Hotel Insider - Maldives (Issue No. 7)

ISSUE NO. 7

COMO Cocoa Island – An intimate oasis in a busy atoll

THE DIVE & WATER SPORTS ISSUE

Into the Blue Word from the top - Patrice Aira

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CONTENTS

24 COVER STORY: INTO THE BLUE - A LOOK AT THE LOCAL DIVE AND WATER SPORTS INDUSTRY

In this issue, we take a look at an important segment within the tourism industry, dive & water sports, the reason why 20 per cent of guests arrive at this destination.

Features 10

CONVERSATION - AHMED MAUSOOM

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Hotel Insider talks to Ahmed Mausoom of Aries Enterprises on F&B matters.

Mausoom’s company was one of the pioneering F&B suppliers and he has much to share.

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UNDP MALDIVES

Our coral reefs are the seventh largest in the world, representing some 5% of the global reef area. Save the Beach NGO has come up with an excellent idea for breathing new life into our reefs.

IN THE BOARDROOM - HUSSAIN ZAHID

We meet Ocean Group’s CEO Hussain Zahid who talks to us about the dive and water sports market past and present. There’s a lot of innovation on this front as you will see.

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WORD FROM THE TOP - PATRICE AIRA

Patrice Aira was at the Four Seasons in Seattle during the grunge era. He’s had many experiences along the way, including something truly shocking in Sharm alSheikh.

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RESORT REVIEW - COMO COCOA ISLAND

We ride down to this oasis in the busy South Male' Atoll. Cocoa Island is known for its holistic wellness experience and, of course, fantastic food.

(continued on page 6)

ON THE COVER: A private villa at COMO Cocoa Island - their designs are a nod towards the Maldives' tradition and nature.

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Contents

EDITORIAL Mariyam Athif Editor Adele Verdier-Ali Editorial Consultant Nashiu Zahir Contributing Editor

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MARKETING & SALES Mohamed Shinan Marketing & Sales Consultant Mohamed Yazeed Abdul Sattar Marketing & Sales Consultant Ali Kausar Print Advertising PRODUCTION Fathimath Nahuza Operations Manager Aishath Hamdha Administrative Intern

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BACK OF THE HAUS - GFS AT HURAWALHI ISLAND RESORT

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Former Spa Manager at Hideaway Rochelle had a dream of becoming a doctor but she had to scrap that because life got in the way. She persevered however, and her story is nothing if not inspiring.

This time, we follow Global Fire Services around Hurwalhi as they service fire extinguishers. GFS provides this important and much needed mobile maintenance service to their exclusive clients.

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SPOTLIGHT - PARK HYATT HADAHAA

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We go south to Park Hyatt Hadahaa, a property ranked second in the Maldives on Padi Travel. North Huvadhoo Atoll is pristine and home to a number of excellent dive sites.

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SPOTLIGHT - HUSSEN ABDULLA, GM, SEA GEAR

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NEWS - FOUR SEASONS RESORTS MALDIVES AWARDS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME GRADUATES

Four Seasons Resorts Maldives concludes another round of their lauded apprenticeship programme.

An event was held earlier this month at Dharubaaruge to mark the occasion.

SPOTLIGHT - AL-SHAALI MARINE

One of the premier boatbuilders in the country, Al Shaali Marine knows the business inside out. They’re not just boatbuilders, for Al Shaali customers, they are family.

NEWS - AMILLA PRESENTS NEWEST CULINARY ADDITION: WELLNESS CAFÉ

Amilla Fushi premiered its newest culinary addition, the Wellness Café in April. It’s a little joint by their Javvu Spa, promising delicious, allnatural fare.

We sit with Sea Gear’s general manager Hussen Abdulla for a chat.

He’s an expert in dive and water sports, and was a dive instructor for a long time.

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WORKING WOMEN - ROCHELLE MORENO

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MARKETPLACE

A quick guide to suppliers, financial institutions, basically everyone useful for people such as yourself.

CONTRIBUTORS Naifa Zahir Editorial Intern Abdulla Muaz Photo/Multimedia Editor Ahmed Razeen Photographer Munshid Mohamed Photographer Printed by M7 Print (960) 330 7787 print@m7maldives.com Hotel Insider is published by Qualia Priavte Limited. For enquries please send an email to info@hotelinsidermv.com. © Qualia Private Limted 2019. March/April. All rights reserved.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. All information contained in this magazine is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Qualia Private Limited cannot accept responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Qualia Private Limited a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine. All material is sent at your own risk and although every care is taken, neither Qualia Private Limited nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be held liable resulting for loss or damage. Qualia Private Limited endeavours to respect the intellectual property of the owners of copyrighted material reproduced herein. If you identify yourself as the copyright holder of material we have wrongly attributed, please contact the office.

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From the Editor

Adventures Abound Warm greetings from team Hotel Insider. We hope you’re having a great and spiritually fulfilling Ramadan.

This time, our focus is on the water, above and below, and we explore dive & watersports in some depth in our cover story.

And for this issue’s installment of ‘Conversation’, we’ve sat down with Ahmed Mausoom of Aries Enterprises and found out his thoughts on subjects ranging from F&B to the guesthouse industry.

We’re also delighted to feature Rochelle Moreno in ‘Working Women’; she was with Hideaway as a spa manager when we met her.

Rochelle’s journey is interesting, an uplifting story of determination and perseverance paying off in the end.

Also featured is one of the Maldives’

first dive instructors, Hussen Abdulla, who runs Sea Gear. We talk about Silver Sands, Sea Gear’s parent company, who introduced what Hussen calls a ‘total solution’ to the dive & watersports market.

Did you know that you can buy Havaianas at Sea Gear? Now you do.

Before we part, let me remind you to check our website and subscribe to our newsletter.

Warm Regards

Mariyam Athif Editor

If you have missed our previous issue please find a digital copy from the links below. https://bit.ly/2JOCiFl

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Conversation

Ahmed Mausoom For this instalment of Conversation, we have a chat with one of the pioneers of the country’s F&B supply business, Ahmed Mausoom, managing director of Aries Enterprises.

Hotel Insider: You were selling souvenirs before you began supplying F&B goods to the resorts. Can we talk about your journey?

Ahmed Mausoom: Yes, we started as a souvenir wholesaler. During that time the market was not so saturated and it was relatively a new business in this country.

Initially we were the only establishment doing this business at a large scale. We supplied mainly to shops in the tourist resorts and also to souvenir shops in some local islands like Himmafushi. Tourism was booming during the early 80s and our business as well grew in tandem with that.  However, during the late 80s the tourism industry started to decline. The industry was a six-month business back then, as sales were extremely low during low season. By this time, we were importing some food items like Mlesna tea and Munchee biscuits; these too 10

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were mainly for the souvenir market.

However, due to the slowdown in tourism industry we envisaged the importance of diversifying our business in to other market segments. This facilitated our decision to extend our food products portfolio and start catering to both the tourism and domestic market. We gradually expanded our F&B product line and slowly moved away from the souvenir business. We added products like Vimto from UK, Rani from Saudi Arabia and since our sister company was representing Philip Morris, we were able to get distributorship from Kraft General Foods for some of their products like Kraft cheese. Today we represent some of the leading food brands in the market.

Hotel Insider: What was the F&B market like back then?

Ahmed Mausoom: The market in general was not very competitive in our line of

"The market in general was not very competitive in our line of business when we started...More than business rivalry, it was more of a friendly affair back then."

business when we started. This gave us the edge to grow steadily and meet the requirements of the growing market.

