Singapore-based GHM has announced plans to launch The Chedi Kudavillingili, its first resort in the Maldives, later this year.

The 99-villa property will feature 36 overwater villas, a 150-metre-long central pool and desirable proximity to the Maldives’ main Velana International Airport, a 25-minute speedboat ride away.

Located on a 1-kilometre coral island called Kudavillingili, The Chedi Kudavillingili is shaped by a global team of design talents working closely with the GHM team. Maldivian architecture anchors the resort’s overarching aesthetic appeal, with complementary interior design and landscaping from Singapore and a lighting scheme from the United States.

“Our plans for The Chedi Kudavillingili will showcase the enduring beauty of the Maldives and its people, but we will also remain true to GHM’s tenets of intuitive luxury, timeless designs, bespoke experiences and quality service,” Hans R. Jenni, GHM’s Co-founder and President, was quoted in a statement, as saying.

Since its founding in 1992, GHM has taken the road less travelled into destinations not so well known at the time, opening resorts such as The Nam Hai in Vietnam, The Chedi Muscat in Oman and The Chedi Andermatt in Switzerland. Each won renown for designs that embraced local archetypes and were then enhanced by an alchemy of Asian aesthetics and contemporary cool.

“I’ve always been impressed with GHM’s work – particularly with The Chedi Muscat,” Dr P Mohamed Ali, Chairman of the MFAR Group, which owns the island, said.

“I’ve seen the kind of impact a GHM resort can have on a destination, and I am looking forward to how GHM will redefine the luxury resort experience in the Maldives, just as they have done in Muscat.”

When GHM launches a new resort in a more established destination, the team is mindful of the brand ethos and the need to provide a singular experience for its guests, not unlike what it has been doing for other resorts in its portfolio.

“This new Chedi is to stand on the shoulders of GHM’s reputation, one that has been defining and redefining what’s chic for nearly three decades,” Jenni said.

“The Chedi Kudavillingili is to be the best yet.”

GHM expects the majority of the resort’s guests to come for the quiet, the placid waters and the pristine sands, for sunset cruises, barbecue dinners and fishing expeditions.

In addition to the 36 overwater villas, and 63 island-based villas, The Chedi Kudavillingili will feature a spa with eight overwater treatment rooms, a beach club and bar, an all-day dining restaurant and Hawkers Stalls featuring four live cooking stations. Recreational opportunities on the island run the gamut from courts for several different sports to surfing and a plethora of on-the-water and underwater pursuits.

Indian hotel developer MFAR Group had in 2013 acquired the leasehold rights to the Kudavillingili island in North Male Atoll from local developer Yacht Tours Maldives.

MFAR had earlier said that an investment of USD 150 million would be made to develop a luxury resort on the island.