What’s the Best Dive Destination of 2018? Maldives!

At the Grand Final of The World Travel Awards held on December 1 at Pátio da Galé in Lisbon, Portugal, the Maldives has won the prestigious position of the World’s Leading Dive Destination 2018.

after fierce competition with top tourist destinations such as Seychelles and Mauritius, Maldives once again has secured this prestigious position.

“Winning these awards will indeed enhance the image of the destination and indicates the visitors’ love and confidence towards the Maldives”  Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) said, in a statement.

World Travel Awards™ was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Today, the World Travel Awards™ brand is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

Each year World Travel Awards™ covers the globe with its Grand Tour – a series of regional gala ceremonies to recognize excellence within each continent, culminating in a Grand Final at the end of the year.

CAA Architects has placed first in the “Maldives Airport, Ocean’s Heaven Economic Zone Development

Beijing and New York-based design studio CAA Architects has placed first in the “Maldives Airport, Economic Zone Development” competition with their design of a futuristic, energy-producing eco-city on the east coast of the reclaimed island Hulhumalé, Maldives. Named Ocean’s Heaven after its nature-inspired design connecting the ocean with the city, the project features striking, sinuous buildings covered in green roofs and solar panels and will be capable of producing almost all of its own energy on-site. Commissioned by the Beijing Urban Construction Group Co. in partnership with the Maldives central government, the eco-city is yet another example of China’s increasing influence over the archipelago country.

Global warming and rising sea levels are serious concerns for the Maldives, a tropical paradise famed for its pristine beaches and aquamarine waters. In response to the climate change threats and to celebrate the island country’s natural beauty, CAA Architects crafted Ocean’s Heaven with organically inspired buildings integrated with energy-producing systems to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

The mixed-use development will cover nearly two-thirds of the 100,000-square-meter site and include residences, an airport company service center, international trade center, convention center, island transport hub, shopping centers, a business hotel, dining, along with a centralized cultural center that will serve as the island’s “nervous system”. Ocean’s Heaven will promote high-density urban living and public transportation that includes both surface and water commuting. Ample green space, including sky gardens, will strengthen the community’s ties with nature.

In addition to the solar photovoltaic arrays mounted on the buildings and the sculptural canopy elements along the boardwalk, Ocean’s Heaven will also draw power from tidal waves to generate over 70 percent of the electricity needed to power the development. Rainwater harvesting and passive cross ventilation are also woven into the design. The project, which will be carried out in two phases, is slated for completion in 2021.

Ocean’s Heaven is set to complete construction in 2021

 

 

 

LUX* South Ari Atoll unveils ‘clean energy’ solar system power system

LUX* South Ari Atoll officially unveiled the property’s newly installed solar powered system on December 1, the latest in the brand’s move to becoming a more environment-friendly operation, that runs on clean energy.

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The solar system will utilize all available roof spaces and will be coupled with offshore SolarSea platforms by 2019 to reach desired solar power production capacity.

According to the resort, it is estimated that with this shift, it could reduce its carbon footprint by saving around 234,000 litres of diesel per year. This corresponds to saving 620 tons of CO2 from being released for the same period of time.

Austrian company Swimsol is the leading solar energy company in the Maldives and a global leader in offshore photovoltaics. The company has extensive expertise in island micro-grids and heavy-duty tropical solar PV systems.

Additionally, a large team from Swimsol will be in Maldives for operation and maintenance.

“We are proud to have this project installed at LUX* South Ari Atoll. We always see ways to add value and put ourselves as a leading sustainability resort in the Maldives. Once Phase II of this project is in motion, we will be able to manage energy better and find ways to effectively save on the cost of producing energy on the island itself”, said Jonas Amstad, General Manager at LUX* South Ari Atoll.

Head of Sales at Swimsol GmbH Thomas Siebenbrunner added that, “This is a milestone project showing what a high-end island resort can achieve with solar technology. So much diesel is saved and cost is reduced by using the roofs and the ocean for solar panels.”

“For us, LUX* South Ari is an amazing partner in our quest to bring clean energy to the Maldives.”

Riu Palace Maldives and Riu Atoll lead the way for RIU Hotels & Resorts in Maldives

RIU Hotels & Resorts will inaugurate the five-star Hotel Riu Palace Maldivas and the four-star Riu Atoll in summer 2019.

Both hotels are located on the private island of Kedhigandu, part of the Dhaalu Atoll, connected by a walkway with the neighboring Maafushi island.

The hotels, of new construction, offer modern facilities and luxury fresh-looking décor in predominantly light colours. They will feature RIU’s 24-hour All-Inclusive service to make the Hotel RIU’s Riu Palace Maldivas and the Riu Atoll excellent options for enjoying a relaxing holiday alone, as a couple or with friends or family in a virgin island on the Indian Ocean.

The Riu Palace Maldivas offers its guests 176 light-filled rooms that all have free WiFi, air conditioning, minibars stocked with soft drinks, water and beer, plus beverage dispensers, among others. The land-based villas offer direct access to the sea and the water villas include rooms with a private terrace and stairway leading to the sea, some of them with a private small pool.

At the Riu Atoll, 264 rooms afford outstanding views to the sea for views of spectacular Sunset

The gastronomic offer is one of the Riu Palace Maldivas’ strong points, as it offers gourmet, Asian and Italian options in its Krystal, Yu Hi and Sofia restaurants. In addition to three different bars, the Riu Palace Maldivas also has the Beef Steakhouse and its main buffet restaurant, Palm where local cuisine, rich in meat and fish and with international influences, has a place alongside a wide variety of international dishes. Guests at the Riu Atoll will enjoy its main buffet restuarant, Dhooni, the Beef Steakhouse and the Italianrestuarant Sofia as well as three different bars

Both resorts have outdoor infinity swimming pools with swim-up bars overlooking the beach, plus a gym and a wide variety watersports under professional supervision. To go home from their vacations totally renewed, guests can visit the Renova Spa and enjoy the Jacuzzi, the steam bath or schedule appointments for all body and beauty treatments. There are daytime and night-time entertainment programme with live shows and music, and even the youngest ones have special areas designed for them at the Riu Atoll, such as a children’s swimming pool, a children’s club and a playground.

RIU’s debut in the Maldives

In order to bring its brand to the Maldives, RIU faced an enormous challenge since communication between islands is very complex, and infrastructure and services are non-existent. Construction is unlike any other project previously carried out by the chain, while the investment necessary is also significant. Between the land and construction, RIU calculates that the spend it will be close to 140 million euros.

The results will be unlike any of the chain’s current hotels. The water surrounding the islets is quite shallow, creating a gamut of turquoise blue – the beauty of which is striking. This is in addition to the unique nature of the construction, which will include small seaside structures that have direct access either to the beach or to the sea. by way of a stairway from the room’s terrace.Both sides of the walkway, joining the two islets, will have rooms built directly on top of the water. These will belong to the Riu Palace hotel and will be the most luxurious, with private pools and bathtubs on the terraces which will have direct access to the water.

More information

The international RIU chain was founded in Mallorca by the Riu family in 1953 as a small holiday firm and is still owned by the family’s third generation. The company specialises in holiday resorts and over 70% of its establishments offer its All Inclusive by RIU service.

With the inauguration of its first city hotel in 2010, RIU is expanding its range of products with its own line of city hotels called Riu Plaza. RIU Hotels & Resorts now has 92 hotels in 19 countries which welcome over 4 million guests a year and provide jobs for a total of 28,894 employees.RIU is currently the world’s 34th ranked chain, one of the Caribbean’s most popular, the third largest in Spain in terms of revenue and the fourth largest in number of rooms.