However, it was a seasonal business and new entrants as well soon came in to the picture.

More than business rivalry, it was more of a friendly affair back then. I believe the business community was subconsciously working collectively and complementing each other and the business industry as a whole, to keep in pace with the booming economy. If I may relate, there were a lot of similarities to today’s emerging market of local tourism (guest house tourism) in the islands where some islands have achieved exceptional success as a result of working together to market the island more than individual establishments.

Let me also talk a bit about the resorts back then. It was quite different from what we see today. Most of them were built in a very traditional concept. The rooms had white

sandy floors, coral walls and thatched roofs.

Hotel Insider: F&B is a key component of any resort. How do you assure that your goods get to the resorts as needed and on time? Are there any challenges you come across?

Ahmed Mausoom: In general, the process is quite efficient. With most resorts we follow the same procedures and the resorts are very systematic too. Usually we will get orders in advance with details of boat location and time.

So there is not so much difficulty in that regard. However, due to some traffic rules implemented last year for goods deliveries, we faced great obstacles. Much of it has now been relaxed and the process is again relatively smoother. More than the logistics of delivering goods from our warehouses to resort boats, a major challenge we face now is getting shipments cleared from MPL/Customs. There are long delays during this process and as a Hotel Insider

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Conversation

"The major change I think now is that you can procure almost all F&B items required for the industry locally and at a far better price than before.

In the past, many resorts had to source a large part of their F&B requirements from abroad and this complicated their business structure and infrastructure."

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result we some times have to delay some deliveries to our clients.

Hotel Insider: We are noticing a trend where tourists visiting the Maldives as well as people in general are becoming more health and environmentally conscious when it comes to food. Has this impacted your business in anyway?

Ahmed Mausoom: Our main market is still the domestic market. Nevertheless, we supply some selected items to the F&B sector. Yes, in general the people and the tourism sector’s requirements are changing to healthier foods and environment friendly products. We have tried introducing such products in the past but it did not materialize to success. However today, the trend has changed across the globe and is changing in the country as well. It is good to see these changes, but we need to do a lot more. The impact to business will always be good if we can embrace that change and support the change through our business.

Hotel Insider: Over the years, are there any major changes to the F&B supply business that you've observed within our tourism sector?

Ahmed Mausoom: As I said earlier, our business is still mainly targeted for the domestic market and we supply limited items to the tourism sector. Over the years, F&B supply industry has seen many large suppliers entering the market providing almost the complete F&B solution to the resorts, guesthouses and catering sector. In terms of volume and supply range, F&B business sector has seen tremendous growth.

The major change I think now is that you can procure almost all F&B items required for the industry locally and at a far better price than before. In the past, many resorts had to source a large part of their F&B requirements from abroad and this complicated their business structure and infrastructure. Now, they can concentrate more on the real hotel business and enjoy the ease and uncomplicatedness of F&B procurement.

Hotel Insider: Since you've been engaged in the Maldivian tourism industry for so long, do you have any general observations regarding the industry you might want to share with us?

Ahmed Mausoom: As a conclusion I would like to say this country is a gem. Its natural beauty, geography and formation complements an unlimited market for tourism. Our tourism industry is world class.

We are at the apex internationally and many other countries are embracing our tourism strategies. This is an outstanding achievement for a country of our size. However, the downside is the disparity in income distribution geographically, demographically and socially. This has to be addressed. The local tourism introduced in President Nasheed’s regime has drastically improved the situation in some parts of the country. Local tourism has helped develop many islands that didn’t have much economic activity before into well-off island communities. Together with the guesthouse policy, the whole tourism industry should be further stretched across the country. Also, to meet the demands and cater to the massive tourism industry we have in the country today, we have to overcome the Male’ International airport situation. In the south, Gan International Airport and Hanimaadhoo Airport in the north should further develop to help tourism grow in these regions so that the industry can facilitate the economic activities across the country, paving way for an economically developed island nation.

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UNDP Maldives

Saving Maldives’ Reefs, Coral by Coral Passionate groups come together to breathe life back into our reefs in peril.

The deep oceans that surrounds the tiny Maldivian islands are filled with colourful marine life and vibrant coral reefs, and enjoys some of the richest marine biodiversity anywhere in the world. Our coral reefs are the seventh largest in the world, representing some 5% of the global reef area. They are home to 250 species of fish. But these magnificent reefs that protects the islands and its people may soon be gone. Severe coral bleaching incidents have affected between 6090 percent of corals in different ares of these tropical waters of the Maldives. If immediate action is not taken, these vibrant corals will become ghostly shadows of their former selves.

Save the Beach is a Maldivian NGO founded by a team of enthusiastic conservationists. The NGO, initially supported by UNDP, has been conducting coral restoration and relocation projects for over a decade now. One of the first projects by the NGO was to rehabilitate corals damaged following the harbour development project in Villimalé – a dividsion of capital Malé city. Save the Beach already had several successful reef restoration projects under their belt, when they expressed their wish to start a new coral conservation project to Shoko Noda, the UNDP Resident Representative in the Maldives.

About an hour away from Malé city is Meeru Island Resort & Spa. The resort had some of the best underwater spectacles one can find the Maldives. However, like many coral reefs near this area, it too is under threat and Meeru Island Resort was looking for ways to replenish their reefs. Shoko introduced Save the Beach to Hussain Afeef (Champa), the

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Chairman of Crown & Champa Resorts, which operate Meeru Island Resort. It led to the Coral Garden seen thriving on the shallower reefs of the resort today.

The resort had the means, and the NGO brought in the know-how. As part of the Coral Garden Project, Save the Beach came up with a method of coral planting, where specific corals that would be compatible in the Meeru waters, were grown on nursery beds, and relocated to the Coral Garden once they matured. Save the Beach and Meeru worked together to find coral fragments and plant, maintain and tend to them on a daily basis. All this was done at the nurseries developed with the assistance of the Sports, Entertainment and Activities (SEA) team at Meeru Island Resort. The project also allowed the teams to conduct studies on how to grow corals at nurseries, which were ideal locations for replanting matured corals.

One year on Hassan Ahmed (Beybe), one of the Founders of Save the Beach, and Shoko visited Meeru on a beautiful sunny morning to check the progress of the coral garden. The waters were exceptionally clear and sparkled with the droplets of sunshine shimmering on their surface. "We are thrilled to see the progress. Where once the reef was barren, now the underwater life and the corals are blooming," Shoko observes.

Noting the importance of connecting passionate groups, Shoko is glad that UNDP was able to support Save the Beach in mobilising support from the private sector.

"It's also very rewarding to see passionate people like Naasih from the resort, who didn't know that much about marine biology, now

becoming an expert in his own way. He is able to carry on the important role of conserving natures incredible gifts to us.

"Within just one and a half year, I am amazed to see the good progress made. This is just one reef restored. Imagine if there were hundreds of reefs like this. We are now proud to host regular coral garden tours for our guests so that we can impart awarness and inspire many more," says Meeru's Afeef.

The impact of these remarkable efforts to revive our reefs in peril might be incremental, but it hold promises as was the ocean.

Especially for countries on the frontlines of climate change, such as Maldives, only by protecting the fragile under water can we ensure life above water. Taking action to leave this country as vibrant, attractive and prosperous as the one we inherited. Not only for Maldvians. But for everyone.

