Business
Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality awards readies for grand gala in Greece
The 2017 Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards, known as the “Oscars of Luxury”, are set to ignite the luxury hospitality and lifestyle segment with their upcoming fifth anniversary gala ceremony.
The gala ceremony will take place at the most exclusive private members country club in Greece, the Ecali Club, on September 23, and will see CEOs, presidents, managing directors, owners and GMs of the most exclusive properties from around the world in attendance. These highly influential individuals will be in attendance to collect the highest and most exclusive award from the hospitality and lifestyle sectors; the SIGNUM VIRTUTIS, the seal of excellence.
In a statement, organisers said the Ecali Club, well-known for its idyllic premises and high quality productions for exclusive thematic events, has designed a spectacular show in order to host the gala ceremony. Preparations for the ultra-exclusive event are well underway, they said.
According to the organisers, the ceremony will be compered by the always stunning Turkish celebrity and sports star Ece Vahapoglu, while it will feature performances by the beautiful, talented and glamorous Greek Star Nina Lotsari.
Luxury Panel Members that will attend the ceremony include His Serene Highness Prince Massimiliano della Torre e Tasso, Her Serene Highness Costanza della Torre e Tasso, Her Royal Highness Nathalie Princess of Hohenzollern, Ece Vahapoglu, Baroness Nerina keeley, Oliver Jiszda, Manon Han-Busch, Spa Expert Miriam Seferian, Kenelm Jenour, Jean-Christophe Rousseau, Thanos Liontos, Almir Zejneli, Karine Lackner, Nina Lotsari and Veti Nikolopoulou.
Nicola El-Mouelhy, Co-Founder and CEO of the SSLHLA, said: “2017 has been a very eventful year for SSLHLA. We have some fantastic additions to our Luxury Panel, such as the amazing Nina Lotsari, Veti Nikolopoulou and top, internationally recognised photographer Oliver Jiszda. The Ecali Club, represents the perfect venue for our gala ceremony, as it sits at the pinnacle of lifestyle in Greece.”
The Ecali Club CEO John M. Georgakakis strongly believes that club’s competitive advantages justify the decision for the gala ceremony to be held there. For this purpose, the team at Ecali, associates, and loyal elite members of the Club’s social and business community will reinforce the prestige of the event, he added.
“The Ecali Club has channelled tremendous support for the event and we are delighted with the working relationship that has been formulated between our organisations. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards and all the pieces are now in place, to ensure a spectacular evening for all winners, partners and guests,” Georgakakis was quoted as saying, in the statement.
Now in its fifth year, the Seven Stars Luxury Hospitality and Lifestyle Awards is designed to identify and to separate the exceptional from the very best by bestowing the SIGNUM VIRTUTIS, the seal of excellence upon the most exceptional luxury hospitality and lifestyle properties and products worldwide. The number of winners each year is capped in order to provide maximum exclusivity and benefit for the winners.
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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