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Sheraton Maldives unveils $20 mln renovation with sophisticated design, local feel

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Marriott has announced the completion of a USD 20 million renovation to Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa in Maldives.

Designed by boutique multi-disciplinary design practice Topo Design Studio, the newly transformed resort now exhibits beautiful Maldivian architecture with a contemporary twist, reflecting the five-star experience guaranteed at the property.

Design inspiration

Topo Design Studio takes their inspiration from the surrounding environment to ensure that all aspects of the resort emulate a traditional Maldivian feel that is not compromised by the top of the range amenities. As a result, all aspects of the resort have been elegantly renovated, from the restyled landscape gardens around the swimming pools, to the room categories, the events spaces and restaurants, ensuring a completely dovetailed style throughout the island.

“We are delighted to have completed the renovation programme which has seen USD 20 million spent on redesigning Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa. As the third eldest resort in the Maldives, dating back to 1937, it is very important to us that we continue to modernise our property to ensure it goes above and beyond the standards expected of a five-star resort without losing the feel of our surroundings,” Emilio Fontini, General Manager for Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa, was quoted in a statement, as saying.

“Subsequently, Sheraton Maldives has been carefully transformed and this is seen in our revamped restaurants with fresh menus, our newly designed bars, our bespoke villa host service and our innovative spa packages which are set to complete in January 2019. We look forward to welcoming both new and returning guests to discover these new enhancements, which I have no doubt will only enrich their experience on our unique tropical paradise.”

Accommodation

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa now boasts 10 different luxury room categories, all spaciously located around the island, including the re-styled Deluxe Cottages, Cottage Water Bungalows and Water Bungalows with Pools.

These spacious cottages all offer the utmost privacy and provide easy access to the beach and lagoon. As part of the renovation, they now feature an outdoor so guests can truly immerse themselves in their luscious green surroundings.

The new outdoor area of a Deluxe Cottage at Sheraton Maldives. PHOTO/ SHERATON

The property has also introduced a new room category, Cottage with Pool, which has been designed with families in mind and boasts a private plunge pool for young children to safely splash around in with direct access to the heavenly white sandy beaches.

The all-new Cottage with Pool at Sheraton Maldives. PHOTO/ SHERATON

Dining 

Offering seven bars and restaurants in total, the resort ensures that a variety of dining options are available to guests, ranging from a casual al fresco treat to a quintessentially Maldivian feast.

The newest addition to the completed renovations includes the centrally located Feast Restaurant, which has been uniquely designed to emulate the local culture and now boasts a cadent coconut roofing and a sophisticated white colour scheme. Offering both breakfast and dinner, the Feast Restaurant comes to life with chefs creating dishes from around the world from live-cooking stations made from cleanly cut marble surfaces.

The Feast Restaurant at Sheraton Maldives. PHOTO/ SHERATON

Similarly, the Anchorage Bar has been elegantly renovated with a light and gentle colour palette that does not detract from the panoramic view of the stunning Indian Ocean. This creates a laid-back atmosphere and encourages guests to relax on the comfortable day beds, listen to live music from a local band and sip on one of the resort’s signature cocktails.

The Anchorage Bar at Sheraton Maldives. PHOTO/ SHERATON

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa is situated on the private island of Furanafushi in the North Male Atoll, just a 15-minute speedboat ride away from the main Velana International Airport.

The five-star resort offers 176 guest rooms designed to blend into the surrounding turquoise waters, pristine beaches and lush greenery. Also boasting seven unique restaurants and bars, the Shine Spa for Sheraton (located on its very own island) and three outdoor tropical fresh water pools, the resort caters for all guests and is the perfect destination for honeymooners, families with young children or teens and solo travellers alike.

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Gourmet pizza takes centre stage at COLOURS OF OBLU with Chef Marco Piccini

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Placing unique customer experiences at the heart of its brand identity, COLOURS OF OBLU values fun and relaxation on holiday as much as the indulgence and entertainment found across its portfolio of four stunning resorts.

