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Axel Jarosch: maintaining Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, Angsana Ihuru’s appeal amidst growing competition

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Axel Jarosch is by all means a hospitality veteran. Turning a childhood dream into a successful career that is marked by high-level postings all over the world with some of the most reputed hotel chains in the world, he still sees hospitality as one of the most gratifying fields.

It is this enthusiasm, coupled with years of experience, that he brings to his current role as General Manager for North Male, responsible for overall operations for Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru.

Before taking up his current posting in the Maldives in January, the German-born hospitality executive, who holds a Bachelors degree in International Hotel Economics and Hospitality from Fritz Gabler Hotelfachschule Heidelberg in Germany, served as the General Manager of Banyan Tree Al Wadi and Banyan Tree Ras Al Kaimah in the United Arab Emirates for almost two and a half year.

Prior to joining Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts in 2014, Axel was the General Manager at Six Senses Zighy Bay. He has previously served as the Operations Director responsible for the hotel openings of Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas in Abu Dhabi, and has also held the position of General Manager with Anantara in Oman, Bali and Indonesia during pre-opening stages. He has also held managerial roles at Per AQUUM, Constance Hotels, InterContinental Hotel Group, and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Group. In addition to his time in the Gulf, he has worked in Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, Namibia and Mauritius.

In an interview with Maldives Insider, Axel looks onto the challenges as well as the opportunities of running Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru, one of the oldest resorts in the Maldives, and its sister property Angsana Ihuru in North Male Atoll, in the face of ever-increasing competition and changing travel trends.

Maldives Insider: How did you develop an interest in tourism and hospitality?

Axel Jarosch: I started my career at the age of 22. I studied economics, and while going to university in Germany I worked part-time in a number of hotels and restaurants. I started at the very bottom, doing an internship at a business hotel in Germany. I progressed in my career, going into food and beverage. I developed myself from a waiter to a restaurant captain to a supervisor to a manager to Assistant Food and Beverage Manager to Executive Assistant Food and Beverage Manager to Resident Manager and finally becoming a General Manager. My first General Manager posting was with Per AQUUM, opening The Fortress hotel in the Sri Lankan town of Galle.

On my first day itself, I fell in love with the industry. Working in this industry is very gratifying because you make it your day’s work to make other people happy. That for me is very unique.

I have always wanted to work internationally, moving and seeing other countries and cultures. This was a profession that gave me that opportunity. I have been blessed to have been able to work in South East Asia, Middle East, Africa and in the Indian Ocean. I cannot imagine doing any other job!

MI: When was your first visit to the Maldives?

AJ: I visited the Maldives for holiday about 10 years ago, and immediately fell in love with the country. What is there not to like? It really is a paradise.

What I find extremely unique about the Maldives is to have a team of predominantly local associates; in the case of Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru, people who have been working in this island for 15-30 years! To keep doing what they do with so much passion after so long is amazing. I am used to working in very remote locations, and I love working on these islands. In our profession, we do not have the same day twice. We are always welcoming different guests and dealing with new challenges. So, it is never boring.

Aerial view of Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru. PHOTO/ BANYAN TREE

MI: What do you focus mostly on in overseeing the operations of Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru?

AJ: My main focus is to continue the successful operation of Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru in the North Male Atoll, while maintaining the high standards that Banyan Tree is known for. I am also focused on continuously improving the services that we give to our guests. It can only be achieved by overseeing the training programmes and career development opportunities available to the associates, and by succession planning.

It is also my responsibility to increase awareness in the international arena about these two resorts. Banyan Tree was one of the first international brands that came to the Maldives. We were the first to introduce the spa concept to the Maldives. But we cannot live in the past. We can only move forward, evolve and grow the brand as well. We have got three beautiful resorts in the Maldives, but it does not mean that everybody knows about us.

MI: What are the efforts being made to achieve those goals?

