Ritz-Carlton Debuts in the Maldives

Ritz-Carlton has officially debuted in the Maldives.

The luxury hotel company on Monday announced the opening of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fair Islands, a new property located on the northeastern tip of North Malé Atoll.

The resort sits on an area of untouched-white sand beaches and water teeming with marine life and is only accessible via a scenic ten-minute seaplane ride or a 45-minute luxury boat ride from Velana International Airport. It is part of the Fari Marina and its village, which is wedged between the three resorts and serves as a social hub for guests visiting the islands

The resort’s debut is much anticipated and long-awaited for Ritz-Carlton, who will finally have a Maldives property.

"We have long wanted to expand The Ritz-Carlton brand into this iconic luxury destination and are thrilled to evolve our global portfolio with this significant debut. From its thoughtful architecture to its culturally immersive programming, this resort represents the brand's commitment to the innovative experiences that today's luxury traveler seeks," said Donna McNamara, vice president and global brand leader for Ritz-Carlton said.  

Guests will officially be welcomed to the resort this week. Accommodations include 100 one- to three-bedrooms villas, some sitting over the water and others tucked along beach coves. Each villa will offer guests a sun deck with a private infinity pool and view of the surrounding area and all guests will have access to a private island butler to personalize their vacation for them.

For dining, the property will have seven different venues including an overwater space, Summer Pavilion, along with a Japanese open-air restaurant called Iawau. Two of the restaurants can only be accessed by taking an eight-minute dhoni trip (a traditional wooden fishing boat) from the resort to Fari Marina Village—Arabesque, which serves food from Lebanon to North India; and Tum Tum, an Asian food truck.

The resort will hosts kids in the Ritz Kids program, with a teen program that includes lessons with drone cinematographers. It will also offer scuba on demand for guests in its dedicated dive center.

The brand’s iconic Ritz-Carlton Spa will also have a place at the resort, offering nine treatment rooms.