Business
Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa to open in October 2018
Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa, a member of global hospitality consortium Leading Hotels of the World, is set to open in October 2018.
Managed by Rome-headquartered hotel chain Emerald Collection, Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa is being developed on the island of Fasmendhoo in the northern Raa atoll, which is accessible by a scenic 45-minute seaplane flight or a 30-minute domestic flight from the main Velana International Airport to Ifuru Domestic Airport followed by a 20-minute speedboat ride.

An architectural rendition of an over water Presidential Villa to be built in Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa. PHOTO/ EMERALD COLLECTION
The island, which is composed of 20 hectares of land and 100 hectares of lagoon, will boast 120 luxurious villas — 60 on land and 60 over water — with their own private pool and Jacuzzi. The 120 rooms will also include one Royal Villa, two Presidential Villas (one on land and the other over water) and several varieties of Superior Beach Villas.
Four restaurants are to be built on the island, including:
- Aqua: The main restaurant is set directly on the beach featuring indoor air-conditioned and outdoor alfresco dining at its best, facing the clear blue ocean. A lavish buffet — starters with fresh seafood, vegetables, salads, meat, fish and local special dishes, fruits and dessert — will be available for breakfast and lunch.
- Mediterranean Restaurant: This restaurant will be situated on the water, and guests will enjoy the Mediterranean dining environment consisting of natural rustic stone, light wood and ocean breezes. The restaurant will also feature an open kitchen and wood fired oven where guests will be able to see how chefs prepare their delicious meals.
- Asian Restaurant: The resort’s oriental restaurant will be located in the middle of the forested island, creating a spectacular and innovative structure connected with the nature of the island. This restaurant will be the perfect choice for guests who want to discover the tasty and delicious creations of the resort’s Asian chefs, whose main aim will be to deliver an authentic flavour of the East while respecting the traditions of the past.
- Beach Grill Restaurant: Serving lunch and dinner on one of the best locations of the island, the Beach Grill Restaurant will be facing the crystal clear water of the house lagoon. The uniqueness of the restaurant is to be found in the vast selection of fresh meat, fish, shellfish, and vegetables cooked on a stone grill, which especially gives the dishes a smooth, matchless flavour. A pizza and pasta station will also be available in the beach club

An architectural rendition of a Prestige Beach Villa to be built in Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa. PHOTO/ EMERALD COLLECTION
The Emerald Spa will be a unique facility that offers a full range of spa services tailored to the guests’ every need.
Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa will have a sports centre that includes two tennis courts, one squash court and a football field. A dive and water sports centre will also be situated on the beach, allowing guests to use Hobie Cats, kayaks and kite surf under the eyes of the resort’s water sports team.

The arrival hall to be built in Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa. PHOTO/ EMERALD COLLECTION
Launched in 2013, Emerald Collection already runs two properties in Zanzibar, Tanzania: the Hideaway of Nungwi, which is located on the North West coast, and the beach resort called Dream of Zanzibar, which offers a superb choice of inclusive activities, dining and entertainment.
Emerald Collection’s Maldives resort will be its second property included in the portfolio of Leading Hotels of the World, which provides sales and marketing, advertising and public relations, financial services, quality control, and hotel inspections for more than 375 hotels and resorts in over 75 countries. The Hideaway of Nungwi in Zanzibar is already a member of the world’s largest consortium of independently run luxury hotels.
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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