News
Starwood debuts the ultimate new travel app on iOS7
Maldives.net.mv – Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG®), the award-winning loyalty program from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), today introduced an innovative and inspiring new app for iPad as well as an exciting new design to support iOS 7. The SPG App for iPad joins the SPG App for iPhone, extending SPG’s digital suite of products and gives today’s connected traveler a visually rich, personalized experience on every step of their journey from imaginative destination exploration to the details of their trip before, during and after a visit. Each new, native iOS 7 app builds on the operating system’s latest features and designs and provides guests with the beautiful, immersive travel experience Starwood is known to deliver.
“Travel is inherently mobile and the rapid advancements in technology enable us to extend the personalized experience guests receive in our hotels to their most personal devices,” said Chris Holdren, Senior Vice President, Starwood Preferred Guest & Digital. “Following our success with the SPG App for iPhone, we built the SPG App for iPad using insights we have gained from our members. The relationships we’ve built with our guests put us in a unique position to lead and win with digital by delivering the experiences they seek.”
Today’s travelers are increasingly using mobile devices to search for and explore destinations, as well as book rooms and other travel services. Industry wide, 40% of travel searches occur on mobile devices up from 25% in 2012. Starwood’s mobile bookings are growing at an annual rate of 1000% –five times greater than the annual growth rate of the web channel 10 years ago. The new Starwood apps deliver both the convenience and speed mobile travelers desire while highlighting the SPG lifestyle.
SPG App for iPad:
The new SPG App for iPad app pushes the boundaries of current hospitality apps by uniting Starwood’s unique focus on design and photography, as well as both curated and real-time social content into one mobile experience. Alongside SPG’s iPhone and Android apps, the new SPG App for iPad provides a seamless guest experience, simplifying and enriching both business and leisure travel.
Starwood’s digital design team leveraged iPad’s capacity for high resolution, immersive photography to create an editorial-like experience akin to content one might expect from high-end travel or shelter magazines.
“When we developed our iPhone App, we were focused on ease and speed, envisioning travelers engaging with the App with ‘one eye and one thumb’ in transit,” said Clay Cowan, Vice President, Global Digital for Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “We created our iPad App with a deeper, more leisurely experience in mind. We’re literally inviting people to ‘lean back’ and get lost in our destinations and hotels through fantastic photography showcasing great design, amazing locations and the unique experiences one can expect across our portfolio of nine lifestyle brands and 1,100 hotels in 100 countries.”
App Highlights:
- Explore: The “explore” section inspires travelers to dream of more vacation time with a rich mix of curated content including the more than 100 Member Favorite Resorts awarded by fellow SPG members and dynamic content generated through social interactions
- Using our guest interactions through social media, the SPG app highlights the hottest venues, as reviewed by previous guests, around the hotel right on the map embedded in the app. So when you are far from home, you can eat, drink, and travel like a local.
- SPG life: This section of the app is a hub for learning about Starwood Preferred Guest’s many benefits. Here, members can access up-to-date account information including point balance, upcoming stay information and elite benefits. Members can also take a peek at all the exclusive benefits SPG offers its members like a virtual backstage tour at one of SPG’s Hear the Music, See the World performances, soar with trapeze lessons with Cirque du Soleil or take a seat in the SPG Luxury Suite at the US Open. Users can bid on SPG Moments like these and see Instagram photos from events and live the #spglife within the app.
- Fast and easy personalized booking: A secure area stores credit card information streamlining booking to just three taps. All of Starwood’s more than 1100 properties in 100 countries are represented with full detail with ratings and reviews from verified members who have stayed at the hotel. Perfect for researching your next escape.
- Brand sections: Each of SPG’s nine brands have stunning visual content, designed to highlight each lifestyle brand’s unique attributes and social activities as well as give travelers a realistic representation of what each destination provides.
“We strive to offer our guests a great experience that is unique to them both inside our hotels and at every touch point,” said Holdren. “The experience we created with our iPad and iPhone apps combine the insights of our guests with the magic of our design-led brands. We build our apps on the newest tech in order to exceed the needs of our digitally connected guests.”
Starwood’s mobile team partnered with Bottle Rocket to design and develop the SPG apps—resulting in smart, intuitive navigation that seamlessly integrates SPG and hotel-specific branding into the iPad’s famously user-friendly interface. The SPG App for iPad will launch in both English and Chinese and will be updated with additional versions and multiple languages. The app, currently available for free from the App Store on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad or at www.spg.com/mobileapps, is the latest development in SPG’s evolution into a hyper-personalized guest services platform.
Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Maldives has introduced a summer offer aimed at travellers seeking longer stays across its four island resorts.
Guests booking stays of seven nights or more will receive complimentary return transfers for two people, while shorter stays will include complimentary one-way transfers. At participating resorts, up to two children under the age of 12 can also stay and dine free.
