Overwater bungalows by region, compared on what changes the stay: the size of the entry-level overwater villa, whether it has its own pool, glass floor panels, slides, and whether there is a two-bedroom villa over the water for families. Sizes and features are from each resort’s own website, checked in October 2026. The selection is ours. Accolades are the 2026 MICHELIN Keys and Forbes Travel Guide 2026 ratings; none of these resorts is on The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 list (1 to 100).
Comparison table
| Resort | Location | Overwater villa from | Private pool over water | Glass floor | Slide | Two-bedroom over water | Accolades (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora | Bora Bora, French Polynesia | 100 m² | Some villas | Not stated | No | Yes, 207 m², sleeps 6 | 2 MICHELIN Keys; Forbes Recommended |
| The St. Regis Bora Bora | Bora Bora, French Polynesia | 1,550 sq ft (144 m²) | Royal villas | Yes, all overwater villas | No | Yes (Overwater Royal with pool) | 2 MICHELIN Keys; Forbes Four-Star |
| Conrad Bora Bora Nui | Bora Bora, French Polynesia | Not published | Some villas | Not stated | No | Yes, 300 m² Presidential, sleeps 6 | Forbes Recommended |
| Le Taha’a by Pearl Resorts | Taha’a, French Polynesia | 90 m² | No | Yes | No | No | 2 MICHELIN Keys |
| Vahine Private Island | Taha’a, French Polynesia | Not published | No | Aquarium table | No | No | None found |
| Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa | Moorea, French Polynesia | 667 sq ft (62 m²) | No | Yes | No | No | None found |
| Aitutaki Lagoon Private Island Resort | Aitutaki, Cook Islands | Not published | No | Not stated | No | No (adults only, 16+) | None found |
| Likuliku Lagoon Resort | Mamanuca Islands, Fiji | 91 m² | No | Not stated | No | No (adults only) | None found |
| Soneva Jani | Noonu Atoll, Maldives | 555 m² (with slide) | Yes | Not stated | Yes | Yes, up to 4 bedrooms | 2 MICHELIN Keys; Forbes Five-Star |
| Cheval Blanc Randheli | Noonu Atoll, Maldives | 220 m² | Yes, 12.5 m | Not stated | No | Yes (2-Bedroom Garden Water Villa) | 3 MICHELIN Keys; Forbes Five-Star |
| Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi | Maldives | 283 m² | Yes | Yes, dressing room | No | Yes, 624 m²; three-bedroom also | Forbes Five-Star |
| Gili Lankanfushi | Maldives | 210 m² | Some villas | No | Private Reserve only | Yes, 385 m² | None found |
| Conrad Maldives Rangali Island | Rangali, Maldives | Not published | Some villas | Not stated | No | Yes, 150 to 451 m² | Forbes Four-Star |
| Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas | Baa Atoll, Maldives | 267 m² | Yes | Glass-bottom bathtub | No | No (one-bedroom family villa) | Forbes Four-Star |
| Six Senses Laamu | Laamu Atoll, Maldives | 108 m² | Some villas | Glass bathtub | No | No (beach villas advised for young children) | 1 MICHELIN Key; Forbes Recommended |
| Baros Maldives | Maldives | 92 m² | Some villas | Not stated | No | No (children from 8) | None found |
| Palafitos at El Dorado Maroma | Riviera Maya, Mexico | Not published | Yes | Yes | No | No | None found |
| Sandals (four resorts) | Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent | 1,248 sq ft (116 m²) at Saint Vincent | Some villas | Yes, Caribbean Cay and Grande St. Lucian | No | No (adults only) | None found |
| Nayara Bocas del Toro | Bocas del Toro, Panama | 102 m² | Yes | Yes, Overwater Pool Villa | No | No (adults only, 16+) | Relais & Châteaux |
| Cayo Espanto (Casa Ventanas) | Ambergris Caye, Belize | About 1,100 sq ft (102 m²) | No | Not stated | No | No | None found |
| Bawah Reserve | Anambas Islands, Indonesia | 105 m² | No | Not stated | No | No | None found |
| Song Saa Private Island | Koh Rong Archipelago, Cambodia | Not published | Yes, 26 m² | Not stated | No | Yes, 300 m² | None found |
| Misool | Indonesia | Not published | No | Not stated | No | No | None found |
“Not stated” means the resort’s villa pages do not mention it. Square-metre conversions in brackets are ours.
French Polynesia
Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora
On a private motu facing Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia. Of 115 accommodations, 108 are overwater bungalows; the other seven are beachfront villa estates.
- One-Bedroom Overwater Bungalow Suites: 100 m², beach, lagoon or mountain view, sleep 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.
- One-Bedroom suites with plunge pool: 104 m²; the Otemanu Overwater Bungalow Suite with Plunge Pool is 147 m².
- Two-Bedroom Herenui and Poerava Overwater Bungalow Suites with Plunge Pool: 207 m², sleep 6 adults or 2 adults and 4 children.
- Two MICHELIN Keys (2026). Forbes Travel Guide lists it as Recommended.