In line with the vibrant spirit of the OBLU guest experience, the resorts, part of Atmosphere Core, have announced a forthcoming collaboration with renowned Italian pizza chef Marco Piccini. From 22 September to 3 October, Chef Marco will bring his distinctive blend of tradition and craftsmanship to the Maldives through a series of pop-up pizza dining events and more.

Chef Marco, CEO of ‘Mako Pizza’, is far more than a pizza maker. Specialising in live show cooking and exclusive event catering, he is celebrated for creating bespoke culinary experiences using organic dough, long fermentation methods, and premium flours. Each event he curates is a performance in itself, blending flavour, artistry, and storytelling.

This will mark Chef Marco’s debut in the Maldives. Atmosphere Core’s Vice President of Food & Beverage, Anupam Banerjee, expressed the brand’s enthusiasm, noting that the team constantly seeks artisanal culinary experiences that entertain as much as they please the palate. He highlighted Chef Marco’s commitment to the origins and quality of each ingredient, and his passion for sharing the history of his country’s national dish, emphasising that great pizza begins with the dough.

On a whirlwind tour of North Malé Atoll, Chef Marco will host a series of pop-up pizza dining events and speciality Chef’s Menu concepts, beginning at OBLU NATURE Helengeli, continuing to OBLU SELECT Sangeli, and concluding at the couples-only OBLU SELECT Lobigili. During his visit, he will work closely with the resorts’ culinary teams, providing them with a rare opportunity to master the art of traditional pizza-making. Guests will also be invited to join interactive sessions, learning to create handcrafted pizzas from scratch.

Raised in Sovigliana-Vinci with roots in Grosseto and Empoli, Chef Marco inherited his love for cooking from his mother, Mara. He studied culinary arts at the Enriques Institute in Castelfiorentino and gained experience in acclaimed restaurants including Borgo Allegro, Castelfalfi Resort, and Milan’s Michelin-starred JOIA.

In 2019, his collaboration with chef Fabrizio Marino—another celebrated Italian chef who works with Atmosphere Core—led to the opening of Pizza Del Popolo, San Miniato’s first vegetarian bakery-pizzeria, dedicated to organic, locally sourced produce and authentic regional flavours.

For Chef Marco, pizza is a passion that comes from the soul, more an art form than a simple culinary process. Having showcased his craft across Europe, he sees the Maldives as an extraordinary new destination for his events. He expressed his excitement at sharing his expertise with guests and kitchen teams, while also learning from the island chefs about their own specialities and local cuisine.

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Le Méridien Maldives hosts SSI’s ambitious global training video production

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In August 2025, SSI, the world’s leading business-based dive training agency, embarked on an ambitious multi-week video shoot at Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa in partnership with Sub Oceanic Maldives. The large-scale production will deliver a series of updated, high-quality training videos, lifestyle visuals and brand content to be shared with divers and dive professionals across the globe. More than a filming project, the initiative represents a strategic alliance between luxury hospitality, elite dive training and professional media production, with the aim of promoting diversity in the diving community and elevating how dive education is delivered worldwide.

Situated in the pristine Lhaviyani Atoll, Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa offers an eco-conscious island sanctuary surrounded by 50 world-class dive sites. Its vibrant reefs and diverse marine life made it the ideal choice for SSI’s latest production. The partnership also reflects a shared commitment to marine education and exceptional guest experiences. General Manager Thomas Schult expressed pride in hosting the project, noting the resort’s thriving reef ecosystem as a perfect setting for professional dive content and for guests seeking to explore the underwater world.

Le Méridien’s alignment with SSI’s values of ocean conservation, marine education and engaging dive programmes strengthened its appeal as a partner. Guests are able to immerse themselves in the marine environment through curated diving and snorkelling activities offered by Sub Oceanic Maldives, the on-site SSI Training Center.