The offer includes savings on selected excursions and activities and is available for bookings and stays until 31 October 2026.
Guests who book directly through Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Maldives will have access to additional benefits, including options to personalise their stays with beach dining, spa treatments and island activities. Members of the brand’s loyalty programme will receive further savings and earn double Discovery Dollars during the promotional period.
Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives offers beachfront accommodation, a range of activities and speedboat transfers from Malé. Its accommodation and family-focused programmes are designed for guests seeking a combination of recreation and time together.
Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives provides accommodation, dining options, wellness services and water-based activities within an island setting. The resort caters to couples, families and travellers visiting the Maldives for the first time.
Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa Maldives, located across two islands in Meemu Atoll, is positioned for couples and honeymooners. Guest experiences include sunset dining, spa treatments and access to the surrounding lagoon.
Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon caters to divers and snorkellers through its house reef, marine life and access to dive sites. The resort provides direct access to underwater experiences in the Indian Ocean.
The summer offer provides savings of up to 65% across Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Maldives’ four properties.
COLOURS OF OBLU is celebrating a remarkable year of recognition. Guest love has placed OBLU SELECT Lobigili among the top 1% of hotels worldwide, earning the adults-only resort Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best 2026 honour. Joining the celebration, OBLU SELECT Sangeli and OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO have both been recognised with Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards 2026.
Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards are the top accolades in the travel industry. The awards are given by real travellers who share their travel experiences on the world’s largest travel guidance platform and are not decided by panels or experts as is the case in industry awards. The award recognises properties that consistently provide outstanding hospitality and memorable guest experiences.
OBLU SELECT Lobigili is a popular adults-only escape for travellers seeking a secluded Maldivian getaway centred on romance and relaxation. Located just 15 minutes by speedboat from Malé, the resort continues to earn praise for its charming nest villas, personalised service, and the unforgettable under ocean dining experience at Only BLU. This latest honour further reinforces OBLU SELECT Lobigili’s reputation as one of the Maldives’ most sought-after luxury resorts, known for its intimate island setting, exquisite food, and warm hospitality.
The recognition extends across the wider COLOURS OF OBLU collection. OBLU SELECT Sangeli continues to delight guests with its vibrant island atmosphere, chic contemporary villas, diverse dining options, and seamless blend of relaxation and adventure. Meanwhile, OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO remains a favourite among diving and snorkelling enthusiasts, offering direct access to one of the Maldives’ most celebrated house reefs, complemented by an authentic island ambience and heartfelt service.
From romantic escapes and island adventures to unforgettable underwater discoveries, these resorts create experiences that guests value, remember, and recommend. Together, this Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice recognition reflects the power of authentic guest reviews and stands as a testament to the warm hospitality, personalised service, and memorable holiday experiences that define COLOURS OF OBLU.
Angsana Velavaru has refreshed three of its most beloved villa categories: the Beach Infinity Pool Villa, the Velavaru Two-Bedroom Pool Villa, and the Angsana Three-Bedroom Pool Villa. Updated furnishings, reimagined living spaces, and a bolder embrace of the island’s vibrant spirit invite you to experience the resort in a distinctly new light.
Beach Infinity Pool Villa
Step inside and the island finds its way in. The Beach Infinity Pool Villa has been refreshed with warm timber bed frames, a generous L-shaped daybed that draws you towards the pool deck, and an outdoor bathroom that transforms bathing into a ritual. A freestanding oval bath sits centre-stage on a circular teak platform, enclosed by lush tropical plantings, while a rain shower opens to the sky above. Bold artwork adorns the bedroom walls, vivid coral reefs and schooling fish offering a quiet celebration of the underwater world just beyond your door.
Velavaru Two-Bedroom Pool Villa
Designed for those who wish to gather and unwind together, the Velavaru Two-Bedroom Pool Villa balances energy and ease across its two distinct bedrooms. The master suite is anchored by a new timber bed frame and a seating area adorned with vibrant local artwork, while the second bedroom offers a relaxed twin configuration with direct access to the private pool deck. Outside, sun loungers frame a cobalt blue pool set against a canopy of palm trees, a space as suited to quiet mornings as it is too long, unhurried afternoons.
Angsana Three-Bedroom Pool Villa
The Angsana Three-Bedroom Pool Villa is a haven unto itself, generous, colourful, and alive with the spirit of togetherness. A dedicated dining and living area anchors the villa’s social heart, opening through glass-panelled doors to a sun-drenched pool deck framed by two thatched pavilions. Each bedroom carries its own distinct character: the master and second bedrooms refreshed with new timber furniture and original artwork inspired by the island’s natural heritage, while the third bedroom, dressed in playful space-themed linen, is thoughtfully designed to delight younger guests. This is a villa that grows with your family.
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