Male Travel Guide
Tags: Hotel Openings / Maldives Hotels / Hilton Hotels / → All Tags
Hilton's Iru Fushi Opening Is A National Event in the Maldives
It’s not every day that you get a national president to attend your hotel opening, but since tourism is the main industry in the Maldives, President Mohamed Nasheed was on hand to help open the Hilton’s new Iru Fushi Resort and Spa.
The new resort is Hilton’s second of four planned properties in the Maldives. The Conrad Maldives is already open on Rangali Island, the Beach House will join the Waldorf-Astoria Collection starting November 1, 2009, and a Doubletree will open in the island nation’s capital of Malé sometime in 2011.
Iru Fushi is located on the island of Medhufushi in the Noonu Atoll (no joke, that’s its name) about 40 miles north of Malé, and looks like 52 acres of paradise. President Nasheed gushed, “I am delighted to be here for the inauguration of hits beautiful resort and am sure that the Hilton family will continue to set the standard for hospitality excellence in the Maldives with its latest opening.” That’s a much more positive reaction than most “Hilton openings” receive. Tee hee.
Tags: Maldives Hotels / Four Seasons Hotels / Luxury Hotels / Island Getaways / → All Tags
Maldives Heaven: Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru
A relatively recent opening in the Maldives, the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru has quickly become a very popular destination over its first couple of years. In a UK Independent report last week it got an extremely positive write-up:
Food and cabins - there are some 50 "beach pavilions" and 38 "water bungalows" - are, needless to say, so faultless you'll want to cry when it's time to leave.
When we see this photo of the pool out the back of a water villa, we can understand never wanting to say goodbye. And each room and villa come with such a long list of life's daily needs that we could probably stay and work from there anyhow: they have CD and DVD players, multi-line telephones with voicemail and wired and wireless internet access. Plus the housekeeping service drops by not once, but twice a day.
However, our dream of living at the Landaa Giraavaru forever has already been quickly shattered because we checked the prices. The cheapest nightly rate (and that's not for a water villa with this pool, obviously) comes in at US$700 a night using a stay four, pay for three package; if you want a Bed and Breakfast deal it comes in at $960 per night. Might have to be satisfied with a short vacation there instead.
[Photo: FMUBSU]
Tags: Cubicle Dreamin' / Maldives Hotel Reviews / Taj Hotels / → All Tags
Cubicle Dreamin': Annabel's Very Own Blue Lagoon
Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.
In this episode, Hotel Maven Annabel escape the bitter chill of London. Enjoy.
As the London days get shorter and the winter chill begins to set in, I can't help but question why I left the shores of sunny Australia. Thankfully I'm headed home for Christmas for a month of beach (ok, bayside) bliss, but I can't help wishing that I could make a detour in the Maldives for a holiday of the more indulgent variety.
Encircled by the clear blue waters of one of the largest lagoons of the Maldives, the Taj Exotica Resort and Spa is just a 15 minute luxury speedboat ride from the Malè International Airport (no taxis here, folks), and each suite features its very own private plunge pool.
Open seven days a week, the adjoining spa offers authentic Indian treatments and includes a Yoga and Meditation Pavilion, a VIP Spa Suite and two over-water luxurious Couple spa suites should you be lucky enough to have an amorous partner in tow.
With rates starting from $330 US per person, per night, however my bed at home is unfortunately looking like the more realistic destination for the time being.
[Photo: J+B=Us]
Related Stories:
· Hotels in the Maldives [HotelChatter]
Tags: Overwater Bungalows / Honeymoon Resorts / Maldives Hotel Reviews / → All Tags
Searching For The Perfect Overwater Bungalow:: For Londoners
As winter storms brew here in the Northeast, our search for the perfect overwater bungalow is intensifying. Know an overwater bungalow resort hotel we need to check out? Hit us on the tip line.
We have covered Baros before, however, when searching the world for the perfect overwater bungalow, neither the Maldives, nor Baros can be ignored.
Here is what we have learned over the years of telling and aggregating hotel stories--Londoners know their hotels.
That said, when discretionary holiday takers from the UK head for an over water bungalow experience many head to Baros. Not only do they head there, but they also return--a big deal when you are dropping that much scratch to go in the first place:
My husband and I have an agreement that we will never revisit our holiday destination, no matter how much we enjoy the place. However, for Baros, we have had to break that agreement, because we just enjoyed out holiday so much. We're going back in March, and I just cannot wait!
Click here and scroll down for a Baros propaganda video via YouTube.
[Photo: pixel_betty]
Tags: Maldives Hotels / Google Earth Hotels / Overwater Bungalows / → All Tags
Google Earth Hotels: Full Moon Obsession
It is gonna take more than some silly TomKat spat to kill our travel crush on the Maldives.
Our latest Google Earth flyover has us thinking we found our Maldives overwater bungalow destination Full Moon, not that we are going anytime soon or anything.
Why? Well this resort was completely rebuilt after the tsunami, so it has that new resort smell. Add to the fray a five star spa connected to the island by a wooden footbridge, a split-level infinity pool, and brand new overwater bungalows. Usually we don't even look at the price tags on these places, because we know we can't afford 'em, but this one seems reasonable--from €110? Really? We aren't math wizards, but that works itself out to under $300, doesn't it?
Drawbacks? It is close to Malé and the airport, so you probably have to endure some fly overs, but it is a freakin' island, not like the resort is on the runway. Plus after that long haul flight to Malé you just might think proximity to the airport is a blessing rather than a curse.
If you have been to Full Moon, feel free to burst our bubble by posting a review on the hotel page.
Related Stories:
· Ful Moon Resort [Google Maps]
· Full Moon Resort reviews [TripAdvisor]
Tags: Maldives Hotel Reviews / British Hotel Favorites / → All Tags
When The Brits Go Maldives
Face it, folks from the UK are smarter than the rest of us. Um, at least if you speak in short, quick sentences with a British accent you can fool most people into thinking you are the smartest person in the room. If you combine a British accent with hipster glasses you can quickly develop a cult following, but we digress.
Point is, when the Brits go Maldives they head to Baros in droves.
Baros is the third oldest resort in the Maldives and the property recently underwent renovations. These days, travelers are evenly split on the resort: New skool fans can't get enough of it and old skool fans want the old Baros back.
A couple years back the resort was completely rebuilt adding many modern, locally styled overwater bungalows. The old skool gripes about the look of the renovations, but we suspect the 40% post renovation price increase is what really gets under their skin.
The new skool loves the indoor/outdoor glass shower which allows guests to check out the sea while washing up and the new modern facilities.
Though the tall wooden spire of Baros's Lighthouse restaurant should give it away, we couldn't find the resort on Google Earth. Here is the map of the Maldives, if you find it do us a favor and leave the link in comments, or send it our way. Thanks.
Yes, we know, our Maldives travel crush is getting out of control.
Related Stories:
· Baros Reviews [TripAdvisor]
· Maldives Hotel Reviews [HotelChatter]
Hotels In: Africa | Asia | Australia | Caribbean | Europe | North America | South America
Our Publications:
Jaunted | HotelChatter | VegasChatter
