Most Expensive Resorts in the World: Top 10

The most expensive resorts in the world charge from about $19,000 to over $200,000 a night, led by Fiji's Laucala Island and Branson's Necker Island.

At this level, a resort is rarely priced by the room. The headline figure usually buys an entire private island, every villa on it and a staff that can outnumber the guests, or else a single palace-sized suite inside a famous beach resort. This ranking compares those top prices directly, so you can see what the very peak of leisure travel costs in 2026.

Every resort below has a rate that is either published by the property, listed by an established villa or island agency, or reported by a major travel publication. Where a resort offers both individual villas and a whole-island booking, we rank it by the whole-island rate, because that is the product that defines its price ceiling. Figures are in US dollars and exclude taxes unless stated.

How We Ranked the Most Expensive Resorts

Luxury resorts quote prices in very different ways, so a fair comparison needs a few ground rules. We used the same four tests for every entry.

• The price must be current: a rate card for 2026, an active listing, or a report from 2020 onward for packages still sold on request.
• The price must be for a place that operates as a resort, with its own hospitality team, dining and activities, rather than a private home rented through a holiday website.
• When a resort quotes a range, we rank it by the lowest nightly figure for its top product, so no property is flattered by a holiday surcharge.
• Package prices quoted per stay (for example, one price for six to nine nights) are converted into a nightly equivalent for comparison.

Prices at this level change with season, group size and the length of stay, and almost all of them require a minimum booking of three to seven nights. Treat each figure as the entry ticket rather than the final bill.

At a Glance

Sources: property rate cards and listings for 2026, Robb Report, Condé Nast Traveller Middle East, Architectural Digest, CNN and Elite Traveler. Full list at the end.

1. COMO Laucala Island, Fiji

Origins and History

Laucala was a working copra plantation for generations before it became one of the most private places to stay in the South Pacific. American publisher Malcolm Forbes owned the island for many years, and it later passed to the family of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, who turned it into a resort with an almost unlimited budget for design, farming and sport. The resort is now operated under the COMO brand as COMO Laucala Island.

Instead of packing in rooms, the owners spread just 25 villas across thousands of acres, giving every party a huge amount of space. During 2020, when international travel had almost stopped, the island offered a headline package with Fiji Airways that bundled a chartered Airbus A350, private domestic flights and a week of exclusive use from 672,000 dollars.

Key Features

• An 18-hole championship golf course designed by Scottish architect David McLay Kidd, carved through jungle and along the coast.
• Villas with private pools, from one-bedroom Plantation Villas to the Overwater Villa and the hilltop estate.
• Its own farm, which supplies much of the food served at the restaurants and in the villas.
• Dive and snorkel sites on the inner reef, game fishing, horse riding on the beach, sailing, jet skis and a kids club.
• A spa run in the COMO Shambhala style, with treatment villas and a garden of tropical plants.

Significance

Laucala shows how far the private island resort model can be pushed. One agency rate table lists individual villas from about 6,000 dollars a night, the Hilltop Estate at about 56,250 dollars and an exclusive rental of the island's 24 bookable villas for up to 72 people at about 212,500 dollars a night, all with Fiji's taxes and service charges included. Before those charges, the whole-island figure works out to roughly 170,000 dollars, the highest regularly quoted rate in this ranking.

That price buys more than beds. The island has its own airstrip, aircraft, golf course, marina and farm, and almost every activity is part of the all-inclusive rate.

Interesting Facts

• Guests are assigned a personal host, called a tau, the local word for friend.
• The resort's own planes are the normal way in, so arrival feels like flying to a private estate.
• The Seagrass restaurant looks across the water toward neighbouring Qamea Island.
• Reviewers in 2025 reported entry villa rates of about 6,500 dollars a night with a three-night minimum.

2. Necker Island, British Virgin Islands

Origins and History

Richard Branson bought Necker as an uninhabited island in the late 1970s and slowly built it into the most famous private island retreat in the Caribbean. It is run by Virgin Limited Edition, the Virgin Group's luxury hotel arm, and has hosted many famous guests over the decades.

The island has been rebuilt more than once. A fire caused by lightning destroyed the Great House in 2011, and Hurricane Irma badly damaged the island in 2017. Both times the main house and villas were rebuilt, and today the island reports capacity for up to 56 adults and 14 children during exclusive use.

