Business
Hard Rock’s first Maldives resort in Emboodhoo lagoon to have Cafe Del Mar beach club
Popular Spanish club operator Cafe Del Mar is to setup its flagship Indian Ocean beach club in the integrated resort being developed in the Emboodhoo Falhu lagoon in Maldives.
Thailand-based Singha Estate, a subsidiary of well-known Asian brewery Boon Rawd Brewery, has leased Emboodhoo Falhu, which is one of the largest lagoons in the Maldives, and has announced plans to develop the entire area into the largest integrated resort in Indian Ocean. First phase of the development of Emboodhoo Falhu is set to open in July 2018 under the management of world-renowned Hard Rock International Hotel Group.
Thitti Thongbenchamas, chief investment officer of Singha Estate, told Bangkok Post on Wednesday that a contract has been signed with Cafe Del Mar to setup one of its world-famous beach clubs in the resort being developed in Emboodhoo Falhu. The 5,000 square metre beach club will open along with the first phase of the project next year, he added.
“The club is popular among its fans thanks to its high level of creativity. They have created their own music, which is tailor-made for each event or activity. Much of the music has been made by celebrity DJs like Roger Sanchez, Dimitri, Boy George and Paul Oakenfold,” Thongbenchamas was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
The Maldives beach club will connect with a yacht marina, which can accommodate a large number of guests. Along with Hard Rock Hotels’ focus on entertainment, the beach club by Cafe Del Mar is expected to further cater to party-oriented travellers seeking out international DJs.
Founded in 1980 in Ibiza, Spain, Cafe del Mar has expanded worldwide to destinations including Australia, Spain and Hawaii. The brand has become a popular club operator with entertainment venues located on beachfronts around the world.

Cafe del Mar’s beach club in Barcelona.
The integrated resort being developed in Emboodhoo Falhu lagoon spans nine islands. Phase one will be developed on three islands, and open in July 2018. It will comprise a yacht marina, shopping promenade, more than 20 food and beverage destinations, a world-class beach club, a centre devoted to both local culture and marine life, meeting and wedding facilities and more than seven different hotel brands to choose from.
As Singha Estate and Hard Rock International Hotel Group prepares to launch the first phase of the integrated resort project, reclamation of Emboodhoo lagoon, located very close to capital Male and the main Velana International Airport, is well underway. The work is being carried out by Belgium-based Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering NV (DEME).
Hard Rock Hotels, part of the company that owns the globe-spanning Hard Rock Cafes, runs 23 hotels and resorts across the Americas, Middle East and Asia Pacific. The brand’s hotels are rooted in a rock ‘n’ roll spirit, and offer a suite of services for guests that value the VIP treatment in an all-inclusive way.
Business
Feydhoo Hall opens at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives as new event space
Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has announced the opening of Feydhoo Hall, a landmark event venue at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives, redefining the possibilities for meetings, celebrations, and destination events in the Maldives.
Designed to bring scale, flexibility, and creativity to island gatherings, Feydhoo Hall represents a bold step forward in positioning the Maldives as a dynamic destination for conferences, weddings, and large-scale social occasions.
Feydhoo Hall offers a versatile event complex designed to accommodate a wide range of gatherings, from corporate meetings and conferences to weddings and social celebrations.

At its core is the 390 sqm Main Hall, capable of hosting:
- Up to 300 guests in theatre-style setup
- Up to 240 guests for dining and banquet-style events
- Up to 200 guests for cocktail-style receptions
- Up to 144 guests in cluster-round configuration
Enhancing the flexibility of the venue are additional dedicated spaces, including:
- A 110 sqm Veranda Terrace, ideal for welcome receptions, breakout sessions, and pre-event gatherings, accommodating up to 100 guests for cocktail-style events.
- A spacious 1,000 sqm Lawn Space, perfect for large-scale outdoor celebrations, destination weddings, and open-air events, accommodating up to 400 guests for cocktail receptions and up to 350 guests for dining setups.
- The 55 sqm Ekugai Meeting Room, designed for smaller meetings and executive sessions, accommodating up to 30 guests in theatre or dining setup and 24 guests in cluster-round format.
Together, these integrated spaces create a seamless indoor-outdoor event experience, allowing planners to design dynamic and personalised event journeys.
True to the dusitD2 brand’s lifestyle-driven philosophy, Feydhoo Hall introduces a fresh approach to meetings and events — where productivity meets creativity in an inspiring island setting.
The venue offers flexible meeting formats designed to suit different event needs, including:
- Half-Day Meeting Package (4 hours) — ideal for focused sessions, executive meetings, and creative workshops.
- Full-Day Meeting Package (8 hours) — designed for immersive conferences, extended workshops, and large-scale corporate gatherings.
These thoughtfully structured packages provide planners with the flexibility to create impactful and seamless experiences, whether hosting intimate strategy sessions or dynamic full-day events.