Highlights: Maldives hosts the seventh largest coral reef system in the world with more than 250 coral species Reef dependent tourism makes up 60% of total tourism revenues and 43% of GDP

To join us and Unite for Climate Action, please visit: https://give. undp.org/maldives If you would like to learn more about how you can work with UNDP to support communities and jointly take Climate Actions, please follow link http://www.makemyisland.mv

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In the Boardroom

Hussain Zahid We sat down with a company that’s been around for over two decades – Ocean Group, led by the charismatic Hussain Zahid (CEO).

He made headlines as a national windsurfing champion and brought that passion and drive to his business. We talk about the dive and water sports market in its early days, the innovations that the company has brought to the business and its efforts in marine conservation.

Hotel Insider: Let's begin by telling us a little bit about your company.

Hussain Zahid: I founded the company back in 1998. Today, we’re a leading dive and water sports operator and we’ve partnered with luxurious five-star resorts in the Maldives, Langkawi in Malaysia and Da Nang in Vietnam. The company is driven by a very dedicated team and also by my passion and personal accolades as an awardwinning athlete (I was seven times national windsurfing champion). Ocean Group introduced many innovative products to the water sports arena including adrenalinepumping hydro-sports X-Jets Jetpack and X-Jets Jetblade. We’re also the first in the world to launch a three dome DeepFlight Super Falcon 3S submarine in the Maldives.

Our main services include Ocean Sports Centre, Ocean Dive Centre, Ocean Recreation Centre, Ocean Photography, Ocean Gear and Ocean Conservation.

Hotel Insider: Can you tell us what the dive and water sports market was like when you started?

Hussain Zahid: In the late 90s, only nonmotorised water sports like windsurfing and catamaran sailing were mainstream. There were very little motorised sports compared Hotel Insider

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In the Boardroom

"Guest expectations have risen over the years – they’ve come to expect more from their vacations than just the ‘art of doing nothing’."

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to what’s available these days.

Hotel Insider: What changes have you observed in the industry so far?

Hussain Zahid: Advanced technology and R&D has certainly improved the types of water sports gear available in the marketplace today.

They are a lot safer and more environmentfriendly. The industry is moving towards more innovative products and the current fastest growing segment is foil sports like kite, windsurf, wake and electric foil boards.

However, foil sports is not for everyone. The industry needs to continue to research and develop other types of water-based activities suited to a wider audience.

Hotel Insider: The Maldives is a far more luxurious destination now than it ever was.

What sort of impact has this had on your clients and their expectations?

Hussain Zahid: Guest expectations have risen over the years – they’ve come to expect more from their vacations than just the ‘art of doing nothing’. And we’re happy to note that we have a very high rate of return guests at the resorts where we conduct operations.

They constantly look for new and exciting water sports to enhance their vacation in the Maldives. Our DEEPFLIGHT submarine is a big hit with guests as it allows a unique, flying underwater experience that even non-divers can enjoy. Our PARITET glass bottom boat is also top of the class – it’s the biggest and most luxurious of its kind in the Maldives. It offers a clear glass a two-by-three meter window, the largest ever built. Our focus is on bringing innovations like these to the business and maintaining excellent service standards so that guests will keep on returning.

Hotel Insider: That’s great. Innovation is key to success. Now, can you tell us what you’re focusing on at the moment, business-wise?

Hussain Zahid: We work closely with all our partner resorts and are always looking for new products to introduce to ours and our partners’ portfolios. We need to collaborate closely because that’s how we can successfully drive incremental revenue. We are also focusing on training and re-training all our employees on both product knowledge

and soft skills to boost our service standards and increase productivity.

Hotel Insider: We used to have a largely European market but we're seeing Asia becoming more dominant. Has this affected your business?

Hussain Zahid: A larger clientele is a positive thing for the Maldives and for our industry in general. We have many guests from Asia who enjoy diving and discovering the beauty of the Maldives. They are also avid fans of both motorised and non-motorised water sports. Asian guests tend to have shorter stays in the Maldives but they are also eager and enthusiastic to try out new water sports.

Hotel Insider: Moving on to a sombre topic, you must have observed adverse environmental phenomena like coral bleaching up close, and in different parts of the world.

Hussain Zahid: Yes, and at Ocean Conservation, we have started to help raise awareness on the effects of coral bleaching and global warming. Our resident marine biologists conduct regular marine presentations to educate the guests on the fragile marine ecosystem in the Maldives.

We’ve also started a coral frame adoption programme where guests can contribute and do their bit for our beautiful reefs in the Maldives. Also, all our PADI Gold Palm fivestar dive centres strictly enforce the no-touch policy when diving with guests. And we keep a strict maintenance regime with all our boats and gear to prevent stuff like fuel leakages which are damaging to the ocean.

Hotel Insider: It’s very encouraging to see a company with an eco-friendly outlook. To wrap things up, let's talk about your plans for the near future.

Hussain Zahid: At Ocean Group, we continue to source exciting new gear to enhance guests experience over and under water. There are a lot of new products in the marketplace but we are discerning buyers – for us only products with the highest quality in terms of safety and features will make the cut.

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W W W . Z I E H E R . C O M

Word from the top

Patrice Aira We travel down to Ari Atoll and sit with Patrice Aira, Lily Beach Resort’s general manager. His journey in hospitality began in Seattle during the grunge era and he had a stint in Toronto before moving all the way to Sharm al-Sheikh.

A seasoned GM, Patrice spent most of his career with Four Seasons and he’s been through some extraordinary stuff over the years. Read on and find out.

Hotel Insider: Do you have any fond memories from your time in Seattle? That was during the grunge years wasn't it?

Patrice Aira: I have great memories of being in Seattle in my 20s. First real job in a fantastic hotel, the Four Seasons Olympic, amazing scenery, Seattleites are very down to earth people. There was also a thriving restaurant scene with great food, and yes of course, Pearl Jam. Ahh… seems so far away and yet I have so many vivid memories.

Hotel Insider: Man, what wouldn’t we give to have seen Pearl Jam in that crazy period! All right. So, you've spent almost your entire career with Four Seasons. You were a head waiter at one of their hotels in Seattle. Can you tell us what drew you to the brand?

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Patrice Aira: Well, one day I went for coffee and when I walked through the doors of the Olympic Hotel and thought, gosh this is beautiful! Crystal chandeliers, luxurious environment, one of these old grand dame properties. To be honest, I was not so familiar with the brand itself as we did not have any in France and only one in London back then.

So, I guess that $10 cup of coffee that day was well spent.

Hotel Insider: [laughs]. And you worked your way up from that to director of banquets in seven years.

Patrice Aira: With my visa nearing expiry after my two and a half years in Seattle, I enrolled in a master in hospitality management back in France and re-joined FS right after graduation in Palm Beach Florida as a management trainee in Food & Beverage.

There I rotated throughout the resort’s restaurants and became director of banquets.

Loved that job, a lot of major functions with the Palm Beach socialites.

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Word from the Top

Hotel Insider: You moved to Toronto not long afterwards. Is the approach to hospitality similar in North America?

Patrice Aira: From +30 degrees to 30 below freezing…that was a shock for me but to be honest, I really loved Toronto. Great cosmopolitan city, a bit more laid back than in the States but the unions were very strong and in this respect, it's similar to the States.

Hotel Insider: And from there to Sharm El Sheikh. What was the journey like? You handled some really dire situations, there was the bombing, plus you laid off staff while maintaining quality. Can we talk about this a bit?

Patrice Aira: The bombing in Sharm occurred the same night I landed. Very challenging situation. Occupancy dropped immediately and it took quite some time to recover – European guests could not even travel anymore to the South Sinai. But in these crisis situations, this is when you learn the most. You have no choice. You still have to deliver the Four Seasons standards but with a lot of constraints; less staff, less budget.