Key Features

• The Great House at the highest point of the island, with 11 rooms and a roof terrace for dinner under the stars.
• Balinese-style houses grouped into Bali Hi, Bali Lo and the standalone Temple House beside its own infinity pool.
• Kite-surfing, wakeboarding, e-foiling, sailing, snorkelling and paddleboarding, plus tennis, padel and pickleball courts.
• A beachside spa, a famous sushi kayak lunch and a floating sushi bar.
• Wildlife that includes lemurs and a flamingo pond.

Significance

Necker is the benchmark against which other private islands are priced. Its reservations site lists whole-island hire from 154,250 dollars a night, all inclusive, well above the 105,000 to 122,000 dollars quoted in older agency listings. Even so, the island is not only for buyouts: during set Individual Stay Weeks, couples and small groups can book a single room from about 6,200 dollars a night.

The rate includes boat transfers from Virgin Gorda or Beef Island, all meals and drinks, most water sports and an off-island excursion, which is why it is one of the most complete all-inclusive packages anywhere.

Interesting Facts

• The island hosts a DJ party night during exclusive-use stays.
• A kids club, known on the island as the Necker Squids, keeps younger guests busy.
• Guests can take a boat to the granite boulders of The Baths on Virgin Gorda.
• Exclusive hire includes up to 28 bedrooms, counting a beach villa and two bunkrooms.

3. Calivigny Island, Grenada

Origins and History

Calivigny is a privately owned island that opens its houses and staff to one group at a time. Its owners built a set of large villas, including the beachfront Beach House and the Overhang House, and then added the sports, boats and services of a full resort. The result is a hybrid: a family estate in look and feel, but run with a hospitality team of about 80 people.

Its location is one of its strengths. Unlike many private islands, which require a seaplane or a long boat ride, Calivigny sits just off Grenada's mainland, so guests can land at the international airport and reach the island after a short drive and a five-minute boat ride.

Key Features

• Three main residences that can house up to 40 guests in 25 bedrooms.
• A swim-up bar, wood-fired pizza oven and teppanyaki grill alongside formal dining.
• Trails for running and cycling, a tennis court and a fully equipped gym with trainers on call.
• A large fleet of boats and water toys for diving, fishing, kayaking, windsurfing and paddleboarding.
• A wine cellar and entertainment rooms for large celebrations.

Significance

Calivigny proves that the Caribbean's top price is not set by one island alone. A major villa agency lists the 2026 and 2027 rate at 129,000 dollars a night for one to 30 guests and 148,500 dollars for up to 40, with a seven-night minimum and 15 percent tax on top. A full week for a large party can therefore pass one million dollars before any extras.

Its size and layout suit weddings, milestone birthdays and company retreats, where a host wants to bring dozens of guests to a single, closed venue.

Interesting Facts

• Rates are based on two people per bedroom, so very large parties pay more.
• Meals, drinks and many water sports are included, but premium wines and special events are extra.
• The island's houses are usually described as architectural landmarks in their own right.
• Its quick boat transfer makes it one of the easiest private islands in the world to reach.

4. Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands

Origins and History

Peter Island has long been the largest luxury private island resort in the British Virgin Islands. Like most of the territory, it was hit hard by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Today it combines beachfront rooms and two hilltop villas with a full-service marina and a large seaside spa.

On 1 October 2026, the resort announced a set of offers for its new season, headed by a buyout of the entire island priced at one million dollars. That headline makes it the newest entry in this ranking.

Key Features

• Falcon's Nest, a six-bedroom gated estate of about 22,000 square feet on one of the island's highest peaks, with 360-degree views.
• A 10,000-square-foot seaside spa.
• Peter Island Yacht Club, a marina that can take superyachts of up to 200 feet.
• Two restaurants, the Drake Steakhouse and the Drunken Pelican.
• Five beaches, including Deadman's Beach and White Bay Beach, plus a hiking loop across the island.

Significance

The buyout starts at one million dollars for six to nine nights, depending on the season, which equals roughly 111,000 to 167,000 dollars a night before 21 percent tax and service charges. That covers every beachfront room, suite and villa, meals at both restaurants, most drinks and airport transfers for up to 120 guests, so it has one of the lowest costs per guest of any whole-island deal here.

For smaller groups, the same release lists a five-night Falcon's Nest package from 84,000 dollars and a dock-and-villa offer for sailors from 14,400 dollars a night for up to 12 guests.