AJ: One of my favourite words is consistency; being consistent in providing our guests with brand standards of personalised service. I think this is where we stand out, and Banyan Tree as a hotel group is unique. It is not so much about a guest staying in a villa, but more so about knowing the preferences of the guests and making sure that we personalise everything we do. For example, if you come in the morning for breakfast on your first day here and order a cappuccino, the team takes note of that and offers you a cappuccino the next day at breakfast rather than offering you the full expanse of our coffee menu. Another thing we do is to have the same associate look after you on your every visit and create a bond between the guest and the team here. This is something we are good at, and we see that pay off by the high percentage of repeat guests we have. That is because the guest feels at home here rather than being in a hotel.

A beach front pool villa at Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru. PHOTO/ BANYAN TREE

MI: What are the programmes conducted to maintain the service standard?

AJ: We look after our team well. As an employer, Banyan Tree is well-known for fair employment; of looking after the interests of the associates and recognising the good work they do. That is reflected in the very low staff turnover that we have. Having that high number of team members that have been loyal to the company speaks for the brand itself.

We make sure that each and everyone of our team is treated fairly and that they can continuously develop themselves. For example, under our cross exposure programme, we send a member of the team to one of our other resorts either in Thailand, Seychelles or elsewhere. We have jop swap; for example, I have right now team members from one of our Thailand properties looking after the main restaurant here. Their counterparts here have gone to Thailand to look after the main dining restaurant in Banyan Tree Phuket.

MI: What are the challenges in running an established property like Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru?

AJ: Logistics is always a challenge when it comes to working in the Maldives, where tourism resolves around the ‘one island, one resort’ concept. You have to know what to buy, when to buy and how much to buy. Everything else is easy because our resorts and our teams are very well-established.

But knowing that you have a 20-year-old product and still maintaining a certain standard that makes guests pay a certain amount of money to stay in is a challenge. In the recent past, we have made minor renovations such as changing the concept of our main restaurant to show some innovation. We have also added pools to the villas.

Since then, it has been about maintaining those standards through what we call a villa maintenance programme. Under this programme, every guest villa is completely redone every single year.

A deluxe beach front villa at Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru. PHOTO/ BANYAN TREE

MI: A number of new resorts are opening up across the Maldives, and especially in the Male region. Would this affect the performance of established properties like Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru?

AJ: I welcome competition. I think it is important, especially in hospitality. The moment you have competition, you start to develop your own property because you obviously do not want guests to go to another property.

Our resorts in North Male Atoll are very small; Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru has 48 villas and Angsana Ihuru has 45 villas. We have not seen a downturn in occupancy. We have been very lucky, especially in the first half of this year, as we were able to reach our forecast in terms of occupancy. I do not think a lot of our guests will go to other resorts because guests that come to a Banyan Tree have certain expectations. For example, we do not have any water villas here in the north. We are one of the few resorts still maintaining that original concept. Guests that come here want direct access to the beach and we have kept it that way. There are resorts opening up with over 100 water villas here in this atoll as well, but those are for a different clientele.

We are very lucky, as we have been very successful over the last 20 years. The awareness about Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru amongst our base clients, which is still predominantly Europeans, will continue to give us the exposure. But we need to concentrate on emerging markets that are now discovering the Maldives. Countries with three to four-hour flight distance like India, whose people have more disposable income than before, are now coming to the Maldives as well. So, we need to tap into those markets, and make sure that we are not relying on just one market.

Destination dining at Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru. PHOTO/ BANYAN TREE

MI: What should be done to tap into those markets?

AJ: We need to find the demands and expectations of guests coming from those markets. For example, Indian guests will have different expectations from Brits. We need to find ways to cater to those demands on a personalised level, be it adapting the restaurant menu, an entertainment concept or different recreational activities.

MI: How would you describe your experience in the Maldives?

AJ: It has been extremely satisfying. I consider myself very fortunate and lucky to be here. I love the brand. I started working for Banyan Tree because of the core values of sustainability that the brand has. We have been adopting several sustainable practices, be it coral planting, turtle programmes and preserving the underwater beauty of the Maldives, which is two thirds of the overall beauty of the country. The fact that Banyan Tree as a group puts such an emphasis on this makes me so proud to be part of this team.

