Private panoramic perches on a pristine former picnic island – Olhahali
In November 2017 LUX* Resorts & Hotels will reveal this intimate luxury in an unexplored six-hectare island of Olhahali’s transformation into LUX* North Male Atoll.
A visual feast of nautical forms and tones, the resort is elegantly styled by Singapore design group Miaja in a scheme that blends superyacht panache with a vibrant South Beach pulse. It’s approach to contemporary architecture is unique for the Indian Ocean.
For the first time in the Maldives, each residence is crowned with a fully-featured 120m2 reef terrace – a magnificent private deck elevated five metres above the giant house lagoon – from which guests will be able to marvel at a unique perspective on the planet’s flat country. Big Green Egg BBQs, a rooftop bar, cinema and SONOS, a yoga plinth, starlight jacuzzi and outdoor games help to create the ultimate sky-lounge for people who love the high life.
LUX* North Male Atoll
Contemporary one-, two- and three-bedroom residences are spread across the island, set on the beach, steps from the sea, or perched on stilts above the lagoon. Each of the 60 double storey residences sits either on the beach or overwater whose guests will benefit from a minimum living area of 255m2.
For the Overwater Residences, the reef itself is your playground – just pick up a snorkel and go explore the crystalline sea on your doorstep. With the three-floor penthouses, families and groups have ample space to spread themselves, as well as their own spa, steam room, fitness suite and oversized outdoor pool. You’ve never stayed anywhere like this before.
Two restaurants, Beach Rouge and a Café LUX*, a bar, wine cave, LUX* Me Spa and kids club complete the offering.
A short transfer from Malé by luxury speedboat, the intimate LUX* North Male Atoll resort disrupts the Maldivian mould by replacing traditional thatched villas with over-sized, penthouse residences.
World-renowned luxury resort and hotel operator LUX* Resorts & Hotels is known for a different style of holidaying – a lighter, brighter way of celebrating life – and its newest resort LUX* South Ari Atoll opened last week in the Maldives.
The brand’s latest five-star resort has been entirely reimagined, with a chic beach-house style. Innovative and trendsetting, it features a contemporary atmosphere while protecting the cocooned tropical island atmosphere. LUX* South Ari Atoll is not just about luxury and aesthetics: it’s a resort with a soul. Playful, fun, modern this is paradise for travellers looking for a distinctive experience in the Maldives.
Temptation Pool Water Villa, LUX* South Ari Atoll
Dotted at the water’s edge along two miles of pure white sand beach and perched on stilts above a crystal-clear lagoon, are 193 super-spacious pavilions and villas designed by P49 Deesign. The seductive flood-lit over-water villas promise freedom, privacy and intimacy. 46 Romantic Pool Villas each have private 7m suspended infinity pools, and three Temptation Pool Water Villas boast a 14m pool and this forms the resort’s adults-only sanctuary. These villas enjoy twin showers, private terraces incorporating a unique couples’ love nest, and a deck with steps down into the sea, perfect for enjoying the turquoise blue waters of the Indian Ocean.
Temptation Pool Water Villa, LUX* South Ari Atoll
The spectacular range of eight restaurants and five bars includes a sophisticated take on a bustling night market; guests can head to East Market where they can enjoy flavours from Vietnam, Thailand and Sichuan among others. Umami promises fine dining from the open sushi kitchen, teppanyaki and robata counters as well as the Maldives’ largest selection of sakés and Japanese whiskies. Allegria, Senses and MIXE satisfy international palates with Mediterranean to Maldivian specialities and the new Beach Rouge introduces fresh beach club dining experience to the island. Visit www.luxresorts.com/en/hotel-maldives/luxsouthariatoll for more information.
Umami, LUX* South Ari Atoll
The LUX* Me spa and its overwater treatment villas set the tone for a Zen-inspired reboot of its own. The facility incorporates a traditional Chinese teahouse, a dedicated zone for brand new skin and body care experiences and an extended lagoon-view relaxation area. For those in search of the ultimate personalised spa experience, try the once-in-a-lifetime 10 hands massage. A Zen wellness pavilion accommodates a wide range of alternative wellbeing activities including yoga, meditation, pilates, tai chi and qigong, all of which are overseen by an expert wellness concierge. LUX* Me is all about a tailored approach to your wellbeing, whether it be spa, fitness, yoga, meditation, nutrition or a unique combination tailored especially to your needs.