The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort
The resort says its overwater villas are the largest in French Polynesia, starting at 1,550 sq ft. Every overwater villa has a separate living room and bedroom and glass viewing panels cut into the floor. The Lagoon restaurant is also overwater with glass floor panels.
- Overwater categories: Superior, Deluxe, Deluxe Otemanu, Premier Otemanu (whirlpool) and Overwater Royal with pool, which comes in one- and two-bedroom versions.
- Families of two adults and two children under 12 can share several categories, including the Overwater Deluxe. The resort has a children’s programme.
- The largest unit, the Royal Estate, is on land: 1,200 m², three bedrooms, sleeps 8.
- Two MICHELIN Keys; Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026).
Conrad Bora Bora Nui
114 villas, set against Mount Otemanu and the lagoon of Motu To’opua.
- Presidential Overwater Villa: 300 m² over two storeys, two bedrooms, three bathrooms, sauna, infinity pool, sleeps up to 6.
- Royal Pool Overwater Villa: 151 m², private infinity pool.
- Other overwater categories with a private pool: King Overwater Pool Villa, King Otemanu View Pool Overwater Villa and King Sunset View Overwater Pool Villa. Most sleep 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children under 13.
- Forbes Travel Guide Recommended (2026).
Le Taha’a by Pearl Resorts
Added in this update. A 59-key resort on Taha’a with views of Bora Bora, and the first Relais & Châteaux property in French Polynesia.
- Taha’a Overwater Suite and End of Pontoon Overwater Suite: 90 m² (969 sq ft), glass floor panel, direct lagoon access, up to 3 guests. The overwater suites have no private pool; the pool villas are on the beach (1,937 sq ft).
- Two MICHELIN Keys (2026).
Vahine Private Island
Formerly Vahine Island Resort & Spa; the old vahineisland.com domain is now for sale, and the resort trades as Vahine Private Island at vahineprivateisland.com. It has nine beach and overwater bungalows plus the Ari’i Vahine royal villa on a private motu off Taha’a. It is a Small Luxury Hotels of the World member.
- Overwater bungalows have an aquarium table for watching fish below.
- Children are accepted from 10 years old.
Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa
Between Cook’s Bay and Opunohu Bay on Moorea. Overwater bungalows are 667 sq ft (62 m²) with a glass viewing panel in the floor and a ladder into the lagoon. The 2020 version of this guide said bungalow guests get a plunge pool: the pool bungalows here are on land (Garden Bungalow with Pool, 796 sq ft), not over water.
Cook Islands and Fiji
Aitutaki Lagoon Private Island Resort, Cook Islands
On a private island in Aitutaki Lagoon. The resort says its overwater bungalows are the only ones in the Cook Islands. It has 33 stand-alone bungalows in total and is adults only (16 and over). Overwater bungalows take 2 adults, or 3 with a third-adult supplement of $125 a night.
Likuliku Lagoon Resort, Fiji
Adults-only resort in the Mamanuca Islands. It has ten over-water bures of 91 m², which it describes as Fiji’s first. Two of them can be split into twin beds.
Laucala Island, on the 2020 list, has been dropped: its website describes 25 villas that open to ocean or jungle and lists no overwater accommodation. It holds two MICHELIN Keys.
Maldives
Soneva Jani
Noonu Atoll. Two MICHELIN Keys and a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating (2026); the MICHELIN Guide lists it with 25 rooms. Overwater villas have retractable roofs, and the Water Reserve categories have a slide from the deck into the lagoon.
- 1 Bedroom Water Reserve with Slide: 555 m², private pool, sleeps 3.
- 2 Bedroom Water Reserve and 2 Bedroom Sunset Water Reserve with Slide: 772 m².
- 4 Bedroom Sunset Water Reserve with Slide (Villa 105): 1,421 m², sleeps up to 9 adults.
- The Den is the children’s club, with a zipline, a pirate ship and a swim-up mocktail bar.
Cheval Blanc Randheli
Noonu Atoll, opened in 2013. Three MICHELIN Keys and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star (2026), the highest pair of ratings of any resort in this guide.
- 1-Bedroom Water Villa: 220 m² (2,370 sq ft), overwater deck with a 12.5 m private infinity pool, sleeps 2.
- Other overwater categories: Lagoon Villa, Horizon Villa and Garden Water Villa, with a 2-Bedroom Garden Water Villa for families. Sizes for these are not on the pages we checked.
Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi
Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star (2026). Every overwater villa has a private pool and a dressing room with a glass floor.
- King Overwater Villa with Pool: from 283 m², sleeps 2 adults and 2 children under 12.
- King Grand Overwater Villa with Pool: from 334 m²; two-queen versions are 293 m² and 346 m².
- Two Bedroom Overwater Villa with Pool: from 624 m², pool and jacuzzi, sleeps 4 adults and 2 children.
- Three Bedroom Overwater Villa with Pool: two infinity pools, private yacht transfer, sleeps 6 adults and 3 children.
- Kids’ club: Young Discovery Park.
Gili Lankanfushi
Thatched one- and two-bedroom villas with private rooftop terraces and direct ocean access.
- Villa Suite: 210 m², no pool. There are 18.
