Business
John Keells’ Maldives resorts anointed with GOLD 100 Award
Strengthening its credentials as one of the premier leisure operators in the Maldives, John Keells Maldivian Resorts (JKMR) was bestowed with the ‘Corporate Maldives GOLD 100 Award’ as one of the leading 100 companies in the Maldives for 2021.
This prestigious award reflects the contribution being made by JKMR to the Maldivian economy while instilling industry leading sustainable practices in the local community.
The highly-anticipated fifth edition of the ‘Corporate Maldives GOLD 100 GALA’ was held recently at CROSSROADS Maldives, in the presence of the President of the Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih as Chief Guest, along with other high delegates including ministers, high commissioners, and other senior government officials.
The event was also attended by top corporate leaders and decision-makers from the business community in the Maldives.
Commenting on the impressive accolade, Jayantissa Kehelpannala, Senior Vice President Acquisitions and Development and Vice President – Maldives Operations at Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts said: “We are very proud to be awarded the ‘Corporate Maldives GOLD 100 GALA Award’, the premier award for corporates in the presence of the Maldivian President. It is a moment of pride for our portfolio of resorts in the Maldives. Notwithstanding the challenges during the year, we continued to create inspiring experiences for our guests while adhering to COVID-19 health and safety measures. Maldives tourism is seeing a steady pickup since the country reopened its borders in July 2020 and we continue to focus on building brand value and improving our customer value proposition.”
“Sustainability continues to be an integral pillar of our success and social and environmental considerations are entrenched across our value chain through our overall strategy with a ‘People, Planet, Profit’ perspective. The numerous awards and high customer ratings we received continuously during the year, is a validation of our efforts to raise the bar despite pandemic induced challenges.”
GOLD 100 is a list of 100 leading business entities in the Maldives, published by Corporate Maldives every year. Through a transparent and unbiased selection criterion, GOLD 100 is devised as a selection of the leading business entities.
To select the top 100 companies of Maldives, Corporate Maldives teamed up with CTL Strategies in order to set a nomination criterion as well as to evaluate the nominations. CTL Strategies ensures the veracity of the data provided by companies and uses a third-party evaluator to review the methodologies used by CTL and the application criteria ensuring transparency of the process.
John Keells Maldivian Resorts is a 100% owned subsidiary of John Keells Holdings PLC and is the management company of the four resorts in the Maldives that operate under the brand – Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts. They are namely Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives, Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa Maldives, Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives and Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon.
The resorts provide a wide variety of recreational activities including spa and wellness facilities, destination dining experiences and underwater excursions adding to the unparalleled hospitality offered by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts.
Business
Feydhoo Hall opens at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives as new event space
Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has announced the opening of Feydhoo Hall, a landmark event venue at dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives, redefining the possibilities for meetings, celebrations, and destination events in the Maldives.
Designed to bring scale, flexibility, and creativity to island gatherings, Feydhoo Hall represents a bold step forward in positioning the Maldives as a dynamic destination for conferences, weddings, and large-scale social occasions.
Feydhoo Hall offers a versatile event complex designed to accommodate a wide range of gatherings, from corporate meetings and conferences to weddings and social celebrations.

At its core is the 390 sqm Main Hall, capable of hosting:
- Up to 300 guests in theatre-style setup
- Up to 240 guests for dining and banquet-style events
- Up to 200 guests for cocktail-style receptions
- Up to 144 guests in cluster-round configuration
Enhancing the flexibility of the venue are additional dedicated spaces, including:
- A 110 sqm Veranda Terrace, ideal for welcome receptions, breakout sessions, and pre-event gatherings, accommodating up to 100 guests for cocktail-style events.
- A spacious 1,000 sqm Lawn Space, perfect for large-scale outdoor celebrations, destination weddings, and open-air events, accommodating up to 400 guests for cocktail receptions and up to 350 guests for dining setups.
- The 55 sqm Ekugai Meeting Room, designed for smaller meetings and executive sessions, accommodating up to 30 guests in theatre or dining setup and 24 guests in cluster-round format.
Together, these integrated spaces create a seamless indoor-outdoor event experience, allowing planners to design dynamic and personalised event journeys.
True to the dusitD2 brand’s lifestyle-driven philosophy, Feydhoo Hall introduces a fresh approach to meetings and events — where productivity meets creativity in an inspiring island setting.
The venue offers flexible meeting formats designed to suit different event needs, including:
- Half-Day Meeting Package (4 hours) — ideal for focused sessions, executive meetings, and creative workshops.
- Full-Day Meeting Package (8 hours) — designed for immersive conferences, extended workshops, and large-scale corporate gatherings.
These thoughtfully structured packages provide planners with the flexibility to create impactful and seamless experiences, whether hosting intimate strategy sessions or dynamic full-day events.

