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Soneva Fushi to welcome renowned British historian Professor Andrew Roberts

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Soneva has announced that it will be welcoming visiting British author Professor Andrew Roberts at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives.

During his visit from April 8-15 as part of Soneva’s recently launched Festival of Colour, Professor Roberts will be hosting various guest lectures and private dinner events at Soneva Fushi, on the subjects of Napoleon and Winston Churchill, including a session on the ‘Grand strategy of World War Two’. With his extensive knowledge of the British Monarchy, the Professor will also be talking about the importance of Windsor and its castle to the British Royal Family.

Professor Roberts, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, is a British historian and journalist. He is a Visiting Professor at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London and a Lehrman Institute Distinguished Lecturer at the New York Historical Society. Roberts himself is best known for the 2009 non-fiction work The Storm of War. The book has received numerous awards including the British Army Military Book of the Year Award for 2010.

He is also an accomplished public speaker, having delivered the White House Lecture, spoken at Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Princeton and Stanford Universities, as well as at The British Academy, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Sandhurst, Shrivenham and the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In 2011, NBC commissioned the professor to commentate on the Royal Wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. He also commentated for NBC on The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the birth of Prince George of Cambridge.

Soneva’s guests who are interested in history and literary discussion will also be able to take part in a book club evening with cocktails and canapés with Professor Roberts. The reading material is Napoleon The Greatby Andrew Roberts, which won the Prix Du Jury Des Grands Prix De La Foundation Napoléon 2014 and the Los Angeles Times Biography Prize 2014. The book is lauded as the definitive modern biography of Napoleon.

In February, Soneva launched its first ever year-long campaign known as a ‘Festival of Colour’ to celebrate the diverse array of guest activities and experiences on offer this year, ranging from visiting Michelin-starred chefs and astronomers, through to authors, champion free-divers, artists and more. Each month of the year is associated with a different colour and theme, which will be brought to life at Soneva’s resorts in the Maldives and Thailand through special on-site events and collaborations. 

Underscoring the Festival of Colour is a series of short “colour” films created by the renowned French film director Bruno Aveillan. Bruno visited Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani in early 2017 to shoot the films, which were inspired by the different colours he found at the resorts. Soneva plans to release one colour film each month during the campaign on its website and on social media.

Soneva, a world-leading luxury resort operator, runs two resorts in the Maldives, Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani.

Established in 1995, Soneva Fushi is the original Soneva. The No News, No Shoes blueprint for all desert island barefoot luxury hideaways is located within the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives. Soneva Fushi inspires the imagination with 65 spacious beachfront villas, ranging in size from one to nine bedrooms, hidden amongst dense foliage.

The iconic resort has bagged several international awards for eco-friendly tourism and green initiatives, including the 2017 Green Hotelier Award for the Asia Pacific region and the Sustainable Hotel Award by the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) as well as a spot in the Gold List compiled by Condé Nast Traveler China as the Best Hotel in the Maldives and amongst the best resorts in the world in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2017.

Opened in December 2016, Soneva Jani is Soneva’s newest property and its second resort in the Maldives.

Soneva Jani encompasses a collection of 24 overwater villas and one island villa set in a 5.6 kilometre private lagoon located in the northern Noonu atoll. The resort spans five islands surrounded by pure white beaches, covered in rich tropical vegetation, offering the ultimate in privacy and luxury.

Each of the resort’s multilevel water villas has its own private pool and a retractable roof that allows guests to sleep beneath the stars. Many villas also have slides that transport guests directly from the top level into the lagoon below. Other hotel highlights include a spa, an observatory — home to the largest telescope in the Indian Ocean — and an outdoor cinema.

Since its opening, Soneva Jani has created a lot of buzz amongst luxury travellers with its exciting features such as the retractable roofs and the water slides. It has been named the Best Over-the-Top Luxury hotel of the year by Jetsetter.com, the best new resort in the world by CNN, and the Leading Luxury Hotel/Resort in South Asia and Leading Luxury Hotel/Resort in Maldives.

