New Kandima Maldives, opening February 2017

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A new game-changing destination & lifestyle resort opening February 2017
Under new hospitality development company, Pulse Hotels & Resorts

Forget normal, the mundane. Out with the everyday, the expected. Kandima Maldives, opening in February 2017 is anything but ordinary – it is smart, playful and responsible.

Located on a lush tropical island in the Dhaalu Atoll, Kandima Maldives is just a 30-minute flight from Male International Airport, followed by a 20-minute boat ride to this seriously stylish island.

Kandima will offer guests the opportunity to experience the NEW Maldives in an exciting way. This new game-changing lifestyle resort will embody all the positive values of the Maldives, whilst adding its own innovative, vibrant and playful style.

This 3 km long island will be the first lifestyle resort in the country. More than just another beach holiday, it is an experience, offering timeout for adults and plenty of fun for children, not to mention island-living at its best, year round sunshine, water sports, top activities and a safe environment.

Kandima Maldives is perfect for those searching for quality, value and a contemporary and intelligent holiday experience. The goal is to help guests get the most out of their holiday, by making each stay unique, enjoyable and memorable. Kandima Maldives’ promise is that all guests will leave feeling energised, relaxed, inspired and above all, happy. What else makes Kandima Maldives different? Well everyone is welcome for a start. This lifestyle resort caters for guests of all ages; families, couples, groups of friends and of course honeymooners. Whether you seek relaxation, adventure, wellbeing, sport, spa experiences or just family time, Kandima Maldives will have something for everyone.

Just play! At Kandima Maldives, it is all about genuine hospitality with a human touch and smart solutions that make use of the latest innovations – not to mention a playful spirit. Explore one of the most beautiful settings in the world through the Diving School & Marine Centre activities, or head to the state-of-the-art Watersports Centre where an experienced team will take you windsurfing, SUP, surfing, or on one of the Catamarans.

If relaxation is more your thing, then simply open the doors onto your own private decking area and enjoy endless tropical views, sign up to the daily yoga and meditation classes on offer, or dive into the outdoor pool. Measuring 100m this is set to be the largest pool in the Maldives.

Still not convinced? Then have a look at these other activities with more cool surprises still being developed: tennis courts, art studio, marine biology school, kids club, games room, library, gym, yoga studio and spa, Zumba classes, electric scooters, beach volleyball, petanque, arts and crafts lessons, …

Whether you want to dine as a group, or slope off to somewhere more intimate for a romantic meal for two – Kandima Maldives has the perfect place for you. The island offers cuisine to suit any gastronomic taste, boasting one of the largest selection of restaurants and bars in the country, with an incredible choice of ten different outlets, featuring flavours of the world from Chinese to Maldivian and Mediterranean.

The resort offers a choice of 274 stylishly designed studios, beach and aqua villas, with eleven different categories to choose from, all of which have a private terrace and endless tropical views to enjoy. Their locations at different points along the 3km long island makes the accommodation suitable for honeymooners and couples seeking privacy and families as well as group of friends looking for activity.

Kandima Maldives will use state of the art technology in order to elevate their guest’s experience. The new Kandima property management system is the first of its kind – it is smart unobtrusive technology that makes guests stays smoother and the new RFID wristband means that there is no need to carry a key or wallet. This advanced technology will enable Kandima to service guests to the highest level from booking to arrival, throughout their stay and beyond.

So why is Kandima Maldives investing in such game-changing technology? Of course to give the best possible service to all guests, to be easily accessible for everyone but as well to follow one of its values: to be responsible and reduce its carbon footprint due to reducing the islands waste and energy consumption. All water waste and glass are recycled, food composted, items responsibly packaged, energy saved through smart room controls and printed collateral radically reduced through the use of the app and interactive systems.

Available from £160 half board per person, based on two adults sharing.

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Unveils Striking New Beach Villas

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Reinforcing its position as a champion of smart luxury, the iconic Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has emerged from refurbishment as one of the Maldives’ most applauded resorts.  In a strategic move to continually attract guests, the resort has invested US 3.2 million in redeveloping its award-winning beach villas which are set to launch this October.