Graced by one of Maldives’ most spectacular lagoon of crystal-clear waters, LUX* South Ari Atoll offers the finest choice of water sports of any Maldives’ five-star resort. LUX* was the first to offer flyboarding and hoverboarding and once again introduced the Maldives’ first: jet-surfboarding. No wonder the resort is referenced as #ThePlacetoBeMaldives.
LUX* South Ari Atoll promises a lighter, brighter, more enlightening holiday experience. Stay tuned for events worth travelling around the world for as Beach Rouge, the East Market, and even a sandbank hosting music and culinary celebrations. Where else can guests dance to a DJ with their toes dipped in the warm ocean or taste the best of South-East Asia in a suspended over-the-water night market?
East Market, LUX* South Ari AtollBeach Rouge at sunset, LUX* South Ari Atoll
Paul Jones, CEO of LUX* Resorts & Hotels confides: “The focus around the creation of a new LUX* South Ari Atoll has been as much about the transformation of the property as it has been about the enhancement of the guests’ experiences. For this, our team has worked effortlessly on enriching the moments that matters, and we have created new and exciting Reasons To Go LUX*. I am convinced that places you remember are the ones that inspire you; those that have a soul and caring people. LUX* South Ari Atoll has this magical mix.”
LUX* South Ari Atoll will of course include all of LUX*’s popular features and Reasons To Go LUX* including a LUX* Me Spa, a dive centre with a property marine biologist, a Café LUX*, ICI ice-creams, a gym, a kids’ club, organic gardens, a Tree of Wishes and an outdoor Cinema Paradiso to name a few.
Café LUX*, LUX* South Ari Atoll
On top of that, the opening of this new resort was the perfect opportunity for the brand to present a series of more Reasons To Go LUX*. Stay at a conventional resort, and before long you know where everything is. That doesn’t happen at LUX*. Spontaneity and surprises are in our DNA with the new Reasons To Go LUX* making a debut at LUX* South Ari Atoll this month.
LUX* Photo Fanatics — LUX* means light, and so it is also in spirit, so it should come as little surprise that LUX* is a brand that loves the art of photography. Introducing Photo Fanatics, a unique image-capturing experience that will help guests seeking to create and capture the moments that matter, using a smartphone or a traditional camera or SLR.
Junkart Studio & Gallery — Many regret the lack of time during their everyday lives to learn a new skill or revive a forgotten hobby.
LUX* believes that a vacation can be the perfect time to explore something new or revisit old skills and passions. Guests at LUX* are invited to have fun making one-off artworks and sustainable souvenirs from upcycled materials.
Wanderlust Library — Make up for that last-minute pre-holiday book buy at the airport or magazine selection limited by how much your hand luggage can take. LUX* understands the desire to try new things, especially on holiday. To encourage this LUX* has curated the ultimate collection of books and magazines, to be enjoyed in a cocooned air-conditioned place which will stimulate your travel senses and expand your horizons.
Masterchef — The joy of cooking and the fun of the whole family getting involved is unrivalled. Cook with a professional chef and take home some new tricks.
The remodelling of LUX* South Ari Atoll doesn’t just mean a contemporary, characterful new look; guests can also expect a remarkable and insightful cultural calendar. Entirely new for the Maldives, LUX* South Ari Atoll hosts short expert-led workshops throughout the year, with leading practitioners from diverse, creative and inspiring walks of life. It’s always a privilege to spend time with inspiring individuals who are happy to share their unique wisdom and skills.
The brand vision is to offer our guests different luxury hospitality experience; helping people celebrate life, by making each moment matter. In this context, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy themselves with a series of workshops which could reveal innate talents, hidden talents.
The workshops are as varied as they are numerous. There are painting lessons with Jeannine Platz, a motivation workshop with Ron Kaufman, food art with Samantha Lee and photography with world-renowned travel photographer Michel Freeman. For the ones looking for some healthy and fitness options, this has also been taken care of with masterclasses from fitness guru Anna Victoria, and also the opportunity to explore underwater with the freediving world record holder William Winram. For more information, visit www.luxresorts.com/en/hotel-maldives/luxsouthariatoll
What makes LUX* South Ari Atoll so special is its spirit, team members, and entirely different approach to helping you have the best-ever holiday. LUX* promises a journey for the senses, where – in true LUX* style – you can expect the unexpected.
LUX* South Ari Atoll in the Maldives has received international recognition for its sustainable tourism efforts by being awarded prestigious Travelife Gold Certification. Travelife – the international sustainability certification scheme – assesses a hotel’s performance in managing its social, environmental and economic impacts, and in supporting sustainability as part of its hotel marketing and operational strategies.