Interesting Facts

• The resort describes itself as the largest private island hideaway in the British Virgin Islands.
• The Falcon's Nest estate includes two guest houses, an infinity pool, a waterfall and a media room.
• The buyout price is per stay rather than per night.
• Sailors on the Dock and Villa offer can keep their yacht at the island's marina while staying ashore.

5. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai

Origins and History

Atlantis The Royal opened on the Palm Jumeirah in 2023 as a sister to the original Atlantis The Palm nearby. Its launch weekend in January 2023 included a private concert by Beyoncé, who stayed in the resort's Royal Mansion, and the event made the suite famous almost overnight.

The resort is not a private island, but it earns a place on this list because its top suite carries one of the highest published nightly prices of any resort or hotel. Guests who want the Royal Mansion must apply to the resort directly.

Key Features

• A private entrance and foyer with century-old olive trees and very high ceilings.
• White marble floors, vivid chandeliers and a wood-furnished terrace.
• Four bedrooms across two levels, designed for a family or a group travelling with staff.
• Access to a resort with restaurants led by star chefs, a beach and a spa.
• A chauffeured arrival through the suite's private entrance.

Significance

When it opened, the resort said the Royal Mansion was the most expensive hotel room in the world based on publicly shared rates. Architectural Digest noted that the previous record holder, the Empathy Suite at a Las Vegas resort, had cut its price to about 75,000 dollars a night.

Unlike the island buyouts above, the Royal Mansion is a single suite. That makes its 100,000-dollar headline even more striking, because it buys space for one party rather than an entire island.

Interesting Facts

• Beyoncé's one-hour opening performance reportedly cost the resort about 24 million dollars.
• The suite is a two-level penthouse rather than a separate villa.
• Rate-tracking sites have shown some future nights listed below the headline figure.
• The resort's opening weekend drew guests from film, fashion and music.

6. Ithaafushi Private Island, Maldives

Origins and History

Waldorf Astoria opened its Maldives resort on Ithaafushi in South Malé Atoll and in 2020 added a separate island that could be booked by just one group. At launch, it was marketed as the largest private island in the Maldives, and CNN reported a buyout price of 80,000 dollars a night.

The private island is part of a three-island estate, so guests can enjoy complete privacy while still using the wider resort's restaurants, spa and yachts.

Key Features

• A dedicated team of butlers and guest experience managers for the whole stay.
• Beach and overwater villas with private infinity pools, plus a four-bedroom residence.
• Access to around 11 dining venues across the wider resort, including treetop dining at Terra.
• Private yacht trips, diving, snorkelling and a large spa.
• Fast transfers from Velana International Airport by speedboat or yacht at any hour.

Significance

Ithaafushi shows how the Maldives, already famous for one-resort-one-island travel, has moved into full private island buyouts. Its current listings start from about 90,000 dollars a night with Elite Traveler, above the 80,000 dollars announced at launch.

Because the island is close to the capital's international airport, it suits guests who want total privacy without a long seaplane journey.

Interesting Facts

• It was promoted at launch as the biggest private island in the Maldives.
• Its villas come with private infinity pools.
• At about 32,000 square metres, it covers more than four football pitches.
• The estate's location means late-night arrivals can still transfer straight to the island.

7. Musha Cay, Bahamas

Origins and History

David Copperfield bought Musha Cay and a group of surrounding cays in the Exumas in the mid-2000s and created a resort known as Musha Cay and the Islands of Copperfield Bay. He kept it small and highly private, with one reservation at a time and no individual villa bookings.

That rule is the heart of its appeal. Whoever is on the island has it entirely to themselves, along with a staff that plans every meal and activity around the group.

Key Features

• All meals and drinks, including fine wines and champagne, are part of the rate.
• A gym, tennis court, volleyball, swimming pool and billiards room.
• A two-mile sandbar that appears with the seasons and can be used for picnics.
• A night at Dave's Drive-in, which is included in every stay.
• Beaches, coves and nearby cays for snorkelling, boating and fishing.

Significance

Musha Cay's official rate starts at 57,000 dollars a day for up to 12 guests, with a five-night minimum, so a short stay starts at about 285,000 dollars before travel and extras. It can host up to 24 guests at higher rates.