Similar to Toronto when the outbreak of H1N1 occurred, the hotel dropped to 10% occupancy. When I look back, I realised that I learned so much due to these strange circumstances. Things that are useful today.

Hotel Insider: OK. Moving on to a pleasant topic, your resort management role was 20 years in the making. You started overseeing the Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita in 2010. That's a pretty interesting journey, especially as you've worked in really different cities.

And you had clear goals.

Patrice Aira: Those 20 years was a long voyage full of learning, and I loved every minute of it. Opening the new resort in Mauritius was one of my goals. You don’t inherit someone else’s property – you have an 22

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opportunity to put your own fingerprint on it.

And because I’ve worked with many different cultures, that gives me a broader approach when dealing with people, when handling situations. Also, I have had great mentors at Four Seasons for whom I am very thankful towards.

Hotel Insider: You bring to Lily Beach all these different experiences, and an exceptionally strong culinary background.

You've also hosted a Michelin Star chef here, is it part of your efforts to ramp up culinary offerings at the property?

Patrice Aira: The quality of our kitchens is already exceptional, and known to be one of the big strengths of Lily Beach. Having the opportunity to bring a Michelin starred chef allows us to not only offer our guests an elevated dining experience but also to satisfy the thirst for knowledge of our culinary team.

Giving both guests and employees that chance makes me happy.

Hotel Insider: You've made excellent progress, improving resort ranking since you took over. And you're still learning, improving your skills in sales and marketing. It's a never-ending journey isn't it?

Patrice Aira: Being elevated to #1 in Asia and #14 in the word by Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards in the last two years gives us great satisfaction of course; it is nice to see the result of the team’s hard work in a concrete and official manner. You’re right, you never stop learning; I have the chance to work with top level executives in sales and marketing and that exposure is, of course, very enriching.

Every day I realise there is more I can learn and do better. I guess that’s the name of the game!

Hotel Insider: Thank you, Patrice.

"Those 20 years were a long voyage full of learning, and I loved every minute of it. Opening the new resort in Mauritius was one of my goals. You don’t inherit someone else’s property – you have an opportunity to put your own fingerprint on it. "

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Cover Story

Into the Blue – a look at the local dive and water sports industry This issue of Hotel Insider is dedicated to dive and water sports and in our cover story, we are going to take a look into this important segment of the Maldivian tourism industry.

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Cover Story

Diving into numbers According to the February 2018 Maldives Visitor Survey published by the Maldives’ ministry of tourism this March, relaxation and honeymoon are, unsurprisingly perhaps, the top two reasons why people visit our islands.

Coming in third for the purpose of visit, though, is snorkelling and diving.

20 per cent of respondents stated diving as their main purpose of coming here. And when the data is observed by nationality; it’s the Germans and the Swiss that appear to be most interested in water-based activities.

Around 40 per cent of the German tourists said they were in Maldives for snorkelling while 38 per cent of Swiss tourists also stated the same. On the other hand, nationalities that showed the least enthusiasm for snorkelling and diving were Indian, Arab and Russian.

Now we’ve already established the things people usually come here for. But can you guess what they most liked about the Maldives? A staggering 62 per cent of the visitor survey respondents stated the underwater life to be what they most liked

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about the country. And for one to experience Maldives’ underwater beauty, one must dive, snorkel or go down in a submarine.

Furthermore, while 91 per cent of the survey participants expressed their intentions of visiting the country again, diving, snorkelling and underwater life were among the top reasons why they wanted to come back.

97 per cent of the survey respondents said they’d recommend the Maldives too, and while the top reason for their recommendation was the country’s natural beauty, the second was snorkelling and diving.

The participants of the survey considered diving and water sports activities offered by the resorts here to be value for money. 3 per cent thought diving was cheap, 54 per cent thought it was value for money and 43 per cent considered it expensive; the numbers were the same for excursions. As for other sports activities, 4 per cent said it was cheap, 57 per cent said it was value for money and 39 per cent said it was expensive.

That’s it for the stats, and now we’ll move on to look at some of the changes that have taken place within the dive and water sports

industry.

Changing gear In the 70s when tourism started in the Maldives, most of the people who came here were sea enthusiasts. They were cruising on safari boats, with sails before the boats got motorised; they were surfing, diving, snorkelling, and fishing, living the Robinson Crusoe life. Now, years later, things have obviously taken on a more glamorous turn as the Maldives successfully branded itself as a luxury destination. However, water-based activities continue. CEO of Ocean Group, Hussein Zahid, says when the company got into the dive and water sports business back in the 90s, only non-motorised water sports like windsurfing and catamaran sailing were mainstream. That’s quite different to what we see today.

“Ocean Group introduced many innovative products to the water sports arena including adrenaline-pumping hydro-sports X-Jets Jetpack and X-Jets Jetblade. We’re also the first in the world to launch a three dome

"A lot of [local] islands now have PADI five-star dive centres that can rival tourist resorts in terms of high-quality gear, safety and dive experience."

DeepFlight Super Falcon 3S submarine in the Maldives.” Zahid says.

Besides the introduction of hi-tech sports gear, what resorts expect from dive and water sports service providers seem to be changing too. The days when different operators deliver different components of water sports are slowly fading away. And taking their place are water sports companies that provide an allencompassing service.

Speaking to us about this change is the general manager of Sea Gear Hussen Abdulla.

Though Sea Gear is a relatively new company, their parent company Silver Sands is a longtime dive, water sports and excursions service provider who also pioneered the concept of providing a total water sports solution to tourist resorts.

“No one else was doing it so it became the benchmark for others,” Hussen said while recalling the time when Silver Sands got into the business in 2006. “They began with W Maldives, one of the trendiest brands to establish themselves here. Say a guest wanted a sunset cruise on a luxury yacht – well, Silver Sands could do that. So, this total solution

concept really caught on.”

Hussen also believes it’s important for water sports services to be well integrated with the brands of individual resorts. “Like at W, you can’t tell that the dive centre is a third party, it’s called Down Under and is very much part of the resort.”

The many ways to dive Now, let’s have a look at diving. It’s undeniably one major water-based activity, and one that’s begun to evolve during the last few years too.

Divers who come to the Maldives used to have two options. They could either stay at one of the many resorts and have their dives organised by the dive centres at those properties, or they could opt for a liveaboard and tour popular dive sites. But the last five years or so has seen the boom of a new option, diving from local islands.

A lot of these islands now have PADI fivestar dive centres that can rival tourist resorts in terms of high-quality gear, safety and dive experience. For example, many of them now

offer top-notch safety equipment and features such as Nitrox for reduced decompression risks and BAUER Pure Air Stations.

“Many of the dive centres on local islands are founded by those leaving the luxury industry,” says Ali Miuraj, owner of Fulidhoo Dive. Fulidhoo Dive, located in Vaavu Atoll’s Fulidhoo island is one of the dive centres leading this third option for diving. “This allows us to offer a high standard of service at an affordable price. Apart from that, local islands have so many other cultural experiences to offer, and this makes it a great option for divers who come with non-diving family members,” he says.

The future of diving though is in peril. The 2016 El Nino’s devastation swept through large swaths of our reefs, leaving them bleached and lifeless. Park Hyatt Hadahaa’s base leader for dive and activities Rilwan Mohamed believes there’s not much we can do. “But we remain positive and hope that we can find ways of mitigating the effects in the coming years. For the moment, we can be happy as the corals are recovering.”

