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...

Taj re-brands Maldives property under Vivanta

The Taj group has added another property under its Vivanta brand. The Taj Coral Reef, Maldives, has now been re-branded Vivanta by Taj — Coral Reef, Maldives.

According to a Taj spokesperson, the nine-acre resort, located on Hembadhu Island, about 30 km from the Male airport, “has been rebuilt from scratch,” she said. She, however, declined to divulge the investment details.

This property is the second for the group in the Maldives. While Taj Exotica Resorts & Spa, Maldives, is targeted at the luxury segment, Vivanta caters to the ‘upper upscale’ segment of travellers.

Marketing will be done keeping this in mind, said the Taj spokesperson.

“Taj has always had two properties in the Maldives; even now, these two are in different segments — luxury and upper upscale,” she added.

Explaining the difference in experience that these two segment hotels would offer, she said that while Vivanta will give a luxurious yet informal experience at great value, Taj Exotica is a more plush and super-luxury property.

The focus markets for the Vivanta brand are the UK, Japan, India, Korea, Russia, France, Germany, and Italy.

The spokesperson said that the Vivanta brand is smart and contemporary. The Maldives property is the third for the group under this brand. The other two are in Whitefield, Bangalore, and Panjim. The Vivanta properties “currently rest in the premium division of the group, which comprises a mix of business and leisure hotels catering to the upper upscale segment,” she added.

thehindubusinessline.com

President Nasheed opens Vivanta Coral Reef Maldives by Taj

President Mohamed Nasheed has opened Vivanta Coral Reef Maldives by Taj. This is the first international hotel to carry Taj’s Vivanta brand.

Speaking at a ceremony held at the Vivanta Coral Reef Maldives by Taj President Nasheed said he rejoices the fact that one of the best and the most able investment groups and business entrepreneurships of India and the world had been introduced to the Maldives with the opening of the resort. The President said the government would welcome Indian and other international business enterprises who wish to invest in the Maldives.

In his address, President Nasheed said the government was burdened with a number of state-owned industries, which could be run privately, and provide better services and more benefits the people.

He said, through the privatization program, the government was looking for international investors to form joint ventures, or to operate on their own to provide electricity, transport and other utilities to the people on corporate basis.

Noting that the most private investments in the Maldives were in the tourism sector, President Nasheed reiterated his belief that investments in utilities and provision of other public services in the Maldives would be as commercially viable as the tourism sector investments.

Furthermore, the President said the government policy was to develop a model of providing public services and utilities, in which the water, electricity and sewerage systems of the resorts and inhabited islands around the resort could be combined to take the advantages of economies of scale.

President Nasheed also said that the government was mindful of the effects of climate change in planning all its developmental activities. He noted that resort developers had been at the forefront of developing adaptation measures.

miadhu.com.mv