We have guiding values of sustainability, including building green communities. All these values are followed by every Banyan Tree property in the world. We do some things a little bit differently here in the Maldives. For example, every Banyan Tree resort is tasked to plan 2,000 trees per year. Obviously being in the Maldives, there is so much that you can plant. So, instead of trees, we plant corals. Our marine lab, which is one of the first marine labs in the Maldives and has been operating for the past 15 years, puts a lot of emphasis on creating coral gardens, especially following the recent El Nino effect.

We also work together with local ministries and organisations to do studies on fish populations. Our work also extends to educational programmes with local schools.

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Champagne Guy Charbaut returns to Maldives with THE OZEN COLLECTION

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In a celebration of heritage and haute indulgence, the esteemed family-owned Champagne house, Guy Charbaut, based in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, joins forces with THE OZEN COLLECTION for the fifth consecutive year. From 20th to 26th October 2025, guests at OZEN LIFE MAADHOO and OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI will once again embark on a sensorial journey that unites rare vintages with world-class cuisine, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Maldives.

Founded in 1936, Champagne Guy Charbaut has spent nearly a century perfecting the alchemy of terroir and tradition, producing cuvées that reflect the elegance of the French countryside’s limestone slopes. This dedication mirrors THE OZEN COLLECTION’s philosophy, which redefines luxury through curated experiences. Together, the two have cultivated an annual tradition that celebrates life’s finer pleasures.

At OZEN LIFE MAADHOO, the festivities begin on 20th October with an exclusive underwater dining experience at M6m. Guests will enjoy both lunch and dinner, with each course thoughtfully paired with Champagne. The celebration continues on 21st October with the ‘Champagne & Spice’ dinner, featuring the vibrant flavours of TRADITION INDOCEYLON—a Franco-Indian fusion experience. The finale on 22nd October is marked by the Champagne Brunch Royale at THE PALMS, a lavish midday affair where Champagne flows effortlessly alongside gourmet offerings.

The celebration then moves to OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI from 24th to 26th October. It opens on World Champagne Day with an over-water dining experience at ORIGINƎ, where ocean-inspired delicacies are elevated by rare vintages. On 25th October, the ‘Champagne & Spice; dinner returns at SAFFRON, blending Indian warmth with French finesse. The series concludes on 26th October with the Sunset Pool-Party Champagne Extravaganza at OZAR, a dazzling event where golden hour light meets sparkling bubbles.

Xavier Charbaut reflects on the partnership with THE OZEN COLLECTION, noting that what began as a shared philosophy—terroir and tradition meeting curated moments—has evolved into a yearly tradition that reinvents itself. He describes the Maldives as a second home for their champagnes, where the environment enhances their vibrancy. Celebrating five years of collaboration, he hints at even more daring pairings, intimate encounters with rare vintages, and surprises yet to be unveiled.

The alliance between Champagne Guy Charbaut and THE OZEN COLLECTION transcends these annual events. At both resort destinations, guests can explore the full range of the Maison’s offerings—from the nuanced Cuvée de Réserve ‘Old Vines’ Brut to the expressive Rosé 1er Cru Brut. Each bottle offers an invitation to transform everyday moments into something extraordinary.

Nicolas Laguette, Director of Wines at Atmosphere Core, emphasizes that this union exemplifies modern luxury—a harmonious blend of heritage and innovation where every detail is meticulously curated. As Champagne Guy Charbaut and THE OZEN COLLECTION celebrate five years of partnership, their shared commitment to excellence promises an even more luminous future.

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ELE|NA and VOYA unite for ocean-inspired wellness at THE OZEN COLLECTION

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In celebration of World Ocean Day, ELE|NA Elements of Nature has announced an exclusive partnership with VOYA, the globally renowned organic seaweed skincare brand. Launching in July, this collaboration introduces a new era of ocean-inspired wellness at OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI and OZEN LIFE MAADHOO. Guests will experience a deeply immersive and personalised spa journey, rooted in the healing power of the sea.

The new spa menu is crafted around three core wellness pillars—REST, ZEST, and BALANCE—each designed to meet individual needs, from deep relaxation and stress relief to energy rejuvenation and emotional renewal.

