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Banyan Tree Global Foundation launches Greater Good Grants programme

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Banyan Tree Global Foundation is launching for the first time in its 11-year history, the Greater Good Grants that aims to support innovative and impactful projects across six areas that align to the UN Sustainable Development Goals as well as the group’s core ethos of ‘Embracing the Environment, Empowering People’.

As a socially responsible business, Banyan Tree was founded with the core value of driving sustainable development. A global hospitality group operating in diverse locations, Banyan Tree’s concept of sustainability seeks to create long-term value for multiple stakeholders and destinations.

Since earning the 1992 Environmental Award from American Express and The International Hotel Association for the remediation of a former tin mining site into Laguna Phuket integrated resort – Asia’s first destination resort, Banyan Tree has championed sustainability stewardship as a top priority. For this commitment, Banyan Tree has received nods of approval with social and environmental awards from various organisations.

This year, the group is opening up its grant-giving foundation to external projects further afield from its immediate operating communities.

“Our usual approach has been to award project grants mainly through our operating properties and support the environment and community stakeholders in that specific vicinity,” Dr Steve Newman, Assistant Vice President, Group Sustainability Director and Coordinating Director of Banyan Tree Global Foundation, said.

“While projects should be in the same countries as where we operate, our new approach is to invite NGOs and academics to apply so we can support more impactful projects benefitting people and the planet.”

The Greater Good Grants for Year 2021 is open for submission until December 31, and invites projects across six areas:

  • Biodiversity and Conservation: improve understanding, conservation and management of species and habitats.
  • Resource Use and Waste Management: innovative projects that tackle cradle to grave lifecycle of resources that benefit community, business and the environment.
  • Climate Change and Resilience: elucidate global change and develop resilience in natural and human systems.
  • Education and Empowerment: development of education infrastructure, capacity and delivery to students of any age, with particular focus on disadvantaged members of society.
  • Health and Protection: focus on health and wellbeing in local communities.
  • Culture and Livelihood: development, protection, restoration and stewardship of culture and livelihoods.

Project grants are up to $10,000, open to all individuals over the age of 18, who have an organisational affiliation.

Submissions will be reviewed by the Board of Directors of Banyan Tree Global Foundation and an internal panel of stakeholders. Successful project grantees will be notified by Q1 2021.

“We have given project grants to over 150 partners in our operating locales since inception to now. This is our ecosystem of greater good, centred on our belief that our business is a vehicle for societal betterment and transformation,” Claire Chiang, Co-founder & Senior Vice President of Banyan Tree Holdings and Chairperson of Banyan Tree Global Foundation, said.

“In this time where hope and optimism are needed more than ever, we hope to catalyse positive ripple effects and extend our support to more partners seeking to create positive, sustainable change.”

Banyan Tree Group operates three resorts in Maldives: Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru in North Male Atoll, and Angsana Velavaru in Dhaalu atoll.

Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru opened its door in 1995 and is the first international chain resort in the Maldives. With just 48 pool villas dotting around the island, privacy and relaxation can easily be attained. The resort has a restaurant, bar, PADI Gold Palm five-star resort dive centre and a Banyan Tree Spa.

Vabbinfaru is also home to the Banyan Tree Maldives Marine Lab, the first of its kind to be funded and built on a private resort, where guests can learn about marine conservation and partake in the many sustainability activities on offer including coral planting, reef cleaning and daily stingray feeding sessions.

Angsana Ihuru is surrounded by one of the most vibrant and well preserved coral house reefs in the Maldives. The resort has 45 villas, a restaurant and a bar, a PADI Gold Palm five-star resort dive centre and an Angsana Spa.

Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru and Angsana Ihuru are located in North Male Atoll, just 25 minutes away by speedboat from the airport. The two resorts are just five minutes by boat away from each other.

Velavaru or ‘Turtle Island’ is located in the pristine Dhaalu atoll, and accessible by a 40-minute seaplane flight from the main Velana International Airport. This 113-villa resort offers 79 island villas and 34 InOcean Villas, revealing spectacular views and direct access to the Indian Ocean.

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Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa unveils family-focused Family Fun Summer package

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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.

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InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau to mark Mother’s Day with wellness and dining offerings

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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.

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W Maldives unveils The Wavemaker Edit with global talent collaborations

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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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