Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts signed a management agreement for Mövenpick Resort & Spa Kuredhivaru Maldives, the hotel group"s first resort in the Maldives. The planned 105-unit resort on the remote Kuredhivaru Island in the Noonu Atoll will open during the second quarter of 2018.
W Maldives is thrilled to announce the appointment of its new General Manager, Thomas Vaucouleur de Ville d’Avray. Thomas grew up in France and Japan and is a graduate of the Singapore Temasek Polytechnic Institute and completed various hospitality management courses with Cornell University. The French national brings to W Maldives seventeen years of hospitality experience gained from a variety of executive and Food and Beverage management positions for prestigious brands across Japan, Asia, Europe, Middle East and the Maldives.
Centara Hotels & Resorts, leading Thai hospitality group signed a new hotel management agreement for its fourth beach resort under the Centara umbrella in the Maldives - Centara Grand Muthaafushi Resort & Spa Maldives. The signing ceremony took place between Centara Hotels & Resorts and Muthaafushi Orient Investments Limited, and Well Land Investment PVT LTD.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island announced the appointment of Stefano A. Ruzza as the resort’s General Manager. Stefano will be responsible for overseeing all of the resort’s management, operations and business development to continue positioning Conrad Maldives Rangali Island as one of the leading luxury resorts and brand of choice for travellers to the Maldives.
Renowned hotel brand and management company Dream Hotel Group signed two hotels in the Maldives with local entrepreneur Mohamed Manik and Alpha Kinam Holdings to develop The Chatwal Maaga Maldives and Dream Gasveli Maldives. Set to open in 2019 and 2020 respectively, the new locations triple the group's presence in Asia and mark a pivotal step in Dream Hotel Group's global expansion strategy. "Last year, we signed more new hotels and resorts than ever before," said Dream Hotel Group CEO Jay Stein. "I'm thrilled to announce another equally strong year of growth momentum with the signing of The Chatwal Maaga and Dream Gasveli in the Maldives, one of the strongest luxury leisure resort markets in the world." Nestled in picturesque North Ari Atoll, The Chatwal Maaga Maldives will feature 80 ultra-luxury villas, six private beach villas and two presidential villas, as well as three world-class culinary experiences bringing fine dining and casual barefoot elegance to the lagoon's edge. The Chatwal Maaga Maldives will be the second location to debut in The Chatwal collection of luxury hotels. Dream Gasveli Maldives will feature 500 villas, eight experiential dining and nightlife venues, including the brand's signature Dream Beach Club, a 20,000- square-foot wellness spa and a dozen designer brand retail outlets for exclusive duty-free shopping on site. Spanning across three islands in Meemu Atoll, Dream Gasveli will be the largest fully-integrated resort ever developed in the Indian Ocean. "I've been in the resort and hotel business for over 30 years in the Maldives," said Mohamed Manik, Chairman of Alpha Kinam Holdings. "I am pleased to partner with Dream Hotel Group in bringing its leading edge lifestyle brands to the Maldives and look forward to taking our luxury market experiences one step beyond here with many more projects in the future." "I have known Mohamed Manik for a number of years and there is no better partner we'd rather work with to bring The Chatwal and Dream brands of hospitality into the Maldives, delivering on the standards of excellence we hold so high." said Kevin Wallace, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Dream Hotel Group. Late last year, Dream Hotel Group announced the signing of its first hotel in Vietnam with locally owned Beegreen Group to develop Dream Oceanami Villas & Spa in Long Hai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the country's top tourist destination. Set to open in June 2017, Dream Oceanami Villas & Spa will be the first of four new resort hotels developed by Beegreen Group and managed by Dream Hotel Group in Vietnam over the next two years. Future locations include Vung Tau City, Hoi An, Ho Tram and Con Dao. Dream Hotel Group plans to sign more than 150 hotels and resorts worldwide across all its brands – Dream, Time, The Chatwal and Unscripted – over the next four years, continuing to solidify its burgeoning portfolio worldwide. "This will be a milestone year for us as we welcome an unprecedented number of new hotels into our ever-growing family of brands across the globe," added Stein.
