we had an inclusive package, so we ate & drank lots! We would go back.
The only down side was leaving the island, we had to get a 7.30 sea plane arriving in Male at 8.15am despite that our onward flight wasn’t until 12.55. A long time to hang about the airport…..would have rather been at the beach!
30.04.2023
1978emmalouwatts
Good 4*
Having read some of the reviews on here and other sites I had huge anxieties about what this resort would be like. I can only go by my own experience which on a whole was really positive despite a really negative start ( not really anything to do with Brennia but our outbound flights). Our IST-MLE flight got into
Male just after 5pm and this meant it was too late to catch the sea plane to the island. We had to wait until 11pm on the night to catch a domestic flight to Ifuru and then speedboat ( in pitch black) to resort. On reflection I think we would have preferred being booked into a male hotel for the night and going by sea plane early next morning ( we were so tired from travelling and delayed flights that hanging around Male for an additional 6 hours was unbearable)
Our room ( water villa) was lovely and couldn’t fault anything here. Lovely view across the reef and I found the noise of the sea quite therapeutic.
The food has a heavy Asian feel. Also themed nights in main lime restaurant. Manta restaurant is without doubt the best of all three not only for food but Alen the waiter is exceptional. Very friendly and efficient. The murgh makhani curry is one of the best curries I’ve ever had.
I found it annoying to have to go off on a boat to go snorkelling but there is very little close to the resort without going off on the boat.
Majority of staff are exceptional- Mina in the lime restaurant treated my daughter like s princess every time she saw her.
Agree with previous reviews whereby it’s highlighted that there is very little for children to do. My 10 year old daughter was mainly entertained by us but I imagine some kids might be a challenge if no other kids to play with.
The resort really is missing opportunities to create a better overall experience for the customer, the entertainment is woeful and could do with more perhaps at sunset grill beach ( it fire pit/ dj etc).
I also think having some chilled music playing by the pool would be a good addition.
It’s not a 5* resort but is a good 4* resort and we really enjoyed our stay.
30.04.2023
53garvinp
A wonderful Honeymoon!
We were not disappointed for our honeymoon.. this place was perfect! We were upgraded to an ocean view pool villa which was the icing on the cake! Idyllic small island that you can walk around in 30 minutes. Every bar and restaurant is quite easy to access. Staff very friendly and helpful. We had a very enjoyable honeymoon at Brennia
26.04.2023
Bunster007
Best...Holiday...Ever!!!
The place is wonderful, just go, you'll have a wonderful time.
Some tips and things to keep in mind...
Leaving a tip is not necessary but is very much appreciated. If you do tip, use U.S. dollars.
Take biting insect repellent to keep the sand flys away in the evening etc. They do a BBQ night on the beach and we forgot to slap the repellent on and oh how the sand-flys rejoiced. Fresh legs to feast on!
Over water villas are lovely. We were offered an upgrade to over water villa with pool at opposite side of island but didn't feel any extra value for $200 dollars a night.
The manta restaurant is lovely. Ask the waiter what's good on the menu and you'll eat like a king/queen. Thanks to Alen our waiter.
Same goes to Sunset Grill. Rhodie & Rosie were great and they recommended some lovely dishes.
Now lets talk about the mini bar. The mini bar inside your villa is restocked every day. However, this ain't Mexico, you don't get a bar full of optics and alcohol on tap with an endless supply. If you want a week or so of drink fuelled nonsense, then this place is not for you. There's also no butler service to your villa unless you want pay crazy prices for room service.
Snorkeling is off the chart amazing, especially from the water villas. Having spoken to a number of staff and couples at the resort, the overriding feeling was that the best snorkelling on the island was to be found at the Manta restaurant side of the island. However, I never tried the other areas so couldn't really say. All I do know is there is a wonderful piece of coral rock between water villa 613 and 614 which is about 20ft x 20ft that is literally swimming with tropical fish. We saw a Moray eel, two octopus and numerous different species of fish all with beautiful colours etc. We even saw Dory from finding Nemo who looked lost and was a frequent visitor to coral rock. A word of warning. Most folk are usually more concerned about what might bite them beneath the surface of the water than above the surface but the sun will bite in ways you can't imagine. It is so strong that the UV warnings were classed as extreme when we visited. You'll need to cover up when snorkeling either using sunblock, which is ocean friendly or better, a rash vest and pants that cover all your arms and legs. Failing that, prepare to burn in ways you never thought possible.
Also, snorkeling shoes are a must as the coral is very sharp.
All the restaurants are really laid back and shorts, sandal etc are fine. Nobody seems to dress up which might have something to do with the fact that none of the restaurants have aircon. You have aircon in your villa, the spa, and the dessert room but the reception and restaurants have none so dress light, you'll be glad you did.
The local options of food in all restaurants is the best choice. Try the numerous different curry dishes and you'll eat well, try the pasta, and you'll wish you hadn't, this ain't Italy its the Maldives. If you don't like curry, firstly, why? and second, you might want to think about popping off to somewhere else in the world. The curries are mild and so tasty.
I never visited the Sports Bar but having spoken to other couples, there was little sports going on. A bar? Yes, sports? Mmm, no.
When we stayed the island was running with only 55% capacity and it felt like we had the place to ourselves, bliss! Having said that I'd imagine even at full capacity, this place wouldn't feel over populated. Some would say that the restaurants lack atmosphere due to lack of punters but we loved it. Each to there own I guess.
Finally, you have to complete a visa when entering the Maldives which is easily done online, however, you have to complete the same visa on leaving, again online. We forgot, and it was a bogging nightmare. So before you leave your villa use the WiFi to complete the visa, I promise you'll thank me...have a fab holiday.
19.04.2023
m0hamedwajdib
Brennia Kottefaru :)
This is one of the most memorable resorts I’ve stayed at anywhere. The island is gorgeous and has a pleasant size.
The staff was very friendly. The resort is spotless with great food and a variety of activities from water sports, excursions, la-Manta resturant is nice as well (Thanks chef Mustafa). I loved the Ocean Pool Villa, the room is extremely spacious and beautiful. There are many fish to be seen. I would say my stay here is totally worth it! I would recommend this place to anyone who loves Maldives and who want a special experience.
