Business
Indian industry heavyweight Bharat Raheja joins Atmosphere Core as Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing South Asia
Atmosphere Core, a dynamic hospitality company operating eight resorts in the Maldives, appoints Bharat Raheja as the Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing for South Asia. The company is expanding its footprints, with carefully chosen hotels and resorts to open within three brands – THE OZEN COLLECTION, Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, and COLOURS OF OBLU.
Stephane Laguette, Chief Commercial Officer Atmosphere Core says “As we accelerate our growth in South Asia, Bharat is exactly who we need to carve out our niche in luxury hospitality, through refreshing new experiences. Atmosphere Core offers three powerful brands – and Bharat’s ground knowledge and commercial expertise will support us in taking this unmatched portfolio forward.”
Bharat Raheja steps into his role with a mandate to develop new markets and facilitate the company’s fast-growing presence in India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Based in India, Bharat will also contribute to commercial strategies and build performance-driven sales and marketing teams.
Regarding his appointment, Bharat says, “Atmosphere Group’s core philosophy, Joy of Giving, strongly resonates with South Asian cultures – where there’s an innate sense of hospitality. I believe that this unique approach blended with exceptional world-class standards sets us apart. We assure property owners maximum flexibility and convenient turnkey solutions – especially with the Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts brand featuring seven innovative sub-brands. While travellers can look forward to distinctive spatial experiences inspired by the local culture.”
Bharat Raheja has over 25 years of hospitality industry experience. Before joining Atmosphere Core, he worked with Minor Hotels, Whitbread, and Hilton Worldwide. Bharat initiated his career in hospitality with The Oberoi Group and thereafter at Taj.
One of the company’s key development strategies has been to bring in the best talent. Bharat Raheja joins the impressive leadership team comprising Cyrus Madan, SVP Business Development, and Souvagya Mohapatra, MD for India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka operations.
Atmosphere Core, representing Atmosphere Core Private Limited, offers world-class hospitality inspired by the ‘Joy Of Giving’ philosophy. Atmosphere Core operates eight resorts in the Maldives within a powerful brand portfolio comprising THE OZEN COLLECTION, Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, and COLOURS OF OBLU.
The company is poised for strong growth in South Asia, with three THE OZEN COLLECTION properties in the pipeline. OZEN MANSION KOLKATA opening in Q4 2023 in India, OZEN PRIVÉ ATHIRI GILI set for Q4 2024 in the Maldives, and OZEN SECLUDED TANGALLE in Sri Lanka.
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.
-
Cooking1 week agoA spring of flavours: Nowruz dining series at JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa
-
News1 week agoRefined overwater vision: Velaa Private Island’s upgraded Ocean Pool House
-
Featured1 week agoYoko Kawaguchi to lead holistic wellness residency at Vakkaru Maldives
-
News7 days agoPulse Hotels & Resorts unveils Aura Maldives, a mindful luxury sanctuary
-
News1 week agoSun Siyam Iru Fushi sets new nenchmark with 24 Hour Premium All Inclusive Dine Around
-
Fitness1 week agoOUTRIGGER Maldives Maafushivaru launches expanded wellness programming for 2026
-
Action1 week agoSheraton Maldives Full Moon celebrates sixth anniversary of Reefscapers collaboration
-
Featured1 week agoYou & Me Maldives unveils curated Premium All Inclusive programme