Katara Hospitality has taken the title of World's Leading Hospitality Company at the World Travel Awards Grand Final 2016. The Middle Eastern hospitality giant was crowned during a glittering event at The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi in the Maldives in front of an audience of over 250 hospitality leaders from around the world.
COMO Hotels and Resorts is pleased to announce the appointment of Benjamin Kreuz as General Manager for its renowned Maldivian retreat, COMO Cocoa Island, effective November 25, 2016. Benjamin, a German native, finished Hotel School at The Hague with a BA in Business Administration in Hotel Management, before embarking on a successful hospitality career. With over 10 years of international experience, Benjamin has successfully led properties in luxury brands within multiple gateway destinations such as China and the USA. Benjamin joins COMO Cocoa Island from his most recent role at Steigenberger Hotel in Hamburg, Germany where he held the position of Hotel Manager.
A native of the UK, Benedict’s career has spanned many industries and continents. He previously worked with Jumeirah as Director of Finance at Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel, Azerbaijan and has worked across various industries including banking, auditing, risk management, bio-tech, mining and educational services across Russia, UK, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia. He entered the hospitality world as Finance Director at Soneva Fushi, Maldives.
Hailing from the UK where he started his career, Mike’s career has given him a great insight into people management and training. He first worked with Eldridge and then with Whitbread Hotels & Restaurants. In the Middle East, Mike worked with Grand Millennium Abu Dhabi and Dusit Thani Dubai, before he moved on to his most recent role, as Director of Human Resources of the Morgan’s Hotel Group, at the Mondrian in Doha, Qatar. He has previously worked with Jumeirah, as HR and Development Manager, which was crucial in developing and implementing the expansion plan for the growth of the Jumeirah Living luxury serviced apartments.
An Indian national, Lijo began his career in Revenue Management in the Middle East where he worked with the Hilton Group of Hotels. During his time with Hilton, Lijo set up a Cluster Revenue Management Centre and developed his expertise in pricing strategy and rate structure. Lijo has worked in the Maldives before and held the position of Revenue Manager at One & Only Reethi Rah. He is familiar to the destination and unique market conditions that apply to his new role.
As Group General Manager, Antony Paton will oversee the operations of all three properties in the portfolio. With 40 years of experience, knowledge and background of the travel and hospitality industry, Paton’s recent role as General Manager of Galle Face Hotel in Sri Lanka saw him lead a $30m restoration and re-launch of the hotel in 2015. He has a deep understanding of the Maldives and the luxury market with the successful opening of Six Senses Laamu in 2011, and as the Managing Director of Operations at the Soneva resorts after that. His time with Soneva saw him lead the operations for Soneva Fushi, former Soneva Gili in the Maldives and Soneva Kiri in Thailand. With past experience of having served the royal family of Jordan, their majesties King Hussein and Queen Noor, Antony is well accustomed to anticipate the needs of individuals who lead high powered lifestyles.
Coco Collection is delighted to announce the appointment of Andrew Stuart Mclaren as the Island Manager of Coco Privé Kuda Hithi Island. Surrounded by the sublime waters of the Maldives, Coco Privé Kuda Hithi Island is a unique private island escape. Half an hour away from Malé International Airport by private yacht, the entire tropical island offers ample space for a single family or group of friends. Six beautifully designed villas will host up to 12 guests, who will have the pleasure of experiencing the entire island to themselves, while a discreet and intuitive butler team will be on hand to look after every need, no matter how small or extravagant.
Centara Hotels & Resorts is proud to announce the appointment of Executive Chef Yvan Marclay at the Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives.