At the heart of the collaboration is Sub Oceanic Maldives, known for its professionalism, expertise and enriching guest experiences. The team has been instrumental in coordinating logistics, selecting locations, managing safety and assisting with underwater filming. Head of Operations Florian Gansl spoke warmly of the project, joking that the abundance of turtles on the resort’s house reef might frequently wander into shots. Two Sub Oceanic instructors, Alejandro Embid Ruiz de Conejo and Chun-Ping “Pyng” Lin, are also featured in the production, bringing local insight and technical expertise to the screen.

Earlier this year, SSI held a global casting call for instructors worldwide, receiving an overwhelming response. Six professionals were selected for their diving expertise, skill in demonstrating techniques and ability to inspire others while representing diverse ages, backgrounds and genders. The cast includes Alejandro Embid (Spain), Kornel Toth (Hungary), Gordos Mateo Gojunco (Philippines), Sita Angela Jaekel (Indonesia), Chun-Ping “Pyng” Lin (Taiwan) and Jacinta Kimani (Kenya), each bringing unique experience and cultural perspective to the project.

The shoot focuses on three main content areas: detailed skill demonstration videos to enhance SSI’s training materials, authentic diving footage showcasing the Maldives’ reefs and marine life, and lifestyle content capturing the complete dive travel experience, from preparation to post-dive relaxation. Behind-the-scenes moments are also being documented for future release, offering a glimpse into the teamwork, planning and passion behind the production.

More than a visual refresh, this initiative forms part of SSI’s long-term strategy to modernise dive education and provide its global professional network with engaging, up-to-date resources. The partnership between SSI, Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa and Sub Oceanic Maldives exemplifies how world-class training, hospitality and dive operations can combine to promote eco-conscious travel, marine education and inspiring storytelling, encouraging the next generation of divers.

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Tiny flippers, big journey: sea turtles hatch at Alila Kothaifaru

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A magical scene is unfolding at Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, as the island becomes a nurturing ground for the next generation of marine life — sea turtle hatchlings. With four active nests currently incubating, guests and marine enthusiasts alike are eagerly anticipating the emergence of these tiny creatures, expected to align with the next full moon.

Following a recent successful hatching, the remaining three nests have been identified as belonging to Green Sea Turtles — one of the largest sea turtle species inhabiting tropical and subtropical waters. Renowned for their smooth, heart-shaped carapaces and their herbivorous diet of seagrass and algae, these gentle marine giants play a vital role in sustaining healthy coral reefs and marine ecosystems. One additional nest is believed to belong to a Hawksbill turtle, although this has yet to be confirmed.

“Sea turtles are fascinating creatures. They lead largely solitary lives and migrate thousands of kilometres between their feeding and nesting grounds,” explains Fernanda Cortina Escalante, the resort’s resident Marine Biologist. “It’s incredibly special to witness this phase of their life cycle so closely here on our island.”

Turtle reproduction is an intricate and delicate process. These ancient mariners return to the very shores on which they were born to lay their eggs, usually under the cover of darkness. Female turtles dig nests in the sand, where the eggs incubate for 45 to 70 days before the hatchlings instinctively head towards the sea.

Green Sea Turtles can live between 60 and 80 years, grow up to 1.5 metres in length, and weigh as much as 300 kilograms. Their remarkable physiology allows them to hold their breath for up to five hours while resting, an impressive adaptation to life in the ocean.

“Hosting these nests provides us with a unique opportunity to educate guests about sea turtle conservation and promote greater awareness of marine biodiversity,” says Camille Berger, Euro-Divers Manager at Alila Kothaifaru Maldives. “We feel fortunate to share this meaningful experience with guests from across the globe.”

The resort places a strong emphasis on conservation, working closely with its in-house marine biologist to monitor and protect the nesting sites.

“A new generation of sea turtles has officially embarked on its journey into the ocean, with 61 tiny hatchlings recently making their way from nest to sea,” shares Thomas Weber, General Manager of Alila Kothaifaru Maldives.

“Moments like these remind us of both the beauty of nature and the responsibility we bear in preserving this extraordinary ecosystem. It is a true honour to be part of the journey of these magnificent creatures.”

Guests staying at the resort may have the rare opportunity to witness a live hatching — an unforgettable experience of nature at its most raw and awe-inspiring.

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