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Resort Review

COMO Cocoa Island – An intimate oasis in a busy atoll What immediately makes an impression at COMO Cocoa Island is the quiet. Though it’s in Male' Atoll, and with a few resorts and the inhabited island of Guraidhoo nearby, it’s as though I’ve walked into a dome of silence when I step on its soil.

It’s welcome and refreshing, especially to someone coming from the city. Benjamin Kreuz, the resort’s general manager, points out a couple of reasons for this: the property doesn’t have motorised water sports nor does it have buggies.

It’s a small island, not even 400 metres in length and half the land is taken up by the COMO Shambhala Retreat, unsurprising since COMO properties are known for their focus on wellness. I’m booked for a spa session the next day, and our butler, Zarra, allows my younger sister Nai and I a peek into one of the buildings. Beneath its high, slanted ceilings is a large indoor hydrotherapy pool.

It’s a curious thing with seats like deckchairs and nooks with nozzles for massaging. The complex also houses a library and reading area; guests are encouraged to come, relax and read, Zarra explains.

As Nai and I follow Zarra down the wooden walkway, we bump into an old New Zealand couple. They’ve been here four nights and are enjoying the change of pace. It turns out the woman is into yoga in a big way.

“I can’t get started without a morning session,” she says. “Excellent place for yoga.”

I tell her I’m going to the spa the next day.

“You’ll love the signature massage. It’s a must. My husband loved it too.”

“I’m more of a paddle boarder,” he laughs.

We talk about the weather, which, for July, has been incredible; no storms thus far and the sea is as still as a lake in the mountains.

Then we go our separate ways.

We observe the rooms as we go along; there are just 33 villas, all over water. Some appear

to be traditional dhonis converted into houses, others resemble old-school dhivehi huts with cute portholes for windows.

Our room is spacious and simple. High ceilings slope down and meet whitewashed wooden walls. Tall glass doors let in loads of golden sunlight and lead out to the deck. The mahogany floors shine, and there are flashes of warmth in the room’s décor – the reds and oranges in the rug and in the oversized cushions on the seats.

Zarra explains the room to us then leaves, warning us of triggerfish, photos of which he shows us from a handy in-room guide to common marine life.

We go out on the deck.

“It’s great, so perfectly calm,” remarks my sister reclining on the deckchair. “You can’t hear anything but the waves. Nothing to see except the sea and distant islands. It’s almost like a dream.”

“It’s because you haven’t been out of the city in a while,” I reply.

“You don’t think it’s nice? Quiet?”

I pretend to mull it over for a bit.

The deck is a great place to take in the sights, it doesn’t draw attention to itself; instead, it points nature’s way.

“I really like our room,” she goes on. “It’s kind of spiritual.”

“Spiritual?” I laugh.

“Yeah, wood gives me that feeling. It feels so natural, part of the earth.”

Before sunset, we have a little swim. That’s what’s great about these villas, the house reef is just metres away and the lagoon is completely at our disposal. The water is lovely Hotel Insider

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and warm. A giant clam right by the steps of our villa fascinates Nai while I swim out to the reef.

You don’t have to tiptoe through the room to access the shower after a dip. There are steps from the lagoon leading to a separate outdoor bathing area. It’s well thought out.

At dinner we meet Kreuz and his Maldivian wife Sary, who entertain us with stories culled from their travels. I ask him how long he’s worked at COMO Cocoa Island.

“Two years now,” he says. “I think this is the last true Maldivian resort.”

“Why do you say that?”

“We’ve been here for fifteen years, and over that period, we’ve remained unchanged.

We’ve arrived at a balance between guests, our team members and nature.”

“I think I know what you mean,” says Nai. “It’s not crowded, you have so much space here.”

“Yes,” beams Kreuz. “It’s not a busy island.

And we’ve kept our design simple; it’s an understated luxury that we offer. Plus, we’re close to several world-class dive spots and there’s great snorkelling around the island.”

Nai says she wants to go snorkelling the following day and we move things to Ufaa, the main restaurant.

Dinner is splendid, as reviews have so enthusiastically said. There’s also a separate Shambhala menu containing more wholesome

options for the health-conscious. We try oysters and wagyu carpaccio for starters, followed by a beautiful pan-fried kingfish in a sweet, tangy homemade sauce. We finish off with baked Alaska and chocolate mousse and head back to our room.

The next day, Nai goes snorkelling while I pay a visit to the COMO Shambhala Retreat.

From the reception, my Balinese therapist, Tari, guides me to one of the four treatment rooms. A pleasant herbal smell wafts out as she opens the door and soft, unobtrusive music plays in the background. I’m in for the COMO Shambhala signature massage, she tells me. The pressure will be gentle to medium but I can always tell her if it’s too much. My feet are washed and scrubbed as an entrée, and I’m given a whiff of the lavenderbased oil to be used in the massage. It’s great, I tell her. And now, the main event.

She starts pressing on my body, gently, then begins with my left side, working her way up from the legs to the top of my neck.

There’s rocking back and forth, and she makes flowing gestures with her hands. There are brief, painful spells as tension is released from my back. Then she moves over to the right and repeats the process. I flip, my legs and arms are worked over down to individual toes and fingers. She presses points at the back of my head that have never been touched. Then, after hot compresses on the neck, chest and

“We’ve been here for fifteen years, and over that period, we’ve remained unchanged.

We’ve arrived at a balance between guests, our team members and nature.”

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Resort Review

feet, it’s over. Shambhala means ‘a place of bliss’ in Sanskrit – the massage lives up to the name.

Back in our room I meet a visibly excited Nai. “How was the massage?” she asks.

“It was really something else,” I say. “What about you? Had fun snorkelling?”

“Oh man, it was really dreamy,” she says.

“I went through a school of these really dazzling blue fish. You know, just so vivid.

I saw some healthy corals too, brain corals, branching corals. It was really amazing. I was totally relaxed until I saw a triggerfish, and I immediately froze and tried to act like a piece of driftwood.”

Towards sunset, we’re on a boat headed towards a fishing spot. We relax on plush seats on the upper deck. The view is quintessentially Maldivian; green islands, blue-green sea, baby blue sky flecked with golden clouds. We enjoy the scenery with icecold drinks in our hands.

Once we arrive, Nai tries to bait her hook while I leave the baiting to Koki, our guide. I can’t remember the last time I went fishing.

But every time I get a nibble, my heart starts to thrash. Nai catches two and she and the crew tease me as I go through several pieces of bait without a fish to show for it. Then, right after sunset, I get a big tug. I yank the line as Koki has instructed and start pulling. Midway, I feel it slacken, and just as I grow despondent, it gets taut again. Koki helps me pull it in, and it’s a keeper, a large-eyed bream. We have amassed quite a decent catch by then and Nai and I settle on a fish to be cooked. One of the crew has caught a large strawberry grouper.

“You can have this,” he says generously. “It’s the best of the lot.”

We let out a whoop and a laughing Koki shows us a menu and we choose cooking methods. We’ll be having fish for lunch and it’s part of the excursion.

And at noon the next day, we feast on the fruits of our labour, our crew’s labour, rather.

Half the grouper is cooked in a deliciously rich coconut gravy, the other is made into sashimi. Paired with saffron rice the curry is knee-weakeningly good, the spice giving it a little heat, the coconut cream adding a silken sweetness. The fish is so tender there’s no need for a knife. It’s a fitting end to our journey and a testament to how good life on COMO Cocoa Island can be.

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are transported to the designated work site. This requires a bit of effort as the extinguishers may need to be collected from various locations around the island.

