Luxury Hoteliers Eye Opportunity In The Maldives

Voavah Island is exclusive to guests staying at The Four Seasons Private Island Maldives. Photo: Four Seasons

The Maldives, a string of islands located in the Indian Ocean known for its white sand beaches, blue lagoons and coral reefs, continues to be one of the world’s most highly sought after travel destinations. Hoteliers are taking notice, and bringing a crop of new luxury resort options.  Typically, the one resort on one island offers more exclusivity than similar locales like Bali, making it popular market amongst operators. For agents, it’s a profitable niche, with nightly rates for a standard room starting at $1,500 and clientele typically including celebrities, affluent honeymooners and wealthy families.

Here’s a few exciting developments:

The Four Seasons Private Island Maldives
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts will open its first private island getaway on Dec. 1 in Voavah, Baa Atoll.

Offering the ultimate level of privacy, the five-acre island is exclusive to guests. The seven-bedroom resort includes a three-bedroom beach villa, two-bedroom water villa and two mezzanine suites, as well as three additional rooms for children. A beach house offers lounge space, a dining room, library, gym, kitchen and pool deck. Guests can unwind at the Oceans of Consciousness Spa, or head out on Voavah Summer, a 62-foot private luxury yacht. Vacationers can dive with manta rays – the waters of Voavah are home to one of the world’s largest populations of the fish – or swim with reef sharks, kaleidoscopic fish and turtles.

Four seasons already operates an additional two resorts in the Maldives.

The Four Seasons Private Island Maldives Beach House. Photo: Four Seasons

Milaidhoo Island Maldives
On the same island, boutique luxury brand Milaidhoo will open its resort on Nov. 1.

The five-star property is located on a private island in the heart of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Baa Atoll region. Over-the-water villas sit atop stilts over a lagoon, while others are nestled among the island’s the tropical greenery and the beach. All 50 villas have private swimming pools, dedicated “island hosts” to assist guests throughout their stay, and open up 180 degrees for a full view of the ocean. The resort also has three restaurants, two bars, and a spa with four over-the-water treatment suites.

Five-star over-the-water villas at Milaidhoo Island Maldives. 

InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort
InterContinental Hotel Group signed a management agreement with Singapore-based Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) last month to open the InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort, the brand’s entry into the Maldives. The resort will be located on Maamunagau Island, the southern point of Raa Atoll, and is accessible by sea plane.

The 83-room InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort will open in at least three years. Guests can enjoy a pool, spa, restaurants and bars, and sports center offering water sports such as snorkeling, canoeing and jet skiing.

The InterContinental resort will be located on Maamunagau Island.

Kandima Maldives
Pulse Hotels & Resorts will open the Kandima Maldives this December, as the first lifestyle resort in the country.

Located Dhaalu Atoll, the property will include 274 studios and villas, complete with outdoor terraces, Jacuzzis and private entrances into the ocean.  The company plans to build the largest swimming pool in the Maldives, at over 300-feet long. Other amenities at the family-friendly resort include tennis, badminton and squash courts, a 24-hour gym with personal trainers and yoga studio, a spa, marine biology school, art studio, kids club, library and eight restaurant and bars.

The Aqua Villa at Kandima Maldives. Photo: Facebook

Soneva Jani
Soneva, the environmentally responsible luxury hotel brand, just this weekend celebrated the soft opening of the Soneva Jani, in a sheltered lagoon on the island of Medhufaru.

Where others have private islands, the Soneva Jani has its own archipelago. Master bedrooms have retractable rooves, so guests can sleep under the stars.

It also has a variety of dining options, a spa, a diving center, an observatory, a children’s den, an eco-center and organic gardens. There’s an outdoor cinema, too, where guests listen to the audio through Bluetooth earphones so as not to disturb the wildlife.

For now there are 24 overwater villas, though the number is likely to grow. Each has a private pool and some sport slides from the top deck right into the lagoon.

The resort expects to be fully open in November.

Overwater villas, with one and two bedrooms, can only be reached by boat.