Featured
Sun shines again: Villa Hotels’ Sun Island Resort reopens
The wait is finally over! Sun Island Resort & Spa, part of Villa Hotels & Resorts, is now welcoming guests again.
“… [we] are thrilled to welcome our beloved guests with our warm, friendly staff and excellent services,” General Manager Abdulla Fathhey said, in a statement.
“While the highest level of health and safety measures have been put in place, we look forward to giving you all the warmest of welcomes and making you feel at home with fun-filled, memorable experiences.”

A flowering jewel amongst Maldives family hotels, Sun Island offers over 460 guest rooms, including Standard Beach Bungalows, Superior Beach Bungalows, Beach Pool Villas, Sunset Villas, Water Bungalows and Presidential Suites, making it the largest resort in the Maldives.
Sun Island has recently introduced brand new Beach Pool Villas, offering enhanced living and relaxation facilities to guests.

The luxurious resort features nine dining options. Local and international buffet spreads are available at Maaniyaa Restaurant. Barbecued seafood is served at Guraamuli Grill Terrace and Italian cuisine is available at Ristorante Il Pontile. Alternatively, Thai dishes can be found at Sun Star, and refreshing beverages at Mekunu Bar.
Sun Island houses an Araamu Spa retreat, which offers a wide range of relaxation options and invigorating treatments, including aromatherapy, reflexology, Indian Ayurvedic therapy, and body scrubs and facials.
The resort also offers a variety of recreational facilities, including a PADI-certified dive centre, table tennis, football, tennis and basketball as well as water sports facilities.

