Hotelier Maldives - Issue #60

22 SPECIAL FEATURE JEAN-MICHEAL COSTEAU, - A VOICE FOR THE OCEAN

28 RESORT REVIEW GANGEHI ISLAND RESORT

32 THE GM’S VIEW IAIN MCCORMACK, VAKKARU MALDIVES

36 YOUNG HOTELIERS AUSY WASEEM - ONE OF THE INDUSTRY’S YOUNGEST RESORT MANAGERS

38 DESTINATION EXPERIENCE

5 BEST KIDS CLUBS IN MALDIVES RESORTS

40 DESTINATION EXPERIENCE AMAA’S KITCHEN: AN IMMERSIVE TRADITIONAL MALDIVIAN DINING EXPERIENCE

45 CAREERS INTERVIEW WITH RESORT MANAGER MOHAMED IMTHIYAZ

50 WELLNESS THE TRANQUIL TREETOP SPA AT ALILA KOTHAIFARU MALDIVES

52 HOTEL MANAGEMENT

10 SOLUTIONS TO CHALLENGES THE HOTEL INDUSTRY FACES IN 2023

56 ISLAND HOPPERS MALDIVIAN BAND SKYROCK ON NEW SINGLE AND SUCCESS

58 F&B AISHATH LAYAN RIYAZ, COMMIS CHEF AT CORA CORA MALDIVES

69 SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT INEO, ONE-STOP COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SOLUTION

78 SUPPLIER NEWS BESTBUY MALDIVES LAUNCHES PEARS BABY AT CORPORATE EVENT

The Journey of a Dedicated Hotelier

Dear Readers,

Welcome to issue 60 of Hotelier Maldives.

In this issue, we are excited to announce the appointment of Ali Naafiz as the Editor of Hotelier Maldives, following a strategic partnership between Perspective Pvt Ltd and Maldives Promotion House Pvt Ltd, publisher of Maldives Insider. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the Maldives’ travel media landscape, as it unites two prominent entities with a shared vision for excellence and growth.

On the cover, we feature Mohamed Solah, the COO of Crown & Champa Resorts, a dedicated hotelier and an exemplar of the next generation of hospitality leaders in the Maldives. This issue also highlights the careers of other rising Maldivian hoteliers, including Ausy Waseem, Resort Manager of Siyam World, Mohamed Imthiyaz, Resort Manager of You and Me by Cocoon, and Aishath Layan Riyaz, Commis Chef at Cora Cora Maldives.

We bring you exclusive coverage of the events leading up to Food and Hospitality Asia Maldives (FHAM) 2023, with contributing writer Janet Smailes interviewing Imran Hassan, MD of CDC Events and Travels, for a behind-the-scenes look at the event.

In our regular segments, contributing writer Rawha Waheed explores how Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort redefines luxury, while Editor Olivia Person visits Gangehi Island Resort to experience warm Italian hospitality in the heart of the Maldives. The GM’s View segment offers insights from Giorgi Pini, GM of Gangehi Island Resort, and Iain McCormack, GM of Vakkaru Maldives. We also interviewed Corinna Luebbe, Cluster General Manager of Taj Maldives, for our Women in Hospitality segment.

Issue 60 delves into the Maldives’ Best Kids Clubs, Amaa’s Kitchen - a traditional Maldivian dining experience, and the band Skyrock’s new single and secret for success.

In this issue’s Buyers Guide, we spotlight two suppliers essential to the hospitality industry: INEO and Steel Hardware. Additionally, we review four products: Toyo Pumps, Pentair Prowler Robotic Cleaners distributed by Celestial Pools and Spa, Hassan Marine’s HawiCraft Sailing Catamaran, and the Manta5 Hydrofoiler XE-1 distributed by SeaGear, perfect for riding across the lagoons of Siyam World.

Hotelier Maldives

Volume 10, Issue No: 60

EDITORIAL

Ali Naafiz, Editor, naafiz@hoteliermaldives.com

Olivia Persson, Managing Editor

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Janet Smailes, Meera Moosa, Mohamed Nasheed, Patrick Landman, Rawha Waheed

LAYOUT DESIGN

Ali Haisham Rasheed

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE FOLLOWING: Baglioni Resort Maldives, Equator Village, Mirihi Island Resort, Nika Island Resort, Rosewood Hotel Group, Jawakara Islands Maldives, Food & Hospitality Asia Maldives, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort and Spa, Gangehi Island Resort, Vakkaru Maldives, Siyam World, Kandima Maldives, COMO Malifushi, Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, The Nautilus Maldives, LUX* South Ari Atoll, Taj Maldives, You and Me by Cocoon, Constance Halaveli Maldives, Anja, Alia Kothaifaru Maldives, Skyrock Band, Cora Cora Maldives, Huvafen Fushi Maldives, Steel Hardware, INEO, Bestbuy Maldives, Toyo Pumps, Hawicraft

SALES

Naail Nihaadh naail@hoteliermaldives.com sales@hoteliermadlives.com

PUBLISHER PERSPECTIVE PVT LTD

4th Floor, M. Kaneeru Villa, Orchid Magu, Male, Republic of Maldives, PO Box NO 20212 Mobile: +960 7246292, +9600 791 0858

Sincerely,

Ali Naafiz Editor

Featured Image: INEO team; one of the largest suppliers of commercial equipment in China

7th Edition of GM Forum Scheduled for 21 September ’23

The 7th GM forum will be held on September 21, 2023 at Kurumba Maldives. The 2023 GM Forum will cover relevant industry topics, including hotel and travel technology, destination marketing, sustainability and travel trends.

Inaugurated in 2016, the Hotelier Maldives GM Forum is the only dedicated forum taking place in the country for resort general managers. Every year, dozens of general managers and other industry leaders gather to discuss the unique challenges they face on a day-to-day basis, and to learn from the best practice of their peers in a mutually supportive environment.

Last year’s GM Forum drew over 23 GMs representing 38 resorts, 2 hotels and 86

industry leaders, including two of the reputed pioneers of tourism, MU Maniku and Hussain Afeef. The forum featured two panels on the themes, Tourism is a PostPandemic Economy and Post-Pandemic Wellness & Wellbeing.

Speakers Julian Naouri from JLL and Karen Mahesh from STR, presented on the facts and figures of tourism while Erin Yungblut and Alejandra Woolrich from Reefscapers; Four Seasons Maldives, spoke about climate change and coral propagation.

Over the past six years, the GM forum has drawn over 180 GMs and corporate hoteliers, 545 delegates and 160 Hotel Management brands. Over 50 sponsors have made the GM forums possible. Past sponsors include Allied Insurance, Euro Marketing, Dhiraagu, Bestbuy Maldives, Ooreedoo, CocaCola and EVO Home.

Baglioni Resort Maldives is Now Luxury All-Inclusive

Baglioni Resort Maldives is the epitome of barefoot luxury with Italian grace. The 5-star hideaway is on the island of Maagau in Dhaalu Atoll. Baglioni Resort Maldives pairs Italian elegance with the tropical natural beauty, turquoise waters, and velvet-smooth white sands of the Indian Ocean. The property boasts 85 villas and a 360-degree house reef filled with magnificent marine life.

Baglioni Resort Maldives has recently transitioned to a luxury ‘All-Inclusive’ resort. Guests have the opportunity to discover the wonders of their palate in the stunning restaurants and bars. One of the many benefits of the new Luxury All-Inclusive status is the availability of a variety of premium beverages and the option to dine around, à la carte or buffet-style at three magnificent restaurants and the elegant Pool Bar.

The Green Globe-certified Baglioni Resort Maldives exemplifies tropical elegance.

The elegant One and Two Bedroom Beach Villas are spacious, with direct beach access and private pools. The villas are designed to accommodate families of four or six with children up to the age of eighteen. A world of games and adventures is curated for our little guests at the Baglioni Kids Club, allowing them to have a lot of fun while discovering the wonders of the island. The Water Villas are ideal for couples in search of a romantic stay.

Exciting water activities at the resort include both motorized and non-motorized options, such as big game fishing, scuba diving, and dolphin excursions.

Nika Island Proclaimed as World’s First “Kind Island”

Nika Island Resort is proclaimed the world’s first “Kind Island” at a ceremony on April 2, 2023, by signing the Manifesto of the Kind Island. The manifesto consists of ten practices that point the way to kindness.

Nika Island is part of the International Kindness Movement, a worldwide collective of over 300,000 people, organizations, companies and institutions spreading kindness through community impact projects

The manifesto was signed by the founder and inspirer of the movement Daniel Lumera, by the international coordinator and ambassador Felicia Cigorescu, by the owner of the Nika Island Resort Giovanna Bellazzi and by the Honorary Consul of Italy to the Maldives Giorgia Marazzi, representing Italy, in the presence of guests and employees of the resort, tourists and islanders.

“Kindness is that gift that allows us to get in touch with all souls and the natural world. Here at Nika, we have been involved in social projects and the protection of the environment and traditions since 1983, and our membership of the

International Kindness Movement is intended to express this concrete commitment, which we will continue to pursue and strengthen,” commented Giovanna Bellazzi, the owner of Nika Island Resort.

This year Nika Island Resort celebrates its 40th anniversary. The resort’s commitment to kindness is evident in the numerous environmental and social impact projects conducted over the past four

decades. Nika has preserved the island’s biodiversity, there are over 30 different species of local trees and over 1,852 plants scattered across the island. The resort is also committed to persevering and reinvigorating its kaleidoscopic house reef by engaging in a coral garden restoration project. In 2017, the Nika museum opened with an impressive collection of artifacts, prints and specimens to preserve Maldivian cultural heritage.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, will ever be wasted,’ Felicia Cigorescu comments. She continues to discuss the International Kindness Movement, ‘We want to bring a new form of tourism to the world: Kind Tourism, based on shared human values and respect for the environment and the ecosystem, which naturally enjoys harmony and balance. We are witnessing the birth of a new era: the era of awareness.”

Medicine Scholarship in Memory of Dr. Ibrahim Umar Maniku

The Universal Foundation has announced a special memorial scholarship opportunity for Maldivians wishing to study medicine in honour of the late Dr. Ibrahim Umar Maniku. The scholarship is open to Maldivian nationals who wish to study at any medical university in the UK, aiming to equip Maldivian doctors with specialized skill sets in areas that are in high demand.

Dr. Ibrahim Maniku completed his MBBS at the University of Leipzig, Germany. He went on to specialize in anesthesiology at the Universitätsklinikum in Halle. Dr. Maniku was the first Maldivian anesthesiologist at Malé Central Hospital and worked to modernize the anesthesiology department by coordinating donations of modern equipment.

Dr. Maniku also played a key role in the development of the Maldives tourism industry. He was one of the first Maldivians to bring international joint ventures to the country to enhance the tourism industry. In 1989, Dr. Maniku established the Malé Aerated Water Company, the first bottling plant to introduce carbonated beverages to the country.

Criteria for Scholarship in Memory of Dr. Ibrahim Umar Maniku

The deadline for the application is 30th June 2023.

1. Must be a Maldivian.

2. The study programme must be in the field of medicine.

3. The study programme

must be Post Graduate level (Specialization).

4. The University that offers the study programme must be within the United Kingdom.

5. Must have obtained a letter confirming the University placement.

6. The candidate must meet the UK student visa requirements.

7. The applicant must have completed MBBS.

8. The applicant must have worked in Maldives for at least two years after MBBS.

9. Among the applicants, preference will be given to the candidate who chose to study a medical specialization, which

is a skill shortage area in the Maldives.

10. Must pass a selection interview.

11. Must work in the Maldives after the programme based on the agreement.

Since 2014, the Universal Foundation has granted over 204 scholarships, including 51 scholarships in the field of medicine. The Universal Foundation works directly and in partnership with both private and public organizations to develop and fund programs which will assist in providing opportunities for Maldivians and in addressing the humanitarian and human growth needs of the nation.

Featured Image: Dr. Ibrahim Umar Maniku

Mirihi Island Resort Celebrates 20th Anniversary

This year, Mirihi Island Resort celebrates its 20 year anniversary of bringing luxury hospitality to the Maldives. In 2003, Swiss entrepreneur Amy Stierli and her business partner Hussain Afeef, Maldivian pioneer of tourism, opened Mirihi’s doors to guests to experience the tranquility of the Maldives. In 2018, the ownership of the resort was passed to Thai entrepreneur Mr. Vicha Poolvaraluck who continues to build on the legacy with the same passion and motto–as unique as you.

The resort has received international recognition, such as the President’s Award for best occupancy in 2005 and 2006, voted in the Top 25 Best Hotels in the World by TripAdvisor, including notably the 7th Best in Service in the World and 4th Best Resort in Asia in 2015 and 13th Best in the World and 5th Best in Asia in 2021.

“We’re so grateful for Mirihi’s longstanding reputation of

being a premier destination in the Maldives and look forward to celebrating all year. Our staff’s focus on guest experience has awarded us a number of notable accolades, but an achievement we are most proud of is the significant volume of guests who have continuously visited our resort over the last two decades,” said Mohamad Shareef, General Manager at Mirihi Island Resort. “Several guests have been with us more than 20 times, with 56% of all our guests last year being repeat visitors to this little paradise each year.”

Mirihi’s strong legacy is set to continue with the appointment of Helen Bolton as Director of Sales and Marketing earlier this year. Bringing over 20 years of experience in the Maldives, Helen will oversee and strengthen Mirihi’s sales and marketing strategy.

“I am thrilled to have taken on this key role as DOSM at Mirihi on such a milestone occasion as their 20th anniversary.

Having lived and worked in the Maldives for over 20 years, it became my second home and, of course, I had my favourite islands, which I used to escape to for my R&R breaks. Most colleagues chose to travel overseas for the city life for these short vacations, whereas I preferred to simply enjoy my environment, not pack any shoes and take a staycation. Mirihi was always my first choice and having experienced the resort as a guest on several occasions, I fell in love with this barefoot gem of an island and am now honored to join Shareef and the Mirihi team as we celebrate 20 years of service excellence,” comments Helen Bolton. “I look forward to strengthening our sales and marketing efforts in our traditional markets and developing new markets whilst implementing creative initiatives to enhance the resort visibility, increase year-round sales and firmly put Mirihi on the international map.”

The anniversary will be celebrated throughout the year with elevated programming including:

• An International culinary pop-up by a 2-Michelin Starred Chef Noah Sandoval of Oriole Chicago

• In-Villa 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Cocktail Kit curated by Julia Momose of Kumiko, #25 on this year’s World’s 50 Best Bars. The kit includes Muraka Rum and local Maldivian ingredients.

• Wellness Holidays 2.0 package, incorporating the 20/20/20 Wellness Formula with 20-minute vegan cooking or mocktail class, 20-minute Muay Thai or boxing class, and 20-minute sunrise guided yoga and meditation.

19 Maldivian Resorts Awarded 4 or 5 Stars in 2023 Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards

19 Maldivian resorts were awarded either 4 or 5 stars in the 2023 Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards. The Forbes Travel Guide is the largest independent, global rating agency for luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruise ships. Every Star Rating is given through an objective, independent process.

The Forbes Travel Guide began in 1958, establishing the first five-star rating system for hospitality. The global authority on luxury hospitality travels the world to assess the finest hotels, restaurants, spas and ocean cruise ships based on over 900 meticulous standards that determine their coveted annual Star Ratings.

The 2023 (65th) annual Star Awards features 48 new

Five-Star hotels, 64 new Four-Star properties and 45 new Recommended hotels. The assessment model covers various aspects of modern-day luxury — from the arrangement of the room and food quality to more traditional elements such as décor and standard of hospitality. Seventy percent of a property’s rating relies on its service—with a more exacting look at the guest experience as a new service metric for 2023— while the remaining 30 percent accounts for the quality and condition of its facilities.

This year’s list included 19 Maldivian resorts: 13 properties earned five stars and 6 properties earned four stars.

Five Stars

Considered outstanding, often iconic properties with virtually flawless service and amazing facilities.

• Cheval Blanc Randheli

• Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa

• Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

• JOALI BEING

• JOALI Maldives

• Kudadoo Maldives Private Island

• One&Only Reethi Rah

• Patina Maldives, Fari Islands

• The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

• Soneva Jani

• The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

• Velaa Private Island

• Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi

Four Stars

Exceptional properties that offer high levels of service and quality of facility to match.

• Amilla Maldives Resort & Residences

• Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru

• Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

• LUX* South Ari Atoll

• Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

• Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, Maldives

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia

Riyadh Front Exhibition & Convention center

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Sep 10 - 12, 2023

The largest trade event for the hotel & hospitality sector in the Kingdom.

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia is the Kingdom’s largest and most influential trade event for the hotel and hospitality sector. Leading experts from across hospitality attend the show to network, do business and get the latest information on developments within the industry. The event was launched in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and is a must-attend for anyone buying products and services for Hotels, Restaurants, and Sports & Leisure Facilities.

The Hotel Show Saudi Arabia offers professionals a chance to meet with key suppliers, learn from hospitality leaders at our range of conferences and attend our Saudi Hospitality Awards. It attracts hundreds of local and international brands, helping you source the products and services relevant to you.

This event is organized by dmg Events

Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific 2024

Oct 23 - 25, 2023

Skift Global Forum

North Javits

New York, NY, United States

Sep 26 - 28, 2023

As a travel professional, you know how essential it is to stay on top of the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities. Join us at Skift Global Forum 2023, the industry’s leading conference, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year on September 26-28 in NYC.

Over the last decade, SGF has become an essential gathering for travel industry leaders, innovators, and disruptors to discuss the latest developments in technology, sustainability, marketing, and innovation. This year, we’re expecting 1,000+ attendees to join us for two days of thought provoking sessions featuring 25+ top industry luminaries.

From the early days of the conference, technology has been a consistent theme, and this year’s event will continue to explore how transformative technologies can improve customer experiences, streamline operations and optimize strategy - with a keen focus on Connection in the Age of AI.

Join your peers again this year for the tenth and largest gathering of travel’s most creative thinkers.

Why attend?

Connect with peers from across the travel industry during multiple networking opportunities.

Learn from top creatives and executives during exclusive interview sessions and talks.

Chart your path forward for 2023 and beyond based on your conversations and experiences at the Forum.

Who should join?

Each year Skift Global Forum attendees are a mix of both experienced veterans and forward-thinking newcomers that seek greater insight into the business of travel. Since we started our events program in 2014, we’ve welcomed over 21,000 attendees from all over the world.

This event is organized by skift Inc.

Fairmont Singapore

Singapore, Singapore

For over 30 years, HICAP has been the unequaled annual gathering place for Asia-Pacific’s hotel investment community, attracting the most influential owners, developers, lenders, executives, and professional advisors from around the globe. Whether you are looking to make new contacts, strengthen existing relationships, learn or orchestrate a deal, HICAP is the event to attend.

CONNECT WITH THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY MATTER AT HICAP

Meet the key players in the industry. HICAP draws internationally influential decision-makers, experienced advisors and specialists, and industry pundits:

Investors

• Owners

• Developers

• Hotel Chain & Management Companies

• Investment Bankers

• Lenders

• Advisors & Intermediaries

• Architects & Designers

• Government Tourism Officials

• Media

This event is organized by BHN

ITB Asia

Oct 25 - 27, 2023

Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Singapore, Singapore

ITB Asia, Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show, is an annually held B2B trade show and convention for the travel industry; it is designed to be the primary event for the Asia Pacific travel industry, much like its parent event - ITB Berlin.