The redevelopment has seen a full renovation of 34 beach villas and bathrooms and this was followed by the development of the Maldives’ first authentic Chinese restaurant Ufaa heralded by celebrity chef Jereme Leung. This award-winning concept is a culinary journey through China, which takes inspiration from the picturesque island surroundings.  

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island general manager Lyle Lewis said the villa refurbishment is aimed at engaging with customers to ensure Conrad Maldives was top of mind when deciding where to stay.  

“We are one of the most recognised brands in the Maldives’ hospitality market and with the launch of the beach villas we aim to further cement the resort’s position as one of the leader’s in the market. Each beach villa has been completely refurbished to a luxurious haven of comfort and style, and features spacious living areas that are illuminated with natural light and offer private access to the palm fringed beach,” states Lewis.  

The beach villas nurture a sense of relaxation through distinctive features including floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors leading directly to the beach, a skylight to provide a naturally illuminated space, and a new bathroom featuring the signature outdoor shower and bathing pavilion. The standout feature of the villa is the extension of the bedroom area which gives guests the option to create a second bedroom by simply closing the curtains to encircle the space. The second bedroom is ideal for young children, teens and parents craving a little bit of privacy.  

Beach Villa, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Beach Villa, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Celebrating its 20th anniversary of operations in the Maldives, the resort joined Hilton Worldwide in 1997 as Hilton Rangali Resort and Spa, and was rebranded to Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in 2007 as the flagship resort in the company’s luxury portfolio. The refurbishment of the beach villas follows the substantial works completed in 2014, which saw Conrad Maldives Rangali Island develop Ranfinolhu Island which houses 570 team members, and is arguably one of the leading team member accommodations in the country.    

The refurbishment is a precursor to the resort being announced as one of the top 10 resorts in the Indian Ocean as part of Condé Nast Traveler’s 2016 Reader’s Choice Awards, announced on 18 October 2016. Voted by people who love travel, the resort was one of the award winners selected from more than 300,000 survey takers who submitted millions of ratings and 75,000 comments. This wonderful accolade follows the resort’s award-winning year which has seen the resort receive the Maldives’ ‘Leading water villa resort’ and the Indian Ocean’s ‘Leading hotel’ at the 2016 World Travel Awards. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is one of the world’s most recognised and celebrated resorts, and continues to demonstrate a commitment to industry, leadership and innovation.  

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island offers the popular Conrad Concierge mobile app, which gives global luxury travellers the ability to customise details of their hotel stay before, during, and after each visit via a smartphone or tablet. Whether it’s pre-selecting bath amenities or checking in while in-transit from the airport, guests can access a variety of features by using the app.  

Beach Villa, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Beach Villa, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island also participates in Hilton HHonors®, the only guest loyalty programme where guests who book directly through www.conradhotels.com have access to benefits including the digital Conrad Concierge app and complimentary Wi-Fi at 26  Conrad hotels.

Exotic Underwater Dining in Malé Atoll – at M6m, OZEN

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OZEN by Atmosphere at Maadhoo opened its shores to the world on 15th July 2016 – as per promise! Located in South Male’ atoll, OZEN is the 3rd inclusion within the Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts portfolio.

A stunning Lifestyle Luxury resort, OZEN has also introduced a uniquely exclusive Luxury All‐Inclusive holiday plan – the Atmosphere INDULGENCE™, which offers the discerning traveler a blissful hassle‐free holiday experience, encompassing ALL aspects of a Luxury Holiday in the Maldives!

Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, now renowned worldwide for creating unique experiences, has now launched an Exotic Underwater Dining Experience at OZEN. Aptly named M6m (acronym for Minus Six Meters), the underwater restaurant in addition to offering some mesmeric views of the underwater world around, also offers gourmet, fine dining modern Seafood cuisine.