Flexible cancellation policy
Villa Hotels’ cancellation policy offers a promise of flexibility.
For existing bookings confirmed to arrive at any of its resorts before October 31, Vill Hotels will allow amendments at no additional cost for stay periods before (ending on) December 23, or the same period next year at the same rate as the original booking.
Guests who are unable to travel before December 23 or the same period next year can cancel their existing booking for free.
For all new bookings made by October 31, there will be a free cancellation window until three days to arrival. This applies to bookings with stay periods from now until October 31, 2021 (excluding December 24, 2020 to January 7, 2021).
To cancel or modify existing bookings, please contact Villa Hotels.
New CleanStay@Villa safety programme
Villa Hotels’ resorts will adhere to government guidelines for restarting tourism.
Temperature checks and screening measures will be carried out at the first point of entry.
Anyone exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms will undergo a PCR test. If one member of a group travelling together displays symptoms, all members will be tested.
Those who test positive will be isolated in a designated resort room, or transferred to a government medical facility, depending on the individual’s medical condition.
These measures will be complemented by a new group-wide health safety programme.
The CleanStay@Villa initiative is built on Villa Hotels existing high standards, and follow the guidance of their in-house doctors as well as the World Health Organisation and the national Health Protection Agency (HPA).
It implements SOPs for end-to-end hygiene checks from arrival and transfer to stay and departure. They include but are not limited to SOPs in the following:
- Disinfect all exposed surfaces on lounges and transport facilities for arrival and departure
- Check and log temperature of all guests and staff on arrival and departing
- Identify high touch areas in guest villas and modify cleaning protocols to ensure that such areas are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected
- Implement new staff hygiene standards, with mandatory Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Apply stringent disinfecting measures for F&B, spa, sports and recreation facilities
- Recommend social distancing between guests and staff
- Implement continuous staff training in hygiene and cleanliness standards and protocols
- Ensure resorts’ medical clinics are housed with doctors and required facilities
- Use hospital-grade disinfectants in cleaning protocols
- In case of need, provide isolation rooms at each resort
As one of the leading hospitality companies in the Maldives, Villa Hotels owns and operates five resorts: Paradise Island Resort and Spa, Royal Island Resort and Spa, Holiday Island Resort and Spa, Sun Island Resort and Spa, and Fun Island Resort and Spa.
Paradise Island Resort reopened on July 15, while Royal Island Resort and Fun Island Resort will begin welcoming guests again from November 1. Holiday Island Resort will remain closed until late next year, as the property is now undergoing major renovations.
Villa Hotels also has several subsidiaries, including award-winning wellness brand Araamu Spa and dive centre DiveOceanus.
Featured
Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa unveils family-focused Family Fun Summer package
Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa has introduced its Family Fun Summer offer, a family-focused package designed to encourage guests to spend time together through dining, leisure and recreational activities in a private island setting.
Located 15 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, the resort is offering the package as a year-round experience, despite its summer branding. The programme is intended for families seeking a stay that combines accommodation, meals and activities in a single offering.
The experience includes daily breakfast at Feast, where guests can access buffet selections for adults and children. Lunch is served as a three-course beachside meal, while evenings include buffet dinners, à la carte options and access to the resort’s speciality restaurants.
As part of the package, adult guests receive a USD 45 dining credit per night, which can be used at selected outlets including Baan Thai and Sea Salt. The offer is designed to expand dining options within the resort’s full board arrangement.
The package also includes activities aimed at different age groups. Children have access to the Sheraton Adventure Club, while families can take part in pool activities, water sports, sunset dolphin cruises and guided snorkelling excursions.
For guests seeking wellness experiences, Shine Spa for Sheraton offers a range of treatments, with the package including 15 per cent savings on selected services. The resort has also introduced a spa experience designed for parent and child. Additional recreational options include sunrise beach yoga, as well as access to tennis and football facilities.
Other inclusions within the offer include a complimentary family photoshoot and dining benefits for children when eating with their parents.
Family Fun Summer is available for booking until 15 June 2026, for stays through to 20 December 2026. Through the package, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa is presenting a family-oriented resort experience centred on dining, recreation and shared time together.
Featured
InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau to mark Mother’s Day with wellness and dining offerings
InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort has announced a Mother’s Day programme centred on wellness, dining and family experiences, offering guests a range of activities designed to mark the occasion in Raa Atoll.
Set within the resort’s island setting, the programme will feature a series of experiences aimed at encouraging families to spend time together through relaxation, dining and shared activities.
At AVI Spa, the Mother’s Day offering will include signature treatments focused on rest and balance. Guests will also have access to holistic sessions led by visiting practitioner Dr Afsana Aradhana Ghyas, whose work focuses on integrative wellbeing and emotional balance.
Dining experiences will form a central part of the programme. These will include floating breakfasts served in private villas, interactive cooking sessions with the resort’s chefs, and private dining experiences ranging from sunset beach dinners to sandbank dining under the stars.
The resort will also offer family-focused activities for the occasion. These will include craft sessions for children, ocean-inspired guided art activities and a family photoshoot intended to capture the day’s experiences.
Through the Mother’s Day programme, InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort is presenting a combination of wellness, dining and family activities shaped around personal and shared experiences in a resort setting.
Drink
W Maldives unveils The Wavemaker Edit with global talent collaborations
W Maldives has launched The Wavemaker Edit, a new ongoing series of curated collaborations with international talent, aimed at introducing a range of guest experiences across mixology, wellness, cuisine and music.
The series is designed as a rotating programme, with each edition bringing a different creative perspective to the resort. According to W Maldives, the initiative is intended to create a continuing calendar of experiences that combine social, cultural and wellness-led elements.
The first edition of The Wavemaker Edit will run from 3 to 14 June 2026 and will feature two themed chapters, titled Island Alchemy and The Restore Ritual.
Island Alchemy will focus on mixology. On 3 June, Kwok will lead a guest shift at SIP, presenting three cocktails that explore contrast and balance, including a bespoke creation inspired by the Maldives. The collaboration will continue on 6 June at WET Deck, where a poolside day party will feature a curated cocktail menu.
The second chapter, The Restore Ritual, will centre on wellness and movement in recognition of Global Wellness Day. Led by Mumbai-based yoga and movement educator Samiksha Shetty, the programme will include sessions focused on breathwork, mindfulness and alignment-based practice.
The wellness programme will include Sunset Yoga sessions at FIRE Beach on 12 and 14 June, as well as a morning meditation session at AWAY Spa on 13 June. The main event within this chapter will take place on 13 June, when guests will be able to join a Sunset Yoga session aboard the Horizon Yacht. This bookable experience will also include healthy refreshments and a 60-minute massage at AWAY Spa.
W Maldives said future editions of The Wavemaker Edit will expand into culinary, music and art-led experiences under a number of themed series, including Flavors Unscripted, Sound Wave and Make A Scene.
Commenting on the launch, General Manager Amila Handunwala said the initiative reflects the resort’s approach to continuously evolving the guest experience through collaborations with international talent.
W Maldives is positioning the series as part of its broader effort to offer more structured and experience-led programming for guests. In addition, the resort is promoting its Original Wavemaker package, which includes seaplane transfers and a half-board meal plan for two adults with a minimum stay of four nights.
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