Now in its 16th year, ITB Asia will be held in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore from 25 - 27 October 2023.

ITB Asia is organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. ITB Asia is co-located with MICE Show Asia and Travel Tech Asia covering the key verticals in the travel industry such as Leisure, MICE, Corporate, and Travel Technology. With three shows in one event, it has become Asia’s largest travel showcase.

The event features thousands of exhibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. Exhibitors from every sector of the industry, including destinations, airlines and airports, hotels and resorts, theme parks and attractions, inbound tour operators, inbound DMCs, cruise lines, spas, venues, other meeting facilities, and travel technology companies attend the event.

Today, ITB Asia is the premier meeting place for the travel trade industry and a forum for establishing high-quality customer contacts and conducting businesses. This is where international exhibitors of all sectors within the travel-value chain commerce, and Asia Pacific’s leading travel companies and emerging small and medium-sized enterprises meet with top international buyers from the MICE, Leisure, Corporate Travel and Travel Technology markets.

This event is organized by Messe Berlin GmbH

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

Rosewood Ranfaru Resort to Open in 2025

Estithmar Holdings, a Qatari investment company, announced the development of Rosewood Ranfaru Resort in Maldives. The resort is projected to be one of the world’s most luxurious resorts and will be developed by Royal Resorts, a subsidiary of Estithmar Holdings. Rosewood Ranfaru Resort is anticipated to open in the first quarter of 2025. This will be Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’ first property in Maldives.

Estithmar Holdings will invest $343 million into the development of the ultra-luxury resort. It is projected the property will be home to 94 one-bedroom villas, 26 twobedroom villas, 6 three-bedroom villas, 2 four-bedroom villas, and 5 luxury private islands. The resort will also have worldclass restaurants, a wellness center, water park and beach club.

Mr. Moataz Al-Khayyat, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Istithmar Holding noted that investment opportunities in Maldives are very flexible, stating, “Investment opportunities in the Maldives

are highly flexible, and the investment environment is encouraging and plays an active role in stimulating the global private sector to innovate a number of projects that enhance tourism and entertainment programs.”

The President of Rosewood Hotel Group, Mr. Rodha Arora remarked on the property’s development, “We

are very pleased to cooperate with Istithmar Holding Company to launch a luxury resort with the highest luxury specifications, and the Rosewood Group is very excited to work on this project and put the Rosewood name in the Maldives. This project is part of our global plan to expand and create new architectural masterpieces and tourism experiences that are the first and best of their kind.”

Nammos Hotels & Resorts to Open Property in Maldives in 2025

Nammos Hotels & Resort is the newest addition to Nammos World and is a joint venture between Alpha Dhabi and Monterock International. Nammos Hotels & Resorts is anticipating to open a property in Maldives in 2025. Nammos Resort Maldives will embody Nammos’ signature Mykonian hospitality.

Nammos began as a beach tavern in Mykonos 20 years ago. It has since become a global brand catering to laid-back luxury travelers by redefining beach life. Nammos expanding further into a hospitality brand is testament to Nammos’ ambitious and innovative brand strategy.

Speaking on Nammos’ expansion to a hospitality brand, Zannis Fratzeskos, founding partner of Nammos World, said: “Over the last decade we’ve mastered the art of creating a daytime experience like no other, and are delighted that Alpha Dhabi and Monterock International have set a vision to further fortify the Nammos

World brand with the launch of Nammos Hotels & Resorts. The properties are set to embody the lifestyle we’ve created within an unrivaled hospitality experience,

and we’re excited for Nammos’ global customers to experience the brand within a hotel setting.”

Jawakara Islands Maldives Opening August 1

cocktails with unparalleled views. The kids will spend the whole day entertained, socializing in the kid’s club, splashing in the kid’s pool or beating Pac-Man in the game room. Sporty guests will enjoy the island’s fitness center, badminton court, football pitch, volleyball court, 9 hole golf course, peddle tennis courts and tennis court.

Dheru Island: Romantic Intimate Haven

Jawakara Islands Maldives, the newest addition to the Crown & Champa Resorts portfolio, is anticipated to open August 1, 2023. Jawakara is a two island, family friendly resort in the pristine Lhaviyani Atoll. Experience the islands’ untouched nature and brilliant lagoons with your loved ones. The two islands, Mabin and Dheru, are connected by a 700-meter bridge, allowing guests to easily explore the islands’ unique beauty.

Pure Nature

The Jawakara islands, Mabin and Dheru are ancient coral islands risen from the volcanoes of the Indian Ocean. Thousands of years ago, magnificent corals formed, inviting rich marine life to inhabit the turquoise lagoon. Find colorful schools of

fish, wise turtles, patterned moray eels and sea stars among the kaleidoscopic corals. Many of the nearby dive spots have only recently been discovered and explored. For hundreds of years, the island’s remained untouched, allowing the growth of a dense jungle of towering palms and broad banyan trees.

Mabin

Island: Lush Family Island

Jawakara’s larger island, Mabin is a spacious escape for families to reconnect with nature on mindful walks or leisurely bike rides. Mabin is designed with family luxury travelers in mind to offer a fun and relaxing holiday for the whole family. Mabin has 202 rooms in the categories of beach villa, beach pool villa, two-bedroom villa and water pool villa. Dine at one of Mabin’s three restaurants. Ekuveni and Aila in Maabinhura are buffet restaurants serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Waves is an à la carte restaurant serving fresh Mediterranean dishes. Enjoy a drink at one of Mabin’s three bars that offer fresh drinks, excellent wine and creative

The smaller island, Dheru is an intimate escape for couples seeking a romantic all inclusive island experience. The premium all-inclusive package allows you to have an effortless vacation reconnecting with your loved one over delectable cuisine, thrilling adventures and rejuvenating spa treatments. Dehru is home to 88 villas. Choose between a beach villa, beach pool villa, three-bedroom villa and water pool villa. Indulge in a diverse buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner at The Retreat Restaurant or dine over the lagoon at the Blue Zone à la carte restaurant serving Asia Pacific Cuisine. Rejuvenate at the over-water Sulha Spa with wellness experts offering holistic therapies and treatments including Ayurveda therapy, remedial and healing experiences, yoga and meditation and beauty and salon treatments

The Jawkara Islands Maldives, a luxury family and couple resort, is an exciting addition to the Crown & Champa Resorts portfolio. “Jawakara Islands Maldives welcomes guests from all ages. Depending on the need and purpose of travel Jawakara has something to offer for everyone. We assure you that at Jawakara, guests will not have time to get bored. Guests are welcome to book their holiday with their preferred booking platforms with very attractive offers for stays from August 1, 2023,” commented Ahmed Shaheen, Director of Sales & Marketing at Crown & Champa Resorts.

THE JOURNEY OF A Interview with Solah

DEDICATED HOTELIER

Mohamed Solah is a prime example of a passionate and dedicated hotelier. From a young receptionist to the Chief Operating Officer of Crown and Champa Resorts, one of the largest hotel groups in the Maldives, Solah’s hospitality journey proves that with the right discipline and hard work, there are no limits to one’s achievements.

Solah comes from a humble family where his parents worked hard to earn a living. His grandparents were fishermen. The eldest of seven siblings, Solah, moved at the age of twelve from his island to the capital city, Malé. At a young age, he took care of

himself and overcame life’s hurdles. After completing his schooling, he wanted to study finance and become an accountant. However, at the time, this dream was beyond his financial means. Pondering on what he can study, he decided on hotel school as a

more affordable option. After completing his diploma, Solah sought job opportunities.

In 2002, Solah embarked on his hospitality journey at Meeru Island Resort. Today, he is the Chief Operating Officer of Crown and Champa Resorts, overseeing the operations of nine resorts in the Maldives, including Meeru Island Resort.

“My first option was to work at the airport as a representative so that I could stay in Malé. I went for a couple of interviews, but I did not get the job because I lacked the required experience. Then on the news

I saw that Meeru Island Resort was looking for a receptionist. I applied for it, went for the interview and I got the job,” remembers Solah.

After joining Meeru Island Resort, Solah wanted to pursue his education further and build a career. He received a scholarship to complete his higher diploma at Taylor’s University, Malaysia. From there, he did management training at Sheraton Sri Lanka before returning to Meeru Island Resort as a Front Office Manager. He completed the General Managers Program from Cornell University in

New York, and received his MBA from the University of Bedfordshire, and completed his Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism Studies.

During his career, Solah held various roles at different departments in the hospitality industry, including Guest Services Manager, Recreations Manager, Rooms Division Manager, and Director of Operations.

“I was given the chance to get the whole experience at the operational level. When you work in different departments, you have an idea of how it runs. Otherwise, from the outside you think being a chef is easy, but when you actually work as a chef, it is completely different.” says Solah.

In 2015 to 2017, Solah moved to Abu Dhabi to work as the Rooms Operations Manager at Zaya Nurai Island. After that, he worked for a year as the Director of Operations at Hurawalhi. From 2018 to 2021, he assumed the position of General Manager at Komandoo

Island Resort.

During his time as General Manager at Komandoo Island Resort, Solah changed the staff concept to ‘champions.’

According to him, they were all champions because everyone was a winner. “We created reasons why you become a champion and how champions work. It really helped bring the service level higher because everyone was upbeat, energetic, and very motivated to work,” says Solah.

Solah’s management philosophy is very simple; take care of everyone. He focuses on creating an environment where the employees are comfortable, content and constantly growing. This work culture allows staff to maintain a high standard of guest services.

To render excellent services, Solah considers understanding the lifestyles and where guests come from as very important. According to him, this understanding allows hotels to deliver the best services based on individual preferences. He

says that in hospitality, one does not need to be a rocket scientist, but must have basic human skills. Protecting the Maldivian hospitality and service culture is of utmost importance to Solah.

“It is up to each individual person in the industry to uphold these ethics and mannerism. We have to attract more of our people to the industry and uphold the good values our ancestors taught us. Our traditions in respecting each other, how we greet, and the way we bid farewell with a ‘hih heyo kurahchey’. Literally translated, it means ‘keep your heart good’. It is a very strong phrase with a beautiful meaning. We have to evolve, but also make sure our roots

His curious personality has him constantly travelling to understand different cultures, hotels, competition and industry workings. He is constantly looking for opportunities to learn, challenges to tackle and ways he can grow. In 2022, Solah was offered his current role at Crown and Champa Resorts. As the COO, he will take the company to the future, ensuring its growth and increasing the values offered to the staff and guests.

“At Crown and Champa Resorts, we do not compete with others. We are not trying to be better than anyone. Instead, we compete with ourselves to become a better brand and better people than

are stable and firm. We cannot lose who we are,” says Solah. In 2021, Solah took on the responsibility of Cluster General Manager of Zaya Hospitality in Dubai, where he handled two city hotels. Looking back on the experience, Solah says that it differed greatly from the Maldives. Since he was handling two very new properties, there were many hurdles to overcome daily. Solah considers this experience as one of his biggest achievements.

“It is not the money that motivated me to be here or the title. It is the satisfaction from staff and guests feedback,” says Solah.

we were yesterday,” says Solah. Solah highlighted the importance of creating more Maldivian hoteliers. According to him, by creating awareness, educating the young, and showing the various opportunities available in the industry can increase the number of young people looking to work in the industry.

“So many talented people do not push themselves to do more because they are shy or lack confidence. Sometimes you will look at the challenges and wonder if it is worth it. But if you have long-term goals, dedication and the right discipline, you will make it,” says Solah.

Featured Image: Solah in 2004

Featured Image: Solah at ITB Berlin in 2006

Featured Image: Solah completing the General Managers Program at Cornell University

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

FHAM Hosted Global Culinary Challenge Workshop

Food and Hospitality Asia Maldives (FHAM) held its Global Culinary Challenge Workshop on March 20, 2023 at Champa Central Hotel. The workshop was an opportunity to provide information for chefs interested in the Global Culinary Challenge.

FHAM is the premier international hospitality trade fair in the Maldives. The exhibition and Global Culinary Challenge will be held on May 8-10, 2023 at Hulhumalé Central Park.

The workshop commenced with a welcome address and an address from Nestlé, the Platinum Sponsor of the Culinary Competition. FHAM’s principal sponsor, Lily International, was also in attendance.

The workshop introduced the Culinary Challenge, and the competition’s judging criteria. The workshop’s participants attended four live demonstrations on ASPIC techniques for competitions, modern garde manger presentation, petit fours and cake dressing presentation techniques and an explanation of live cooking at competitions. After the demonstrations, participants were invited to ask questions at a Q&A session and network with the event sponsors.

“The Culinary Challenge is an excellent opportunity for Maldivian Chefs to participate in an international competition. Competitions are a way to distinguish oneself in the industry and further a career. Registration is still open and we would love to see strong Maldivian participation,” commented Ishag Solih, Culinary Director of FHAM and Committee Member of Chefs Guild of Maldives.

FHAM’s culinary challenge is supported and endorsed by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS). It is the only event in Maldives endorsed by two Chefs Guilds; Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Lily International, FHAM’s principal sponsor, looks forward to empowering

chefs to display their unique talents at the Global Culinary Challenge. Faizel Ali, Assistant Director at Lily International, commented, “Lily International is delighted to be a part of FHAM Global Culinary Challenge, one of the largest events of its kind in the Maldives. As a F&B distribution company, we recognize the importance of supporting local and international events that bring together culinary talents from around the world. We look forward to witnessing the creativity and skill of the participants as they showcase their culinary prowess. Lily International remains committed to fostering a culture of innovation and excellence in the culinary industry, and we are honored to be part of this prestigious event.”

SPECIAL SEGMENT

Lily International Empowers Local Chefs as the Principal Sponsor of FHAM

Food and Hospitality Asia Maldives (FHAM) held its Global Culinary Challenge Workshop on March 20, 2023 at Champa Central Hotel. The workshop was an opportunity to provide information for chefs interested in the Global Culinary Challenge.

FHAM is the premier international hospitality trade fair in the Maldives. The exhibition and Global Culinary Challenge will be held on May 8-10, 2023 at Hulhumalé Central Park.

The workshop commenced with a welcome address and an address from Nestlé, the Platinum Sponsor of

the Culinary Competition. FHAM’s principal sponsor, Lily International, was also in attendance.

The workshop introduced the Culinary Challenge, and the competition’s judging criteria. The workshop’s participants attended four live demonstrations on ASPIC techniques for competitions, modern garde manger presentation, petit fours and cake dressing presentation techniques and an explanation of live cooking at competitions. After the demonstrations, participants were invited to ask questions at a Q&A session and network with the event sponsors.

“The Culinary Challenge is an excellent opportunity for Maldivian Chefs to participate in an international competition. Competitions are

a way to distinguish oneself in the industry and further a career. Registration is still open and we would love to see strong Maldivian participation,” commented Ishag Solih, Culinary Director of FHAM and Committee Member of Chefs Guild of Maldives. FHAM’s culinary challenge is supported and endorsed by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS). It is the only event in Maldives endorsed by two Chefs Guilds; Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Lily International, FHAM’s principal sponsor, looks forward to

empowering chefs to display their unique talents at the Global Culinary Challenge.

Faizel Ali, Assistant Director at Lily International, commented, “Lily International is delighted to be a part of FHAM Global Culinary Challenge, one of the largest events of its kind in the Maldives. As a F&B distribution company, we recognize the importance of supporting local and international events that bring together culinary talents from around the world. We look forward to witnessing the creativity and skill of the participants as they showcase their culinary prowess. Lily International remains committed to fostering a culture of innovation and excellence in the culinary industry, and we are honored to be part of this prestigious event.”

Behind the Scenes of FHAM with Imran Hassan, MD of CDC Events and Travels

HM: Tell us a little bit about your background?

IH: I am originally from Colombo in Sri Lanka and have been based in and around that area all my life. My career began in sales and marketing, which led me into the exhibition industry in 1998, so I have been involved in organising trade fairs for 25 years. I have organised over 250 international trade fairs in Sri Lanka, Maldives, India and Seychelles. I am the president of the Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference Exhibition and Event Organisers and a board member of The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau.

HM: What took you into the field of events and joining CDC?

IH: I joined CDC conventions in 1998. One of the first events I was involved in was the inception of the Hotel Show, something I am still involved with today. With CDC, in 2000, I headed the team that organised the first international trade fair in the

Maldives. It was held at Dharubaaruge. I remember drawing up all the floor plans for the exhibition space and spearheading the marketing of it. I was with CDC until 2003, when I formed Lanka Exhibition Services and Maldives Exhibition Services. Organising and conceptualising events is an immersive and creative process that requires the right people and support. In 2013, I created CDC Events and Travels Pvt Ltd which has grown to become one of the most experienced MICE Tourism specialists in South Asia.

HM: You have been instrumental in FHAM since its inception. How did it start and how has it evolved?

IH: In creating CDC Events and Travels Pvt Ltd we effectively broke away from the other well-established exhibition. Thus, we created Food and Hospitality Asia Maldives (FHAM) with Dhivehi Expo Services, who are the actual owning company of FHAM.

The first few years were difficult as we carved out our own identity within the market. However, we had great support from Lily International and Nestle, who have been our main sponsors since the beginning in 2014.

FHAM also provided a catalyst for several positive developments in the Maldives culinary industry. In October 2014, we were involved with the formation of the Chefs

Guild of Maldives under the leadership of Mariyam Noordeen. Together, we prepared the Chefs Guild to join the World Association of Chefs Societies. This is something we are extremely proud to have been part of and it helped establish the culinary competition at FHAM. Over the last few years, FHAM has found its niche and is now well known amongst the Hospitality Industry in the Maldives.

HM: What makes the FHAM unique?

IH: FHAM is unique in a number of ways:

• It focuses on the whole hospitality industry as opposed to just the F&B segment.

• It is the only event supported by two National Chefs Guilds, the Chefs Guild of Maldives and the Chefs Guild of Sri Lanka.

• It was the first World Chefs endorsed event in the Maldives.

• This year we have teams from nine national Chef Guilds, taking part in the Global Culinary Competition, making it the only International event in the South Asian Region.

HM: FHAM is in central park again this year, as opposed to Dharubaaruge. What made you decide to use the park?

IH: Several reasons, even though it would actually be cheaper to do it at Dharubaaruge! Last year was the first time in the park and the ease of access meant we attracted a lot of visitors, especially from resorts as

they could get a taxi or bus directly from the airport or come directly by ferry and not need to navigate the congested streets of Malé. Over the years, Dharubaaruge has become run down. In addition, it wasn’t available with the upcoming elections.

The park has limitations in terms of facilities such as water, toilet, ect. How have you overcome the limitations?

It certainly presents challenges! We must build everything from scratch, which is a mammoth undertaking and costly. This year we have extended the size of the marquee area and are bringing more air conditioning units, including some mobile toilets. We are importing the toilets, so we will leave them as a gift to HDC to be used at future events.

