Joanna Booth reviews a new all-inclusive resort in the Maldives and rounds up the latest openings in the Indian Ocean
Like this and want more details? Click here to download and save as a PDF.
You very rarely find pockets in a bikini. In fact, swimwear and loose change just don’t mix.
Happily for guests at staying at Atmosphere Kanifushi, one of the Maldives’ newest private island resorts, cash is an unnecessary encumbrance.
Cocktails by the pool? Included. Dinner with a bottle of wine? It’s part of the package. A beer from the mini bar? Help yourself, it’s on the house. A sunset fishing trip? Free of charge.
Atmosphere Kanifushi is the first of what is destined to be a group of properties across the Indian Ocean and is an all-inclusive resort, which is a relative rarity in the Maldives. But Dinesh Bhaskar, Atmosphere director of sales and marketing, says: “Resorts are killing customers with the pricing on extras.
“They are stuck on an island. Our ideal customer has a disposable income but wants a beach holiday without having to constantly look at what they’re spending.”
Located in the Lhaviyani atoll to the north of Malé, the 150-villa resort may be all-inclusive, but it’s still aiming at the upper end of the market, with a ‘platinum plus’ product, which it believes gives guests a luxury experience without the hassle of monitoring spending on extras.
Transfers from Malé – 35-40 minutes by seaplane – plus Wi-Fi and excursions are included, as well as food and drinks.
DRINK IT IN
The drinks inclusions are particularly impressive. Prosecco is available by the glass, and cocktails are properly mixed and – having made my best effort to drink through the list I can testify to this – good enough to grace any high-end bar.
Wine is served by the bottle with meals, and despite the fact a few of the options we chose weren’t available, the long list of New and Old World wines means there’s always something clients will like.
In the villas, water, tea and coffee, and the free mini-bar restocked twice daily with soft drinks, beer and wine, plus snacks, are really nice touches.
The main restaurant, The Spice, is a buffet, which unavoidably feels a little less luxurious than waiter service. However, staff are on hand to serve water and wine, and there is a wide range of choice so you don’t feel as if you’re eating the same thing all the time.
I was a fan of the grill, where seafood, steaks and burgers were cooked while I waited, but the live pasta station seemed to be a hit with families, as even the pickiest child could have spaghetti cooked with any sauce they liked.
There were a few Maldivian specialities on offer – I’d have liked more – and the hotel was planning to introduce themed nights to mix things up a little.
All guests can eat once a week in the à la carte restaurant, The Sunset, which offers Asian and Indian fusion cuisine – a nice change from the buffet.
And if clients prefer à la carte to buffet, this isn’t the only chance to eat from a menu. Pool bar The Liquid serves a range of dishes from 11am until 1am, so you can opt for a meal there whenever you please. There’s everything from club sandwiches and burgers to spicy Asian salads and freshly grilled fish.
OUT AND ABOUT
Although lounging in the sun has to be the number one focus for most travellers to the Maldives, the inclusive experiences at Atmosphere are a really nice touch.
There were a few hiccups with timings when we visited, but our sunset fishing trip was great fun, with patient guides recasting my line every time I mistook the current for a phantom fish. In the end I managed to hook a small one, though it was nothing like the size of a mammoth red snapper one of our fellow guests caught.
On top of a sunset fishing experience per stay, snorkelling trips are offered free in mornings and afternoons on a first-come, first-served basis, with guests needing to put their names down in the watersports centre.
Marine life is one of the Maldives’ strongest suits, so if guests want to see the fish, turtles and rays, recommend they sign up early, as there aren’t really good spots to snorkel from the beach.
Guests can also select one more excursion per stay from a choice of six, so they can take a sunset cruise or visit other islands nearby. Tennis courts, a gym and non-motorised watersports are included, and for families there’s a kids’ club and organised activities.
In the evenings, a DJ plays in the pool bar. Even though it comes at extra charge, many guests will want to take advantage of the 50% discount on a couple’s massage at the 12-room Akiri Spa. Choose from four aromatic oils – one is even designed to soothe sunburn – and let the ladies massage your cares away.