Each guest begins their spa experience with a personalised consultation to align treatments with their wellness goals. The journey starts with a calming aromatic foot ritual and a mindful breathing ceremony, establishing a foundation for a meaningful and restorative session.

The spa menu features marine-inspired massages, facials, and body therapies that incorporate VOYA’s certified organic, seaweed-based ingredients, sustainably harvested from the Atlantic coast. Key offerings include:

  • Massage Therapies: Deep Muscle Melter, Tranquil Touch, and the signature VOYAGER Massage Journey
  • Marine Facials: Pro-Age, Skin Renewal, and Bespoke Touch Facials
  • Marine Exfoliations & Wraps: Detoxifying body buffs, nourishing sugar polishes, and sun-soothing wraps
  • Sleeping Rituals: Mindful Dreams Massage and Herbal Cocoon Wrap with singing bowls

ELE|NA extends the wellness experience beyond the treatment room through group sessions such as guided meditations, sea and sound therapies, and aroma-intent practices. Guests can also enjoy bespoke VOYA bathing rituals in-spa or in-villa, including Detoxifying Seaweed Baths and Warm Spiced Mud Baths.

Guests are encouraged to continue their wellness journeys at home with a curated retail collection of VOYA products, including body oils, essential oils, pulse point oils, and aromatic room scents—each inspired by the tranquility and vitality of the ocean.

With a shared commitment to sustainability, ELE|NA and VOYA honour the ocean through ethical sourcing and eco-conscious practices. This partnership goes beyond providing luxurious spa experiences—it pays tribute to the sea’s natural rhythms and healing energy.

As part of the World Ocean Day celebration, ELE|NA invites guests to reconnect with nature and their inner selves. The transformative power of the ocean is available starting this July at THE OZEN COLLECTION.

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Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts introduces curated all-inclusive getaways in Maldives

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Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is redefining stress-free travel with a trio of curated, all-inclusive offers across its Maldives properties. Each resort—Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives, Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa Maldives, and Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives—presents a unique experience, ranging from surfside excitement to secluded luxury, with every aspect of the stay carefully bundled for a seamless holiday.

At Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives, guests are invited to enjoy five nights of barefoot luxury, with packages starting at USD 3,499 nett for double occupancy in a Water Bungalow or USD 3,999 nett in an Over Water Suite. Tailored for travellers seeking a balance of adventure and relaxation, the offer includes:

  • Return speed boat transfers
  • A 4-course beach dinner featuring steak or seafood
  • A 30-minute spa treatment
  • Snorkelling and swimming experiences
  • A local island visit
  • Unlimited laundry services
  • Premium All-Inclusive privileges

For those in search of tranquillity, the adults-only Platinum Wing at Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa Maldives offers a refined escape. With a minimum stay of seven nights in a Platinum Water Bungalow, the package is available at USD 6,999 nett for double occupancy and features:

  • Return seaplane transfers with VIP lounge access
  • A 4-course steak or seafood dinner by the beach
  • A 45-minute spa treatment
  • An island-hopping adventure
  • A welcome bottle of wine, fruit basket, and bed decorations
  • Unlimited laundry services
  • Premium All-Inclusive privileges

At Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives, guests can indulge in serene overwater luxury with a seven-night stay starting from USD 6,999 nett for double occupancy in Water Bungalows and higher categories. The package highlights include:

  • Return seaplane transfers with VIP lounge access
  • Premium All-Inclusive privileges
  • A 4-course steak or seafood dinner by the beach
  • A 45-minute spa treatment
  • An island-hopping adventure
  • A dolphin-watching excursion
  • Unlimited laundry services

These exclusive offers are available for stays between 1 June and 31 October 2025, with bookings now open.

Whether it’s catching waves at the iconic Pasta Point at Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives, enjoying a sunset over the tranquil lagoon at Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa Maldives, or exploring the pristine waters surrounding Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives, each resort promises a distinct and immersive experience. Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts delivers three unforgettable all-inclusive escapes, designed for effortless relaxation with every detail expertly managed.

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