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Hotel Insider

3 The extinguishers are then sorted by type.

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if they possess the required content.

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Hotel Insider

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Spotlight

Diving with Blue Journeys at Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

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You may not know that Park Hyatt Hadahaa is number two on PADI Travel’s list of properties in the Maldives for diving. It’s a user generated list and, as you will see, there’s ample justification for the resort’s position. This North Huvadhoo Atoll property enjoys a pristineness that’s hard to find elsewhere.

“We’re very lucky to be where we are,” says Rilwan Mohamed, base leader for dive and activities at the property. “We have over 30 dive sites nearby and I’d consider at least half of them world-class.”

The dive centre was established in 2009 when the resort was run by the then Singapore-based hospitality group Alila Hotels and Resorts.

“We became part of the Hyatt family in 2011 and we were the first established dive base of the Hyatt Group,” explains Rilwan. “We’ve maintained our reputation as a five-star dive centre and for us, the safety and security of our guests are top priority along with giving them a memorable dive or snorkelling experience.”

“With us, it’s not just about providing a service,” Rilwan adds. “Here, we’re all about giving our guests an experience, we take them on a journey.” Fitting for a dive base that’s dubbed Blue Journeys.

The centre bagged the PADI Green Star in 2016, an award recognising dive centres and properties dedicated to ensuring sustainability and conservation. And Rilwan is visibly pleased with the PADI Travel ranking.

“I think it’s because we’re very committed to delivering excellent results,” he says. “We put a high premium on taking care of our guests. So, if they have an experience with us, they will go back feeling that they’ve been well cared for. Plus, we never make promises that we can’t keep. And of course, having a wonderful, highly experienced team with us is obviously a huge help.”

Huvadhoo Atoll is known for its unique marine topography and underwater life, especially among divers.

“This is one of those places where you can dive and really be amazed,” says Rilwan. “You can go on a dive and see all sorts of marine fauna and in huge numbers. For example, here, you won’t spot just a few eagle rays, it’ll be an entire school of them. Add to that some of the largest green turtles that you’ll ever encounter and you have a diver’s dream.”

“I’ve dived almost everywhere in the Maldives,” he continues. “Something that’s special about this atoll is that you’ve got dive sites for all levels of divers, from beginners to experts. Also, if you’re into corals, we have sites like Doragalla, which I’d liken to a coral city. It’s a lush cosmos of coral, fit for connoisseurs.”

The atoll’s untouched nature may be shortlived as tourism continues to expand.

“Where humans gather in large enough densities, other living creatures are pushed out to the fringes of existence,” says Pravin Kumar, Park Hyatt Hadahaa’s general manager. “Us being far from the epicentre of

human activity in the Maldives, by that I mean Male' Atoll, that really helps a lot. There’s very little going on here [in Huvadhoo Atoll], very little disturbance to the natural rhythms.”

However, the mysterious El Nino is an even greater threat to the beautiful southern reefs – 2016 witnessed the death of most coral life above five metres, while human-led climate change further imperils the ecosystem.

“There’s not much we can do to be honest,” admits Rilwan. “But we remain positive and hope that we can find ways of mitigating the effects in the coming years. For the moment, we can be happy as the corals are recovering.”

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Spotlight

Hussen Abdulla, General Manager at Sea Gear Hotel Insider meets with Sea Gear’s general manager Hussen Abdulla. Though Sea Gear is a relative newcomer, Hussen has decades of experience in water sports and diving. In our chat, we cover Sea Gear’s parent company Silver Sands’ history as a revolutionary dive, water sports and excursions service provider, Hussen’s background in diving and his knowledge of vessels and cutting-edge products.

Hotel Insider: I believe your parent company Silver Sands ventured into waterbased recreation in 2013. Can you tell us your main reasons for doing so?

Hussen Abdulla: Silver Sands was registered in 2000 as an inbound travel agency. Then, around 2006, they decided to expand and take on a component at a resort.

They started dive centre, water sports and excursion services, offering a total solution to their clients and resorts. No one else was doing it at the time so it became the benchmark for others. They began with W Maldives, one of the biggest and trendiest brands to establish themselves here. Say a guest wanted a sunset cruise on a luxury yacht and a private dive tour – well, Silver Sands could do that. So, this total solution concept really caught on. And it meant that the company had to give prompt service.

Silver Sands service is very innovative, wellorganized and runs smooth operations. Like at W, you can’t tell that the dive centre is a third party, it’s called Down Under and is very much part of the resort. Other companies are 40

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more aggressive in making their presence felt.

Hotel Insider: When did Sea Gear come into the picture?

Hussen Abdulla: Sea Gear entered the picture in 2013. By then, Silver Sands had eight such operations. The company needed to keep spares and stocks of everything they had, like scuba tanks and their different components. The company had a huge stock as you can imagine. They also had boutiques at every dive centre. The additional stock for vessels and water sports equipment piled up.

I was approached by the company in 2013. They said they had a lot of stock so they wanted to streamline it and set up a showroom so certain products and brands they were importing could be introduced to a wider audience. So, we opened Sea Gear in January of 2014.

Hotel Insider: What sort of gaps did you see in the market back then?

Hussen Abdulla: It’s a very competitive business. When we started Sea Gear there were so many marine shops, some were very established, having been in business for over 30 years. Like Seagull Marine, Hungaanu, and Deep Blue. Also, if you wanted to buy flip-flops or t-shirts, there are places you’d go to that are right on the tip of your tongue.

So, that’s what we were up against, this very competitive market. There are places that specialise in dive equipment that have been around for a long time too. We wanted to offer a bigger range, including everything that vessels, watersports and dive operations and also resort boutiques would require. We also wanted to cater to locals and therefore offer many lifestyle and beach items like Havaianas sandals, beachwear, kids’ goggles, Ray Ban glasses and GoPro cameras. Water sports has always been a bit tricky, you see shops come and go. We wanted to establish Sea Gear as the go-to shop for watersports, though.

Anyway, it wasn’t easy when we started. We were newcomers and had to compete with some major players and we worked hard to make a difference. Now, people know Sea Gear and we are really satisfied with the feedback we get.

Hotel Insider: How do you set yourselves apart?

Hussen Abdulla: What differentiates us from our competition, I believe, is our concept and confidence. Sea Gear is based on high quality brands, technical support and service at a competitive price. We have confidence because we only sell the best. We work with our products – we get to experience them first-hand and train our staff. Say you need a good quality marine rope that’s tried and tested. Well, you come to us. Marine batteries.

We test them and we get them approved before making a sale. Likewise, with every other product we have.

I have a background in diving. I was a professional dive instructor and I had been for a long time. I got into it soon after I completed

school. I’ve worked on liveaboards back when they used to be docked in the harbour outside the local market.

Hotel Insider: Yeah, I think I remember this vaguely.

Hussen Abdulla: Yes, that’s how it was when I started out. I’ve been in the dive industry for a long time and I’ve had a passion for water sports from a young age so I know those areas very well. That’s my advantage.

I know the sorts of things that can go wrong on a dive vessel, like you’d have issues with generators and compressors. So, I have this understanding gained over many years and many experiences.

The world has changed a lot since then. There are so many inventions and technologies that have sprung up and this has led to many conveniences, to the ease of operations. Where once it might take ten people to do something on a vessel, now you can do with four or five. My point is, we need to create awareness for boat owners that if they choose to go with us, we can make their business very profitable. For example, the rope we sell is manufactured by Robline, the leading manufacturer of ropes worldwide.

They make ropes for many different purposes, from tugging heavy vessels to use in fire safety to yachting. The product is extremely durable, perfectly suited to our weather.