Outrigger Enterprises Group has appointed John Allanson as the general manager of the award-winning Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort, an exclusive sanctuary of over-water bungalows and exquisite villas located within the crystal waters of Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. He will commence his position immediately and will report to Paul Richardson, executive vice president and chief operating officer in Outrigger’s corporate office in Hawaii. Allanson, a UK national, brings to Outrigger 30 years’ experience in hotel and resort management in the Maldives, Vietnam and the UK. Before joining Outrigger, he was the general manager of the Six Senses Con Dao Resort and Spa, a five-star property on Con Dao Island, Vietnam. Allanson also spent two years as resort manager in the Maldives at the Six Senses Laamu Resort and Spa, a property with 97 villas. For much of his career, Allanson has been a general manager, or in senior management positions including food and beverage, in various high-end UK country hotels, many of them with a spa facility. The new Outrigger general manager has a diploma in Management Studies and earned a scholarship to the General Managers’ Program at Cornell University. He is also a graduate of the International Management Association and a member of the Hotel and Catering International Management Association.
Born and bred Australian Jeremy Nordkamp is a pre-opening hotel specialist with a particular interest in remote and island resorts. Jeremy is a passionate hotelier who brings more than 15 years’ experience to the role having previously worked with Mantra Group, Hilton Hotels and Voyages Hotels & Resorts at Sails in the Desert – Ayers Rock and Dunk Island. He also spent many years managing operations at Accor’s 1000-bed Mercure Kingfisher Bay Resort on the world’s largest sand island, Fraser Island, in Queensland, Australia. Jeremy is results-driven with a passion for delivering 5-star service in hotel and resort environments. He is also known for his ability to develop high performance teams and cultures and is a welcome addition to the Kandima team in the Maldives.
Grant is an Australian born, seasoned international hotelier whose passion for the industry developed from an upbringing in a family who owned hotels in Southeast Queensland Australia and which has resulted in an impressive career in hospitality spanning across the Pacific, USA, Europe and South East Asia. Since graduating with a Masters in Business Administration from Columbia Business School in New York, Grant has gained over 29 years of invaluable experience in many aspects of the hospitality industry including hotels, resorts, cruise liners and casinos. Testaments to Grant’s experience include being New York’s youngest appointed General Manager of the Soho Grand Hotel New York, overseeing the launch of numerous luxury resorts in the Maldives, opening the sub continent’s largest Spa Resort managed by Six Senses and playing a significant role in bringing Formula One Racing to India whilst Vice President of Operations for Jaypee Hotels & Resorts. Grant has a proven track record of leading effectively and achieving results. He has a penchant for pre-openings and will apply his vast experience and expertise to Pulse Hotels & Resorts’ newest venture, Kandima Maldives.
COMO Hotels and Resorts has appointed Pietro Addis as the new General Manager of COMO Maalifushi, a private island resort offering luxury, surf, wellness and family adventures in the Maldives’ Thaa Atoll. Pietro joins COMO from Aman Resorts, where he worked as Area Manager for Sri Lanka since December 2012. During this time he was responsible for the overall management of the two award-winning properties in Sri Lanka: Amangalla in Galle Fort and Amanwella in Tangalle. After graduating with an honours degree in history from the University of Manchester, Pietro started his career as an analyst with Dutch bank ABN AMRO in London. After two years, he moved into luxury travel, working with some of Britain’s leading operators, including Scott Dunn and Cazenove + Loyd.
Thailand-based ONYX Hospitality Group appoints Christoph Leonhard as General Manager of Amari Havodda Maldives.
This article showcases the potential of the Maldives and evaluates its current performance under the given changes in its tourism market, while highlighting key considerations for investors regarding hotel development and investment in the region.
Property and hospitality group Roxy-Pacific Holdings has revealed plans for its newly acquired Maldives resort, Zitahli Kuda-Funafaru. The company has finalised the purchase of the Noonu Atoll property from AAA Group, a deal for which JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group was the exclusive advisor.