Opened in February this year, the Amari Havodda Maldives hotel brings Thai warmth and hospitality to a desert island paradise.
I caught up with Rodolphe Bonnemie, director of marketing, who proudly claimed: “The new resort is the first one ever to open on time in the Maldives.”
“Our resort is all about mixing and encouraging interaction,” he said. “I was excited like a child to visit the resort and while watching the sunset on the beach something unusual happened: the moon was rising at the same time, intersecting the setting sun because of the proximity of the island to the equator. So our hotel is where the moon meets the sun!”
Coupled with celestial harmony, the resort also has a balance of the elements, with both land and overwater villas (60 on land and 60 overwater). A Duo Villa Experience Package (starting at £400pn) is available with Thomas Cook.
Guests are spoilt for choice with five restaurants and bars, from the main Amaya Food Gallery with open kitchens that serve Asian street food to the Ember Robatayaki restaurant, which specialises in Japanese food cooked on hot stones. There is also a popular poolside-dining experience by candlelight.
In partnership with Euro-Divers, the resort offers a guided diving or jet ski session for £105, windsurfing for £32 and kayaking for under £20, all at an hourly rate. Group activities include complimentary yoga and football matches against the staff.
As for downtime, gathering on the beach for a movie night has become Sunday evening tradition.
Bonnemie explained: “A trip to the Maldives is not complete without a romantic movie night.”
The simplicity of the island is part of Amari’s ethos. Even choosing one of the resort’s treatments is quick and easy. Guests are asked: “How do you feel today?” and then offered a suitable treatment at approximately £100 for an hour and £134 for an hour and a half.
Bonnemie stressed that preserving the Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, where the hotel is built, is of utmost importance – guest communications are mainly digital, staff have a weekly reef clean, and recycled sea water is used for gardening.
All worth it for those envious holiday snaps featuring a backdrop of unspoilt nature and lapping turquoise waters, said Bonnemie: “Even with an ancient phone or with bad photography skills, you simply cannot take a bad picture of the island.”
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