The Insider
Reimagining paradise
Twin-centre stays and fresh experiences are rejuvenating the Maldives’ allure for clients who feel they’ve ‘been there, done that’, writes Charlotte Brook
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lmost every luxury hotel brand has an outpost – or several – YKVJKP VJG HCT ƃWPI KUNCPFU QH VJG /CNFKXGU +V OCMGU UGPUG IKXGP VJCV VJG FGUVKPCVKQP JCU NQPI DGGP C ƂTO HCXQWTKVG COQPI
CHƃWGPV VTCXGNNGTU &WTKPI VJG RCPFGOKE FGOCPF UQCTGF CU VQWTKUVU ƃQEMGF VQ VJG KUNCPFU KP VJGKT FTQXGU VQ GPLQ[ VJG DGPGƂVU QH HGYGT TGUVTKEVKQPU +P VJG [GCTU UKPEG VQWTKUO JCU ƃWEVWCVGF Jessica Harris, product manager for the Indian Ocean at Elegant Resorts and If Only, says: “2022 was the best year we’ve had for the destination, but that meant we saw quite a large decline in 2023, as other destinations opened up. This year has stabilised, and we’ve seen a more normal booking pattern.” Trends, too, are reportedly changing. Where once, many clients would go back to the same hotel every year, operators are now seeing a shift towards guests considering different options that offer new GZRGTKGPEGU #OQPI ƂTUV VKOG ENKGPVU *CTTKU UC[U there is sometimes scepticism about the destination.
“I think the perception can be that you’re stuck on an island and there isn’t a lot to do,” she says. But for travellers who are hooked on the Maldives,
VJG CTEJKRGNCIQ JCU DGEQOG CP CPPWCN ƂZVWTG KP VJGKT calendar. Elegant Resorts has a 45% repeat rate, with loyal clients visiting the islands twice a year on average. The destination’s value is clear. But with such a saturated market and a growing desire from clients for a fresh perspective on the region, agents must navigate the wealth of product to offer guests an experience that keeps them coming back.
ISLAND INNOVATIONS Luxury hotels seem to crop up in the Maldives quicker than the tide changes. Next year, Mandarin Oriental $QNKFJWHHCTW 4GGH 4GUQTV CPF %CRGNNC /CNFKXGU YKNN LQKP VJG TQUVGT HQNNQYGF D[ %QTKPVJKC /CNFKXGU and Rosewood Ranfaru in 2027. Most recently, Aman announced it had started development QH C XKNNC RTQRGTV[ KP VJG 8CCXW #VQNN In a competitive landscape, existing properties also continue to up the ante with new design concepts,
ASPIRETRAVELCLUB.CO.UK THE INSIDER NOVEMBER 2024
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