Unlike many resorts that claim to be all inclusive, Musha Cay states clearly what is not included: transport to the island, massages, deep-sea fishing and special entertainment such as fireworks or bands.

Interesting Facts

• The island never rents out individual villas.
• No two reservations can overlap, so guests never share the island.
• It is one of the best-known celebrity-owned resorts in the Caribbean.
• The resort's reservations team plans menus and daily schedules before arrival.

8. Over Yonder Cay, Bahamas

Origins and History

Over Yonder Cay was developed as a fully staffed private island with a strong focus on renewable energy and outdoor sport. Its four villas each have their own beach and living areas, and the whole island is rented to one group at a time.

The island's energy system is unusual among luxury resorts. Three wind turbines and a solar field of about 1.5 acres provide most of its power.

Key Features

• A nine-hole par-three golf course for the guests alone.
• A deepwater marina with sailing yachts, fishing boats, dive boats and seaplane access.
• A beach club with a bar, dance floor and DJ station.
• Staff that includes a dive master, captain, water sports instructor, fishing guides, spa therapists and yoga teachers.
• A floodlit tennis court, volleyball court, gym, games room and cinema.

Significance

A major villa agency lists 2026 rates of 51,000 to 81,900 dollars a night for up to 30 guests with a four-night minimum, rising to between 58,650 and 94,185 dollars a night over Christmas and New Year with a six-night minimum. Rates depend on how many of the villas are used, and a 10 percent tax is added.

Its mix of eco credentials and sports facilities suits family reunions and active groups.

Interesting Facts

• Meridian House features Rococo-inspired decor and a conservatory with a Steinway piano.
• The island is about 30 minutes by seaplane from Nassau or Great Exuma.
• A wildlife trail circles the island for walking, cycling and jogging.
• Each villa has its own hot tub and outdoor living space.

9. Thanda Island, Tanzania

Origins and History

Thanda Island is the island arm of Thanda, a group better known for luxury safari lodges in southern Africa. It was created as a single-villa private island in East Africa, with conservation of the surrounding reef at the centre of the project.

The island sits inside a protected marine area, and guests pay a conservation levy of 150 dollars per stay and a marine park levy of 23.60 dollars a day on top of the nightly rate, reflecting its place inside a protected marine area.

Key Features

• Exclusive use of the whole island and its surrounding reserve.
• Swimming with whale sharks between October and March.
• Snorkelling, sailing, jet skis, kayaks, paddleboards, water skiing and wakeboarding.
• A floodlit tennis court, an air-conditioned gym and spa treatments.
• Transfers by helicopter from Dar es Salaam in about 25 minutes.

Significance

Thanda's 2026 rate card lists exclusive use at 40,750 dollars a night from 12 January to 13 December 2026 and 45,750 dollars from 14 December 2026 to 10 January 2027, with higher packages that add the helicopter or the catamaran. Unusually, the rate already includes local VAT, meals, drinks and most activities.

It is the only African resort on this list, and few buyouts anywhere offer a seasonal chance to swim with whale sharks.

Interesting Facts

• Guests can sleep aboard the 45-foot catamaran Umoja for overnight trips.
• The marine park levy is charged per person per day.
• Its parent company also runs safari lodges, so many guests combine island and bush in one trip.
• Earlier rate cards set exclusive use at 45,000 dollars a night with a five-night minimum.

10. Cayo Espanto, Belize

Origins and History

Cayo Espanto is a tiny private island resort in Belize that has run for about 25 years. It was designed for privacy first, with just a handful of villas, each facing the sea and each with its own pool.

The resort can be booked one villa at a time or as an entire island for up to 18 people, making it one of the most accessible ways to experience a true private island buyout.

Key Features

• A personal houseman for each villa.
• Three tailored meals a day, served in the villa, on a dock or in the dining palapa.
• Non-motorised water sports, including sea kayaks and sailing boats.
• A daily scheduled boat to and from San Pedro on Ambergris Caye.
• Close access to the Belize Barrier Reef for diving and snorkelling.

Significance

Cayo Espanto's published full island rate is 19,995 dollars a night in winter and spring, 18,995 dollars in summer and autumn and 25,995 dollars over the holidays, with a slightly higher table for the following season. Single villas start at about 2,300 dollars a night.

Its place at number 10 shows how wide the market is. A whole private island here costs about one-ninth of the price at the top of this list, yet it still delivers complete privacy.

