A New Mandarin Oriental Resort Is Coming to The Maldives

On Monday, at the International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes France, Dubai-based DAMAV Group announced that it has signed a new contract with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to bring a new resort on a group of private islands in The Maldives in 2025. 

The resort, called The Mandarin Oriental Bolidhuffaru Reef, sits on an 84-acre section in the Indian Ocean, stretching across three different private islands on Bolidhuffaru Reef in South Male Atoll, only accessed by a 30-minute speedboat ride from Male’s Velana International Airport.

The resort is expected to offer 130 stand-alone villas (61 overwater villas and 66 beachfront villas including 10 branded residences). The villas range from 100 to 600 square meters (1,000 to 3,300 square feet), making them some of the largest in the region.

The plans also call for seven different dining outlets, including three specialty restaurants and a pool bar, along with some “creative indoor and outdoor event places.”

At the resort, guests will be able to spend time at a new water sports and dive center, or swimming in the resort’s private pool or private coves and beaches across the property. They’ll also be able to have a wellness experience, with 12 different treatment suites, along with pools, sauna, and steam rooms, on-site.

“We look forward to working with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to manage our new resort on this beautiful island," Hussain Sajwani, Chairman and founder of the DAMAC Group, which owns and operates a number of luxury real estate properties in and around its United Arab Emirates headquarters, said.

''We are continuously entering into partnerships with established world-class brands that mirror DAMAC's reputation and standards for luxury offerings and are confident that Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group will excel in its mandate.”

When the property does open, it will join a growing Mandarin Oriental portfolio that includes the recently opened Mandarin Oriental Palace, Luzern.