New luxury resorts in the Maldives

The last 12 months have seen no let up in resort openings in the Maldives, with Shangri-La, Naiade, Constance Hotels, Taj, Angsana and Alila all opening new hotels.

But is it really still possible to get punters to part with thousands of pounds for a week on a speck of sand 11 hours’ flight away?

The answer seems to be yes. “It is expensive, no-one would deny that,” says Elegant Resorts’ commercial director, Alison Scott. “But it’s somewhere people still want to go and smart hoteliers have been making sure they address cost concerns by offering added value.”

The launch of new thrice-weekly British Airways flights to Male from Gatwick from October 25 will also ensure a flurry of Armani-clad bums on seats to the islands.

BA head of sales Richard Tams reports demand for the service has been high so far: “The Maldives has been growing in popularity over the years, yet the options for premium travellers have so far been pretty limited, especially non-stop from the UK. Our three-class service including new Club World cabin will change that.”

A week at many of the Maldives’ top five-star islands doesn’t usually leave much change out of £3,500, but there are deals to be had at great resorts. Thomas Cook Signature, for example, has been offering seven nights at the five-star Diva resort for £1,599 full-board in a junior suite – down from £2,699.

The operator’s product and contract manager, Charlie Greenwood, says she is happy with the way the destination has performed this year. “The Maldives is outrageously beautiful and it will never be anything other than an absolute treat to go there,” she says. Read more...