A key attraction of the exhibition is the culinary, barrister and housekeeping competitions. Can you tell us a little about each of them and the inspiration behind their inclusion?

The culinary competition has been part of the event since the beginning and something Nestle was keen to include as they are active in culinary competitions globally. This year we are going global as we have teams participating from Saudi Arabia, India, UAE, Bahrain, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Maldives and Vietnam.

The Barista Competition was introduced in 2017 to provide a platform for F&B to showcase their talents. In 2012, we added it to the Sri Lanka Hotel Show. Due to the competition’s

Featured Image: Imran Hassan

FHAM SPECIAL SEGMENT

popularity and Maldives’ booming coffee culture, it was natural to include it in FHAM too. The competition targets both coffee house and resort baristas. It follows the international barista championship standards, so it is judged by both Sensory and Technical internationally certified Judges.

The Mocktail Competition was introduced in 2019. It targets the F&B department of Hotels and Guest houses, although independent cafes and restaurants can participate too. It is officiated by intentionally qualified Judges and IBA

The Housekeeping Competition was introduced in 2017 in collaboration with the Maldives Housekeepers association to highlight the importance of the housekeeping segment within the industry. The competition has evolved to become a bed decoration competition where teams of two can showcase their artistic talents.

HM: How many classes will be held across the three-day event?

We have a busy schedule and over 450 entries from over 40 resorts, plus the entries from those representing the international Chefs Guilds. There are:

21 Classes in the Global Culinary Competition which will run throughout each day from 9am

1 Mocktail Competition and 1 Barista Competition, which will be held over consecutive days

1 Housekeeping Competition

1 kid’s Culinary Competition

HM: How have you provided competition style kitchens in a tent?

IH: This year we have a separate marquee as the competition area, which is split into sections, allowing a dedicated AC area to dress the cake and fruit carving. There is a separate hot kitchen area with space for 20 competition work stations. We have also increased the number of ovens available.

HM: The culinary competition is endorsed by WACS, so how do you select the right calibre of judges to comply with the criteria?

IH: To conduct a continental World Chefs competition, you need to have a minimum of two “A” grade judges. This year we have four. The Chief Judge will be the Vice President of World Association of Chefs Societies, Chef Uwe (Michel Uwe). We have over 15 international Judges, including presidents

from eight Chef Guilds. These judges will be supported by Maldivian World Chefs certified judges. This year, we appointed Ishag Solih as the Culinary Director. Chef Ishag is a World Chefs certified judge, a key member of the Chefs Guild and a well-renowned chef who has always been actively involved with FHAM culinary competition.

HM: Is the FHAM offering anything new this year?

IH: Having entries from multiple national Chefs Guilds is new this year. We have also included a kid’s competition and have a dedicated pavilion of exhibitors from India.

HM: Who should visit the FHAM and what can they expect?

IH: FHAM is for everyone in the Hospitality industry. Owners, management and staff of hotels, resorts, guest houses, and restaurants will find something of interest. It is a great networking opportunity for anyone who is interested in setting up or getting into the hospitality industry. The competitions are an opportunity to connect and learn from others within their field.

HM: Any final comments?

IH: FHAM and other exhibitions bring a lot of business into the central Malé area. The exhibition is expected to bring in at least 500 bed nights from the exhibition team judges, international exhibitors, teams and supporters. In my opinion, it is time the Maldives invested in a dedicated conference and exhibition space as it would attract the ever-growing MICE industry (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) and provide another market for tourism providers.

Featured Image: Imran Hassan at FHAM with key stakeholders

Featured Images: Imran Hassan giving President Ibrahim Soliha tour of FHAM 2022

BY MEERA MOOSA

Jean-Micheal Costeau a Voice for the Ocean and Future Generations

Born in France in 1938, Jean-Michel Cousteau spent his life exploring the depths of the deep blue ocean, rich marine life and nature-connectedness.

Jean-Michel’s love for the ocean began at the age of seven when he started diving using the Aqua-Lung that his father, Jacques Cousteau co-invented. After a lifetime dedicated to ocean conservation through education, awareness and diplomacy, the President of France honored him in 2016 with the Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur, Knight of Honour. JeanMichel co-founded the organization Ocean Futures Society and the educational program Ambassadors of the Environment to empower the next generation of ocean stewards. With several programmes across the world, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives is the only resort in the country offering education and conservation activities in partnership with JeanMichel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment.

Hotelier Maldives had the privilege of sitting down with Jean-Michel Cousteau at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands to discuss his beloved life’s work; the ocean and its conservation.

Dreaming of building cities

underwater

Jean-Michel became an architect to fulfill his childhood dreams of building cities underwater. After receiving a degree in architecture from the Paris School of Architecture, Jean-Michel served the French government in Madagascar by designing and supervising the construction of six schools. During the weekends, he continued diving, falling deeper in love with the complex underwater worlds around Madagascar and nearby islands. Before his stay in Madagascar ended, he travelled to the southern end of Maldives to dive for three days.

Pioneering change amidst destruction

Over the years, Jean-Michel has revisited many of his favourite dive spots and noticed the adverse effects of ocean acidification, overfishing and pollution on

the health of reef ecosystems. Jean-Michel aims to shed light on lesser-acknowledged threats to the ocean, such as the impact of industrial chemicals and heavy metals. Considering the ocean covers 70% of the planet, waste disposed of in rivers inevitably ends up in the ocean. On a positive note, he remarked that with education and change in practices, the health of some reefs and marine ecosystems is improving.

Jean-Michel is not only enamoured with oceans but also with people and their connection with the natural environment. He believes humans are not separate but intimately connected to the ocean. The quality of our lives depends on the quality of the oceans.

“What I like is not just the beauty of the islands, coral reefs, and the animals that are living there, but the people. I am learning about their culture, and what they are connected to in nature, whether it is on land or in the ocean. Wherever I go, I get connected to the local population. I am not just fascinated by the environment, but also by these people and what I learn. To me, that is very exciting,” says JeanMichel.

In 1999, Jean-Michel founded Ocean Futures Society to explore the world’s ocean, reveal the bond between people and the sea and prioritize effective environmental policy. Through the non-profit, he has served as a steward of the seas through marine conservation, education and documentary filmmaking. Jean-Michel remarked, “We need to provide the decision-makers of tomorrow, the young people, with all the information that will allow them to do much better than we have done. I was making big mistakes when I was a kid, but things are changing now thanks to education.”

To provide the next generation with the knowledge and tools to live in harmony with nature, Jean-Michel spent the last 15 years developing the educational program, Ambassadors of the Environment. Lessons are culturally relevant and drawn from the natural environment to explore more sustainable alternatives for a better future. The programmes are available to school groups and vacationers in Hawaii, the Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, California, Mexico, and the Maldives.

Ritz-Carlton Maldives inspires ambassadors of the environment

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, is the only resort in the Maldives offering Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment program. Guests of all ages are invited to enrich their stay with

experiential educational activities focused on the ocean, coral reefs and sustainable living. Inspire a love of nature in children with fun, hands-on and age-appropriate activities such as Micro Plastic Hunters, Eco Heros, Little Conservationists and Ambassadors in our Green Kitchen. The whole family will enjoy the programs, Reef Builder Workshop, Starlight Explorers and Cities Under the Sea Snorkel. All activities celebrate traditional Maldivian culture and Jean-Michel’s lifework of safeguarding ocean heritage and inspiring the next generation of ocean conservationists.

Empowering Maldivian environmentalists

During his recent visit to the Maldives, Jean-Michel was impressed with the depth of knowledge of local students. He remarks, “I met with students from a nearby island today and it was fascinating. They are like sponges, absorbing all this information. These people have been isolated and their sixteen-year-old kids have never been out of their little islands. However, god, they know so much about where they are. We need to protect that and make sure we learn from what they are doing.”

Jean-Michel hopes to inspire the next generation of environmental change makers in the Maldives. “I think it is very important to have the right people who can communicate the importance of protecting what the Maldivians have done to protect the environment, to the visitors. It is not only having the educational knowledge, by being a biologist, for example, which is important. But being able to connect with people and find out how we can pass on the information on how to do a better job at taking care of what we all depend on the planet. That is what a big part of the Ambassadors of the Environment Programme is about.”

The life work of Jean-Michel reveals the fragility, resilience and the intricate connection of marine ecosystems to all life on earth. Like us, future generations will rely on the ocean for prosperity, sustenance and joy. Policy, education and conservation efforts are essential to safeguarding the health of marine environments. Jean-Michel wished to conclude with sentiment, “It is very important for us to make the decisionmakers, industries, and governments think about the future and make a pledge to protect the environment which we all depend upon.”

Featured Image: Jean-Michel Cousteau at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

Featured Image: Jean-Michel Cousteau with father Jacques Cousteau

REVIEW BY RAWHA WAHEED

Redefining Luxury at Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort and Spa

The Resort

Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa is located in North Male’ Atoll on the Amingiri Island. The stunning island is a convenient 20-minute premium speed boat ride from Velana International Airport. Part of the leading global hospitality company Hilton, Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa is the fourth resort under the company’s portfolio of brands in the Maldives Archipelago, complementing Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton.

The Stay

Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa features 109 luxurious beach and overwater villas, each with a private pool surrounded by the mesmeric views of the Indian Ocean. The resort offers six categories of villas and the grand accommodation, The Amingiri Residence. The rooms are split between one and two-bedroom villas in the categories of Overwater Pool Villa, Beach Pool Villa, and the Overwater Suite with Pool. The six-bedroom residence is built on a landscaped cove with uninterrupted views of the ocean and the Maldivian sunrise. With an abundance of well-designed spaces like a private gym and spa room, it is a luxurious haven for celebration travel, family milestones, and once-ina-lifetime occasions. The residence is set to be open for booking in the upcoming year.

Comprising both modern elements and Maldivian nuances, all the rooms are spacious with full height windows. Contemporary in design, the overwater pool villa has its own private wooden deck with pool, an outdoor shower, and stairs that directly

lead to the island lagoon where guests can snorkel to find an abundance of marine life. If you are not in the mood for a dip, just look through the glass panels on your floor to see fishes swimming underneath. The villas are well equipped with all the amenities you would need. You can expect a generously stacked minibar and also the signature Hilton beach bag, available for purchase at the Giri Boutique. The Beach pool villas offer the ultimate in seclusion and comfort with mesmerizing views of the Maldivian sunrise and sunset. Surrounded by

RESORT

lush tropical vegetation, each villa has its own pool and private beach access, leading to the crystal waters of the blue lagoon. Through its floorto-ceiling windows, the villas encourage an abundance of natural light, emphasizing a bright color scheme that mimics the warm tones of the sea and sky.

Culinary Ventures

The Hilton Maldives Amingiri offers 8 different gastronomic journeys carefully curated to please every palate. Habitat is an all-dining restaurant specializing in Western, Italian, and Asian flavors. For breakfast, you will find a multicuisine spread with hot and cold options or you can order from the à la carte menu. The Beach Shack offers an elevated feet-in-the-sand experience with flame-grilled specialties. Next to the Beach Shack is the Aura Pool Bar & Cocktail Lab, the first in the Maldives with its cocktail lab dedicated to mixology. The resort’s center of activity is Aura, which features a sizable swimming pool, billiard, pool, table tennis, a foosball table and an all-day dining menu. You will also see the resident DJ playing in the area throughout the day. From

the teen’s lounge Re:Fuel, the younger visitors can opt for little bites and shakes. Healthconscious visitors can go for freshly squeezed and healthy beverages at Skye lounge at the overwater Amingiri Spa.

Origin is a dining experience that celebrates sustainable food sourcing, ageing techniques, and reduced waste. The champagne and gin bar, Eden is adjacent to the Origin restaurant and both the structures conjoined is a sight to see during the day and night. Eden is easily adaptable for business events, private gatherings, or celebrations and can hold between 10 to 20 people, depending on the configuration. The Sip Tea Lounge celebrates tea cultures from around the world, from a delicious matcha latte to the robust black teas of South Asia.

Amingiri Experiences

Aminigiri is a tropical playground offering activities for all ages. The Krakengiri Kids’ Club is one of the largest kids’ clubs in the Maldives. Re:Fuel, the rooftop lounge is made exclusively for teenage travelers to lounge and enjoy shakes, snacks and of course, the swing chairs. Families may

enjoy the beach and play in the freshwater pool that looks out onto the beach. Kids can play safely in the attached shallow pool or enjoy the kiddie pool at the Kids Club. And for guests looking to have some

time to themselves, there are babysitting services available upon request. Besides the board games at Aura bar, the resort has a multipurpose court for tennis, badminton, volleyball, and basketball.

RESORT REVIEW BY RAWHA WAHEED

Learn the art of mixing with a mixology class at the cocktail lab! A skilled mixologist demonstrates the dazzling techniques while conjuring up delectable drinks to share with guests. The most innovative feature is that visitors can conserve their drinks from the mixology class in miniature barrels for when they return to the resort.

With the help of the diving center staff, who also provide snorkeling tours, discover the tropical marine life of the nearby coral reefs. There are several activities available above the waves as well, including glass kayaking, turtle quests, dolphin cruises and weekly conservation sessions with the in-house biologist, Sam. For the thalassophiles, it truly is a world of utopia. You can always ask your Guest Experience Manager (GEM) for the resort’s activity schedule for the day!

Wellness Journey

The Amingiri Spa is located overwater, overlooking the breathtaking Indian Ocean. The Tranquil views of the beach and lagoon are more than enough to relax guests, but the spa’s menu offers a chance for the guests to experience “paradise on earth.” The spa also includes a terrace area where guests can unwind after their treatments. Similar to the overwater villas, the treatment rooms have glass panels on the floors to observe marine life whilst getting treatment. At this magnificent spa by the sea, you can relax and vanish in a mist of bliss.

Embark on your transformative wellness and lifestyle journey with the bespoke selections of carefully curated spa treatments. You will find treatments inspired by the ancient ceremonies of Turkish baths and hammam rituals

that purify and rebalance to reveal your skin’s supple glow. The wide-ranging spa menu includes, signature spa massages, body treatments, facial care, and bath rituals. At the Skye Deck you will find a selection of quick, calming treatments with infinite panoramas of the ocean. The Amingiri Spa is a place

of tranquility and has one for everyone. Young Zen by Amingiri Spa is a tailor-made programme for children and teenagers from ages 5 to 18. The menu also includes treatments created for expectant mothers, the “mama to be’’ treatments.

For guests looking to maintain their physique during their vacation in the tropics, the Amingiri Spa has exercise sessions designed by the resort’s fitness specialists. The exercise and fitness options include aquarobics, HIIT training, circuit training, functional training, Pilates, Tabata, and personal training. Visitors can opt to workout in the fully equipped gym.

How to Get There

Located 192km’s north of Velana International Airport, Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa is reachable by a scenic 20-minute premium speed boat ride.

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

GANGEHI ISLAND RESORT ITALIAN HOSPITALITY IN THE HEART OF MALDIVES

Gangehi Island Resort is nestled in the beautiful North Ari Atoll among some of the Maldives’s healthiest and most vibrant reefs. As a popular resort amongst Italian travelers, Gangehi has a strong Italian heritage. Decades of Italian influence is reflected in the resort’s warm hospitality, vibrant attitude, exciting communal activities and delectable cuisine.

GETTING THERE

The journey to Gangehi is as beautiful as the island itself. Soar above the archipelago’s ombre shades of turquoise in a quick 30 minute seaplane ride from Velana international airport. Upon landing in the resort’s pristine lagoon, the general manager will greet you like an old friend. Step aboard a dhoni, the traditional Maldivian boat, that will take you from the seaplane to the island resort.

STAY

The Maldives’ first over-water villas were built in Gangehi! Stay in the iconic over-water villas that distinguished the destination and forever influenced Maldivian resort architecture. Gangehi has a traditional Maldivian resort architecture with beautiful teak wood that blends seamlessly with the lush natural environment.

The property has four different room categories; over-water deluxe, over-water villa, beach room and garden villa. Wake up with a dip in the ocean directly from the private deck of the over-water villas. The beach room gives you private access to the beach to soak up the Maldives’ equatorial sun. Immerse yourself in the tranquil tropical nature that surrounds all of the island’s rooms.

DINING

Veli, the island’s primary restaurant, is open air, overlooking the pristine beach. Indulge in Veli’s buffet three times a day, serving Italian, Maldivian, Asian and continental cuisine. Enjoy a fresh omelet in the morning or pasta in the afternoon from the live cooking chef. Thari is an upscale secluded restaurant at the end of the long jetty. Enjoy a romantic dinner from the open kitchen or an apéritif at sunset. The Kandu Bar is open all day, serving cocktails, beer, wine, coffee and juice.

UNDERWATER WORLD

Gangehi is a paradise for those enchanted by the ocean. North Ari Atoll is home to some of Maldives healthiest reefs and best dives. The island’s house reef is teeming with beautiful marine life and is easily accessible from the beach. Just steps from the shore see kaleidoscopic corals, colorful schools of fish and black tip reef sharks. Explore the reef independently or join a group snorkeling session with trained guides.

Gangehi’s house reef is on a 2.5 km long oceanic channel that connects the atolls’ calmer lagoons to the open ocean. It is a privileged position to be in as the open ocean and intra-atoll marine life intermingle in the channel. Big pelagic species, reef sharks, octopus, moray eels, eagle rays, and vast schools of fish can be spotted. Stingrays, leopard sharks and white tip reef sharks rest on the channel’s sandy bottom.

The Dive Center is SNSI, PADI and SSI certified with professional, multilingual instructors. Join the daily snorkeling or dive trips to the atoll’s most beautiful reefs. Experienced divers will be stunned by the Maldives’ remarkable coral gardens, diverse marine life and crystalline visibility. Guests curious to try scuba diving can participate in a Discover Scuba Dive or achieve a higher level international certification by SNSI, PADI or SSI.

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

GM’s View: Giogio Pini, Gangehi Island Resort

Giorgio Pini is the general manager at Gangehi Island Resort. He brings over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

Hotelier Maldives speaks to Giorgio about his career, experience managing a resort in the Maldives, and his advice to aspiring hoteliers.

HM: Tell us a bit about yourself and career

My experience in the world of tourism began almost 25 years ago. After graduating and working in the world of LOD, I followed my passion for diving. I moved from Italy, my native country, to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. I worked a couple of years as a dive instructor before I opened and managed a dive center for over 17 years. The dive center later turned into a boutique hotel. During this time, I met Beppe Pellegrino, the current C.O.O. of UvetHC, the Italian company that manages Gangehi Island Resort. When I decided I wanted a career change, Beppe recommended me to lead the Resort

HM: Describe a day in your life as GM at Gangehi Island Resort

After the hours spent in the office answering emails and completing the typical routine checks for a GM in the Maldives, I try to dedicate my time building relationships with our guests. Gangehi Island Resort is a small resort that prioritizes establishing strong relationships with guests. After all, for us Italians, a warm welcome is a trademark, which in my opinion makes all the difference. In fact, I don’t like the fake and detached smiles one receives in some resorts. So when I can, I travel around the island meeting guests who simply want to have a chat. When I am unable to fulfill this duty because of emergencies that always seem to arise in the Maldives, I can

rely on my wonderful staff who, even in my absence, always convey warmth and friendliness.

