Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa has opened.

The prestigious deluxe all-inclusive resort, which is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, welcomed its first guests on Thursday.

Located in Raa atoll, in the northern part of the Maldives archipelago, the resort is surrounded by 1.5km of soft white sand, on a lush private 20-hectare island.

The 120 villas, 60 of which are located on the island and six directly on the sea, have been built in perfect harmony with the surrounding environment, using materials such as bamboo, natural stones and Langhi Langhi leaves, combining tropical atmospheres with modern design and informal elegance to build memorable experiences.

“With the Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa, we wanted to create a real sanctuary from the external chaotic modern life, able to accommodate both couples in search of relax and intimacy and families looking for a more playful experience ensuring well-being for both children and parents,” Simone Scarapicchia, Partner and Director of Sales & Marketing for Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa, said.

“We want to stimulate the creation of long lasting memories for all of our guests by offering a surprising and original elegance, meeting and exceeding expectations at all times to make our guests experience what we call the ‘Sustainable Elegance’ of the Maldives.”

The resort is also a real laboratory and a point of reference for flavours and taste, featuring the international cuisine of the Aqua Restaurant, the Beach Club & Grill and its Mediterranean cuisine, and two other outlets offering respectively Latin American and Asian cuisine. In all restaurants, natural ingredients are treated with a superior level of creativity to offer guests a deluxe all-inclusive formula in all outlets.

The Emerald SPA is built in Balinese style and offers Balinese and Thai treatments in the total privacy of its 10 air-conditioned bungalows, and a relax area with jacuzzi, sauna and Turkish baths. The fully equipped Kids Club is ready to welcome from young children to teenagers – who will find a vast collection of the latest video games and equipment – the state of the art Technogym gym, the two tennis courts, the two paddle courts and a centre able to offer qualified assistance and equipment for all sort of water sports are also available to guests.

A special mention is due to the Diving Centre, as the closeness of the reef surrounding the island, magnificence of the underwater scenarios and the quality of the certified instructors of the Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa, will certainly make of it a natural centre of attraction for the resort’s guests.

Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa has been built by Emerald Collection, an Italian company specialising in the construction and management of luxury resorts in East Africa and the Caribbean, operating for years as the leader in hospitality in Zanzibar, where two new hotel projects are soon to begin construction.