Travelife’s sustainability certification is a non-profit flagship programme that supports tourism destinations, businesses and travellers in implementing innovative solutions for the continuous development of sustainable tourism. To gain Travelife Gold Certification, a resort must meet 150 sustainability criteria. This includes environmental issues, such as minimising waste and the use of energy, water and chemicals, as well as the taking of positive action on social issues, employee welfare, the protection of wildlife and in the support of the local community and local businesses.
In the process of this sustainability certification, all of the island-resort operations were assessed, including operational practices and procedures, guest communications and environmental management policies. The strong points in the assessment included the LUX* Resorts & Hotels carbon offsetting programme and the whale shark and marine protection programme, as well as the Resort’s energy, waste reduction and water saving measures. The Resort goes further in protecting the environment by hosting its own on-site marine biologist, who works closely with the Maldives Wildlife Protection Authority. LUX* South Ari Atoll also encourages its guests to get involved in conservation activities, such as sponsoring the wildlife protection programme and joining in the volunteer tree-planting programme.
As Glenn Daniels, the Resort’s General Manager, says, “This certification rewards the dedication of the team at LUX* South Ari Atoll, who put all their energy and passion into daily tasks on the island. Being a one-island resort, we can operate as a family community here at LUX* South Ari Atoll and this award is testament to the team’s continued commitment to sustainability. By collaborating with an organisation such as Travelife, LUX* South Ari Atoll continues to focus on helping people celebrate life and making each moment matter during their stay.”
Travelife Gold Certification is an operational standard that reflects the values and convictions of LUX* Resorts & Hotels with regards to sustainability. Last year, all LUX* resorts operating in Mauritius (LUX* Belle Mare, LUX* Le Morne, LUX* Grand Gaube, as well Tamassa and Merville Beach which are Managed by LUX* hotels) also received Travelife Gold Certification. They continue to monitor the impact of their sustainability efforts, report on results and plan improvements to continuously help protect the unique natural and cultural characteristics of their resorts and the surrounding areas.
About Travelife
Travelife is an international certification system promoting sustainability within the tourism industry. It helps tour operators, hotels and accommodations to manage and monitor their social and environmental impacts, as well as communicate their achievements to stakeholders. Travelife for Hotels and Accommodations is the only certification scheme that works in partnership with tour operators, both in the UK and internationally, for these purposes.It is an easy-to-use sustainability system which provides members with a practical framework to improve their businesses. Travelife also provides a range of supports to help its members prepare for their independent audits. Hotel and accommodation members whose on-site audit shows they fulfil the requirements of the Travelife sustainability criteria will achieve a Gold award. For more information about Travelife for Hotels and Accommodations please visit: www.travelifecollection.com
‘By promising a luxury holiday with a difference, LUX* South Ari Atoll has heightened the festive spirits of its guests with the newly launched Tree of Wishes on the island. Inspired by an ancient Japanese festival, the weekly appointment at the LUX* Tree of Wishes offers not only a moment to gather feelings and emotions and turn them into wishes written on auspicious red ribbons, but also opens an opportunity to learn about the local communities and support them through various social initiatives.
LUX* South Ari Atoll CSR programs in the Maldives currently engage with several NGOs and among them, the Maldivian Blood Services (formerly National Thalassaemia Center). With the aim of improving the services provided to patients suffering from this hematological disorder, the resort and the Maldivian Blood Service team have signed an agreement allowing both parties to interact on a greater scale generating ways to foster cooperation among medical institutions. The charity support offered by the resort enables the Maldivian Blood Service to cater for more patients with dedicated initiatives to promote blood donation throughout the country.
LUX* South Ari Atoll
Guests staying at LUX* South Ari Atoll have the opportunity to contribute by placing a voluntary donation at the Tree of Wishes. All the offerings cumulatively raised by the resort are used to support local charities but by tying a ribbon to the branches of the banyan tree, each guest becomes part of the annual Tree of Wishes Lucky Draw. During the event, one ribbon is picked at random and the lucky owner wins a free holiday at any property within the LUX* Resorts and Hotels portfolio.
‘We are thrilled to have our guests participating in this important cause with us’ says General Manager Glenn Daniels ‘as we believe that holidays are not only a moment to relax and unwind, but also a celebration of life and that embodies our commitment to support local communities’. Keeping not only its guests’ wishes at heart but also the environment we operate in, LUX* South Ari Atoll aims to translate corporate responsibility into social development and continues to deliver an inspiring lighter holiday experience.
For further information or queries, please contact Cluster Director of PR & Communications, Maldives. Dolores Semeraro – [email protected]
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