HM: What is the biggest challenge you encounter in your work and how do you overcome it?

By far, the most arduous personal daily challenge is the distance from my loved ones. As far as work challenges, I am proactive and have always tried to grow a dynamic team capable of finding solutions to problems whenever they arise. A resort cannot be managed alone, the right people

Featured Image: Giorgio Pini, GM of Gangehi Island Resort

are needed and these people must be supported to give their best effort. The task of the GM is also to create a pleasant and respectful work environment.

HM: What is your favorite part of your role?

When I receive thanks and compliments from departing guests. For me it is the moment of truth when I understand if we have worked well and satisfied the wishes of the guests. Ensuring that a guest’s holiday is like a dream is the goal for me personally and the team. Receiving compliments on the kindness of the staff and the service received is an immense pleasure.

HM: What sets Gangehi apart from other resorts?

The beauty of simplicity, the warmth of a welcome, wonderful nature and a resort that has kept the originality of the classic Maldivian style intact. All accompanied by excellent cuisine, which is essential to impress the Italian market, who are the toughest markets to satisfy regarding the quality of the food.

HM: What can we look forward to from Gangehi Resort this year?

An increasingly warm welcome that makes all our guests feel at home and discover the wonders of this part of the world.

HM: What advice do you have for aspiring hoteliers?

Always be humble. Learn every day from the situations you face. Have a lot of common sense. Don’t forget that your collaborators are precious for the resort to run smoothly.

But above all, “treat princes as guests and guests as princes.”

GM’s View: Iain McCormack, Vakkaru Maldives

Iain McCormack is the General Manager of Vakkaru Maldives. With an international career, starting in the kitchens to managing palace operations to resort management, Iain has over 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

Hotelier Maldives speaks to Iain about his career, achievements, day-to-day experience as a Resort General Manager and the changes he has witnessed in the Maldives over the past decade.

HM: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and career?

IM: My career started in the kitchens, working my way up through the ranks in amazing hotels and restaurants to Executive Chef. I was chosen to represent Great Britain in the culinary team. I achieved many awards. I also judged several of the top culinary competitions. This led me to my first position overseas to manage the palace operations of a prominent Royal Family. From here, I moved out of the kitchens and headed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean into Resort Management. It was not long before I

became General Manager and was leading some amazing properties in the region, island hoping for 15 years.

Then The Maldives was calling. I was the General Manager of Soneva Gili (Six Senses group) for three years before hopping over to Mauritius, then onto Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Bali before spring boarding back to the Maldives. I have been Managing Vakkaru for the past three years, starting during the pandemic.

HM: What does a day in your life as GM at Vakkaru Maldives look like?

IM: There is a fundamental difference in managing a resort versus managing a city hotel. For example, a high percentage of guests staying in a city hotel will stay on business for 2-3 days with their companies paying. In contrast, our guests will pay themselves and stay much longer. Therefore, the expectations are far higher, with personalised service, management recognition, attention to details and value for money. In a city hotel you would rarely see the GM, however here it is expected the GM is visible.

Being a GM in the Maldives is like nowhere else on earth,

Featured Image: Iain McCormack, GM of Vakkaru Maldives

waking up early every morning, as the sun is rising across the lagoon is magical. The work kicks in with an 08:30 am meeting with the department heads to discuss all the arrivals and departing guests, any reported issues, maintenance issues and planned projects. Then the discussion revolves around food, beverage, activities and recreation to ensure our guests have an excellent experience. Finally, we go over the daily revenue, sales and marketing results.

No day is similar. It’s like a game of chess, with so many moving parts, no matter how you plan to start your day, it never goes the course you expect. A property walk always results in highlighting maintenance, landscape, F&B, and housekeeping issues, which need to be followed up.

My evenings usually entail an hour of tennis with our coach, which gives me time to de-stress and stay fit. After I walk through the restaurants to make sure the service is going well, and meet our clients along the way. On the odd occasion, I will end the day with a well-deserved gin & tonic.

HM: What’s the most challenging and rewarding part of your work as a GM?

IM: The most rewarding aspect of my job is working with such a dedicated, proud and hardworking team. Of course, it is always rewarding seeing the happy, smiling faces of our guests throughout their stay with us and the tears when they have to leave. This shows the emotional effect our team has on our guests through extraordinary levels of service and attention.

With most challenges, come opportunities, it is how you address any challenge with a positive mindset to find solutions. One example of a challenge was on Dec 14, 2021, an electrical fault burnt down our over water restaurant and bar. With the high and festive season looming, this was a disastrous situation. I made

an immediate decision to set up a sunset cocktail lounge and bar with complimentary cocktails from 6:00-7:30 daily on the Vakku beach. We never received a single complaint from our guests regarding the loss of the lagoon bar. Fortunately, we had a contractor on the Island, who was just about to build a Yoga pavilion. I shifted the contractor to the lagoon bar and tasked the team with rebuilding the bar within 10 days. They began on December 17th and worked 24 hours with 3 shifts. To the amazement of guests, we re-opened on December 27th.

HM: How would you describe your leadership style?

IM: I do not enjoy office life. I like to be out around the resort. I lead by example and am not afraid to get my hands dirty to help the team. It is important to be respectful and treat everyone the same as every person contributes and is crucial to the smooth running of the resort.

Each month I have a ‘Coffee with GM’ meeting with one member of the team (not

management) from each department. It provides an opportunity to highlight good and challenging things in the workplace and living conditions. We discuss ideas to implement and formulate an action plan that is posted on the team notice board to ensure everyone feels part of the process and their ideas are taken seriously. In many cases, the team comes up with the best ideas, as they are the ones working within the department and see things I don’t.

HM: What changes have you seen in the Maldives hospitality industry since your first experience as GM at Soneva Gili in 2010?

IM: The main change is the number of new properties that have opened since 2010. I don’t know the exact number, but it must be approximately 100. This has created a lot more air and boat traffic around the Malé area. There is a lot more focus on tactical strategies to gain a good market share. As Vakkaru is a new and standalone brand, we worked extremely hard to compete against the bigger brands, such as Four Seasons, One&Only,

Waldorf, Ritz Carlton etc., to position ourselves in the top 10 luxury resorts in the Maldives.

HM: What can we look forward to from Vakkaru Maldives this year?

IM: We have several projects planned for this year to enhance our Villa categories. We are developing 3 & 4 bedroom villa products, a new over water restaurant, pool, bar concept, and another dining outlet to add to the six we already provide.

HM: Do you have any advice for young hoteliers?

IM: After 40 years, I am as passionate about hospitality as I was when I started. Hospitality is a tough environment; you will work long hours and have to deal with demanding and unreasonable guests. However, with the right attitude and ambition, this industry is super rewarding. With the right mindset and career goals, you can achieve anything. You will have the opportunity to travel, meet many wonderful people from around the world and can live a very comfortable life.

Featured Image: Iain McCormack, GM of Vakkaru Maldives

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

Arrivals Numbers Alone Do Not Indicate Health of Maldives Tourism Industry

The tourist arrival figure is not the only indicator to measure the health of the tourism industry. Arrivals are a straightforward metric to obtain and celebrate, but it is not adequate to assess the health of the tourism industry. More important indicators may be overshadowed by the preoccupation of arrival targets. With rapid development of properties introducing hundreds of new beds a year, it is imperative to monitor occupancy rates, average daily rate of rooms and the revenue available per room.

Rapid Introduction of Beds

As of January 2023, 1,208 tourist establishments, including resorts, guesthouses, hotels and safaris, registered 59,625 operational beds with the Ministry of Tourism. Property development is rapid, with hundreds of new beds becoming operational each year. Last year, 881 beds were introduced to the market. It is expected that approximately 1,450 new rooms are to open in the next two years (JLL, 2023). Although there are upcoming properties in the ultra-luxury and luxury segment, most of the beds are in the mid-scale segment.

Occupancy Rates

Despite impressive tourist arrival figures, occupancy rates have been slower to recover post-COVID. Prior to the pandemic, occupancy rates in 2016-2019 averaged 62.1%. In comparison, the occupancy rate was 56% in 2022. Lower occupancy rates adversely affect a property’s revenue. As a response, to attract guests, properties may have to lower room rates.

Average Daily Rate Increase

With the increased number of rooms, especially in the budget and mid-scale segment, there is a risk that the average daily rate (ADR) may drop. However, this effect is not yet observed in the Maldives. ADR has recovered and increased

since the pandemic. In 2022, the average daily rate was $671 USD (JLL, 2023). This is significant growth compared to the year prior. In 2022, ADR was $578 USD (JLL, 2022). Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, ADR was $544.22 USD (STR, 2020). The development of more properties has not yet negatively affected the average daily rate, but this metric must be carefully monitored.

Slight Increase in Revenue per Available Room

In 2022, the revenue per available room (RevPAR) was $376 USD (JLL, 2023). This is a slight increase from $375 USD in 2021 (JLL, 2021). The Maldives tourism industry has proven it has overcome the hardships posed by the pandemic as RevPAR has

recovered 109% relative to 2019 (JLL, 2023).

2023 Outlook

Projections for 2023 estimate a continued recovery and growth of the Maldives tourism industry. Increased investments with the development of new properties indicate confidence in the industry. Tourism arrivals are expected to exceed prepandemic levels this year. However, the development of new properties and arrivals alone are not an adequate indicator to assess the health of the tourism industry. A more robust analysis is required with metrics such as occupancy rates, average daily room rate and revenue.

BY MEERA MOOSA

Ausy Waseem, One of the Industry’s Youngest Resort Managers

Hailing from the southern island of Fuvamulah, Ausy Waseem is making his mark in the tourism industry as one of the youngest resort managers. A modern outlook matched with unique ideas and a brilliant mind, Ausy handles the operations of one of the largest island resorts in the Maldives; Siyam World. Inspired by his father’s and other family members’ careers in island resorts, Ausy was inspired to pave his own path in the hotel industry.

“There is nothing I do not enjoy about my work. Sometimes it is tiring, but I enjoy every aspect of it. I particularly enjoy going

around the island and seeing things working out the way we envisioned them. When you have real achievable goals and you see it happening right in front of you without a glitch, it makes me really happy. You know you have worked hard, put in a lot of effort and your team has put in a lot of effort.”

Ausy completed his Bachelor of Business Management, Hospitality and Tourism at James Cook University. He continued his education, acquiring a master’s degree in International Tourism and Hospitality Management and a second master’s degree in Business Administration from the same university. Ausy began his career as a management trainee in 2017 at Siyam resorts. After a year, he assumed the responsibility of Assistant Front Office Manager at Sun Siyam Iru Veli. He was promoted to Front Office Manager in January 2020 before moving to Siyam World.

Successfully pre-opening Siyam World during the pandemic

In August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ausy oversaw the pre-opening of Siyam World. Despite facing challenges with shortages of supplies and uncertain markets, Ausy brought together a great team to successfully open and operate the resort. Although the past five years have been extremely hectic, Ausy revealed that it was far more interesting and rewarding than the day-to-day challenges.

“For a resort of this scale, everything is amplified. It took

Featured Image: Ausy Waseem, Resort Manager of Siyam World

some time for us, but then we managed to very successfully resolve it all. The scale, later on, did not matter because we adapted,” said Ausy Waseem. Working alongside Sara Siyam, his wife and the Creative Director of Sun Siyam Resorts, the duo brings bold ideas to life, creating unique experiences at the resort. Supporting each other, Sara handles the creative and marketing side of Siyam World and all Sun Siyam Resorts, while Ausy ensures the operations go smoothly.

“I think with two heads put together, we are able to bring out a lot of new things. We like to think differently and always try new things. There are no bad ideas, we always throw in all the ideas. We do not necessarily agree on everything, but that is how we end up with something very, very good.”

Innovating guest experiences

At Siyam World, Ausy and his team largely focus on innovative guest experiences. Following market trends, behaviours and demands, the team introduces new immersive activities for the new generation of travellers.

“We have had so many repeated guests in the course of one year. They come back and say ‘Oh my, this has changed, this is even better!’ Even after one year, we keep becoming louder and louder. We have a lot more surprises to introduce.”

Upholding the island spirit among the team

Siyam World is home to one of the largest workforces in a single island resort with over 1200 staff. Ausy focuses on creating a positive island spirit. Ausy’s philosophy for maintaining a good relationship with staff or islanders, as they are called, is to be honest, open, understanding, and attentive to their needs. As a result, regardless of hierarchy, there is mutual respect and a strong

support system among the team.

“We do not necessarily look at ourselves as an organisation, but as an island and we see each other as family. For me, the relationship I have with the staff is very important. In fact, we have an open-door policy here where we encourage

people to come in and talk to their department heads about any of the concerns they have. The openness to converse with people is one of the biggest principles we have been maintaining here.”

In his free time, Ausy enjoys football and some water sports. He admits the past couple of

years he has not had much time for football, but growing up he was passionate about the sport. When he is not busy with the operations of Siyam World, Ausy looks forward to relaxing and spending time with his wife at the end of the day.

“For me, that is very important. We do not talk about work once we are at home because that time is just for us. It is really nice to work together. If I see something I know that Sara did, it makes me really happy and very proud of her. I do not see her as my wife when I see these things, I see a very successful creative director.”

Advice to young hoteliers

Ausy advises young people with an interest in hospitality to be patient. There may be setbacks in your career or things may turn out unexpectedly, but achievement accompanies perseverance and hard work.

“I have seen people who have so much potential give up because it is too hard or they just lack the discipline of working. Some of these kids with high potential waste their time by getting involved in unnecessary things. I wish to see more people working hard with ambition.”

Featured Image: Ausy Waseem and wife, Sara Siyam, Creative Director of Sun Siyam Resorts

Featured Image: Ausy with Siyam World Team

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

5 BEST KIDS CLUBS IN MALDIVES RESORTS

Maldives is no longer a destination just for honeymooners, the pristine isles are becoming a popular destination for family holidays. Parents traveling to the Maldives can still enjoy romantic moments by utilizing the excellent child care services provided by the resort’s Kids Clubs. The Kids Clubs go above and beyond to provide educational and entertaining ageappropriate activities. The youngest family members can learn about the Maldives’ unique language, culture and marine life while on holiday. The Kids Clubs are run by trained, multilingual childcare professionals. Every day is different with an exciting new program. Hotelier Maldives identified five resorts with the best Kids Clubs in Maldives.

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Kandiland at Kandima Maldives

Kandima’s Kandiland is a cheerful playspace encouraging little one’s imagination to run wild. It is one of the largest Kids Clubs in Maldives with a fun indoor playroom filled with activity tables, a ball pit, toys and plenty of arts and crafts classes to keep children engaged throughout their stay. The island’s littlest VIPs can look forward to playing outdoors at the splash pad, jumping on the trampoline, climbing to new heights on the climbing wall and afterwards chill out in the dedicated kids resting zone. Kandiland offers full day activity programming run by multilingual, certified child carers to allow parents some welldeserved rest. Kandima’s little guests can embark on educational field trips with the expert Kandiland Krew to understand the local sustainable vegetation grown at the Fresh Labs and learn about the nutritional benefits of the Maldivian flora or join unique experiences from disco evenings to watching cartoon movies under the stars for an oh so memorable time.

The Parrotfish Club at Vakkaru Maldives

The Parrotfish Club at Vakkaru Maldives offers children aged 3 to 12 years fun, thoughtfully curated daily programming. The Parrotfish Club has a beautiful indoor and outdoor space mimicking the resort’s ecoconscious design. The little one’s imaginations will be captured by the indoor arts, crafts, play and activity areas. The outdoor space inspires nature exploration with an open-air arts & craft area, a stage, a reading area, a sandpit, jungle gym and a kid’s swimming pool with mini sun loungers. There are at least seven daily activities and four culinary activities weekly. Little ones can explore the island with outdoor beach activities, learn about Maldivian culture, whip up a snack in the mini cooking classes and display talents on the Parrotfish stage.

Play Space by COMO Malifushi

The Play by COMO Space is for children aged 4 to 12 to play creatively with purpose. Toddlers under four are welcome to play but must be accompanied by a babysitter or parent. Every day the Play program offers activities designed by early childhood and special needs experts to encourage fun educational play. Little ones can look forward to exploring Maldives’ beautiful natural environment with dolphin cruises, hermit crab races, nature walks and beach olympics. Crafty kids will love coconut palm weaving, tie-dying and fort building. Adventurous little guests can try stand up paddle boarding, coconut games, the fun tube or constructing sail boats from recycled materials.

Kuda Velaa at Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru

The Kuda Velaa (Little Turtle) Kid’s Club at Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru is an imaginative play space equipped with a pool, garden with play equipment and wooden pirate adventure ship. The kid’s club runs two programs of daily activities, the Passport to Adventure program for kids 4-8 years and Mission: Landaa Giraavaru for children 8-12 years. The Passport to Adventure program has up to 8 daily activities, such as coral reef building, dosha discovery, yoga, sand sculpting and lizard safaris. The Mission: Landaa Giraavaru is a challenge for older children to earn points by completing 14 missions around the island such as interviewing staff members, monitoring sea turtles in the rehabilitation center or transplanting coral reefs. Teenage guests have their own entertainment lounge, Majaa Maizan, to play pool, games or even learn to windsurf!

Young Wonderers at The Nautilus Maldives

Young Wonderers encourages playful and educational discovery in The Nautilus’s youngest guests. Young Wanderers is a colorful, imaginative playroom on the island with arts and crafts, books, movies, board games and gaming consoles. The House Master (butler) can create a bespoke Young Wonderers program tailored to each child’s interests. For a cultural experience, young guests can join local jewelry making, folklore storytelling or

Dhivehi language classes. Build confidence with adventure through underwater treasure hunts, watersports and crab hunting. Even the youngest family members can benefit from rejuvenating yoga, meditation, massage and pedicure treatments from the overwater Solasta Spa. At The Nautilus, each child is made to feel like they are on their own private island, where every experience is tailored to their every whim.

BY MEERA MOOSA

AMAA’S KITCHEN: AN IMMERSIVE TRADITIONAL MALDIVIAN DINING EXPERIENCE

The traditional flavours of authentic Maldivian cuisine are far from new for travellers to the Maldives. However, the concept of an exclusive Maldivian dinner at a luxury resort, where guests can witness the traditional way of cooking, is a brandnew experience. This is precisely what Amaa’s Kitchen offers! LUX* South Ari Atoll is known for celebrating life, and with this new addition, the resort celebrates Maldivian cuisine, culture, and its people–offering a chance to indulge in an experience that is more than just dining.

Typically held on Friday nights, Amaa’s Kitchen is straight out of an old Maldivian tale. In Dhivehi, “Amaa” means “mother”, and embodying this sentiment, Amaa is a local woman from the neighbouring Dhidhoo island. She comes to the resort to prepare the food, showcase how traditional kitchens are run, and shares many stories about the Maldivian islands. As it is an exclusive dinner, guests are required to book in advance for the unique gastronomicalcultural experience.

