Amilla Fushi Maldives Resort and Residences is temporarily ceasing operations – but is preparing to come back with a bang on July 1!

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Maldives has restricted entry to visitors from several countries to the tropical archipelago, whilst many countries has advised their citizens not to travel. This has resulted in a major drop in the number of arrivals to the Maldives and Amilla Fushi.

The Amilla Islanders decided to make the difficult decision to pause operations – but decided to seize the opportunity to shake things up and come back in a few months with some thrilling new changes.

The avant-garde resort has garnered a reputation over the years for rolling out ground-breaking innovations.

During the past six months, under the helm of new General Manager, Jason Kruse, and Sustainability Manager, Victoria Kruse, Amilla has pioneered a plethora of ground-breaking new concepts and enhanced its sustainability ethos to create an unparalleled conscious luxury experience. They include Wellness Your Way – the Maldives’ first truly comprehensive and fully integrated ‘eating lifestyles’ menus, catering to the demands of today’s luxury resort guests with delicious customisable keto, paleo, vegan, probiotic dishes.

Jason is also overseeing the development and celebration of the resort’s proud Maldivian heritage, recognition of its enviable position in the biodiverse Baa Atoll UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and enrichment of its highly-personalised, charismatic service.

The temporary suspension will allow the Islanders to work on even bigger and better innovations over the next few months. Other than essential maintenance works on the chic, minimalist Villas and Residences to polish Amilla’s renowned sparkle, they will be further developing the enticing F&B offerings under the leadership of Chef Mickaël Farina creating a fresh new look with landscaping to enhance the naturally lush island.

However, the Amilla Islanders are keeping the biggest changes under wraps for the time being.

In the meantime, any guests currently staying on the island or coming to stay at a Residence will continue to be treated with Amilla’s signature charismatic service and adjusted hospitality which includes selected excursions and spa treatments for the duration of their stay at their Island Home.

“Please contact us directly if you like to escape in style with plenty of spaces to play, eat, drink and relax in our four to eight bedroom Residences,” an announcement by the resort read.

“The Islanders would like to thank Amilla’s guests, industry partners, suppliers and everyone else they are involved with from the bottom of their hearts for their continued support during these unprecedented times. They are also extremely grateful for the support of their owners and their willingness to embrace the thrilling new plans for the future.”

Amilla joins at least a dozen Maldivian resorts that have temporarily ceased operations in the wake of the economic impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The global coronavirus outbreak has hit the Maldivian economy hard, as travel restrictions and other preventive measures affect the country’s lucrative tourism industry, which contributes the bulk of the island nation’s state revenue and foreign reserves.

From the hospitality industry to the airline sector, companies have warned that their long term survival is under threat.

Government on Thursday launched an emergency MVR 2.5 billion ($161.84 million) facility and a package of financial measures to shore up the local economy against the coronavirus pandemic.

The MVR 2.5 billion stimulus plan includes MVR 1.55 billion ($100 million) in emergency loans for businesses to meet short-term working capital needs.

The emergency facility is complemented by a package of financial measures, including a six-month moratorium on principal and interest repayments for personal and business loans sanctioned by commercial banks.

Meanwhile, Bank of Maldives (BML) has announced a $2 million short-term financing facility for the tourism industry.

The facility by the country’s largest bank allows operational resorts and guesthouses finance up to $2 million to manage their working capital requirements, with a repayment period of three years.

On March 8, Maldives reported its first cases of the novel coronavirus, as two hotel employees tested positive for Covid-19 at a luxury resort in the archipelago.

Eleven more cases — all foreigners working or staying resorts and liveaboard vessels — have since been identified. All the patients are under isolation, being treated at designated quarantine facilities.

Maldives announced a state of public health emergency on March 12, the first such declaration under a recent public health protection law.

The public health emergency declaration has allowed the government to introduce a series of unprecedented restrictive and social distancing measures, including a ban on inter-island travel of tourists, including for excursions and between resort islands.

A nationwide shut down of all guesthouses and city hotels has also been ordered. Spa facilities located on inhabited islands have also been closed.

The Maldives had closed its borders to arrivals from some of the worst-hit countries, including mainland China, Italy, Bangladesh, Iran, Spain, the United Kingdom and Malaysia. Visitors from three regions of Germany (Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg), two regions of France (Île-de-France and Grand Est) and two regions of South Korea are also banned from entering the country.

All direct flights to and from China, Italy, South Korea and Iran had also been cancelled.

Cruise ships and foreign yachts had also been banned from docking at any of the country’s ports.

The island nation had installed thermal screening cameras at its international airports.

Quarantine facilities, including designated islets from the 1,192 islands that make up the archipelago, had been established.