Located just seven minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, dusitD2 Feydhoo Maldives combines accessibility with vibrant lifestyle energy, offering event planners and guests a rare balance between convenience and tropical escape.
With the introduction of Feydhoo Hall, the resort strengthens its position as a versatile destination — not only for leisure travellers but also for international conferences, creative retreats, luxury weddings, and large-scale social celebrations seeking something refreshingly different in the Maldives.
Business
BBM expands retail presence with new Hulhumalé outlet
Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) opened a new wholesale store in Hulhumalé Phase 2 on Monday.
The outlet is located on the ground floor of Lot 20286, Nirolhu Magu, and is intended to improve access to BBM’s imported goods for residents of Hulhumalé Phase 2 and for businesses operating in the area.
According to the company, the opening forms part of its plan to expand services closer to customers in line with population growth in Hulhumalé.
With the opening of the new store, BBM’s full range of imported and distributed products will be available at the Hulhumalé Phase 2 location. These include consumer goods from international brands such as Lifebuoy, Vaseline and Unilever.
The store will also stock wholesale food products from brands including Daily, Cavin’s and Redman.
BBM has supplied goods to resorts, hotels and retail outlets across the Maldives for several years.
Action
Ataraxis Grand & Spa hosts integrated work-and-dive corporate retreat in Fuvahmulah
Ataraxis Grand & Spa recently hosted a week-long, closed corporate offsite in Fuvahmulah for a US-based artificial intelligence company, highlighting the island’s growing suitability for integrated work-and-experience retreats. The retreat brought a group of 36 international professionals to the property, which was reserved exclusively for the programme.
Designed as a private company offsite, the stay combined structured daily work sessions with guided diving and beginner-friendly surf experiences, creating a balanced format that blended focused collaboration with physical reset.

A notable component of the programme was dive training and certification. During the retreat, 17 participants completed their Open Water certification, while a further six undertook the Advanced Open Water course, with training and dives scheduled alongside work sessions as part of the integrated itinerary.
Throughout the week, participants worked on-site using dedicated shared spaces supported by reliable high-speed internet, allowing meetings, informal collaboration and scheduled activities to take place within a single, uninterrupted environment. This setup enabled teams to move seamlessly between work periods and organised ocean activities without leaving the property.

Fuvahmulah’s natural and operational advantages formed a key part of the retreat’s appeal. As one of the Maldives’ largest inhabited islands, it offers immediate access to pelagic dive sites, internationally recognised shark diving and surf breaks suitable for instruction, alongside the infrastructure required to support extended group stays.

The offsite reflects a growing preference among technology and knowledge-sector teams for small-scale retreats that prioritise concentrated work environments and team cohesion over traditional conference formats. Such programmes typically involve longer stays and higher per-capita spend, aligning with sustainable, quality-driven tourism models.
The retreat also demonstrates how locally operated properties such as Ataraxis Grand & Spa are supporting this shift by delivering unified environments where accommodation, workspaces, connectivity and curated experiences operate as a single programme rather than separate services.

As organisations continue to explore alternative formats for strategy sessions, team resets and creative offsites, Ataraxis Grand & Spa’s experience positions Fuvahmulah as an increasingly viable destination for integrated corporate retreats.
Ataraxis Grand & Spa offers work-and-dive retreat programmes in Fuvahmulah that combine accommodation, dedicated workspaces, high-speed connectivity and organised diving and surfing.

Further information on retreat formats and dive-inclusive stays is available via the Ataraxis Grand & Spa website.
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