SUNSET STAYS
The Kanifushi atoll is long and thin, so all 150 villas are spread out in one line on the west side, and all have sunset views.
With three or four metres between villas you are aware of the neighbours, but we didn’t feel overlooked.
Villas are really spacious, with entry-level sunset beach villas at 100sq metres and family villas – sleeping up to six – at 200sq metres. High ceilings and natural colours create a sense of calm, and a large front terrace provides a shady hideaway between the villas and sun-soaked beach.
We found the bathrooms – outdoors in walled courtyards at the back of the villa – a nice idea but somewhat impractical.
Showering al fresco was fine, but using the open-air toilet at dusk with mosquitoes flying around proved occasionally painful.
Pool villas are still being finished, but once open there will be 10 of these, at the far end of the island near the speciality restaurant. The island is 1.2 miles long, and while sensible measures have been taken – building family villas nearest the main restaurant and kids’ club, and offering a buggy service around the resort – clients could end up a fair walk from the facilities.
It’s worth noting there are no overwater villas, so clients who want this signature Maldivian experience should look elsewhere. Atmosphere Kanifushi’s all-inclusive premise makes great sense, and families especially will enjoy the freedom of a tariff that means they can leave their wallets in the villa.
The range of inclusions and the standard of what’s on offer will please guests who are used to staying at all-inclusive properties, and this would be an excellent choice for clients who have aspired to visit the Maldives but struggled with potential spiralling costs.
Buffet dining and a lack of over-water villas may mean this isn’t one for clients who are veterans of some of the ultra-luxe Maldivian islands on the market.
Book it: Travel 2 offers seven nights in a sunset beach villa at Atmosphere Kanifushi from £2,449, including seaplane transfers and flights from London, for travel between May 1 and June 30.
Introducing islands
The latest ultra-luxury opening in the Maldives is Velaa Private Island, a 45-villa hotel in the Noonu Atoll, north of Malé.
Alongside classic beach and overwater villas with private pools and up to four bedrooms, there’s even one aptly-named romantic residence – ideal for honeymooners as it can only be reached by boat.
The spa has the first snow room in the Maldives, there’s also a seven-hole golf course and excursions include submarine expeditions and trips on the hotel’s private yacht.
Also in Noonu Atoll and formerly owned by Hilton, Iru Fushi Beach & Spa has been renovated and rebranded as The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi.
Now the flagship property of new brand Sun Siyam Resorts, the hotel has upgraded beach villas, offers new spa treatments and recreation facilities, a new ice-cream parlour and extra services, from a beach concierge to a range of dining experiences.
The 221-villa property is now owned by local entrepreneur Ahmed Siyam Mohamed, and will contribute to local preschools and offer excursions and activities interacting with the community.
New hotels in Mauritius
New properties are popping up all over Mauritius. At the end of last year the four-star Zilwa Attitude was unveiled on the north coast near Grand Gaube. The 15-acre site has four beaches, two private islands, 214 rooms built with local materials, a spa, three bars and five restaurants serving Mauritian specialities.
The former Mövenpick Resort & Spa is reopening as the Outrigger Mauritius Resort and Spa, the brand’s first Indian Ocean property. The 181-room hotel in Bel Ombre closed for a sixth-month refurbishment that introduced a new club level of room. There are three restaurants, a spa, kids’ club and three pools.
In May, Starwood Hotels will bring a new brand to the island: The Westin Turtle Bay Resort & Spa, situated on the beachfront by one of only two marine parks in Mauritius. The 190-room property will have five restaurants, a spa, fitness centre, tennis courts, kids’ club and watersports centre.
Book it:Enchanting Holidays features all three new properties. Seven nights’ all-inclusive at Zilwa Attitude starts from £1,489, while a week’s half-board at Outrigger starts from £1,499, and at the Westin, from £1,449. The operator offers 13% base rate commission and a £20 incentive for bookings in February and March.
