Peace Boat arrives in Maldives

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Peace Boat, on its 81st Global Voyage for Peace arrived to Maldives on 7th December 2013. With approximately 1000 passengers, Peace Boat embarked its journey from Yokohama Japan, on November 22nd, 2013 and will visit various regions of the world before returning to Japan on March 6th, 2014. This voyage marks Peace Boat’s first visit to Maldives.

Peace Boat is a Japan-based international non-governmental and non-profit organization that works to promote peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment. Peace Boat conducts on board educational program or workshops to help educate the people onboard in advance about the regions the Boat is visiting. 

During the two day call in Maldives the passengers will explore Male’, learn about the history and culture of Maldives. Passengers also will be taking excursion trips to nearby Maldives Resorts and picnic islands to experience the true Maldivian break.

Peace Boat will depart Maldives today evening. (2013-12-08)

http://www.visitmaldives.com/en/news_posts/462

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Plan Ur #Maldives Holiday @AlphaMaldives, #Dec2014 Last Minute #MaldivesOffers. Please "retweet" this post. pic.twitter.com/I8PvF1UVsa
— Alpha Maldives (@AlphaMaldives) December 8, 2013

Maldives wins award as best island destination in world

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The Maldives has been awarded the title of "World's Leading Island Destination" at the 2013 World Travel Awards (WTA) in Qatar, local media reported on Friday.

This is the third time the Maldives has won the prestigious travel award. The WTA is hailed as the "Oscars of the Travel Industry," Minivan News reported.

The Maldives competed against Bali in Indonesia, Barbados, Cook Islands, Crete in Greece, Jamaica, the Madeira Islands, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Sicily in Italy, St. Lucia, and Zanzibar in Tanzania this year.

Maldivian resorts also scooped a number of awards in various categories with Hulhule Island Hotel winning the World's Leading Airport Resort 2013, and Conrad Maldives Rangali Island winning the World's Leading Water Villa Resort 2013.

Baros Maldives won recognition as the World's Most Romantic Resort 2013 and World's Leading Island Villas 2013.

The Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) said the awards highlight the "uniqueness" of Maldives and recognizes the Maldives as a world-class luxury destination.

Last month the Maldives reached one million tourist arrivals for the first time in a calendar year.

More than a quarter of tourists to Maldives are from China with the country being the largest source of travelers to the Indian Ocean islands.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb said the "victory had been made possible amidst boycott campaigns and other such obstacles."

The political turmoil since February 2012 had caused growth in the tourism industry to stall, but growth is expected to pick up next year.

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/travel/2013-12/06/c_132947663.htm

Jumeirah Dhevanafushi Maldives sold to CDL Hospitality Trusts

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JONES Lang LaSalle's Hotels & Hospitality Group (JLL) has exchanged contracts for the sale of luxury resort, Jumeirah Dhevanafushi, in the Maldives to Singapore-based CDL Hospitality Trusts for US$59.6 million.

The sale of the prpoerty, which comprises 19 beach villas and 16 over-water villas, includes the benefit of a long-term management agreement with Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts.

It also marks CDL Hospitality Trusts’ second acquisition in the Maldives in 2013, following its purchase of the Angsana Velavaru earlier this year.

JLL senior vice president for investment sales Asia, Nihat Ercan, said: “We are delighted to announce this landmark sale, the first arm’s length third-party managed resort sale in the Maldives and the second acquisition in the country by a major regional institutional investor during 2013.

“With sound trading fundamentals and enduring strength of visitor demand, the Maldives has certainly captured the attention of the investment community across Asia and the Middle East. We are seeing significant interest and weight of capital from private investors, owner-operators, listed companies and institutional investors, and we expect this trend to continue into 2014 as further opportunities in this unique market unfold.”

Since 2012, JLL has brokered five resort transactions in the Maldives, representing over 350 rooms and more than US$330 million in transaction volume, underscoring the island destination as one of the most liquid investment markets in Asia.

Christmas Sparkles at W Maldives

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W Retreat & Spa Maldives is offering a vast choice of options this Christmas for our guests.

The magic of Christmas starts on December 21 with the lighting ceremony in the LIVING ROOM, where guests will mix together and enjoy the wonderful Christmas atmosphere while sipping on signature BRING THE BRIGHT cocktails created by Joseph Boroski, Director of Cocktail Culture.

Guests will have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas Eve while sipping champagne and admiring the Maldivian sunset. They will then taste and savor the creative Christmas buffet from KITCHEN, created by Executive Chef Severin Huerlimann, while listening to live music. For those who prefer a romantic dinner, our Executive Chef has prepared a mini a la carte menu at FISH with a starter, main, intermezzo and dessert. For more intimacy, guests will have the possibility to have dinner on one of the special corral terraces, facing the Indian Ocean.

On Christmas day, guests will savor a special Christmas course for lunch at KITCHEN and will experience a fine gourmet 6 course dinner at FISH while listening to live music.

At W Maldives, the possibilities are endless; WHATEVER/WHENEVER, just ask.

Our guests will be connected with their inner peace and will go along with the pace of island life. They will experience one of the 78 personal Retreats, either on the beachside or overwater giving them access to endless Indian Ocean views. They will succumb to the dazzling blue waters, spectacular reefs and pristine sands in style and be at one with both body and soul. AWAY® Spa at W Maldives is the ultimate sanctuary for well-being with four overwater treatment villas, each with a private outdoor area and a range of treatments designed to remove all the stresses and strains of modern day city life.

