Every Villa at InterContinental’s New Maldives Resort Comes With Butler Service

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Every Villa at InterContinental’s New Maldives Resort Comes With Butler Service“We’re not just in the business of selling rooms, we sell experiences,” says Stefan O. Huemer, general manager of the InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau.

 After three years of development and construction, the sparkling new resort—officially opened on September 1 in the southern tip of the Raa Atoll, not far from the country’s only UNESCO Biosphere Reserve—is poised to prove him right. In addition to being the brand’s first hub in the Maldives, the 81-villa property is also the first anywhere to offer Club InterContinental benefits to all guests, elevating the experience for all who check in.
The upgraded journey starts upon arrival at Male International Airport, where staffers organize a seamless transfer to the dedicated InterContinental lounge (also opened on September 1), where you can wait in air-conditioned, WiFi-equipped comfort for the seaplane to the resort. (If cloudy skies prohibit seaplane take-offs, guests will be booked on a short domestic flight to Dharavandhoo island, followed by a 30-minute luxury speedboat ride to the hotel.) However you arrive, you’ll get a hero’s welcome, with a band of traditionally clad drummers, smiling staff members, and your “curator” (a.k.a. butler) awaiting you on the dock. Check-in is then performed in your villa, which might be on the beach, over the water, or around a swimmable lagoon.
The curator service is one of the signatures of the resort, with the dedicated host taking care of everything from personalizing your mini-bar and making spa appointments to organizing activities like secluded island dinners, stargazing sessions, outdoor movie nights, campfire storytelling, wine tastings, and all manner of water sports and snorkeling/diving/sailing excursions. Along with the butler service, complimentary Club benefits enjoyed by all guests include daily buffet and a la carte breakfast (served at the all-day dining Café Umi and the adults-only The Retreat), multi-tiered afternoon tea service, and evening cocktails and canapes. Other meals and drinks can be taken at one of the six restaurants and bars, which range from the seafood-focused, Southeast Asian-flavored Fish Market (also home to a boat-shaped Sunset Bar and an impressive wine cellar) to The Lighthouse, a romantic spot for 360-degree views and Mediterranean-influenced fare from an El Bulli-trained Spanish chef.
An engaging, well-equipped Planet Trekkers kids club, marine biologist-led marine center (which also oversees the resort’s manta ray conservation project), and the overwater AVI Spa—offering treatments like Balinese massages and full traditional Chinese medicine wellness programs—are some of the other on-island attractions, as are its long stretches of powdery soft sand and snorkeling-friendly waters. At the end of the sun-filled days, retreat to one of the villas or multi-bedroom residences, each featuring a private pool and a vibrant, comfortable décor inspired by the eclectic collections of a “wandering nomad.” With room types catering to different needs—overwater for the couples, beachside for families, and duplex lagoon villas tucked between both the ocean and sand—the resort rarely feels crowded, ensuring that tranquility remains the biggest perk of all. Rates start at $995 per night for a beach villa, $1,145 per night for an overwater villa, and $1,295 for a lagoon villa.

Source: yahoo

First Hard Rock Hotel opens in the Maldives

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Hard Rock International and S Hotels & Resorts introduced memorable music-inspired stays to the Maldives for the first time on 1st September 2019, when Hard Rock Hotel Maldives officially opened.
Nestled within the exquisite Emboodhoo Lagoon, just 15 minutes by boat from Malé International Airport, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives forms part of CROSSROADS Maldives, the country’s first and only integrated resort.
Inspired by local Maldivian culture, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives infuses contemporary design features with tropical architecture throughout the property, alongside regionally-inspired, authentic music memorabilia, including items from regional sensations Chun Xioa and Khun Asanee Chotikul, as well as international superstars like Shakira and Justin Timberlake.
“We’re excited to showcase the property’s unique experience and signature brand amenities to locals and visitors from around the world,” said Dale Hipsh, senior vice president of Hard Rock Hotels.