Interesting Facts

• Its overwater bungalow is called Casa Ventanas.
• The island has a four-night minimum, rising to seven nights over the holidays.
• Rates fall if fewer than 18 guests stay during a full island booking.
• Wine and champagne are charged separately, unlike most of the islands above.

Comparison: What Each Price Buys

Other Ultra-Expensive Resorts Worth Knowing

Several famous resorts did not make the top 10 because they do not publish a whole-property rate, but they still sit near the top of the market.

• North Island, Seychelles: its largest villa, Villa North, starts at about 13,000 euros, or around 15,000 dollars, a night, according to the resort's deputy general manager speaking to CNN in 2025.
• Necker Island's Individual Stay Weeks: a single room starts from about 6,200 dollars a night, all inclusive.
• COMO Laucala Island's Hilltop Estate: about 56,250 dollars a night including taxes, which would rank in the top 10 on its own as a single residence.
• Peter Island's Falcon's Nest: from 14,400 dollars a night for up to 12 guests on the Dock and Villa offer.

Why These Resorts Cost So Much

The price of a top resort reflects far more than a bed with a view. Several costs stack up at once.

• Remoteness: every bottle of wine, spare part and staff member has to be flown or shipped in.
• Staffing: many of these islands employ more people than they host, with chefs, boat crews, butlers and guides on hand around the clock.
• Exclusivity: when only one group can stay, the resort must earn a year's income from far fewer bookings.
• Infrastructure: airstrips, marinas, golf courses, power plants and water desalination are expensive to build and maintain.
• Inclusions: most rates cover all meals, drinks and many activities, which can add thousands of dollars a day per guest elsewhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most expensive resort in the world?

Based on current published and agency rates, COMO Laucala Island in Fiji is the most expensive, with an exclusive island rental listed at about 212,500 dollars a night including taxes, or roughly 170,000 dollars before them. Necker Island is close behind, with whole-island hire from 154,250 dollars a night, all inclusive.

What is the most expensive single resort suite?

The Royal Mansion at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai is the best-known example, with rates from 100,000 dollars a night. The resort said at its 2023 opening that it was the most expensive hotel room in the world based on publicly shared rates, and guests must apply directly to book it.

Can you stay at Necker Island without renting the whole island?

Yes. During set Individual Stay Weeks, Necker sells single rooms and Balinese houses to couples and small groups, starting from about 6,200 dollars a night, all inclusive. Outside those weeks, the island is usually booked by one group, with whole-island hire from 154,250 dollars a night.

Are these resort prices all inclusive?

Most include meals, drinks and many activities, but the details differ. Musha Cay excludes transport and massages, Cayo Espanto charges separately for wine and champagne, and several resorts add taxes and service charges of 10 to 25 percent. Always ask for the full quote, including transfers and gratuities.

Why are private island resorts so expensive?

They combine remote locations, large staff teams and very few bookings. Food, fuel and equipment have to be shipped or flown in, and many islands run their own power, water and transport systems. Because only one group stays at a time, each booking must cover a large share of the yearly running costs.

What is the cheapest way to experience a private island resort?

Book a single villa instead of the whole island. Cayo Espanto villas start at about 2,300 dollars a night, Necker rooms from about 6,200 dollars in Individual Stay Weeks, and Laucala villas from about 6,000 to 6,500 dollars. Travelling in a low season can also bring prices down.

How far ahead should you book these resorts?

Popular holiday weeks at the top islands are often booked many months, or even a year, ahead. Off-peak dates are easier to secure. Most require minimum stays of three to seven nights, and large deposits are common.

Conclusion

The most expensive resorts in the world are no longer simply luxury hotels with large suites. At the top, they are entire islands run like private estates, from COMO Laucala Island in Fiji and Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands to Calivigny Island in Grenada and the newly priced million-dollar buyout at Peter Island. Dubai's Royal Mansion shows that a single suite can rival them, while the Maldives, the Bahamas, Tanzania and Belize each offer their own version of total privacy.

What unites them is control: of space, time, food and company. Whether the bill is 19,000 or 200,000 dollars a night, guests are paying for the rare feeling that an entire corner of the world exists only for them.

For more ranked lists, browse the Top 10 Facts collection, explore the largest islands in the world, see the most walkable cities in the world, or check the most dangerous tourist destinations in the world before planning your next trip.