Located just seven minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives combines accessibility with vibrant lifestyle energy, offering event planners and guests a rare balance between convenience and tropical escape.
With the introduction of Feydhoo Hall, the resort strengthens its position as a versatile destination — not only for leisure travellers but also for international conferences, creative retreats, luxury weddings, and large-scale social celebrations seeking something refreshingly different in the Maldives.
Business
BBM expands retail presence with new Hulhumalé outlet
Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) opened a new wholesale store in Hulhumalé Phase 2 on Monday.
The outlet is located on the ground floor of Lot 20286, Nirolhu Magu, and is intended to improve access to BBM’s imported goods for residents of Hulhumalé Phase 2 and for businesses operating in the area.
According to the company, the opening forms part of its plan to expand services closer to customers in line with population growth in Hulhumalé.
With the opening of the new store, BBM’s full range of imported and distributed products will be available at the Hulhumalé Phase 2 location. These include consumer goods from international brands such as Lifebuoy, Vaseline and Unilever.
The store will also stock wholesale food products from brands including Daily, Cavin’s and Redman.
BBM has supplied goods to resorts, hotels and retail outlets across the Maldives for several years.
Action
Ataraxis Grand & Spa hosts integrated work-and-dive corporate retreat in Fuvahmulah
Ataraxis Grand & Spa recently hosted a week-long, closed corporate offsite in Fuvahmulah for a US-based artificial intelligence company, highlighting the island’s growing suitability for integrated work-and-experience retreats. The retreat brought a group of 36 international professionals to the property, which was reserved exclusively for the programme.
Designed as a private company offsite, the stay combined structured daily work sessions with guided diving and beginner-friendly surf experiences, creating a balanced format that blended focused collaboration with physical reset.

A notable component of the programme was dive training and certification. During the retreat, 17 participants completed their Open Water certification, while a further six undertook the Advanced Open Water course, with training and dives scheduled alongside work sessions as part of the integrated itinerary.
Throughout the week, participants worked on-site using dedicated shared spaces supported by reliable high-speed internet, allowing meetings, informal collaboration and scheduled activities to take place within a single, uninterrupted environment. This setup enabled teams to move seamlessly between work periods and organised ocean activities without leaving the property.

Fuvahmulah’s natural and operational advantages formed a key part of the retreat’s appeal. As one of the Maldives’ largest inhabited islands, it offers immediate access to pelagic dive sites, internationally recognised shark diving and surf breaks suitable for instruction, alongside the infrastructure required to support extended group stays.

The offsite reflects a growing preference among technology and knowledge-sector teams for small-scale retreats that prioritise concentrated work environments and team cohesion over traditional conference formats. Such programmes typically involve longer stays and higher per-capita spend, aligning with sustainable, quality-driven tourism models.
The retreat also demonstrates how locally operated properties such as Ataraxis Grand & Spa are supporting this shift by delivering unified environments where accommodation, workspaces, connectivity and curated experiences operate as a single programme rather than separate services.

As organisations continue to explore alternative formats for strategy sessions, team resets and creative offsites, Ataraxis Grand & Spa’s experience positions Fuvahmulah as an increasingly viable destination for integrated corporate retreats.
Ataraxis Grand & Spa offers work-and-dive retreat programmes in Fuvahmulah that combine accommodation, dedicated workspaces, high-speed connectivity and organised diving and surfing.

Further information on retreat formats and dive-inclusive stays is available via the Ataraxis Grand & Spa website.
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