I know when I was out at sea, I’d have issues like ropes breaking into loose strands and flaking. So, I’m very happy to have brought a top-quality rope into the market. Now people have that as an option. Luckily, after raising awareness, our customers now know that if they buy rope from us, it lasts ten times as long as the common rope from other vendors and it ends up being cheaper and safer in the long run. They get our concept. Good quality pays off!

Hotel Insider: Yes, and speaking of big brands, you have amassed quite a collection here. What do you look for when choosing a brand?

Hussen Abdulla: It’s a lot of work and research. Though we currently have many top international brands dominating the market, there are still more to discover. We constantly look out to source needed products. For instance, when you look at engine lubricants, there are so many parties who carry all these brands. But premium lubricants are few, like Total [French company] and Liqui Moly [German company]. We carry a premium branded lubricant too. It’s called Motul, a company that was founded in 1853. They were pioneers, and their only task is to create the finest lubricant for machinery. Their product is extensively tested in machines, in racing especially. It’s a little bit more expensive than the rest but the client will benefit from using the brand because he’s going to have less wear and tear on his engines and machinery. It’s simply the best product available out there.

Those who want the best come to Sea Gear.

Hotel Insider: You also supply marine vessels, Sea Ray brand boats. Competition must be fierce, especially from Dubai manufactured boats and yachts.

Hussen Abdulla: Yes that’s true, those boats have a strong foothold in the country. But I think in the five years since we’ve established ourselves, we have made inroads. We’ve put our name out there, and we’re slowly making progress. Also, Silver Sands has progressed as a company, and they manufacture their own vessels. So, now with Sea Gear, you have the chance to purchase custom built dive vessels, fishing dhonis, parasailing boats and glassbottom boats. All perfectly designed for our environment.

Hotel Insider: Hotel Insider: Is Sea Gear working on anything exciting at the moment?

Hussen Abdulla: Our hottest, most recent and exciting thing is Motul. We really want to highlight that. It will have a big impact on engines and generators and we have just completed the staff meetings with the Motul team from France and England. Also, we are now offering special packages for new or already established dive and water sports operations. We also offer consulting for start-up businesses as we have found that our expertise is appreciated and needed. Sea Gear offers a total solution package, no matter how big or small the business. We also continue to conduct trainings for staff and customers to ensure the best application of all products, for example for Seajet antifouling or Motul lubricants. Silver Sands has expanded since 2014, today it runs 14 operations at top resorts and Sea Gear has benefited greatly from this.

Now, have the capacity to address the needs of more clients than ever.

Hotel Insider: Hotel Insider: Do you have anything on the horizon?

Hussen Abdulla: We’re looking to expand our operations, get an additional showroom and probably open up an outlet in Hulhumale.

However, we want to never lose focus and maintain service and quality to stay true to our concept.

Hotel Insider: Thank you for your time, Hussen.

Hotel Insider

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Spotlight

It’s so easy with Al-Shaali Marine What’s great about Al Shaali Marine Maldives (AS Marine) is that they know everything there’s to know about boats, about those vessels most crucial to the industry. You’re probably aware that they are a partnership between tourism trailblazers Coastline Pvt Ltd and the Dubai based Al Shaali Marine.

Though fairly new in the Maldives, AS Marine is a boatbuilding powerhouse in the Middle East.

And this shows; AS Marine bagged more than a few accolades at the Maldives Boating Awards.

Plus, the awards weren’t just for their boats but also for their dockyard, which won top honours successively in 2017 and 2018.

So, you know you can expect quality with AS Marine. They use excellent materials and are extremely careful when handling their crafts.

“We use a boat hoist, a very specialised piece of machinery, to get our boats to sea,” says operations manager Ismail Shareef. Ordinary cranes just don’t cut it, Shareef believes vessels are too fragile for their ferocious grip.

If you need a boat, AS Marine’s selection covers everything a resort requires, from sturdy diving dhonis to speedy ferries to streamlined water sports crafts. But what if you’re looking for something that’s not on the catalogue? That’s fine, AS Marine can whip something up to your specifications. When AS Marine says custommade, they really mean it. Want just a hull?

That’s OK, too. And, you get a very good deal; they offer a defects warranty for up to a year.

But you don’t have to have an AS Marine vessel to seek their help. If your boat needs a

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Hotel Insider

little maintenance, this is the place to go. Unlike others, AS Marine gives you a complete spectrum of services; they’re not just engine experts, they can help you refurbish your vessel, do the upholstery, the livery, fix your engine, well, you get the picture. “If it's about a boat, no thing is too big or too small for us,” says Shareef. "If there's any way we can help, we will."

You can trust AS Marine to be on top of things.

They’re always analysing the market, finding gaps and figuring out how to fill them in. They have an extensive product range but this doesn’t stop them from constantly innovating and making new products.

Plus, they offer flexible rates and are very reasonable with terms, not just with existing customers but prospective ones as well. Shareef believes customers are like family, and he’s always ready to welcome more into the fold.

So, it should be very clear. If you need a boat, be it a speedboat, passenger ferry, a recreational craft or something custom-made go with AS Marine. If you simply need some maintenance or spare parts, it’s AS Marine that you’re after. They are more than just boat-builders, they know the business through and through. Let them do the work while you take it easy.

Hotel Insider

43

Working Women

Rochelle Moreno Former Spa Manager at Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa

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Hotel Insider

Life is often bewildering and always uncertain.

It’s cruelly indifferent to people’s goals, their dreams. It’s perfectly understandable that some end up bitter and resentful from bearing the brunt of life’s vicissitudes. Rochelle Moreno could have been one of them. Her dreams had to take a back seat when she was very young.

The cards seemed stacked against her but Rochelle’s is a story of dogged perseverance.

Sometimes, that’s all it takes. Oh, and a bit of luck, a little help from friends.

Hotel Insider: I guess it’s every therapist’s dream to have their own spa. You have one in the Philippines, right?

Rochelle: Yes, in Dasmarinas, just outside Manila. But we had to close it down because my partner had to move elsewhere and I wasn’t always around either. So, it became very difficult to manage. But it’s always been a dream of mine, to have my own spa. I still want to do it one day. I’ve been in the business since 2003. Oh, and before that, I worked on a cruise ship.

Hotel Insider: That’s pretty cool. How was life on water?

Rochelle: It was great. All in all, I spent seven years on cruise ships.

Hotel Insider: Seven years!

Rochelle: [laughs] Yes. It worked out well because it forced me to learn Spanish, Portuguese and a little French.

Hotel Insider: That’s totally worth seven years at sea.

Rochelle: Yes, very much so. I was with an American cruise ship company called Regent before I moved to Pullmantur Cruises, a Spanish company. All my colleagues were Spanish and none of them spoke English. So, it was me who had to adjust. In my first two weeks, they told me I had to learn Spanish or else I’d be on my own.

Hotel Insider: Very harsh.

Rochelle: Yes. So, I talked to my manager. I told her to give me a handout for everyday spa conversations and she gave me one every day and every week until I became fluent.

Hotel Insider: Was that your first job away from home?

Rochelle: No, my first job abroad was actually in Saudi Arabia.

Hotel Insider: Saudi Arabia. It seems a bit strange, spas in Saudi.

Rochelle: You’d think, right? But I was at a resort in Jeddah, privately owned by a Saudi sheikh who was into sports. He loved to play football so I’d help him stretch and do some physical therapy before he played, like strengthening exercises and manipulation techniques. I trained as a physical therapist, you see.