Michaelangelo L'Acqua sails to the New Year at W Maldives

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Retreat & Spa Maldives unveils its BRING THE BRIGHT New Year Eve exclusive program. All guests at the retreat are invited to join 'the yacht night' - the ultimate way to celebrate the arrival of 2014.

Resident DJ, Xeum, will open the night festivities at LIVING ROOM by setting the scene for an intoxicating night. Guests are invited to sip champagne and innovative BRING THE BRIGHT signature cocktails created by Joseph Boroski, Director of Cocktail Culture. To make sure the evening is not forgotten, a photographer will be snap photos of the celebrations.

After enjoying the innovative cocktails in the LIVING ROOM, guests will be invited to take a seat at WET Garden and indulge with New Year Eve dinner buffet prepared by our Executive Chef, Severin Huerlimann. This will be the perfect time to experience infinite festive delicacies, which will tempt anyone's palate. During the dinner, live singers & Latin dancers will perform on three stages located at the corners of the garden. Michaelangelo L'Acqua, the Global Music Director for W Hotels Worldwide, will perform on his unique yacht, where he will play vibrant beats the whole night.

A laser show will be projected on the lagoon while L'Acqua gives the countdown and spins rhythmic tunes while the guests dance the night away on the island.

After a long night out of celebration, all W jet setters will be invited to start 2014 to the hangover beach party @ WET, our swim-up pool bar. A special RECOVERY COCKTAIL will set them on the road to recovery.

W Retreat & Spa - Maldives is the elite destination for starting New Year with style.

Contact for Reservations:  00960 792 2533 or Visit https://www.AlphaMaldives.com

Baros Maldives Wins Two World Travel Awards

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Baros Maldives is delighted to have won two prestigious titles at the 20th annual World Travel Awards in Doha on 30th November 2013.

The family owned resort has once again claimed the coveted title of the “World’s Most Romantic Hotel", alongside a second award for “The World’s Leading Island Villas.” 

The awards were accepted by Joanna Koski, Marketing Manager, at the Gala Ceremony on 30 November 2013 in Doha. The World Travel Awards are regarded as the hospitality industry’s Oscars. Nominations come from members of the travel industry and those associated professionally with the travel trade, and are based on regularly conducted expert evaluations. 

Baros was selected over the leading romantic resorts in Antigua, Argentina, Bahamas, Dubai, Mauritius, Thailand and Turkey. Finalists for the Worlds’ Leading Island Villas – for which the previous winners have all been in the Pacific – came from Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Fiji Cook Islands and Polynesia.

Baros Maldives Resort – which is celebrating its 40th Anniversary on 7th December 2013 - is a small, luxurious independent resort in the Indian Ocean, just 20 minutes by speedboat from the Maldives International Airport. It consists of 75 beach and overwater villas, some with individual swimming pools, an exclusive Baros Residence, three gourmet-class restaurants, a vibrant house reef and golden sand beach encircling the island, a spa, a gym, and lush tropical gardens.

Contact Reservations: 00960 792 2533

Minor takes 50% stake in Maldives resort

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Minor International (MINT) has acquired a 50% stake in the Maldivian luxury resort, Niyama.

The new 86-room luxury resort forms part of the Per Aquum hotel brand, in which Bangkok-based Minor purchased a 50% stake earlier this year. The Niyama deal is worth US$22.5 million.

“This is now our eighth year of doing business in the Maldives and I feel as confident as ever in the potential of this country,” said William Heinecke, chairman & CEO of Minor.

“This additional investment in Niyama sees MINT strengthen its owned portfolio in the Maldives, demonstrating our commitment to the market. This investment also reinforces our clustering strategy, whereby our aim is to group hotels and restaurant outlets in each country that we operate in.”

Minor now operates six luxury hotels in the Maldives under its Anantara, Naladhu and Per Aquum brands.

http://www.traveldailymedia.com/200877/minor-takes-50-stake-in-maldives-resort/

Jumeirah Group appoints New Director of Sales & Marketing for Jumeirah Maldives

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Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hotel company and a member of Dubai Holding, has appointed Katja Graf as Director of Sales and Marketing for both Jumeirah resorts in the Maldives; Jumeirah Dhevanafushi and Jumeirah Vittaveli. 

An Austrian national with 10 years’ experience in the luxury hospitality industry, Katja first joined Jumeirah in 2011 as Director of Sales for Jumeirah’s Leisure cluster group. Since 2012, she has been Director of Sales for Jumeirah Zabeel Saray; the spectacular Ottoman Empire inspired beachside resort located on the West Crescent of the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.

Click Here to Watch the Maldives' Brand New Resort Video

Katja held similar positions at other luxury hotels in Dubai and Austria prior to joining Jumeirah  

Katja joins the team at Jumeirah Maldives at an exciting time in their development, as both resorts continue to go from strength to strength. She will be reporting to Chris Ely, General Manager of Jumeirah Dhevanafushi, and Graham Kiy, General Manager of Jumeirah Vittaveli.  

Jumeirah Dhevanafushi is a true secret hideaway in the heart of the Indian Ocean, located in the southernmost part of the Maldives, 400 miles from the capital of Malé. Offering complete seclusion in the Gaafu Alifu Atoll, the resort boasts an award-winning spa and 38 villas, each of which features private butler service. Those looking to enjoy personalised luxury closer to Malé can opt for Jumeirah Vittaveli, just a 20-minute boat ride from Malé International Airport. Far from the clutches of stressful city life, Jumeirah Vittaveli is nestled in a spot of outstanding sophistication, with an inspiring spa and exhilarating 5 star PADI dive centre.

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