Deep Sea Dining

Led by the creative, passionate and young Executive Chef – Mr. Arun Katoch together with M6m’s very own Master Chef Mr. Chaitanya Sharma & his extraordinary culinary team, M6m strives to deliver some of the finest Modern Seafood cuisine in an absolutely mesmeric underwater space! The cuisine creation, vibrant design & amazing presentations showcase the exemplary use of fine‐dining cooking techniques with quality ingredients, whereby drawing a fine line between Gastronomy and Art!

Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts launched its first resort in December 2013 as Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives – a 5‐star Premium All‐Inclusive resort, following which, opened a trendy & cool 4 Star Superior resort – OBLU by Atmosphere at Helengeli in November 2015. Both the resorts have been a roaring success since the start of operations and have established & positioned themselves as market leaders within their specific market segments.

M6m at OZEN - Table Set Up Detail 02

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant Celebrates 10th Anniversary

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The world’s first undersea restaurant invites the world to celebrate the occasion on April 15, 2015 One decade ago, Ithaa Undersea Restaurant at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island was spectacularly ‘sunk’ five metres into the waters of the Indian ocean and ever since it’s been the mecca for lovers of food, culture and architecture the world over. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Conrad Maldives will be hosting a Twitter Chat on Wednesday April 15, 2015 which will take place at 3pm GMT (10am EST). Conrad Maldives Rangali Island invites the world to join the conversation and celebrate the birthday of this world famous dining location by sharing their memories of Ithaa on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Throughout the week of Ithaa’s birthday, users are invited to share their photos and memories using the hashtag #IthaaTurns10 users.

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

Sitting like a pearl beneath the waves (Ithaa translates as ‘pearl’ in the Maldivian language of Dhivehi) the curved acrylic walls which give 180-degree panoramic views sets the trend for  unique dining. It became the world’s first aquarium-style undersea restaurant – indulging diners with stunning views of the surrounding lagoon, reefs and tropical fish. Consistently recognised as the most beautiful restaurant in the world, Ithaa is fast becoming a 21st Century travel icon, so it is no surprise it is regarded as one of the world’s most expensive and exclusive places to eat. “We are all excited to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of such an iconic restaurant” said Lyle Lewis, general manager, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island. “I can think of no better way to celebrate such a momentous occasion than by sharing it with the whole world.” Envisioned by Mr. Ahmed Saleem of Crown Company PVT, owning company of Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Mr. Saleem was inspired whilst travelling in Bali in 2001 and five years later Ithaa was brought to life by Mike Murphy of M J Murphy Limited in New Zealand who specialises in aquarium technology and at a cost of US $5 million, Ithaa took 85 tonnes of sand ballast (in sandbags) in order to be sunken onto the ocean bed. It wasn’t long before it became a cultural phenomenon and world-leader in beauty and cuisine that continues to intrigue and impress to this day. Program of Events

  • Memories of Ithaa – April 13-17, 2015

During the week of Ithaa’s 10th birthday, the resort will be posting content across its social media channels, inviting the world to share their memories of Ithaa and post photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

  • Ithaa’s 10th Birthday Twitter Chat at 3pm GMT (11am EST) on Wed April 15, 2015

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island (@ConradMaldives) invites the world to celebrate Ithaa’s 10th anniversary through a live Twitter Chat. This global discussion will encourage fans of Ithaa to share their memories, photos and stories of this world famous and iconic restaurant. Follow @ConradMaldives on Twitter and join the chat using #IthaaTurns10 on Wednesday April 15, 2015 at 3pm GMT/10am EST

  • Exclusive Winemaker Dinner presented by Château Margaux  – April 15, 2015

To coincide with the date the restaurant first opened its doors – April 15 – Ithaa will host a Château Margaux sommelier dinner. The unrivalled wine estate of Château Margaux dates back to the 17th Century and is renowned for its grapes as its prices. A bottle of 1787 Château Margaux was sold for $225,000 making it one of the world’s most expensive wines. This is the first time Château Margaux has been invited to host at Conrad Maldives. For more information about Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, visit www.conradhotels.com/maldives