Baros is one of those resorts that has built up a devoted following of repeat visitors. It was closed down in 2005, rebuilt and then re-opened as something entirely new and different. Well, maybe not so different. It has managed to retain the essential intimacy, friendliness and closeness to nature that people so loved about Baros. But the radical changes of build, style and service now place the resort among the elite.

Created for pure pleasure

With each aspect of the resort designed as an 'event' to draw out more pleasure, Baros leaves guests with even deeper impressions than before. Impressions that linger even longer in the memory.

Walking down the jetty for the first time, one's eyes are drawn to the beautiful lines of the restaurants built into the lagoon. Combined with entering the grand reception, impressive yet not overstated, guests get an immediate and satisfying sense of arrival. Or even, as they say of owning a luxury car, of having arrived.

Rooms from a designer magazine

This impression is enriched when guests get to their room and look around. The quality of the workmanship is obvious; the style is modern and a touch 'different'. There are three categories, the Deluxe Villas (24), the Baros Villas (20) and the Water Villas (30) - not including the one Pool Villa. The Deluxe Villas are elegant and relatively simple (without a four-poster). The other categories give you the feeling of walking into a coffee table book of chic hotel rooms. The designer fittings, the brilliantly concealed television and DVD player, the Pininfarina coffee maker and the well-stocked wine cooler tell you that a great deal of thought and attention has gone into making the rooms a significant part of your holiday.

When I tell you that every room is just a few feet away from the beach or the lagoon and each has a very large deck with a bolstered daybed and a dining table, then you won't be surprised to read that a large portion of guests are not seen anywhere else on the resort for days on end. As the wines in the cooler are very well priced and room service is 24 hours a day, it makes 'staying at home' a most enticing option.

Outstanding cuisine

In fact it is the food and wine even more than the beautiful setting that secures Baros's place among the elite resorts. The Lighthouse Restaurant is the one building that is not thatched, but it has a dramatic white peaked roof that marks it out as the icon of the resort. Upstairs is a classy lounge bar with panoramic views, which is just the place for a preprandial martini cocktail or glass of champagne. Downstairs is one of the true haute cuisine restaurants in the country, serving an eclectic menu of Asian and Mediterranean classics and fusions. Not only is the wine cellar extensive but renowned wine growers are invited to present and talk about their vintages.

The second restaurant of note is the Cayenne Grill where seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes are prepared in your choice of eight distinct styles and served at your own thatched pavilion on decking beside the water's edge. The Lime Restaurant is the all-day and more informal dining option. As everyone comes on a bed and breakfast arrangement these restaurants, as well as the villa dining, are critical to the resort's success and reputation.

Natural Maldivian beauty

The usual factors that build a resort's reputation have always been here. Snorkelling is good and access is very good, as the reef runs close around most of the island. The beach surrounds the island and is mostly excellent with just a small area of less fine sand in front of some deluxe rooms. A low wall in the lagoon has been deemed necessary in order to protect the beach from erosion.

The island is still an example of Maldivian nature at its best. The following years will see the replanted plants and flowers blossom to their original glory around the public areas and in front of those few deluxe rooms that lack complete shade and privacy.

The final critical factor is the quality of the staff, and Baros is admirably served by new top professionals, as well as others who have stayed with the resort year after year, much to the returning guests' delight.