- Villa Suite with Pool: 264 m² with a 19 m² infinity pool.
- Two-Bedroom Villa with Pool: 385 m² with a 32 m² L-shaped pool, sunrise side.
- The Private Reserve: 1,700 m², two master bedrooms, infinity pool on the upper deck and a water slide from the top deck into a private lagoon swimming area. The resort calls it the world’s largest stand-alone overwater villa.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Rangali, across two islands. Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026). Home to The Muraka, the villa with an undersea bedroom, and the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant; both are covered in our underwater hotels guide.
- 2 Bedroom Grand Water Villa with Pool: 150 m², private infinity pool, sleeps 4. Parents with children under 12 sign a disclaimer on arrival.
- 2 Bedroom Rangali Ocean Pavilion with Pool: 451 m², sleeps 6.
- The Muraka: 550 m², sleeps 8.
Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas
Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, near Hanifaru Bay. 80 beach and overwater pool villas and residences. Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026).
- Over Water Pool Villa and Sunset Over Water Pool Villa: 267 m², private overwater pool.
- One Bedroom Family Over Water Pool Villa: 267 m². The two-bedroom family villa (412 m²) is on the beach.
- The villa pages mention glass-bottomed bathtubs. On site: SEA, an underwater restaurant, and SKY, an overwater observatory.
Six Senses Laamu
Laamu Atoll. One MICHELIN Key (2026); Forbes Travel Guide Recommended.
- Laamu Water Villa: 108 m², upper and lower decks, glass sunken bathtub, overwater netting hammock.
- Ocean Water Villa with Pool: 126 m², private overwater pool.
- The resort recommends beach villas, not water villas, for families with small children.
Baros Maldives
Children must be at least eight.
- Water Villa: 92 m², steps into the lagoon.
- Water Pool Villa: 126 m², private pool of 6.6 m by 3.6 m.
Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America
Palafitos at El Dorado Maroma, Mexico
Thirty overwater bungalows off Maroma Beach, Riviera Maya, run by Karisma on an all-inclusive basis. Each has glass-bottom floors and a private infinity pool. The Overwater Grill & Wine Bar has two glass-floor dining rooms. Size is not published on the official page.
Sandals overwater villas, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent
Sandals is adults only and all-inclusive. Four resorts have overwater rooms:
| Resort | Overwater room | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sandals Caribbean Cay, Montego Bay, Jamaica | Overwater Private Island Butler Villa with Infinity Pool; Overwater Private Island Butler Honeymoon Bungalow | Formerly Sandals Royal Caribbean. Glass floors. Reopens 18 December 2026 after a transformation |
| Sandals South Coast, Whitehouse, Jamaica | Blue Mahoe Overwater Butler Villa | 12 refreshed villas. Reopens 18 November 2026 |
| Sandals Grande St. Lucian, Saint Lucia | Overwater Honeymoon Butler Bungalow | Glass floor panels and lit water |
| Sandals Saint Vincent | Vincy Overwater Two-Story Villa | 1,248 sq ft, two storeys |
The heart-shaped cluster in the 2020 guide is the one at Sandals Caribbean Cay. Reopening dates are from Sandals’ announcement of 18 June 2026.
Nayara Bocas del Toro, Panama
Added in this update. An adults-only (16 and over), all-inclusive Relais & Châteaux resort on a private island. Accommodation is overwater villas and treehouses; there are no connecting rooms.
- Overwater Pool Villa: 102 m², private pool, glass floor inlay.
- Overwater Pool Villa Deluxe: 102 m², private saltwater plunge pool.
- Presidential Overwater Villa: 191 m², over-the-water indoor/outdoor infinity pool.
Cayo Espanto, Belize
Added in this update. A private island about three miles off San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, with one overwater bungalow: Casa Ventanas, a one-bedroom villa of about 1,100 sq ft at the end of a dock more than 150 ft long (Caribbean Journal, June 2026). Rates are all-inclusive, quoted per villa.
Asia
Bawah Reserve, Indonesia
Anambas Islands. Of 36 suites, bungalows and villas, 11 are standalone overwater bungalows of 105 m² with a sundeck stepping into the water, for two guests. They have no private pool; the pool villas (two to four bedrooms) are separate categories.
Song Saa Private Island, Cambodia
Koh Rong Archipelago. 24 villas, all with infinity pools.
- Overwater Villas: one bedroom on stilts, 26 m² private pool, outdoor bathroom. Listed from $2,059 on the resort’s site (checked 9 October 2026).
- Two Bed Overwater Villa: 300 m², 33 m² pool, sunken bathtub.
Misool, Indonesia
A remote dive resort. Eight Water Cottages stand on stilts over the North Lagoon, at least 10 m apart. Two North Lagoon villas, Nasnoos and Wakachom, are on stilts over the house reef with hammocks built into the verandas.
Dropped from the 2020 list
- Laucala Island, Fiji: no overwater villas (see the Fiji section).
- Six Senses Ninh Van Bay, Vietnam: its Water Pool Villas (154 m², plunge pool) are built on the edge of the water, not over it.
For island resorts without overwater rooms, see our luxury island resorts guide.