Somerset Inn
by the TopOfHotel team
Somerset Inn is the cheapest boutique base in central Malé that still hands you the same warm service as its bigger sibling — you trade the small rooms and missing pool for the price, the free car-and-boat pickup, and a walk-everywhere location.
Somerset Inn is the cheapest boutique base in central Malé that still hands you the same warm service as its bigger sibling — you trade the small rooms and missing pool for the price, the free car-and-boat pickup, and a walk-everywhere location.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a slim, clean-white boutique building right on Boduthakurufaanu Magu, the seafront road along the north edge of Malé island — and directly across the way, the harbor where speedboats and ferries sit lined up all day. Somerset Inn is the little sibling of The Somerset Hotel, built to let budget travelers feel the pulse of the Maldivian capital at a price they can actually swing. Step into the small lobby and it reads more like a friend's place than a chain — an easy white-and-sea-blue palette, a single sofa and a reception desk where the staff are usually standing ready with a smile. The 22 rooms run a minimal boutique look, with light-wood furniture against white walls and a small highlight of atoll photography on the wall. A few have a tiny balcony just big enough for two, looking out over the street and its churn of motorbikes, boats and people. Plenty of past guests say it feels like a guesthouse in a residential lane rather than a big chain hotel — small, but careful enough with the details to feel warm.
Food and amenities
The heart of a stay here is the service, which runs more detailed than the price suggests. It starts with the free airport car and ferry pickup across to Malé island — which sounds minor until you realize that getting from the Maldives airport to a city hotel is fussier than you'd expect. Many reviews note that you just send your flight time ahead and the staff are waiting at the airport, walking you onto the ferry and into a van straight to the door, with no taxi haggling. Being a small boutique, there's no pool or gym, but that's offset by a 24-hour tour desk that books a day-trip snorkel, a boat to a resort, or a drive around Malé in a few minutes. Breakfast comes as a set, brought to your room or eaten down in the lobby, with Western options — fried eggs, toast, juice — alongside Maldivian plates like mas huni (shredded tuna tossed with grated coconut and chili) and roshi, a flatbread close to roti. Free Wi-Fi runs smoothly throughout, and there's same-day laundry for anyone passing through before a resort — in short, the functions real travelers actually use are all here.
Location and getting there
Location is the trump card. Somerset Inn sits dead-center on Boduthakurufaanu Magu, the seafront road that acts as Malé's main artery. Walk out the door and it's under 4 minutes to the ferry terminal for the crossing to Velana airport — easy enough that a late-night flight doesn't mean padding your schedule with travel time. Another 5 minutes on foot lands you at the Male Fish Market, which fills at dawn with fishermen hauling giant yellowfin tuna off the boats — one of those slices of daily life you'll struggle to find anywhere else. Head the other way about 7 minutes and you reach Hukuru Miskiy, the old mosque built from coral stone back in 1656 and now a UNESCO World Heritage candidate. A little further is the Grand Friday Mosque, its gold dome striking against the blue sky. There's also Sultan Park and the National Museum for an evening stroll. Simply put, if you want to cover all of Malé in a day before a resort, this is the most convenient base on the island.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to make the call easier — Somerset Inn isn't a place you settle into for a long, lazy stay. Most rooms run about 18 to 22 sqm, which is smaller than a typical 3-star, so a couple with two big suitcases will feel cramped at packing time. There's no pool or gym since the building is small, so if you're picturing cocktails by the water, this isn't the answer. The other thing reviews flag often is noise — rooms facing Boduthakurufaanu Magu can catch speedboats firing up around 5 to 6 a.m. and motorbikes late at night, so light sleepers should ask for an inward-facing room, which is much quieter. Last, on alcohol: the Maldives is a Muslim country and sales are banned on inhabited islands, so no hotel or restaurant anywhere in Malé serves it. If you want a drink, you'll have to wait until you reach a resort or a cruise.
Our take
After reading through the real reviews and weighing it against the other central-Malé options, Somerset Inn is the most sensible pick for a budget traveler who wants to cover Malé in a night or two, before or after a resort run — the lightest rate of the 3-star boutiques, a free car-and-boat pickup that hugely cuts the travel-day chaos, a walk-everywhere location, and staff easygoing enough that the reviews all say the same thing. It's at its best for backpackers, budget couples, business travelers flying into the Maldives, and anyone needing one night before a morning boat to a resort. If your trip is about soaking up real Malé life on a tight budget, this is the best value going. But if you're expecting a big room, a pool, or a resort mood, skip ahead to something more upscale. Overall we give it 8.1/10 — a budget boutique that does its whole job and feels warmer than the price you actually pay.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Rates start around $90 a night — the cheapest of the 3-star boutiques in central Malé, yet you still get service on par with its bigger sibling, The Somerset.
- A free airport car and ferry pickup to the Velana terminal takes the stress out of the arrival day, so you're not scrambling to arrange your own connection.
- A genuinely central spot on Boduthakurufaanu Magu — the fish market, the harbor, the Grand Friday Mosque, and the old Hukuru Miskiy mosque are all within a 10-minute walk.
- Rooms are clean and bright in a white-and-sea-blue scheme, and some have a small balcony that catches the sea breeze and looks out over the lively street.
- Staff are easygoing and speak good English. A lot of reviews single them out for planning the next day's trip and flagging down a boat exactly when you need one.
- Rooms are on the small side, averaging roughly 18 to 22 sqm, so luggage space is tight. A couple arriving with two big suitcases will feel the squeeze.
- There's no pool or gym on site — the building is small and there's simply no room for it. Anyone expecting a resort vibe should look elsewhere.
- Rooms facing Boduthakurufaanu Magu can catch the sound of motorbikes and speedboats in the pre-dawn hours and late at night.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Malé
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around Malé — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
See activities in MaléAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Insider Tips
- Ask for an inward-facing room to dodge the boat and motorbike noise in the early morning — it's much quieter and you'll sleep better.
- Email your flight time to the hotel in advance, and the staff will line up the airport car and ferry to match your departure so there's no guesswork.
- If you're up early, walk the 5 minutes to the Male Fish Market and watch the fishermen haul big yellowfin tuna straight off the boats — it's one of the hardest Malé scenes to get a better photo of.