The experience starts with a knock on your door. Kamana, a lady dressed in a traditional red libaas, will be ready to accompany you to the dining venue. “Kamana” in Dhivehi is a term used to refer to women or girls. At the venue, the Katheeb welcomes the

guests. They are ushered to the softly illuminated herb garden to a round wooden table beside a tall banyan tree. The seats are a modern take on the joali (traditional Maldivian hammock). Local snacks are spread out on the table, including theluli

bambukeyo (deep fried breadfruit chips), kulhi kaajaa (deep fried spicy tortilla chips), gulha (fried fish balls), bajiyaa (fried fish samosa), and more. Tender refreshing coconuts are prepared for the guests, awaiting to be sipped as the experience unfolds.

Featured Image: Chef Haneef grinding spices for curry paste

After conversations about Maldivian tales and tasting local snacks, guests are brought to the designated kitchen area. Located a few steps away, the kitchen resembles an old-fashioned Maldivian hut with a thatched roof made from palm leaves. Inside the kitchen, a large table is filled with local spices and ingredients, while a smaller table is set for preparing dishes. The catch of the day cooks over fire in a traditional style. Along with Amaa and Kamana, a few resort staff and Chef Haneef, dressed in traditional attire, join the experience, explaining local customs and cuisine.

Outside the hut, two aromatic curries cook over flames. Amaa stirs the pots and adjusts the flame, describing how food was cooked in generations past. Across the grill, a traditional coconut scrapersits on a woven mat. Amaa demonstrates how coconut is scraped, and guests may try it for themselves. Back inside the hut, more delicacies are prepared.

Once dinner is ready, guests are accompanied to the dining area beneath a tent. The table is filled with colorful, fragrant dishes. The changing menu includes aromatic plain rice, kandu kukulhu (special tuna curry), roshi, three different curries and grilled fish. Rihaakuru (fish paste), smoked tuna, fried moringa leaves and other local sides are served as well. No Maldivian feast is complete without bondibaiy, a sweet treat of rice cooked in sugar and coconut milk.

As per tradition, after a scrumptious dinner, everyone heads back to the joali area. With a warm cup of tea and a relaxed ambience, the threehour journey ends with a few more stories before a wish goodnight.

Chef Haneef is a Maldivian chef with over thirty years of expertise in authentic and innovative cooking techniques. With a passion for creativity and food, Haneef’s culinary career began in 1990. As Chef De Cuisine at LUX* South Ari

Atoll, Haneef’s signature offer is the Master Chef cooking class, promoting local cuisine to tourists and guests. Hotelier Maldives had the chance to talk to Chef Haneef about the new Amaa’s Kitchen experience.

HM: What are your thoughts on Amaa’s Kitchen?

CH: Vibrant Maldivian nights are special food and beverage experiences, offered at many properties in the Maldives. However, they usually consist of a themed buffet and boduberu entertainment, leaving a big part of traditional cooking and hospitality behind the scenes. Amaa’s Kitchen addresses this beautifully as the guests get to experience a warm local style, homelike welcome and dinner setting, with stories shared on Maldivian customs, history, and culture.

HM: What kind of dishes do you cook?

CH: Fresh fish, herbs, and coconut are pillars of local cuisine, since back in the day the Maldivians were heavily reliant on the vegetables they

could grow at home. We try to stick to the same traditions, adding sweet potato, okra, curry leaves, and other greens picked from our own Herb Garden. Guests are also involved in the process: they can try making their own chapati, mix up fresh curry paste and grind fresh coconuts the traditional way, all after a tour around the garden to learn about vegetables and herbs we grow.

HM: What are some of the most notable dishes / most complimented dishes at Amaa’s Kitchen?

CH: Some staples cooked in Amaa’s Kitchen are the famous Garudhiya soup, Kopee leaves salad, and grilled fish. The most complimented dishes we serve are “Kandu Kukulhu”, a traditional curry, and rice pudding “Handulu Bondibaiy”, which on the islands are usually made to celebrate special occasions and festivities.

HM: What is one most popular dish among guests?

CH: “Kattala Riha”, a curry made with sweet potato

and fresh coconut milk, is usually a big hit. It’s a unique combination of ingredients and is quite memorable. Guests also love our welcome starters–a mix of vegetarian and non-veg traditional shorteats served with fresh coconut water in the garden’s sitting area.

HM: Are there any special/ unique recipes that might not be found in another traditional Maldivian kitchen?

CH: Our take on the “Kandu Kukulhu” deserves a special mention. We only use fresh tuna loin and slice it in a signature way to make sure every roll is perfect. The curry paste for the dish is prepared on the spot, using a traditional stone grinder and special ingredients from our Herb Garden. Cooked at an oldfashioned fire setup instead of a modern stove, this dish preserves all precious flavours and showcases Maldivian cuisine at its best. This is also one of the dishes we were invited to demonstrate in our recent “Flavours From The Sunny Side Of Life” cooking show broadcasted on NDTV last month.

Featured Image: Chef Haneef and Amaa cooking over flames

Featured Image: Traditional Maldivian Ingredients

Featured Image: Amaa grating coconut

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

Corinna Luebbe Cluster General Manager of Taj

Maldives

Corinna Luebbe is the Cluster General Manager of Taj Maldives overseeing the operations of Taj Exotica Resort & Spa and Taj Coral Reef Resort & Spa. With a career spanning over 25 years and across continents, Corrina brings her rich international experience to the Maldives. Besides a hotelier, Corinna is a community champion, scuba diver and passionate environmentalist.

Hotelier Maldives interviewed Corinna Luebee to discuss her career, experience as Taj Maldives’ first female Cluster General Manager and advice for young women in the hospitality industry.

HM: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and career?

CL: As long as I can remember, I was fascinated by different cultures, languages, food, and I always enjoyed traveling. After growing up in Germany, I started my career with Aman Resorts in France and Indonesia, and I quickly fell in love with the hospitality industry, which allowed me to combine my other passions of skiing and diving.

After expanding my experience with Mandarin Oriental in New York, I again crossed oceans to begin my journey at Taj, as Rooms Division Manager in the pre-opening team for Taj Exotica Mauritius. In 2005, when Taj took over the management of the iconic Pierre Hotel in New York City I decided to move back to the U.S. From there, I was promoted to Hotel Manager at Taj Boston, and in 2016, to General Manager at Taj Campton Place, San Francisco. When the opportunity for the Cluster General Manager role at Taj Maldives came up, I felt I was coming full circle back to where it started.

HM: What are your first impressions of the Maldives?

CL: Maldives, as a destination, is similar to the name of our brand ‘Exotica.’ My first impressions of Maldives was of a pristine, unadulterated, naturally blissful destination with one of the most beautiful marine lives. Hospitality comes naturally to Maldivians, and they take great pride in ensuring that travelers from all over the world fall in love with their beautiful archipelagic

state. Taj Exotica, which is my home in the Maldives, is a natural island with beautiful local flora, an awe- inspiring underwater world, limitless instagrammable views and endless opportunities to indulge in diving, water sports, award-winning Jiva spa treatments and unique dining experiences.

HM: Have you had role models or mentors throughout your career?

CL: I have been fortunate to work with many great leaders and mentors who have been my inspiration. It has been my endeavor to imbibe each of their strengths to add to my own.

I am deeply fascinated by the quote from our founder Jamsetji Tata - “In a free

enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business, but is in fact the very purpose of its existence.”

As a guiding philosophy of my life, I strongly believe that staying true to your purpose and honest to your conscience is the stepping stone to success. Performance never goes unnoticed, and one should follow the law of Karma – we must do our best and strive for excellence in whatever we do, results will follow on their own.

HM: What is the most rewarding and challenging part of your position?

CL: I have thoroughly enjoyed every stint of my hospitality career. However, as General Manager we have an extra opportunity (and

Featured Image: Corinna Luebbe, Cluster GM of Taj Maldives

responsibility) to support, inspire, train and motivate our team to deliver the best service to our guests. Seeing team members grow is extremely rewarding and when you achieve a team of self-driven, motivated and happy professionals, inevitably, they will exceed the guests’ expectations.

I feel particularly honored to lead one of Taj’s most iconic and picturesque resorts worldwide. Hospitality is a way of life involving creativity, innovation, communication, and sincere care. Above all, it is a business of making people happy and hence it is imperative to be driven with passion. I relish this passion and admire seeing the teams reflect the same by delighting guests. The little pleasures of creating memories that build relationships forever is a magical inspiration to look forward to every new day as a new opportunity.

HM: Is the industry welcoming to women in senior positions?

CL: About 10 years ago Harvard Business School published a study on “The Impact of Gender Diversity on the Performance of Business Teams” that revealed that

Business teams with an equal gender mix perform better than male-dominated teams in terms of sales and profits.

My first General Manager when I started my career was a woman. I always felt welcome in the industry. But especially in the last ten years, there has been an increased focus in our industry on diversity, equity and inclusion with companies actively trying to recruit female leaders.

HM: Can you tell us about She Remains The Taj initiatives?

CL: ‘She Remains the Taj’ is a holistic framework of women-centric initiatives that was introduced by IHCL for all stakeholders, including guests, employees, partners and the community. IHCL champions the cause of women and enhances their participation both within and outside the organization. Its industry leading policies include extended maternity leave, crèche facilities, healthcare benefits including IVF treatments, and providing skill training for women in under-served communities and regions. IHCL also announced its goal to raise women’s participation in its workforce to 25% by 2025, and support women-led

businesses and partners. As part of its commitment to increase women in leadership positions, 25% of these roles at upcoming IHCL hotels will be women. This also encompasses enhanced experiences for single female travelers, including heightened levels of privacy, security, bespoke amenities and stay offerings.

Examples of “She Remains the Taj’ initiatives include the Second Career Policy that enables women to return to work post careers break and a new Sabbatical Policy empowering women to pursue aspirations beyond the workplace. The initiative is also

empowering women outside of the hospitality industry, for instance, the Ginger Santacruz hotel in Mumbai is being built by an all women engineering team.

HM: What advice do you have for young female hoteliers?

CL: Follow your heart, believe in yourself, and don’t try to be like your male colleagues. You were hired for a reason.

Featured Image: Corinna Luebbe with female colleagues

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

Comparing Indian Ocean Destinations’ Post-COVID Recovery

The Indian Ocean region is favored by tourists from around the world for its pristine beaches, azure waters, and exotic marine life. This article explores and compares the postCOVID recovery of the region’s most popular tourist destinations; The Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Zanzibar. Data from 2022 on metrics such as international visitors, RevPAR, ADR, occupancy and new rooms will be analyzed to see how the Maldives’ recovery compares to other Indian Ocean destinations.

International Visitors

Compared to other Indian Ocean destinations, Maldives has significantly more international visitors. In 2022, Maldives recorded 1.6 million tourist arrivals. Mauritius almost broke a million visitors with 997,290 arrivals. Seychelles recorded 332,068 visitors. In 2022, Zanzibar received just over half a million visitors, with 548,503 arrivals.

In 2022, tourist arrivals in Maldives, Seychelles and Zanzibar were close to or exceeded pre-pandemic arrivals. In 2019, these destinations received 1.7 million, 384,204 and 538,264

visitors respectively. Mauritius has experienced the slowest rebound of international arrivals. Compared to 2022, Mauritius had 400,000 more international visitors prepandemic.

RevPAR Comparison

In 2022, Seychelles experienced the highest revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the Indian Ocean of $388 USD. Maldives followed with a RevPAR of $376 USD. Mauritius’ RevPAR of $188 is substantially lower than other island destinations in the Indian Ocean. Zanzibar experienced the lowest RevPAR of $104 USD.

RevPAR Recovery

Although the Maldives has the highest RevPAR in the Indian Ocean, other destinations have experienced greater RevPAR recovery relative to 2019. PostCOVID, Zanzibar experienced

the greatest rebound of RevPAR with 130% recovery. Seychelles follows with 128% recovery. Mauritius and Maldives experienced similar recovery with 110% and 109% respectively.

Average Daily Rate

In the Indian Ocean, The Maldives has the highest average daily rate (ADR) of $670 USD. Followed by Seychelles and Mauritius with an ADR of $549 and $297 USD, respectively. Zanzibar has the lowest ADR of $160 USD.

Occupancy

Despite Maldives having the highest ADR in the region, the destination has the lowest occupancy. In 2022, Maldives occupancy was 56%. In the Indian Ocean, Seychelles had the highest occupancy of 70.7%, followed by Zanzibar with 65% and Mauritius with 63.1% occupancy.

New Rooms

Maldives’ comparably low occupancy may be made more vulnerable with the addition of new rooms. In 2022, Maldives introduced 881 new rooms, the most in the region. In the same period, Zanzibar introduced 735 rooms. Seychelles and Mauritius did not introduce any new rooms last year.

Maldives: Most Visitors but Lowest Occupancy

Compared to other Indian Ocean destinations, Maldives has the highest number of international visitors and highest average daily rate. However, the Maldives RevPAR is slightly lower than Seychelles. Last year, Maldives had the lowest occupancy rate and the most new rooms in the Indian Ocean. With over 100 new resorts in the Maldives development pipeline, maintaining a high occupancy rate is a potential future issue for the island nation.

Data from: JLL Hotel Destinations Indian Ocean February 2023

TOURISM INDICATORS

BY MEERA MOOSA

Interview with Resort Manager Mohamed Imthiyaz

Mohamed Imthiyaz (Inthi) is the Resort Manager of You and Me by Cocoon. He began his career in the hospitality industry in 2004 as a billing clerk. Over the past 18 years, he has gained extensive knowledge of and experience in hospitality. Mohamed Imthiyaz sat down with Hotelier Maldives to share his expertise to inspire others in the industry.

HM: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you started your career in hospitality.

Mohamed Imthiyaz: I started in the hospitality industry right after my studies in 2004 as a Billing and Accounts Clerk at Vilamendhoo Island Resort. After witnessing the excitement and opportunity in the Food & Beverage department, I looked for a chance to transfer. I was offered a position as a Food & Beverage Attendant at Hilton Maldives Rangali Island in 2005. I gained experience in different roles at Conrad Maldives and One & Only Reethi Rah Maldives. In 2017, I became the F&B Operations Manager at Huvafen Fushi. During my 15 years in the F&B department, I received many awards and frequent promotions. As a manager, I developed and inspired future hoteliers by making their career journey exciting and fulfilling.

Today I am in the beautiful resort, You & Me Maldives. I was hired as the Operations Manager. Within a year, I was promoted to Resort Manager under the guidance of our Corporate General Manager

Mr. Jay (Ahmed Jihad, a well-known hotelier in the industry).

HM: What is it like to be the resort manager at You & Me Maldives?

MI: This is the best job because I contribute to the development of the organization. As Resort Manager, my role is to plan strategic business plans and support departmental heads with business decisions and operational targets. The most crucial responsibility is to ensure that all the guests at You & Me have a pleasant and meaningful stay and experience the warmth of Maldivian Hospitality.

HM: How long have you been at the job? Tell us a bit about your experience with You & Me Maldives.

MI: I joined You & Me in 2021. Managing this unique adult-only island has been an amazing experience. We focus on providing memorable moments in a calm and cozy environment. We take great pleasure in seeing the smiles on the guests’ faces. Every day, I make an effort to connect with guests to ask about their stay. Offering a wonderful guest experience is the passion I find in my work.

HM: How was the festive season at You & Me Maldives?

MI: We had a fantastic festive season! The theme of our celebrations was the Hollywood movie, James Bond 007. Gentlemen dressed handsomely in black and white suits and the ladies dressed elegantly. The season was packed with exciting activities and entertainment. We ended the year 2022 with a firework countdown, marking another successful year at You & Me.

HM: Describe a day in your life as the resort manager at You & Me Maldives.

MI: I start the day at 7:00 am. After early morning departures, I continue with a walk around the island before proceeding with meetings. After that, I conduct the morning briefing with all the heads of the departments to receive an update on the previous day and operational plans for the day. Throughout the day, I make time to meet all the guests arriving and departing. I also have one-onone meetings with the heads of each department to address the operational tasks of that specific department. During sunset hours, I also host VIP guests and repeaters. I meet the rest of the guests during dinner at the restaurant.

HM: What are some challenges you face at work and what are some things you enjoy?

MI: Since we are dealing with people, the most challenging task is the management of colleagues and customers. Managing the requirements of our guests and maintaining the quality of our team members is a complex task. To offset the challenges, I enjoy sharing a laugh and stories with others.

I try to maintain a close bond with guests. It is something I have done for the past 18 years, and I feel it is very important in the hospitality industry.

HM: What advice would you give to young people looking to work in the industry?

MI: My advice for hoteliers is to have patience and work hard with discipline. The industry needs a lot of talent in the future to sustain the level of service. Only with the right attitude and behavior can we continue to live up to our name and compete with the global hospitality giants. Success is possible with the right approach and efforts.

HM: What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

MI: Football has always interested me. It gives me the energy and enthusiasm to continue. Careers are like a match; you have every chance to play it right and reach the goal. It also reminds me of the importance of having the right people on your team to succeed.

HM: How have you seen the industry change over the course of your career?

MI: There have been significant changes in the world, like technology and human behaviour. We have had to respond and reconfigure and adapt the services we focus on. For example, previously it was unnecessary to have Wi-Fi throughout the island, but now it is a requirement to have high-speed internet in every nook and cranny of the island, as most people wish to update their social media pages without interruption. As leaders in the industry, we need to keep our eyes and ears open, closely monitor the changes in the market, and respond to guest demands.

Featured Image: Mohamed Imthiyaz

BY MOHAMED NASHEED

NEW MALDIVES SPA REGULATIONS EXPLAINED

The Maldives’ Government has launched SPA Regulations by the name of “SPA (Registration and Operation) Regulations”. They were introduced and published in the government gazette on 21 February 2023 and its formal citation is R-74/2023.

A week later, the government brought further updates to those regulations as an amendment and published this First Amendment to the SPA (Registration and Operation) Regulations on 27 February 2023. The citation is R-81/2023.

All spas that are in operation prior to the introduction of the regulations are to regularize themselves within 90 days from the date of the regulations.

Scope of Regulations

The regulations are to cover the registration and operation of spas as a commercial activity in any part of the Maldives. They include independent spas run on inhabited islands, spas run as part of tourist guesthouses and tourist hotels, spas run on integrated tourism developments, tourist resorts, tourist vessels and airports.

Except for spas run on inhabited islands (whether as independent spas or those run as part of tourist guesthouses or tourist hotels) administered by relevant local councils, all other spa related requirements of the law (including those related to spas run on integrated tourism developments, tourist resorts, tourist vessels and airports) are to be administered directly by the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) and not the Ministry of Tourism (MOT).

Instead of dealing with the entire set of regulations, we focus here only on those provisions that relate to tourist resorts specifically or are of general application inclusive of tourist resorts. References to resorts in this article include tourist resorts, tourist vessels, tourist hotels, airports, and integrated tourism projects.

All requirements of the Regulations are

to be administered and enforced by the Ministry of Economic Development unless the regulations explicitly assign a specific function to another government agency.

Definition of Spa Activity

SPA is defined as a commercial activity that carries out any of the services outlined in (or similar in kind to those listed in) Schedule 1 of the regulation. In short, any Schedule 1 activity is a spa activity.