Source: eturbonews

Maldivian tourism industry at its highest peak in 5 years: MMPRC

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Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) has said the tourism industry saw significant improvements in the first 6 months of the year, when compared with the statistics from the past 5 years. MMPRC noted over 1.1 million tourists had arrived in Maldives by August 25, making it the most improved period for the tourism industry during a period of 5 years.
Speaking at a press conference, Managing Director of MMPRC Thoyyib Mohamed revealed an increase of 19 percent was seen in the first half of the year. He highlighted there were significant improvements made in the traditional markets contributing to the tourism industry of Maldives, adding tourists arriving from Germany, Italy and the UK have increased. In this regard, tourists arriving from Italy have increase by 34 percent, which was attributed to the efforts of MMPRC in promoting Maldives as a travel destination.
The overall number of tourists arriving from Europe increased by 20 percent, according to Thoyyib, who also noted the number of tourists arriving from the UK had also increased by 13 percent.
However, it was China with highest contribution for the Maldivian tourism industry, with over 140,000 tourists arriving in Maldives in the first 6 months of 2019.
MMPRC further revealed more promotional activities targeted for Australia and the Americas will be conducted in the future.

Source: psmnews

Sheraton Maldives Revamps Family Offering

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Situated on the large private island of Furanafushi, Sheraton Maldives is the ideal family retreat uniquely located just 1km and a 15-minute speedboat ride away from Malé International Airport.

At the heart of the island resort’s wide-scale renovations has been newly designed family services that offer entertainment for young children through newly fitted top-of-the-range amenities.
The resort boasts 10 different luxury room categories dotted around the island, comprising three types of cottages, all of which feature interconnecting rooms for parents and children. As part of the renovation, the resort has just introduced a new category, ‘Cottage with Pool’, specifically designed with families in mind and including a private plunge pool for young children to safely splash around and with direct access to the white sandy beaches.
The upgraded Sheraton Adventure Club, meanwhile, has been designed for children aged 4 to 12 and provides an abundance of activities all around the resort, ranging from water-sports, cooking classes to interactive beach activities.
Furthermore, the resort has also curated a selection of tailored themed evenings for families to enjoy, including several seasonal experiences, such as Father Christmas gate crashing the full-resort festive sandbank picnic on a fly board.Emilio Fortini, General Manager at Sheraton Maldives, said: “What sets Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa apart from other Maldivian resorts is, undeniably our family appeal. Since completing our renovation programme we have seen a significant increase in parents with young children or teens choosing our resort for their annual family holiday.
“Our offering is so varied from the new range of room categories, the easy access location, our tailored childcare services and our bespoke waters-sports and wellness experiences. As a result of this, families can spend quality time together without feeling on top of each other – this is also largely due to the strategic layout of the island.
“We are now starting to see an increase in multi-generational visits too, as our tropical paradise suits the whole team – from toddlers to grandparents.”

Source: theworldnews

Unique design and local artists in Faarufushi Maldives

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A trip to Faarufushi Maldives will especially appeal to connoisseurs of sophisticated modern design and those who want to get to know more about the real art of the Maldives.

Villas, restaurants, bars and other spaces of the hotel are decorated in the current minimalist eco-style: a lot of wood, stone and natural textiles of restrained shades, a lot of free space and interesting design solutions.Bright accents in the interior of the villas, large panels in the main restaurant Eclipse - the work of the Maldivian artist. The local nature inspired her to create the patterns: the incredible pattern of the coral reef, the deep and multifaceted color of the ocean, the unique sand and coconut shell. These are not primitive tourist souvenirs, but real art objects.Of course, it will not work to pick up bright pillows from your room, but Faarufushi has a boutique that you should definitely look into. Here are collected the works of modern Maldivian masters: textiles, ceramics, wood. These are not just souvenirs, but unique and inimitable things that can decorate any modern interior. And they can only be purchased at Faarufushi Maldives.

Source: myseldon