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Starwood debuts the ultimate new travel app on iOS7

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SPG AppMaldives.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.

Awards

Soneva Secret makes Condé Nast Traveller’s 2025 Hot List of best new hotels

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Every year, the editors of Condé Nast Traveller dedicate months to exploring new travel experiences around the world, from groundbreaking dining concepts to reimagined retreats and ambitious new hotel openings. Now in its 29th edition, the Hot List is considered one of the most anticipated recognitions in the global travel and hospitality industry. This year’s theme? Joy. A fitting choice for a list that includes zip-lining to dinner in the Maldives, treehouse sleepovers in Kenya, and fine dining in unexpected corners of the world.

One of the standout selections in the 2025 list is Soneva Secret, the newest ultra-luxury concept from Soneva, which continues to push the boundaries of barefoot luxury in the Maldives. Located in Haa Dhaalu Atoll in the far north of the archipelago, Soneva Secret invites guests into a world of intimacy, privacy, and personalised service — reimagined through a hyper-exclusive lens.

Comprising just 14 villas, Soneva Secret embodies the group’s signature sustainable luxury with an even greater emphasis on privacy and bespoke experiences. Each villa comes with a dedicated “Barefoot Guardian” and “Barefoot Assistant,” ensuring every aspect of the stay is curated to the individual preferences of each guest. Some villas even feature retractable roofs for stargazing, waterslides directly into the turquoise lagoon, and direct access to thriving coral reefs.

True to Soneva’s commitment to wellness, sustainability, and fine cuisine, the property offers unique culinary experiences, including dinners on a castaway island, open-air beach kitchens, and a new interpretation of experiential dining that begins with a zip-line ride through the forest canopy. The resort also features glassblowing workshops, wellness therapies, and tailor-made adventures designed around guest interests.

Soneva Secret’s inclusion on the Hot List places it alongside other global trailblazers redefining travel. It also reinforces the Maldives’ position as a leader in ultra-premium, experience-led tourism.

With this recognition, Soneva Secret joins a prestigious global club of new hotels that are not only raising the bar for luxury but are also rethinking what travel can be — joyful, personal, and unforgettable.

For the Maldives, this recognition is more than just another accolade. It is a testament to the archipelago’s continuing allure and its growing portfolio of innovative, world-class hospitality offerings.

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COLOURS OF OBLU’s 3 resorts in Maldives win British Airways Holidays Customer Excellence Award

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It is a triple celebration at COLOURS OF OBLU, as not one but three of its stunning sister resorts have been honoured with the prestigious British Airways Holidays Customer Excellence Award for 2024.

British Airways Holidays is one of the UK’s leading tour operators, and prides itself on taking its customers’ holidays seriously. It uses unbiased, independently verified customer feedback to carefully identify top-rated hotels as part of its commitment to provide high-quality holidays.

OBLU SELECT Lobigili has received a perfect score of 5 out of 5. Both OBLU SELECT Sangeli and OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO scored an impressive 4.7 out of 5, based purely on genuine guest reviews. This recognition puts them amongst the crème de la crème of British Airways Holidays partners worldwide – no small feat considering over 72,000 reviews were collected this year.

OBLU SELECT Lobigili is a romantic adults’ exclusive resort just a short 15-minute journey from Malé International Airport. Travellers can indulge in a palette of vibrant experiences, from colourful sunsets to exotic under ocean dining at Only BLU, from snorkelling at the marine-rich house reef to relaxing in the garden spa. “This recognition would not have been possible without the dedication and passion of our hardworking team, who continuously strive to deliver exceptional experiences to each guest,” said Christopher Baker, General Manager OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi and OBLU SELECT Lobigili.

Nestled in the pristine North Malé Atoll, OBLU SELECT Sangeli offers a chic and vibrant island escape with contemporary villas, a separate One Banyan adults-only island, and gourmet dine-around options. It is no wonder guests have fallen in love with this tropical haven. “Our team works tirelessly to ensure every guest has a magical, memorable holiday. Knowing that our guests have rated us so highly is the greatest compliment we could ask for,” said Jenni Hartatik, General Manager OBLU SELECT Sangeli.

Meanwhile, just a short speedboat ride from Malé, OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO continues to impress with its unique island character, vibrant house reef, and down-to-earth, barefoot charm. Known for its incredible diving and snorkelling right off the beach, it’s a paradise for underwater enthusiasts and nature lovers alike. Reflecting on the award, Alain Camille Trefois, General Manager OBLU NATURE Helengeli said, “this award is a reflection of our passionate team, the beauty of Helengeli island, and the unforgettable experiences we strive to deliver every single day”.

COLOURS OF OBLU, a lifestyle hospitality brand by Atmosphere Core, is an experience collective that creates Vibrant Destinations designed to awaken the senses, bring balance, and provide the gift of lifetime memories. Travellers can choose from four vivid and refreshing island resort experiences at OBLU SELECT Lobigili, OBLU SELECT Sangeli, OBLU NATURE Helengeli by SENTIDO, and OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi.

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Maldives island featured on Google Earth Day doodle

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Google marked Earth Day on Tuesday with a special doodle highlighting selected natural landscapes from around the world, including a site from the Maldives.

The doodle used satellite images to form the letters of the word “Google,” with each letter represented by a distinct geographical location. The capital “G” was illustrated using the uninhabited island of Eriyadhoo in Shaviyani Atoll, Maldives.

The image chosen for Eriyadhoo shows the island surrounded by white sand and turquoise waters, forming a shape resembling the first letter of Google’s name.

Other locations featured in the doodle included an O-shaped river in the French mountains for the first “O” and a section of the wilderness area in Quebec, Canada, for the second “O.” The second “G” was shaped by a mountain river in Argentina. The “L” depicted part of the mountainous terrain in the US state of Utah, while the final “E” was represented by a remote area in New South Wales, Australia.

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