Prohibited Activities and Services

The following treatments, services, or activities are specifically prohibited within the premises of a spa:

1. Treatment of skin diseases

2. Laboratory tests and x-ray services

3. Treatment involving acid or machines

4. Removal of pimples or acnes, scars and moles and/or surgical treatment of it

5. Any medical or surgical service

6. Unauthorized invasive procedures

7. Use of expatriates without work permits

8. Providing food and accommodation within or at the entrance of the spa

9. Any activity prohibited by law or any activity that requires authorization of other authorities

Rules on Advertising

Activities carried out by a resort spa may be advertised subject to Schedules 3 and 4 to the Regulations. An advertisement cannot compromise the privacy and rights of clients. Furthermore, an advertisement cannot include people, words, phrases or signs that do not fit the acceptable societal norms.

Employment of Foreign Nationals

Foreign nationals may be employed at spas after obtaining approval in accordance with the Employment of Expatriates in the Maldives Regulations made under the country’s Employment Act. Every foreign national employed at a spa must possess a work permit issued within the quota provided to that spa.

Featured Image: Constance Halaveli Maldives

HOW TO REGISTER A SPA UNDER NEW REGULATIONS

Registration Requirements

Any party who runs a spa (as a business activity) can only do so if that party is registered under the Business Registration Act as one of the three business vehicles recognized by it: sole trader, partnership, or company.

A spa can only be operated after registering that activity as a business activity. Every registration of a resort spa has a maximum life of 5 years. Renewals are allowed and may be applied for a month ahead of the expiry of existing registration.

The registration process begins by applying to register a business activity via the business portal of the MED and choosing the appropriate business classification.

Some of the requisite details for a successful application for registration would include: proposed name for the activity; business registration number of the applicant vehicle; services to be provided; address at which services are to be provided; and declaration that the premises meet the Schedule 2 criteria.

Persons Denied Registration

Even if an applicant is a registered and recognized business vehicle, the application to register a spa as a commercial activity may still be denied, if during the past 5 years, any action is taken (or an investigation is underway) against the business or any of its promoters, directors or partners for violating the Business Registration Act, Employment Act, or the Trafficking of Persons Act or any regulations made pursuant to it

Disciplinary Action

If any spa activity is carried out without registration, this will attract a fine of MVR 10,000.00. Where a spa breaches any of the standards or guidelines or criteria provided in Schedule 3, the Ministry of Economic Development may give time to rectify the fault. If the fault is not remedied or is repeated, MED may take other actions, as it may deem appropriate.

Cessation

of Business

If a registered spa ceases business, the spa must apply to the Ministry of Economic Development to de-register the business activity within 14 days of its cessation. A

fine of MVR 1000.00 will be levied if the deadline is breached.

Levy of Fees

For inspections carried out under these regulations, an inspection fee of MVR 1000.00 is levied. A registration fee of MVR 5000.00 is levied at every spa registration and also at every renewal of the license. The fee is payable to MED or MIRA.

Version of the article originally published on Nasheeds Commercial Lawyers

Featured Image: Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

Ajna Retreats Provide Holistic Wellbeing Support to Resort Staff

In a world where we are constantly rushing to check a task off our list, we often forget the most important part of being human – our well-being. In today’s times, good/ bad mental and physical well-being are the root cause and solution to most of our problems.

Ajna, a well-being organization committed to healing trauma holistically and making workplaces more compassionate provides one-to-one sessions to those who seek mental wellness and hosts wellness retreats around the world to enhance wellbeing through education, connection and relaxation. The

professional practitioners use a myriad of methods, including Qigong, sound healing, somatic regulation, and psychological approaches to restore the mind-body connection. Ajna seeks to raise awareness of how trauma seeps into every aspect of life.

Qi-Gong is extremely fun and helpful. I definitely will keep doing the exercises in the future. Really appreciated.

- Raul*

Founded by Dr Mariya Ali, whose career spans over 30 years working with women and children’s rights, both nationally in the Maldives and internationally Ajna is able to

flourish with her expertise of working with those affected by varying levels of trauma. She is a Visiting Knowledge

*Testimonials are from employees who attended a hotel staff retreat. The names have been changed for privacy.

Featured Image: Anja Retreat at Soneva

Featured Image: Dr. Mariya Ali

Exchange Fellow at Oxford Brookes University where she continues to research and publish. She became passionate about making workplaces psychologically safe and compassionate having witnessed toxic work environments that hinder staff productivity ultimately impacting service delivery.

She explains that toxic work environments usually result from staff or managers playing out their traumas. Trauma is something that happened in the past but leaves a mark that continues to live in our bodies as sensations of fear, pain, hypervigilance, rigidness, anxiety, anger, rage and so on.

For example, it could be as simple as “I don’t feel smart enough”, “the managers won’t like me”, “I am always the second best.” These beliefs result from childhood traumas and may cause feelings that one is unable to tolerate, so it overwhelms and hinders our capacity to function at our optimal. It usually manifests as physical health conditions or mental health issues, such as chronic pains, anxiety, gut issues etc. So, Ajna’s approach embodies multiple therapeutic approaches including somatic, body-based approaches to uncover what is behind people’s beliefs and behaviors that are no longer serving individuals.

Unlike many other wellness retreats, Ajna’s approach is trauma informed. This approach takes into account that trauma, especially early childhood trauma caused by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), can have an impact one’s neurological, biological, and psychological development.

All Ajna’s retreats embody 6 principles of trauma informed approach: creating safety, trust and transparency, peer support, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment, cultural, historical and gender issues.

The diverse international team of practitioners are trained and

specialized in an array of mind and body practices, including cognitive therapy, solution focused brief therapy, EMDR therapy, somatic regulation, craniosacral therapy, attachment building etc.

and ensure a consistent understanding of company values.

Following the retreat, especially the guys, we now fist bump in the mornings when we pass each other. It has created a level of check in on how the other person is doing.

the staff of Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani. The retreats were a testament to Soneva’s commitment to staff wellbeing. The functioning of a property is only as strong as its staff. Ajna’s practitioners created a safe space for staff to delve deep into their emotions and incorporate new wellness techniques to improve their wellbeing.

- Mariam*

The retreats also invite participants to explore their attachment pattern that is formed by the age of three. Dr Ali explains, “Attachment theory explains that the way we treat ourselves and others is the way we have been parented. So, the tone of the workplace set by managers becomes important and determines whether staff feel calm, secure and comforted or anxious, worried or even fearful.” Childhood experiences, traumatic or not, are stored psychologically and physiologically in the body. Many behaviors are unconsciously developed as an adaptation or response to circumstances.

The bespoke retreats are curated based on a resort’s needs, company culture, and values. Values of sustainability or wellness drive the focus of the retreats to increase employee engagement

- Joseph*

Ajna is proud to be able to deliver these retreats and create further positive impact. Retreat participants have noted positive outcomes, including increased motivation. Staff employees have reported being able to better cope with stress and work demands by understanding their own stress response. Increased mind-body connection leads to better emotional regulation. In 2021, Ajna tailor made the “Becoming You” retreats for

A week after the retreat, I sat with my wife, still discussing the experience. Many of the attendees were able to make several impactful and positive lifestyles changes..

- Mr. Solanki, Director of Learning & Development at Pulse Hotels and Resorts

Using a holistic health approach, Ajna seeks to inspire hope in those looking to change their life. Resorts looking to improve the wellbeing of their staff are invited to contact Ajna at info@ ajnabeing.com or through our Instagram for one-on-one sessions with staff or a tailormade group retreat.

- Julie*

What impacted me most was to learn how important it is to love yourself.

I came with no expectations but in return I have gained much more than what I didn’t think about. It is a balance of living, peace, diet, connections and healing.

Featured Image: Anja Retreat at Soneva

BY RAWHA WAHEED

The Tranquil Treetop Spa at Alila Kothaifaru Maldives

Explore health and beauty rituals that will leave your inner nature aligned with the natural world at Spa Alila, Alila Kothaifaru Maldives.

Nestled just above the treetops, Spa Alila features four double treatment suites, all with a private bathroom, shower, and floor-to-ceiling windows of pristine views. The open-air treetop pavilion is an understated yet sophisticated space for guests to host fitness activities. Engulf in complete relaxation, in connection with nature in the lush idyllic alfresco spaces. The spa’s architecture beautifully integrates native plant-life.

Spa Alia offers a selection of massages and full-body rituals that put a contemporary spin on ancient healing techniques. The treatment menu combines both Asian and Western therapy techniques, including signature Alila Kothaifaru Massage, Balinese Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage, and Foot Reflexology sessions. The rituals draw on the benefits of natural ingredients to deliver pure luxurious indulgence.

The signature Alila Kothaifaru Ritual body treatment is deep cleansing and earthy body care treatment for smooth, and radiant skin. After dry brushing the body, the expert therapists apply a body scrub that combines the exfoliating benefits of Himalayan pink salt and coconut. This is followed by a soothing tropical flower bath. The 120-minute signature treatment includes the foot ritual, Spa Alila Scrub, tropical flower bath, and the Alila Kothaifaru Massage.

The guests at Alila benefit from the expert consultations and guidance from the resident Wellness and Spa Manager, Gusti Ayu Nilawati. Well versed in her craft, Gusti brings over 19 years of experience to the field. Guests are invited to consult with therapists to select the treatments suited to their needs. The Spa therapists hail from Bali, Thailand, and Bhutan and offer a range of treatments using their signature Alila Living products.

Alila Kothaifaru is a 11.2-hectare island that is a 45-minute seaplane journey from Velana International Airport (VIA). The resort features eighty pool-villas, with minimalist architecture, open-air spaces and contemporary interiors creating an idyllic setting for complete relaxation and connection with nature.

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

Study Finds Wellness Spending is Positively Correlated with Happiness

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) recently published an empirical analysis of the relationship between wellness economy spending and measures of happiness and health. GWI is a non-profit organization with a mission to empower wellness worldwide by educating the public and private sectors about health and wellness.

The study found that there is a strong correlation between wellness, happiness and health when confounding factors, including wealth, population size and time differences, are controlled for. The authors are careful to note that the study has found correlation but cannot claim causal relationships.

The study found that wellness expenditures are strongly correlated with happiness and health. A regression analysis found a strong positive relationship between wellness economy spending per capita and happiness, as measured by the Cantril ladder. For a 10% increase ($60) in wellness economy spending, the average happiness level will increase by 0.5%.

This is a correlation and does not mean that one will feel 0.5% happier with every $60 spent on wellness. However, these results do indicate that there are benefits from wellness economy spending.

It is also important to note that price does not determine the effectiveness of a wellness experience. A walk in nature or a meditation in the park may provide as much satisfaction as a $500 weekend yoga retreat.

BY PATRICK LANDMAN

10 Solutions to Challenges the Hotel Industry faces in 2023

Although tourism soars once more, many challenges in the hotel industry remain. However, with an informed strategic approach, hotel managers can meet these challenges head on and drive their business’s performance to new heights.

1. Experience & Personalization: Meeting the Needs of the Modern Guest

It simply isn’t enough to look the part anymore as a hotel. While image, offering comfort and nice hotel appointments is important, customers increasingly want a complete guest experience and personalization from their hotel.

To drive true personalization, the right data management technologies can do most of the work for you, while effectively capturing, storing, analyzing, and interpreting each customer’s data on a micro level, while also spotting trends on a macro level.

Experience and personalization are the new battlegrounds between competitor hotels. Whoever is able to deliver on both fronts will stand to gain, in a fiercely competitive market.

2. Hiring the Right Employees

From the ostensibly lowerskilled roles such as waiter to specialist roles like treasury or accounting employees, it is becoming more difficult

to hire well in the hotel industry. As any good hotel manager knows, it is relatively straightforward to hire bar and restaurant staff, but finding truly good waiting staff is a very difficult task. Moreover, getting them to stick around for long is another key task.

Put simply, organisations of all industries are finding it more difficult to hire and retain good employees because workers are more demanding of what they want from an employer. By embracing this change rather than resisting it, your hotel will already be one step

In 2023, there are many challenges faced by the hotel industry, which may quickly feel overwhelming to address. However, with the right approach, tech stack, and process streamlining, hotels can drive their success in 2023 and beyond.

ahead of your competitors.

By offering more than just a wage and offering a whole career package, your hotel can attract and retain top professionals. This package may include a commitment to true career progression, ongoing training, and real benefits such as medical insurance, stock options, travel expense coverage, and so forth. Frankly, things such as a ping pong table and some fresh fruit once a week are

3. Continuously Changing Consumer Demands & Markets

Of course, it is more difficult to plan when your market is liable to change. Predictability makes business much more straightforward. For instance, business travel has been slower to recover, in large part due to the migration to remote and hybrid working. However, there is opportunity for those willing to embrace it in this

The pandemic illustrated exactly how vulnerable hotels are to factors outside of their control. With this in mind, a way of generating greater business resilience and business continuity is to focus on local customs. This could be the local area or further afield to neighbouring towns and cities with experiential staycations, whether for individuals, couples, or families. Additionally, in the off-season, hotels can drive occupancy rates by delivering an outstanding experience to the local market.

Some tips to achieve this include:

• Designing a resilient and updated hotel business plan

• Analyzing the entire business to improve business agility and future-proofing it against potential downside risk

• Optimizing for different guest buyer personas and reimagining hotel spaces for different uses

4. Missing the Marketing Boat

Marketing increasingly drives business from the front. This is especially the case in the travel and tourism industry. Many hotels still treat marketing as something of an afterthought though, with the impression that it is a ‘nice to have’ rather than the essential business driver that it is in reality.

hotel stand out from your competitors? This is what to focus on to drive business.

You can address the bottleneck of inadequate advertising by:

1. Getting your marketing tech stack right

Some prerequisites include a best-of-breed CRM system, automation tools to take over manual tasks and help with data management, and a robust, fast, and mobilefirst website with an intuitive customer experience.

2. Create a wide marketing funnel

A funnel that is wider can give you greater possibilities of capturing and retaining new customers. Better still if it is optimized for hotel package guests. Packages drive higher revenues and are typically better for more hotelimmersive experiences.

You can attract potential guests with a blog and dedicated package pages and through paid campaigns with Google and social platforms for relevant keywords. If these keywords match the kind of experiential stay you offer –especially if it is a more niche experience concept – you will be able to position your hotel for optimal ROI.

3. Research your market well and often

not benefits, they are now the expected bare minimum.

Workers want to work for an employer that offers a whole package and where they can feel like they are part of something that they believe in. This latter point ties into point one too: a mission that includes providing a true and unique experience to guests, workers can, by extension, feel that they are part of something that provides a highly valued service to people.

market development.

As an example, hotels can offer a working space experience to attract clientele. Rooms and hotel spaces such as conference and meeting rooms can be converted into coworking spaces. The key is to be agile in order to respond to market shifts well. The pandemic witnessed a lot of hotels going out of business or experiencing a massive downturn in customers, as a result of a failure to adapt to the shift from international to local and national tourism.

With the right CRM system and retargeting strategy, hotels can quickly generate new and repeat business. Another important rule of thumb is to advertise where your market is. For instance, if your hotel’s ideal buyer persona is the over 50s market, Facebook adverts would be the way to go, whereas if you want to attract a younger clientele with a summer break, Instagram adverts would be more appropriate.

The crucial goal with any advertising campaign is to demonstrate your value proposition: what makes your

Carrying out proper market research on a periodic basis, such as quarterly, is critical. This will help you understand any key shifts in market demands and behaviour, which will, in turn, inform business strategy decisions.

5. Rising operational costs

Inflation and energy price rises are driving operational cost pressure. Moreover, employees in turn are feeling the cost of living crunch, which in turn drives pressure on hotels to increase salaries.

One way to address this pressing issue is to integrate

HOTEL MANAGEMENT BY PATRICK LANDMAN

automation technologies where possible across your hotel business. In particular, these usually cloud-based technologies can take over time-consuming, laborious processes. For instance, your website could incorporate a smart AI chatbot and you may consider introducing self-check-in and checkout processes, as well as selfservice buffets in place of table service in the restaurant.

You can also remove certain services that no longer add value to the guest experience. Moreover, your hotel can benefit by outsourcing revenue management and operations management to specialist providers.

6. Driving Direct Business

Online travel agencies (OTAs) dominate the market when it comes to spending power on research and hotel marketing. Some hotels come to derive most or all of their business from third-party

entities. While they can have an important role to play in business generation, you must ensure to have a well-balanced business mix between all channels, and not overly depend on one or a few channels (like in any business).

To do so, you can follow these best practices:

a. Invest in an excellent website

Your website is the online “face” of your company. It represents you. As a result, it should be attractive, modern, and crucially, fast. Studies show that after the first two seconds of page load times, each additional second generates a conversion rate drop average of 4.42%.

Other things that are important include being mobile-optimal, to display high-quality, non-stock photos. The website should be optimized for customer conversion with a first-class call-to-action strategy.

b. Invest in advertising

Paid ad campaigns can seem to create an additional expense from the outset. But it is these adverts, when done well, that will drive business, and essentially pay for itself multiple times over. By focusing on direct business, you wrest control without it impacting your bottom line negatively. On the contrary, it can generate good profit margins.

c. Measure and track performance

You can use Google search console, analytics, and Google ad analytics. Data is power. Each social media platform tends to have a detailed insights dashboard for businesses to analyze paid campaign performance too.

7. Advancements in Technology

Across industries, it is a challenge to keep up with all technological changes taking

place. However, it is critically important to do so.

It is essential to match any new technology integrations with your brand. For instance, a luxury hotel has different needs compared to a budget aparthotel. Technology that can replace employees can make sense for a budget aparthotel but luxury hotel guests would expect a full hotel workforce to be on hand.

The best practice here is to assess the hotel technology solutions on the market and analyse each area of your own hotel for inefficiencies that they can address. However, they must be on-brand and in line with your hotel’s experience offering to guests.

8. Lack of Synergy Between Departments

It is all too common for different hotel departments to work in a siloed manner, with little to no communication or collaboration with other departments. This approach is

fast dying out and the hotels that are unable or unwilling to update with the times may struggle to survive, let alone thrive.

9. Protecting Your Online Reputation

In the modern hotel and tourism market, where customers leave reviews, opinions, and complaints on OTA websites, Google, Facebook, TripAdvisor, and of course, social media channels, effective reputation management is of utmost importance.

According to Tripadvisor, 96% of their users consider reading reviews as “important” when planning trips and booking

hotels. 83% will “usually” or “always” reference reviews before deciding to book a hotel.

When it comes to communication management, 85% of TripAdvisor users agree that a thoughtful response to customer reviews is necessary and that it improves their impression of the hotel.

Keeping a high review score on OTA sites also makes sure your hotel doesn’t lose traffic from potential guests who filter by review scores, from

highest to lowest. However, you can also use your review scores and guest feedback on social media platforms on your website itself by showcasing your average score(s) and using customer quotes from positive reviews. Importantly, customers, by and large, understand that all businesses can make mistakes sometimes. The important thing is how you respond to it: quick rectification of any issue and prompt, courteous, and caring communication online goes a long way to protecting your hotel’s reputation.

