With its turquoise waters, superlative service and
exotic culture the Maldives has well and truly made
its mark as a destination of desire and luxury. its cues from the spirit of travel, artistic and scenic
atmosphere of Maldives and the Indian Ocean and
it is different, original and locally inspired.
Over the past two decades, aside from a few
specialized dive resorts, the hospitality sector in
the Maldives has been primarily driven by high-
end resorts managed by some of the most famous
luxury operators in the industry. But now with
the airlift and inbound markets diversifying there
are opportunities for developers and operators to
look outside of the luxury and high-end space to
resorts that will cater for segments that are either
currently undersupplied in the market or resorts
that are designed to cater for the next generation
or travelers, the guests of tomorrow. This is the
space in which the Mercure Maldives Kooddoo
and Pullman Maldives Maamutaa have been
conceptualized and developed for. The global / local “glocal” approach of Mercure,
which combines the worldwide commitment to
quality with genuine conviviality, is a win-win
formula for both the guests and the destination.
When choosing a resort in the Maldives, travelers
look for an experiential service with a sense of
security, comfort and seamless service delivered
by an experienced, worldwide operator such as
AccorHotels. Yet they also seek authenticity and
a friendly approach to help them discover the
diversity of the local sights, sounds, and scenes.
Mercure Maldives Kooddoo is now the perfect
choice.
As AccorHotels’ first properties in the Maldives,
the resorts are being developed to operate in a
Cluster environment. Both resorts have been
tactically branded, designed and positioned to fill a
niche in their respective markets while at the same
time using common synergies and creating a viable
and sustainable economy of scale.
Due to open in 2017, the Mercure Maldives
Kooddoo Resort is a 68 villa mid-scale resort
developed on Kooddoo Island which is a 50-minute
domestic flight south of the capital Male’. The
Mercure Resort is groundbreaking not only for
its design, facilities, and amenities which will set
a new benchmark for what a mid-scale property
can deliver in relation to quality and guest
experience but also for its location. The resort
is located adjacent to a domestic airport making
it the only full-service resort in the Maldives
directly accessible 24 hours a day via domestic
flight without the need for an additional speedboat
voyage.
With Mercure Maldives Kooddoo, the guests
can now have the best of both worlds — literally.
They can experience the uncompromising quality
of a global brand in a setting infused with local
Maldivian character. The decor of the resort takes
Both the design and the service delivery helps
guests appreciate what’s different about the
Mercure Maldives Kooddoo — the vivid colors,
accents, fragrances and decorative motifs. The
addition of warm textures and local design touches
are used sparingly and tastefully throughout the
resort evoke the spirit and charm of travel and
inspire a passion for the Maldives and Indian
Ocean.
The Pullman Maldives Maamutaa Resort which
is due to open in late 2018 is a 120 villa on the
one island / one resort principle located just 10
kilometers north of the Mercure.
Pullman Maldives Maamutaa is an in-style, upscale
resort, connecting enjoyment with performance
and encapsulating the Pullman brand philosophies
of ‘our world is your playground’ and ‘time well
lived’.
AS WE DO THIS INTERVIEW, MERCURE
KOODDOO IS IN FINAL PREPARATIONS
FOR ITS OPENING. HOW HAS IT GONE?
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THE
EXPERIENCE?
The preparation and pre-opening of the Mercure
Maldives Kooddoo resort has gone very well with
great support given by the resort’s owners and
AccorHotels.
ILHA 23