Photo: Rebecca Reid

Celebration

Sirru Fen Fushi to host Eid al-Adha celebration from 27–29 May

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Sirru Fen Fushi – Private Lagoon Resort has announced its “Eid in Harmony” programme for Eid al-Adha, scheduled from 27 to 29 May 2026, offering guests a series of curated experiences centred on dining, cultural elements and leisure activities.

The programme is designed to provide a structured yet relaxed approach to the celebration, with a focus on shared experiences and engagement with the island environment. According to the resort, the initiative aims to bring together cultural traditions and hospitality offerings within a resort setting.

A central feature of the programme will be the Eid al-Adha Feast, a dining experience presenting a selection of dishes prepared for the occasion. The event will be set in a themed environment reflecting elements associated with Eid.

The resort will also introduce an “Eid Gift with Purpose” initiative, positioned as a gesture aligned with the values of giving and reflection associated with the occasion.

In addition, guests will have the option to participate in a Guest Archery Competition, offering a recreational activity designed to complement the island setting and provide an alternative form of engagement during the celebration period.

Alongside the programme, the resort has launched an “Eid Island Escape” offer, which includes a range of inclusions for guests staying during the period. These include a 30-minute jet lag recovery massage, daily breakfast at Raha Market, dinner on a dine-around basis across selected restaurants, and a one-time floating breakfast experience.

In a statement, the resort’s management said the programme is intended to reflect the values of togetherness and reflection associated with Eid al-Adha, while offering guests opportunities to spend time with family and participate in shared experiences.

Through the three-day programme, Sirru Fen Fushi – Private Lagoon Resort is presenting Eid al-Adha as a combination of dining, leisure and cultural activities within a resort environment.

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Reethi Faru Resort awarded Green Globe certification

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Reethi Faru Resort has received Green Globe certification, recognising its compliance with international standards for sustainable tourism.

The certification reflects the resort’s stated commitment to responsible hospitality, with a focus on environmental management, social responsibility and operational practices across the property.

Green Globe certification is awarded following an assessment based on established sustainability criteria and verified through independent third-party audits. The standard reviews performance in areas including environmental management, energy efficiency, resource conservation, community engagement and sustainable operations.

With the certification, Reethi Faru Resort joins a group of hospitality operators worldwide that have met Green Globe’s sustainability requirements and demonstrated an ongoing commitment to improvement in tourism practices.

In a statement, the management of Reethi Faru Resort said the recognition reflects the resort’s continued focus on preserving the natural environment of the Maldives while maintaining the guest experience. The management added that sustainability forms part of the resort’s daily operations.

The Green Globe standard includes more than 40 core criteria supported by over 380 compliance indicators, providing a framework for assessing sustainability performance in the hospitality sector.

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InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort marks loyalty week with member and staff recognition

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InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort is marking IHG Global Loyalty Week 2026, a group-wide initiative recognising IHG One Rewards members and the employees who contribute to guest experiences across the brand.

The observance will take place from 11 to 17 May 2026 and is aligned with IHG’s wider theme of “bringing loyalty to life”, focusing on guest recognition and service-led engagement.

As the Maldives’ first all-Club InterContinental resort, InterContinental Maldives is using the occasion to highlight its emphasis on personalised service and guest recognition. During the week, the resort will present a series of experiences and gestures intended to acknowledge IHG One Rewards members through tailored hospitality touches.

A central feature of the programme will be “Member Moments”, which are designed to reflect guest preferences, milestones and individual travel experiences. These will include personalised welcome arrangements, selected in-room amenities, culinary offerings and family-focused gestures.

The resort will also use the week to recognise its employees, whose service contributes to guest loyalty and repeat visits. Under its “Inspire Incredible” service culture, InterContinental Maldives will hold staff appreciation activities and internal recognition initiatives during the week.

Commenting on the occasion, General Manager Reinhold Johann said the initiative highlights the importance of making guests feel recognised and welcomed, while also acknowledging the role of employees in delivering those experiences.

Through IHG One Rewards, members have access to benefits and travel privileges across more than 6,800 hotels worldwide. At InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort, these benefits are integrated into the resort’s all-Club InterContinental offering, which combines personalised service with resort-based experiences in Raa Atoll.

Through its participation in IHG Global Loyalty Week 2026, InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort is positioning guest recognition and service culture as key elements of its hospitality approach.

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