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The poster child for luxury holidays, the Maldives has long been synonymous with palm-painted islands, marvellous marine life, luxurious hotels, oversized villas, pampering spas and posh restaurants serving culinary delicacies.
But, over the past few years, these run-of-the-millionaire ideas have evolved, particularly in light of the pandemic. Ten new resorts opened across the country in 2021, while several older resorts re-emerged from major refurbishments, all with designer looks and new health and safety protocols, including enhanced cleaning, personal hygiene kits in rooms and regular staff testing.
With them, they've also brought a wealth of trends which look set to reshape the Maldives luxury travel experience. Trends which include more sustainable travel, a more authentic range of experiences connecting guests with the local environment and an increased focus on health and wellness, an economy which grew from US$4.3 trillion in 2017 to US$4.9 trillion in 2019, according to Global Wellness Institute.
A new path to luxury
“An emerging generation of travellers is redefining luxury and is no longer focused on polished experiences, fine dining and the degree of predictability that comes when staying in traditional hotels,” says Marco de Ouden, general manager of Patina Maldives. “At Patina, we’ve spent a lot of time internally researching and rethinking how the post-Covid traveller will feel and what they will look for in their travel experiences so we can ensure we cater to this.”
For Maldives regular Anastasia Gardner, founder of Valentina Fine Jewellery, that means an eye-catching design, impeccable service and a gorgeous house reef. “My husband and I have spent more than six months in the Maldives over the past 10 years and picking the next resort is always a challenge,” says Gardner. “We love the sea and spending time underwater – nothing beats a pre-breakfast snorkel to see a variety of colourful fish, rays and reef sharks – but service is so important, too. A resort where they can predict your every move will always guarantee a magical stay.”
Opened in May 2021, Patina is part of the pioneering Fari Islands complex, a man-made archipelago within speedboat distance of Velana International Airport, made up of three ultra-luxurious resorts and a shared marina with docking for 18 superyachts. It's a variation on the Maldives' “one island, one resort” policy, which offers guests more space and a greater choice of things to see and do.
Patina Maldives, Fari IslandsAt Patina, that includes a world-class art collection scattered across the island, including a Skyspace installation by Light and Space movement pioneer James Turrell, with a walk-in chamber where guests can practice yoga in the chiaroscuro morning light. Other modern accoutrement include a plant-based flagship restaurant, Roots, 3D-printed supplements on the pillow at turndown, specially-curated mood-enhancing playlists and an app which guests can use to order designer kaftans and diamond-encrusted Chopard watches to their villas before they even arrive at the resort.
On the other side of the dreamily beautiful North Malé Atoll, Kuda Villingili, which threw down the coconut welcome mat in July last year, taps into the pandemic trend to boost physical fitness with a comprehensive programme of stimulating activities – steel combat training, aqua-physiotherapy, Strong by Zumba, surf school – headed up by local YouTube fitness expert Faarish Nizam. It's also one of the few luxury resorts in the Maldives to have rooms, as well as private villas, for those who are likely to spend most of their time outdoors.
A new look at old traditions
“Luxury is time. Luxury is space. Luxury is being in nature. Luxury is new and unexpected experiences,” says Seyhan Özdemir, one of the founders of the Istanbul-based design studio Autoban, which collaborated with Atolye4n Architectural Design Studio on the build and design of Joali Being, a fresh-out-the-box wellness resort in the Raa Atoll. “Visitors to the Maldives are craving more creative ideas. So many resorts look the same. We wanted to take inspiration from traditional Maldivian architecture – because we are in the Maldives after all and people want to feel connected to the local environment – while creating a new understanding of the style and playing with the local materials.”
The result is a resort which uses biophilic design principles to blend buildings seamlessly into the environment creating a closer guest connection with nature, while enhancing the vivid blues and greens of the scenery. Rather than steamrolling the forest, pale woody structures flow around ficus, casuarina and coconut trees. Manta-ray shaped dining pods, woven from natural materials, float in the canopy.
The Areka wellbeing centre is made from bamboo and elevated above the ground to create a sense of weightlessness. It features 39 treatment rooms and transformational spaces, which include a hydrotherapy hall, a sensory deprivation room, Russian banya and a web of sound paths. The villas (68 in total, some on the beach, some stilted above the Indian Ocean) look like traditional Maldivian huts which have been smoothed out, with curving walls and undulating alang alang-thatched roofs. Inside, features meditative musical instruments which guests can play and bathrooms stocked with vegan, coral-friendly amenities. “We hope Joali Being, with its unique location and emphasis on design and wellbeing, will shift ideas and bring a new vision of luxury to the Maldives,” says Özdemir.
Elevating the guest experience
The Conrad Rangali, which originally opened in the Alifu Dhaalu Atoll in 1997, is recognising the importance of moving with the times, with an ambitious multi-million dollar refurbishment aimed at retaining loyal guests and attracting new luxury travellers. That includes the launch of overwater villas re-designed by Tokyo-born New York-based architect Yuji Yamazaki, featuring integrated indoor-outdoor living spaces which allow guests to stare straight at the Indian Ocean from bed. Three of the 12 bars and restaurants have also been revamped to include live cooking stations, tables on the beach and top mixology. There's also a new all-singing all-dancing kids' club and a whole new range of immersive experiences – private boat tours, personal fitness, holistic spa treatments – more in line with recent trends and the newly-arrived competition.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island“Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is nestled in the South Ari Atoll, renowned for its abundant flora and fauna,” says the hotel's general manager, Carla Puverel. “It is an explorer’s playground, surrounded by one of the country’s best diving and snorkelling areas, with whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins, turtles and a sprawling coral reef just a short boat ride away. Conrad Rangali Island’s next chapter will bring elevated guest experiences through inspired and unique itineraries, including swimming with whale sharks and manta rays, turtle safari, sunset dolphin cruises and coral planting in the house reef with the marine biologist. All these will bring the resort to the top of its game, ensuring it continues to offer authentic barefoot luxury across its twin islands that guests have long enjoyed since the resort landed on the shores of the Maldives.”
The days when a typical luxury holiday in the Maldives focused on pearl-white sands, turquoise waters and upmarket hotels aren't gone, of course. But they have evolved to include a far wider range of contemporary aesthetics and experiences, as luxury travellers seek more seamless experiences, more time outdoors, closer connections to nature and a more authentic interpretation of the local culture.