10. Prioritization is Key: Avoid Getting Overwhelmed

It can seem like there is so much to do and with not enough time. However, this does not have to be the case at all. Many hotels face the same challenges. What will separate the successful leaders from the industry laggards is the ability to prioritize in terms of importance and urgency of execution, and to execute well and without hesitation.

This requires an ability to understand the strategy that

is necessary on a profound level. It also necessitates a total willingness to embrace change – to do away with old habits and ways of doing business in place of the new – and to instill this adaptiveness as a part of your hotel’s company culture among staff.

Rising to the Challenge and Solving Your Hotel’s Problems

First and foremost, it is always worth remembering that all industries are becoming increasingly complex, driven by the rise of data and advanced technologies, changing demographics and customer preferences and demands, and lately, factors that are generating increased volatility in the global economy, such as inflation, energy price rises, and supply chain gridlock. However, in every difficult situation there is opportunity.

With the right strategic approach and by prioritizing challenges to address with efficiency, your hotel will already be ahead of the majority of its competitors. After all, humans are hardwired to resist change. Therefore, if you embrace it, you are one big step ahead.

ISLAND HOPPERS BY OLIVIA PERSSON

The Maldivian band SkyRock formed in 2017. The current lineup has been together for the last couple of years and consists of Insha on vocals, Faffu on vocals and rhythm guitar, Husen on keyboard, Inan on bass guitar, Faizan on drums and Zayaan as the lead guitarist.

The band’s name was conceived on a beautiful starry evening while ordering dinner at Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences. A menu item, rocket salad, caught a band member’s attention. The band’s name, SkyRock, was born out of the glistening night sky and a zesty arugula salad. The band has since found deeper meaning in the name to mean the sky, the earth and the space in between.

SkyRock is currently playing regularly at One & Only Reethi Rah. The band also performs at private events and corporate functions at many resorts, including Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi and Jumeirah Maldives Olhahali Island.

In resorts, SkyRock tends to play nostalgic old school hits. The band prepares the set list depending on the type of guest a resort attracts. During shows, the set list is fluid and responsive to the crowd’s mood and reaction. SkyRock’s original music is progressive fusion rock, with Maldivian influences. This unique style is exemplified in the band’s popular hit, Samugaa that fuses ancient Dhivehi language with modern elements.

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2023, SkyRock released a new single, Heyvallaa Thayyaaru. The single is a teaser to the album that will be released later this year. The song paints an empowering message about determination in the face of hardship. Skyrock wishes to celebrate women who break through glass ceilings. The band hopes that after hearing the song, listeners feel ready to take on any challenge.

SkyRock attributes their success to the band’s chemistry. While on stage, the band feeds off of each other’s energy to give the best performance. Drummer Faizan elaborates, “Any band can come and play the same songs, but the audience will remember the energy the band is delivering. No one will remember how

we played the songs, but the feeling of the performance makes for a memorable night.”

When asked what is the biggest misconception about resort musicians, Faizan remarked that in Maldives resort musicians are often undervalued. Many outside the music community don’t consider it a serious profession. This sentiment may be influenced by the lack of formal regulations or protections for resort musicians. In many countries, to busk or perform, one must obtain a license. Formal regulations could help maintain the quality of musicians to ensure they are prepared, professional and committed.

Lead singer Insha adds that many have the misconception that it is an easy profession. Not only does it take talent, but the logistics can be a headache. No matter the weather, the band must travel by air or sea to give a remarkable performance.

When asked if the band has any advice for aspiring professional musicians, Insha recommended treating music like a career and not a hobby. Discipline is crucial for success. When music is a hobby, you will work on it in spontaneous bursts of energy. SkyRock attributes dedication and discipline to the band’s success. The band recommends scheduling and being on time to regular practices.

Faizan recommends challenging yourself to be better than you were yesterday, but to not compete against others. He elaborates, “We often confuse music with sport. Music is an art. We shouldn’t compete with but appreciate and learn from others.”

Featured Image: Skyrock Members, Inaan, Faffu, Husen, Insha, Zayaan and Faizan

Featured Image: Lead singer Insha and guitarist Zayaan

BY JANET SMAILES

Aishath Layan Riyaz, Commis Chef at Cora Cora Maldives

Originally from the capital city of Malé, Layan grew up in a family that took every opportunity to travel, either to local islands during short holidays or internationally for longer holidays, which ignited a love of travel and making new friends.

After finishing her ‘O’ levels, Layan decided that a diploma in Hospitality and Tourism Management was a perfect way for her to enter a profession that would allow her to continue doing what she loved. Unexpectedly, the diploma opened her eyes to the wonders of the culinary world. Her perspective changed, her loved for cooking and interest in Japanese cuisine began.

Hotelier Maldives spoke to Layan about her journey so far and what her aspirations for the future are.

HM: What drew you to the culinary field?

Layan: Initially, I had no interest in the kitchen and studied the diploma to travel. However, the syllabus included the kitchen and restaurant. I soon realised I enjoyed the kitchen. I loved the rush it gave me, the multi-tasking, and team spirit. It all was exhilarating, so I was hooked. Cooking is something we see every day, but I discovered that, as a chef, you can be creative, inspired and have the freedom to come up with new ideas of making food enjoyable. This really excited me and drew me to pursue a career as a chef.

HM: Where did you learn your skills?

Layan: I learnt the basics during my diploma and my sixmonth internship at Soneva Fushi. At Soneva, I worked with Chef Soba in the cold and hot kitchen before moving to some of the outlets, including the Japanese one. After my internship, I wanted to learn more about Japanese cuisine so I joined Chef Fatheen at Oishii, the House of Sushi. He taught me everything from the basics up; knife skills, how to fillet fish, how to cut sushi, how to differentiate fish types, and lots of Japanese techniques and methods. Then I learnt about French cuisine, whilst at Huvafenfushi, as the chef prepared everything from scratch. I am continuing to learn now while at Cora Cora Maldives.

HM: Who has had the greatest influence on your career to date?

Layan: A few people have inspired me, especially my parents and my team members. However, one person who really stands out would be Jiro Ono, a Japanese chef I came across when I was researching Japanese cuisine and culture. His story has inspired me to work hard on everything I do as an individual. His words are inspirational: “If you are passionate about your craft, you will enjoy your work and you will seek excellence and perfection. Always look beyond and above yourself. Always try to improve yourself. Always strive for perfection.”

HM: Of all the many facets of your role, which do you enjoy the most/ find the most rewarding?

Layan: I enjoy Japanese cuisine as I like the preciseness and clean looking style. One reason, I joined Cora

Cora Maldives was to work in Teien®, the Japanese restaurant here. However, the most exciting part about being a chef is meeting new people, serving the food you made and seeing people’s reactions.

HM: Did the pandemic affect your career path?

Layan: The pandemic wasn’t so bad since I got to spend time with my family. I used the time to research more on different cuisines. I also started studying

for my degree in International Hospitality Management at Villa College. The pandemic gave me time to have fun with my little sister, doing home baking and testing out some easy recipes using different flavours like mango and dark chocolate cheesecake with a layering of mango puree.

HM: What do you consider are the key attributes and skills required to become a good chef?

Featured Image: Aishath Layan Riyaz

Layan: A good attitude, creativity, and commitment. Moreover, teamwork and the willingness to learn from your fellow team members. Also, a chef must accept that it takes thousands of failed and burnt dishes to make one good satisfying dish. Skills like organising the workstation and multitasking are also important, as they help you stay focused on the work at hand.

HM: What do you consider are the greatest challenges to working in a kitchen, especially as a female?

Layan: Adapting to the environment and the team you work with is key. One of the hardest things is handling the pressure since it’s a male dominant environment. Women must work twice as hard to prove our worth.

During my internship, I was the only girl, and I wasn’t allowed to do anything for a month. It was frustrating, but I learned to ignore the bad vibes and do your own thing. If you’re determined enough to show your passion, anything is possible. Since starting my career, I have been incredibly lucky to have really nice and supportive executive chefs.

HM: What has been the highlight of your career to date?

Layan: I have had an amazing year of highlights, including getting second place and a silver medal in the young chef category at FHAM and a bronze medal at Hotel Asia. I also received an accolade award as a young chef in the first Chefs Guild of Maldives Chef awards ceremony held at Kurumba in November.

HM: What do you consider are upcoming food trends in the Maldives and why?

Layan: Plant-based food, and healthy eating. The growth opportunities in plant-based meat substitutes create greater choice for the consumer while mimicking the precise flavour, mouthfeel and texture of real meat. Both vegans and vegetarians can enjoy meals like non-vegetarians.

HM: Tell us a unique / interesting fact about you

Layan: Previously, I wanted to be a lawyer because I enjoy arguing and debating things. But I enjoyed travelling more! I’ve already travelled solo to Malaysia, Singapore, and Dubai. In addition, I went to the Chefs Congress in Abu Dhabi. I love experiencing new places, cuisines, and making

new friends.

HM: How do you spend your free time?

Layan: I read books, the genre depends on my mood. Sometimes I watch documentaries, mostly murder documentaries. I don’t have that much free time so I tend to avoid series as I cannot commit to them.

HM: Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

Layan: My aim is to develop my skills and get better day by day so I can be the best at what I do. I want to work with more of the top Japanese chefs in the country, like Chef Jameel. In five years, I see myself as the section in charge in one of the leading kitchens either here or somewhere abroad.

HM: What is one piece of advice would you give aspiring chefs, especially females?

Layan: Be driven, but patient, kitchen hours are tough. You will spend more hours on your feet than you would like to accept. Never stop learning. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in the kitchen and stand up for yourself. Most importantly, remember that opportunities are all around you.

HM: What is your favourite ingredient to work with?

Layan: Miso, as it is a traditional food that has supported the dietary life of the Japanese people for over 1,300 years. It’s used in a variety of dishes, including soups, glazes, dipping sauces, salad dressings, stir-fries, stews, marinades and more! Miso adds umami, the strong savoury flavour associated with meat and aged cheeses. It is a popular ingredient in many vegetarian and vegan recipes, and it has health benefits too.

HM: Do you have a favourite recipe to share?

Layan: Yes, Slow cooked rosy ruby fish in sweet butter ponzu topped with crispy leaks.

Featured Image: Layan at Cora Cora Maldives

Aishath Layan’s Slow Cooked Rosy Ruby Fish in Sweet Butter Ponzu Topped with Crispy Leaks

Ingredients

• 1 fillet of Ruby fish

• 1 fillet of Ruby fish

• 1TBSP of Olive Oil

• 1TSP of miso paste

• For the sweet butter ponzu

• 2TBSP of soy sauce

• 2TBSP of Dashi stock

• 1TBSP of yuzu or lemon juice

• 1TBSP of rice vinegar

• 1TSP of mirin

• 2TBSP of butter (for 4tbsp of ponzu sauce)

• 1 cup leaks

• Oil for frying

Method

1. Marinate the fish with a little Dashi and miso paste

2. Sear the ruby fish in a hot pan until golden brown

3. Place in an oven-proof dish with the olive oil and cook at 40°C for 15 minutes

For Crispy Leaks

1. Trim the leaks, cut in half lengthwise and wash thoroughly.

2. Thinly slice into even pieces, about 2 inches long and pat dry before frying

3. Place the oil into a small fry pan or pot and heat over medium heat.

4. Using a slotted spoon, lower the leeks into the oil. Fry the leeks for 1 to 2 minutes until they turn golden

5. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain

For the Ponzu Butter

1. Mix all sauce ingredients: soy sauce, dashi stock, yuzu or lemon juice, rice vinegar and mirin, to make ponzu sauce

2. Mix a 2:1 ratio of ponzu sauce and butter and bring to a boil

3. Remove the fish from the oven, add to the ponzu butter mix and simmer for 1 minute.

For the Ponzu Butter

Transfer the fish to the serving plate and add the ponzu butter on top of the fish, top with thinly cut crisped leaks. Usually this dish is served with Japanese plain rice.

F&B BY JANET SMAILES

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

Census Reveals Resorts May Struggle to Maintain Local Staff Quotas

The 2022 provisional Maldives Population and Housing Census results reveal that 70% of resort island residents are foreigners. The total recorded resident population of resort islands is 52,396, comprising 15,687 Maldivians and 36,707 foreigners. The census defines resident population as the population who have been living in Maldives for more than one year or intend to live in Maldives for one year or more.

Local to Expatriate Employment Quota

The census data indicates that the foreign residents in resorts exceed the expatriate employment quota. In 2012, The Ministry of Tourism released a circular (88-IITR/ CIR/2012/45) to announce a change in the quota policy, allowing for 55% of the total number of employees to be expatriates.

The purpose of the quota is to ensure Maldivians are afforded meaningful employment opportunities in resorts. Tourist establishments are strongly encouraged to employ more Maldivians than the minimum 45%.

Despite the Labor Relations Authority monitoring the expatriate to local staff ratio during audits, the census data indicates that the employment parity is not maintained across all resorts.

Decline in Maldivians Working in Resorts

In mid-2019, a survey by the Maldives Bureau of Statistics found that 47% of employees on the payroll of resorts were Maldivian. However, by the end of 2020, local employment in resorts declined by 5%, slipping below the quota to 42%. A comprehensive assessment of local employment in resorts has not been published since. Thus, the industry does not have an accurate representation of how the ratio of local employment has been impacted by the industry’s post pandemic recovery.

The reason for the declining ratio of Maldivian staff differs depending on what stakeholders are consulted. Cited reasons include gaps in training, shortage of labor pool, high local turnover rate and a lack of will. Irrespective of reason, the census data

indicates that resorts across the Maldives may be struggling to maintain the local to expatriate employment ratio.

Uncertain Future for the Employment Parity

If Maldivian resorts already demonstrate difficulties in maintaining the employment parity, the rapid introduction of more properties may exacerbate the issue. With over 116 resorts currently under development, is the Maldives’ labor market large and qualified enough to meet the employment demand? The tourism industry must continue to empower the development of local talent while realistically assessing whether the local workforce can fulfill the demand.

Aima Construction Awarded $148mn Contract for Mandarin Oriental Bolidhuffaru Reef by DAMAC

DAMAC awarded Aima Construction a $148mn contract for the construction of 120 villas for the upcoming resort, Mandarin Oriental Bolidhuffaru Reef in South Male Atoll. Of the 120 stand-alone villas, 64 are over-water and 56 are beachfront villas. The grand villas will have private pools and ocean views.

“We are fully confident in the capabilities of Aima Construction, whose track record and enthusiasm for the project exceeded all our expectations during an extensive and highly competitive candidate vetting process. DAMAC Properties looks forward to seeing such a high-profile development project, the first of its kind for our group, come to fruition across the beautiful Maldives,” commented Mohammed Tahaineh, General Manager of projects at DAMAC Properties.

Commenting on the contract, Managing Director of Aima Construction Pvt Ltd, Ibrahim Abdul Azeez said, “We have competed with multi-billion dollar

international contractors from Turkey and China to win this project. I believe it is our past record and especially the local know-how we bring to resort construction that helped us to win. We have completed several second generation resort projects in the Maldives and international investors have the confidence that we can deliver projects on time. I think this is a remarkable achievement for a Maldivian company.”

W Maldives Appoints Constance Chang as Director of Sales & Marketing

W Maldives appoints Constance Chang as Director of Sales & Marketing. With over a decade of experience in luxury and lifestyle hospitality, she will be responsible for driving sales and revenue growth, managing relationships with key stakeholders, and developing and implementing marketing strategies to enhance the resort’s brand awareness.

Constance has an impressive track record in the luxury hospitality sector. Before

joining W Maldives, she was the Cluster Director of Sales & Marketing at IHG Hotels & Resorts Bali. She has also previously worked as Director of Sales & Marketing at Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach; Account Director, Luxury & Lifestyle at IHG Hotels & Resorts Singapore; and Business Development Manager, Luxury Leisure Sales & Events at Pan Pacific Hotels Group Singapore.

Constance’s fluency in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin is also a great asset for the resort and will facilitate communication with guests and partners from all around the world.

Crown & Champa Resorts Announces Key Appointments

The Crown & Champa Resorts collection has announced three key new appointments.

Ali Navaz as the General Manager of Komandoo Island Resort & Spa. Bahauddeen as the Resort Manager of Hurawalhi Island Resort. Jorge Amaro as the General Manager of Innahura Maldives Resort.

Ali Navaz – General Manager, Komandoo Island Resort & Spa: Ali Navaz has over 22 years of experience in the Maldives hospitality industry. Ali has been with the collection since 2017 when he joined Hurawalhi Island Resort as the Front of House Manager. In March 2021, he was promoted to Resort Manager. With his decades of experience, excellent service, and operational skills, Ali is well prepared to take on his new role as General Manager at Komandoo Island Resort & Spa.

Bahauddeen – Resort Manager, Hurawalhi Island Resort: Bahauddeen (Bahau) joined the resort collection as the Resort Manager at the time of the pre-opening of Kudadoo Maldives Private Island in October 2018. Bahau has been in the hospitality industry for 22 years and will bring his immense experience to

Hurawalhi Island Resort as Resort Manager.

Jorge Amaro – General Manager, Innahura Maldives Island: Jorge Amaro, hailing from Portugal, brings 25 years of hospitality experience to Innahura Maldives Island as the resort’s newly appointed General Manager. He has

experienced working in hotels in France, Portugal, and Seychelles and is knowledgeable about resort operations in the Maldives.

The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Appoints Vijay Kumar as GM

The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort announced the appointment of Vijay Kumar as General Manager. No stranger to the Maldives, Vijay’s most recent role was as the Complex Director of Finance at W Maldives and Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa. Vijay brings over 15 years of diverse experience in hospitality operations and management.

A passionate, hands-on, and strategic leader, Vijay has held several roles across various Marriott International hotels within the finance function in India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Maldives. He has successfully completed four hotel openings.

In 2018, Vijay moved from finance to operations as Hotel Manager at The Andaman, A Luxury Collection Resort in Langkawi, Malaysia.

On his appointment Vijay said, “Being a strong advocate of a balanced lifestyle personally, I am excited to come on board this wellness oasis, The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort,

in my first role as a General Manager and lead a team that strives to create experiences that help guests become the best version of themselves while there are on vacation.”

Sun Siyam Resorts Appoints Deepak Booneady as CEO

Sun Siyam Resorts announced the promotion of Mr. Deepak Booneady from Vice President of Commercial to Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

As CEO, Deepak will oversee the overall operation of the company, work closely with the group general manager, the resort management teams, as well as with the head office board of directors to create, communicate, and implement the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction.

Deepak has over twentyfive years of experience in the luxury travel and hospitality industries. He first joined Sun Siyam Resorts as

Group Director of Business Development in 2019 and was promoted to Vice President of Commercial in 2021. Having previously worked with the Mauritius-based hospitality group LUX* Resorts and Hotels as Regional Director of Sales and Marketing overseeing product promotion and business development, Deepak had also been key in driving sales and product positioning.

Pulse Hotels & Resorts Announces Key Promotions

Pulse Hotels & Resorts has announced three key promotions of Shafraz Hafiz as Director of Digital Technology and Marketing, Nashra Hassan as Deputy Director, Brand Communication and Digital Marketing and Hawwa Nazima as Director of Group Procurement Division. Pulse is committed to nurturing the development of Maldivian talent.

Nashra Hassan joined Pulse as a marketing executive, where her talents were recognised, and was given opportunities that allowed her to grow and expand into a more significant role.

Shafraz Hafiz has been an integral part of the Pulse Hotels & Resorts since the creation of Kandima. He played a vital role in the company’s growth and spearheaded the development of Pulse’s Digital team.

Le Méridien Maldives Appoints Asaf Tasdan as Executive Chef

Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa has appointed Asaf Tasdan as Executive Chef. He will oversee all F&B outlets at the resort, including the newly refurbished Riviera Tapas & Bar. Chef Tasdan has worked extensively at luxury properties throughout the Middle East including the prestigious The Nile Ritz-Carlton Hotel and most recently JW Marriott Doha.

Chef Tasdan is passionate about sustainability and is keen to utilise the produce grown on the island for use within his dishes.

He commented: “I am delighted to join the team at Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa, it is a stunning

location and has a fantastic range of dining options for guests. I share their vision of sustainability, it is fantastic on an island setting to be able to access such a wonderful array of produce and I cannot wait to start incorporating these into my dishes.”

Hawwa Nazima joined Pulse as Purchasing Manager and played an important part in setting up the Group Procurement Division.

Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands Appoints Mark Aldridge as Sales and Marketing Director

Mark Aldridge is appointed as Sales and Marketing Director of The RitzCarlton Maldives, Fari Islands, Ritz-Carlton’s debut property in the Maldives. With over 20 years of international hotel experience, Mark brings both proven excellence in hospitality marketshare growth and a global perspective to his new position.

Under an expanded role, Mark becomes Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing, where he

will continue to oversee sales and marketing operations at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. Mark’s stellar resume in luxury hospitality, spans all segments of sales, marketing and distribution, gained from over 20 years operating in international gateway markets including London, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Honolulu, Sydney, Singapore and Maldives.

Mark will be responsible for the hotel’s sales and marketing strategy ensuring growth and brand initiatives are met through The Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards.

LUX* South Ari Atoll Appoints John Rogers as General Manager

for our guests, considering my food & beverage career background,” said John Rogers.

Before the Maldives, John worked at destinations such as Spain, Antigua and Barbuda, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. He is committed to apply his hospitality expertise and creativity to the operations of LUX* South Ari Atoll.

LUX* South Ari Atoll has appointed John Rogers as the new General Manager. John brings with him more than three decades of experience overseeing

award-winning properties across the world. He has an impressive background in business strategy and preopening.

“I am happy to be back to The Lux Collective’s family and to lead the shining team of LUX* South Ari Atoll to the new heights. With my team, I am excited to create unique Extraordinary Experiences

APPOINTMENTS

Diamonds Athuruga Appoints Gilbert Steiner as Executive Assistant Manager

Diamonds Athuruga

Maldives welcomes

Gilbert Steiner as new Executive Assistant Manager. The dynamic hospitality specialist brings over twenty-five years of experience in the industry. His has worked in countries such as Canada, the United States, French Polynesia, Singapore, and the Maldives. Gilbert has worked in F&B at several luxury hotels and resorts, international hotel chains and Relais & Chateaux around the world.

Having started his career as a European-trained chef,

Gilbert worked his way up gaining valuable experience at restaurants like Tour D’Argent 3 Michelin stars in Paris, 2 Michelin stars in

Denmark, the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa and more. He was a part of successful hotel openings

in China with Sheraton, Sofitel, and Movenpick before returning to the Maldives as the new Executive Assistant Manager at Diamonds Athuruga Maldives.

With an objective to continue evolving within luxury hotels and resorts, Gilbert intends to offer a customer-driven service experience. With a clear vision and direction, Gilbert aims for business growth and profitability while providing guests with memorable experiences.

Sheraton Maldives Appoints Mohamed El Aghoury as General Manager

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort and Spa has announced the appointment of Mohamed El Aghoury as General Manager. As the new General Manager at Sheraton Maldives, Aghoury will oversee all operations of the resort as well as strategic commercial plans to further strengthen its market position.

With more than twenty-five years of experience in the hospitality industry, Aghoury has worked with several wellknown brands. He started his hospitality journey in 1993 at Sheraton Montazah Hotel, Alexandria. He has carried out the role of General Manager at brands in the United Arab Emirates including Four

Points, Al Sondos Suites by Le Meridien, Meydan Hotel, and Bab Al Shams Desert Hotel. He was also the Cluster General Manager at Sheraton Jumeirah Beach Resort and Aloft Palm Jumeirah.

Throughout Aghoury’s career, he has brought honour to the properties he worked at. He was recognized in the prestigious Hotelier MEA’s Top 50 General Manager Power List in the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, he was awarded the Best General Manager by Luxury Lifestyle Awards and Hospitality Excellence Awards as General Manager of the Year.

Beyond Maldives Top 10 Markets: Growth Lies in the 11-20th Largest Source Markets

The Maldives’ top ten source markets are closely monitored, recorded and celebrated. The attention is warranted as these markets accounted for 64.8% of tourist arrivals in the first two months of 2023. However, the focus on the top markets may divert attention from other prominent and growing markets. The greatest potential for the tourism sector’s growth may lie in the 11-20th largest source markets.

The 11-20th largest source markets already contribute significantly to the Maldives’ tourism economy. In January and February 2023, the 11-20th largest source markets accounted for nearly a third (32.33%) of tourist arrivals.

The focus on the top ten markets may overshadow impressive growth in other markets. For instance, South Korea has seen a 290% increase in arrivals this year compared to the previous year. Trends in the 11-20th largest source markets should be noted and carefully monitored.

The industry should not overlook the 1120th largest markets but should focus on these markets for their growth potential. These markets have already demonstrated an interest in the destination. The industry must nurture this interest through targeted marketing campaigns. In addition, properties can personalize hospitality to meet these market’s preferences.

The largest barrier to the growth of the 11-20th largest markets may be the availability of direct flights. Currently, only two of these markets, Austria and Kazakhstan, have direct flights to Maldives. In comparison, nine out of the

ten largest source markets fly directly to Maldives. The introduction of direct flights from these source markets may prompt a spike in tourist arrivals.

Maldives 11-20th Largest Source Markets

World Travel Monitor® Identifies Maldives as Most Popular Travel Destination in 2022

In 2022, Maldives was identified as the most popular travel destination by The World Travel Monitor® by IPK International. The Destination Performance Index (DPI) asked travelers if they were satisfied with their trip, would recommend it to others and whether they would return, Maldives earned the top place followed by Dubai and Cyprus.

In 2022, the survey found that vacations were the main purpose of travel, enjoying 70% of the market share. Within the holiday travel market, sun and beach trips were the most popular, with 90% growth from the previous year, comprising 35% market share.

The World Travel Monitor® found that although the average duration of an international trip was similar to pre-

pandemic, the average travel expenses rose. Despite traveler’s incomes remaining stable, travelers spent more due to inflation and reduced availability of flights and services.

The IPK surveys indicate that positive growth and recovery of the global tourism industry will continue in 2023. The outbound travel figures for 2019 are within reach for a majority of source markets and travel destinations. The results indicate that there is an uninterrupted desire for international travel in 2023.

The World Travel Monitor® by IPK International is a comprehensive tourism database analyzing outbound travel trends. The population representative survey reports on European, Arabian, Asian,

North and South American outbound travel behavior, covering more than 90% of the international travel demand.

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

INEO, One-Stop Commercial Kitchen Solution

INEO is a one-stop commercial kitchen solution for Maldives resort kitchens. With ISO 9001 certification and over 15 years of experience, INEO is one of the largest suppliers of commercial equipment in China.

INEO is not only a supplier but can also provide free kitchen design, a local team for maintenance and service, lifetime technical support and spare parts supply.

New resorts or those wishing to refurbish their kitchens can contact INEO from the design stage. Experienced designers will provide designs that will improve the workflow of the kitchen and optimum use of the equipment. Once the product has been selected, INEO will arrange for transport and arrange for an engineer to install it. INEO engineers can provide operational training for resort engineers and staff to clean and maintain the

equipment. Proper operation and maintenance will extend the life of INEO’s high-quality products. Resort engineers also have the opportunity to visit INEO’s factory in China to learn more about the equipment.

INEO has experience working in the Maldives and has completed kitchen projects for Hilton Maldives Amingiri, Kuramathi, Nova, Baglioni, and Emerald Faarufushi, to name a few.

Get in contact with INEO via email: info@cnineo.com or phone: +86 757 2836 8188

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT BY OLIVIA PERSSON

STEEL HARDWARE

Steel Hardware was founded in 2005 by four brothers, with backgrounds in logistics, business, and engineering. The beginning was humble. With zero capital, the brothers opened a small retail shop with one employee in Malé. Capitalizing on the booming resort development industry, the company has grown to one of the Maldives’ leading hardware and construction material suppliers, employing 80 staff members, with four outlets, a delivery fleet, and warehouses in Malé and Thilafushi.

Hotelier Maldives Interviewed

Mr. Ali Fauzy, Steel Hardware’s Managing Director to learn more about the company’s history, products, CSR and future aspirations.

Diverse and Readily Available Product Range

Steel Hardware supplies materials for resort, private and government construction projects. Offering A-Z products from the smallest screws, longest cables, sturdiest timber to steel products, Steel Hardware is a one stop shop for construction materials.

Steel Hardware maintains large warehouses in Male and Thilafushi with a diverse stock of products to supply materials to projects immediately. With advanced planning, Steel Hardware can offer special factory direct rates or source overseas products.

Steel Hardware has grown a loyal network of customers across the Maldives, including resorts such as Centara Grand, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and Velaa Private Island, to name a few.

An Emphasis on Sustainability

Steel Hardware has a diverse portfolio of sustainable products. Most notably, they are the exclusive distributor of SHERA Fiber Cement Boards, a sustainable alternative that is weather, water, fire, and pest resistant.

Steel Hardware is also the exclusive distributor of RR Kable and Chiyoda LED lights. RR Kable produces a variety of cables with minimum impact on the environment by optimizing natural resource consumption. Compared to traditional lighting, LED lights are more energy efficient, using up to 80% less energy.

Looking forward, Steel Hardware plans to expand their range of environmentally friendly products. With resorts and the larger public placing a greater importance on sustainability, Steel Hardware intends to step up and meet this demand.

Steel Hardware is committed to ensuring the wellbeing of people and the planet as exemplified by their CSR initiatives. During the

pandemic, the company donated disinfectants to the Sri Lankan healthcare sector and the Maldivian Red Crescent. In the future, Steel Hardware is planning environmental CSR projects. Steel Hardware is committed to developing the local workforce, encouraging Maldivians, especially women, to look out for employment opportunities with the company.

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

HAWICRAFT SAILING CATAMARANS

Sail swiftly across the Maldives’ turquoise lagoons on a HawiCraft Sailing Catamaran. Be in command while out at sea with the HawiCraft’s efficient sailing system. The contemporary sail system catches the wind easily with a rotating mast and automated roll jib. The catamaran’s hull is buoyant and swiftly cuts waves for a smooth sailing experience.

Hawicraft Sailing Catamarans come in three different sizes: 14, 16 and 19 feet. The catamarans can accommodate 4, 6 and 8 people, respectively. All sailing catamarans have ample storage, a furlar to quickly scroll the jib and liftable double-link rudders. The 14 and 16 foot catamarans have front and back trampolines to lounge in the equatorial sun. The two largest sizes allow for an optional outboard engine, a removable bimini tow, a bow extender, and a larger jib.

HawiCraft is a brand of vessels and boats by Hassan Marine. The sailing catamarans, along with other products, were on display at the 2023 Marine Expo. Last year, HawiCraft introduced a line of pontoon boats.

Contact sales@hassanmarine.com for more information.

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

Pentair Prowler Robotic Cleaners

Pentair Prowler Robotic Cleaners offer a pristine level of pool cleaning by scrubbing and vacuuming along the pool’s floor with an active brush for deeper cleaning. The prowlers clean thoroughly up to the waterline by easily mounting to the walls. The cleaners filter up to 100 microns. The robotic cleaner cleans efficiently by scanning the pool to ensure perfect movement and turning.

The prowler is easy to use! Plug the cleaner in and place it in the pool. The Prowler P20 and P25 can be controlled by a remote control app to drive the cleaner to each corner of the pool.

With hyper-compact dimensions and an ultra-lightweight of 6kg, the prowlers are easy to carry. The cable will not tangle with electric swivel technology.

The Pentair prowler cleaners are easy to maintain with single button access to the filter. The basket is easily cleaned with a hose. To minimize energy costs, the robotic cleaners are powered independently by low-voltage electricity, not the pool or booster pump.

Celestial Pools & Spas is the authorized distributor for the Pentair Pool products in Maldives.

BY MEERA MOOSA

TOYO PUMPS

- Reimagining Pumping Technologies

TOYO is the leading supplier of sand barge pumps for Maldivian resorts. Over 100 resorts in the Maldives use TOYO sand pumps. TOYO offers a complete range of pumps, from small portable single-phase pumps to high volume high-head pumps.

Over the years, TOYO has redefined pumping technologies. The pioneering Japanese company TOYO invented sand pumps in 1964 to collect sand from the sea at great depths. TOYO was introduced to the South Asia market in 1982. TOYO came to the Maldives about a decade ago, to help resorts retain their beautiful beaches and reclaim land. TOYO pumps have a patented built-in mechanical agitator, designed to agitate the solids that have settled and whip them into a thick slurry. The slurry is directed into the impeller to be pumped out.

The pump casing and seals are durable to high wear and tear. After decades of experience, the casings on the TOYO pumps are made from abrasion resistant Hi-CHROME alloy material. The pump seals are made to withstand pressure and can operate in a self-contained fluid reservoir. The pumps’ compartmentalized build makes it easy to replace the wornout parts separately, extending the TOYO pump’s lifetime.

TOYO’s wide range of pumps include world’s leading brands. The TOYO ET, DP Light, DP, DPE, DPFE, VH, DPA Series; HANJIN WATER, WASTEWATER, SLURRY PUMPS; EMAUX Swimming Pool Pumps and complete accessories for pools including lighting; SHIBAURA Portable Fire Pumps and CET Floating Fire Pumps.

The standard range of TOYO pumps is the DPF/DP series. These pumps can effectively handle solids up to 120mm

diameter and depth of 30 meters. The special Deep Sea Pumps DPA Series can operate at much greater depths of over 100 meters.

The TOYO Dredging System typically includes a TOYO pump with a control panel, electric hoist, flexible hose, delivery pipeline with floaters, floating pontoon and a generator. TOYO can supply all these as a single unit.

The Shibaura range of Japanese manufactured portable fire fighting pumps are ideal for resorts and hotels. With its high performance and the wide range of product offerings, SHIBAURA has earned the trust of customers.

The small and compact CET floating fire pumps can be taken anywhere in a boat for fire-fighting operations.

Whether you need a pump for water, waste-water, sludge, slurry, corals or solids – come to TOYO. The TOYO Pump group’s dynamism, experience and expert knowledge allows them to serve clients comprehensively, offering total fluid handling solutions.

TOYO offers clients state of the art IOT enabled STP and accessories with total technical guidance from a project’s start to finish. TOYO will recommend, supply and operate the systems. After sales technical support, spare parts and maintenance are available for all equipments supplied by TOYO.

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

BIKE ACROSS MALDIVES’ LAGOONS ON THE MANTA5 HYDROFOILER XE-1

Cycle across Maldives’ crystal clear lagoons on the world’s first water bike, the Manta5 Hydrofoiler XE-1. Siyam World is home to the Maldives largest collection of Manta5 Hydrofoils with three water bikes. Siyam World was the first resort in the country to introduce this cutting-edge watersport. SeaGear is the only authorized distributor of the Manta5 Hydrofoiler XE-1 in Maldives.

Sea Gear Supplies Cutting Edge Watersport Products

For the past ten years, Sea Gear has supplied the Maldives with high-quality boating, watersport, safety and lifestyle products. Sea Gear identifies cutting edge boating and watersport products, like the Manta5 Hydrofoiler XE-1, to introduce the latest innovations to the local market. Sea Gear provides customers with boating solutions, operational expertise, and high-quality sustainable products.

Riding the Manta5 Hydrofoiler

The whole family can ride the Manta5 Hydrofoiler. The ergonomics of the bike’s handlebars, seat and pedals are adjustable to suit a family of different sized riders. Anyone who can bike and swim can ride the Hydrofoiler, no special skills required!

There are three different ways to launch the bike, from a floating dock, shallow water or deep water. The first two options are straightforward and most can master it instantly. Deep water starts take practice to raise the bike out of the water. The friendly watersport staff at Siyam World will provide the training to get the bike started and out on the water.

“Guests are intrigued when they see the bikes on the water! Our team provides training for beginners. When starting out, falling off and getting wet is part of the fun. In less than an hour expect to go from novice to confident. Even in choppy conditions falling is rare. Guests can try epic new experiences to fulfill their soulful adventure seeking side at Siyam World,” commented Ausy Waseem, Siyam World Resort Manager.

The riding experience is smooth and similar to a road bike. Even in choppy water, the Manta5 Hydrofoiler remains stable because the foils are submerged underwater. Turning is intuitive, lean and

slightly turn the handlebars. The Hydrofoiler has seven levels of electric assist to propel you forward. Speed 7 activates the motor at full power and provides 450 W of assistance. At speed 1, the motor essentially shuts off and you power the bike independently. The Hydrofoiler’s top speed is 21 km/h but cruises around 9 km/h. A single charge can provide up to 4 hours of ride time. The body of the bike is made from aircraft-grade aluminum and the foils are made from strengthened carbon fiber set with highperformance epoxies, making the bikes buoyant and easy to carry.

Hydrofoil Technology

The water bike glides across the water using hydrofoil technology. The hydrofoils to hover the bike above the waterline. The hydrofoil technology was developed in 1869 to reduce the drag to increase the speed of military boats. The physics of hydrofoils are based on Bernulli’s Principle, if fluid speed increases, its pressure decreases. As you cycle through the water and pick up speed, the pressure on top of the wing decreases and the pressure under the wing increases. Recently, motors have been added to hydrofoils to help achieve lift and propel the rider forward.

BY OLIVIA PERSSON

BESTBUY MALDIVES LAUNCHES PEARS BABY AT CORPORATE EVENT

Bestbuy Maldives (Pvt) Ltd, provider of quality FMCG products in the Maldives, hosted a corporate iftar event for their Wholesale & Retail partners at Sea House Maldives. The event launched Pears Baby, a brand from Unilever. Pears offers gentle and nourishing products like soap, cream, cologne, oil, shampoo, and body wash specially formulated for infants and young children.

“The event’s goal was to show appreciation to our retail business partners for their unwavering support and loyalty to our brand. We are honored to have such amazing partners who have been with us through thick and thin, and this event was a way of saying thank you,” commented Mr. Muksith Hussein, BBM’s Head of Sales - Retail.

The event was a success, allowing Bestbuy Maldives to strengthen ties with their partners while giving them an exclusive first look at Unilever’s Pears Baby. Bestbuy Maldives continues to innovate and expand its product offerings, ensuring its customers can access the highest quality products.

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