Hotel Insider: Yeah, you studied physical therapy in university, yes? And you were working in a hospital for a while too.

Rochelle: Yes, physical therapy is a five-year course back home. But it wasn’t what I wanted to pursue initially.

Hotel Insider: What did you want to study?

Rochelle: I really wanted to become a doctor. But in the Philippines, medical school is expensive and I my family wasn’t well-off. My mother is a teacher and my father is a farmer.

And I have three siblings. So, I had to give up on that dream. My other dream was to become a journalist like you.

Hotel Insider: [laughs] Right.

Rochelle: Seriously. I was the assistant editor in chief of my elementary and high school newspapers. I participated in competitions like news writing, feature writing and I won quite a few. I went to regional press conferences.

But again, I had to rule out journalism because there’s no money in it, at least in the Philippines. I had to think about my three siblings, about getting them into university so I gave up on that dream as well. But I was curious about physical therapy, it was very new at that time, back around 1995. I was admitted into a very prestigious school in Manila, the Far Eastern University.

Hotel Insider: What was the draw for you?

Rochelle: When I studied physical therapy, I really got into the science behind it – human anatomy was something I found really fascinating. I enjoyed the course overall, it was the closest I could get to being a doctor, and I did quite well. So, soon after graduation, I was employed at a big hospital.

Hotel Insider: Yeah, what was that like?

Rochelle: I worked there for over a year as a physical therapy staff and was assigned to geriatrics and paediatrics departments. So, mainly, I was focussing on patients who’d suffered strokes and burn victims. What I was doing was helping patients rehabilitate, get back to normal life. Even though the pay was very low, I have to admit it was incredibly rewarding to see someone whom I’d treated start doing everyday stuff. I had this sense of fulfilment, you know. It’s like ‘Oh! My patient can walk again’, or ‘My patient can write again!’. So, I stayed with the hospital for over a year. But then I had to shift careers. It was a hard decision because I really liked my work but I had pressing family matters.

Hotel Insider: What really prompted the career change?

Rochelle: Studying is expensive and my siblings needed to study if they were to have good opportunities. We have free universities back home but students would still need basic

living expenses covered. So, that was my rationale. Also, I had friends who were physical therapists who’d already found work in spas, and they convinced me that it was much better, that they had better working conditions, better lives and of course, much more money. And I had a chance because when you apply with big wellness companies in the Philippines, they’d always give preference to physical therapy graduates. It’s because of the fact that you have a medical background. When someone visits the spa, it’s not always because they’re tired physically – sometimes they’d have something wrong with their body and us physical therapists can help them with that.

Hotel Insider: And then you changed careers and went on a cruise ship.

Rochelle: Yes, but first I went to Saudi. You know how it is there, right? It’s very strict and it wasn’t the kind of life I wanted though the pay was good. And yes, I joined a cruise ship company, learnt a few languages.

Hotel Insider: Would you like to add Dhivehi to your repertoire?

Rochelle: [laughs] Yes. I know a few words already. I’d learn faster if I had Maldivian colleagues here at the spa.

Hotel Insider: Speaking of which, how would you describe your approach to wellness here at Hideaway?

Rochelle: Our commitment is to give the highest quality of treatment to our guests.

We take care of them from the moment they step into the spa. Wellness isn’t just about the physical aspect – the mind needs to be healthy too. We’ve recently got an Ayurvedic expert who’ll be with us for a few months, teaching us Ayurveda, which can have beneficial effects on both body and mind. Plus, we’re also going to incorporate moringa in our treatments, it’s to lend them a local touch as well reaping moringa’s obvious benefits.

Hotel Insider: Really good to know, Rochelle. Before we part, do you have a word of advice for young women who want to make it in wellness?

Rochelle: I have three questions actually. Is it their passion? Are they persistent, do they have the persistence to grow in this industry? Do they care about the wellness of others? If they answer yes to all three, then this is where they should be.

Hotel Insider: Thanks so much, Rochelle, it was great chatting.

Hotel Insider

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News

Amilla presents newest culinary addition: Wellness Café It’s not at all rare for Amilla Fushi to try something new; this time they’re showing off their all-wood Wellness Café and juice bar. This little joint is right by Amilla’s Javvu Spa, and promises delicious, all-natural fare.

The café suits those on a high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet – its whole approach revolves around sourcing unprocessed and seasonal ingredients. There’s also a tasteful mix of paleo, organic, vegan, vegetarian and gluten free snacks. Superfood fanatics, this is for you: the curated menu promotes natural healing through gut-friendly, immune46

Hotel Insider

boosting superfoods with low salt content, free of refined sugars. Careful preparation and cooking techniques are in place to highlight the ingredients’ natural flavours.

Amilla’s flavourful treats include poke reef fish with pickled jalapeño, wakame salad, beetroot, avocado, MCT oil and ginger; beef carpaccio in MCT oil, capers, spinach, black olives and parmesan; and grilled chicken in coconut oil, Asian cabbage and pumpkin seeds.

And the juice bar puts out a range of healthy brews: cold-pressed superfood juices,

nourishing protein smoothies, detox tonics and SupremeBeing ketogenic shakes to revitalise guests and leave them ready to embark on their wellness journeys in the serene setting of the island.

Ultimate anti-aging, neuro-protective and antiinflammatory boosts come via Amilla’s Signature ‘Investment Smoothies’ – The Vault and Amilla Timeless. These magical concoctions are brimming with superfoods, micronutrients and probiotics to protect and promote gut health.

The Wellness Café is open daily for drinks and snacks from

10am to 6pm and for lunch from 1pm to 3pm. Meanwhile, adjacent Javvu Spa has ten treatment pods, a yoga pavilion, fitness centre, a wet area and a private training studio. Javvu’s debuted cannabidiol (CBD) treatments in the Maldives and its well-rounded approach to wellness incorporates ancient and cutting edge massaging techniques and products.

This newest, health-focussed culinary addition to Amilla goes a long way towards establishing the property as a true wellness retreat.

News

dream and tell you that you have to believe it. Only you can do that.”

Speaking to Hotel Insider, Kraezlin said: “The apprenticeship programme is a great opportunity for young Maldivians to make the transition from school to industry as resorts still prefer to hire people who’ve had some sort of experience. So, [at the apprenticeship programme], it’s a long, tough year but at the end of it, you have a year of experience at an international hotel. You can get job opportunities once you’re done, the programme opens a path to success.”

Four Seasons awards apprenticeship programme graduates Four Seasons Resorts Maldives has concluded another round of their lauded apprenticeship programme. An event was held earlier this month at Dharubaaruge to mark the occasion and it saw the graduation of 51 youths from across the Maldives.

Speaking at the ceremony Armando Kraenzlin thanked the chief guest, minister of tourism Ali Waheed for

continuing the tradition of having a minister award the graduates.

“Wherever you are in the Maldives, you will come across Four Seasons apprenticeship programme graduates, and most of them are leading very successful lives,” said Kraenzlin, Four Seasons Resorts Maldives’ regional vice president. He mentioned one of the first graduates, Ahmed Fatheen,

who now runs a successful restaurant in Hulhumale.

In his brief address, Ali Waheed offered the young graduates and newcomers five lifelessons. “You can be a brilliant person but everything in life requires team effort. It’s only by working as a team that you can achieve greatness,” he noted.

“And if you have a dream, you have to believe it first. No one else will come to you with a

On attracting young women to the programme he said: “It’s not very easy, to be frank. But I’m very happy that we’ve got our first female dive-master candidate Sara Ahmed. It’s a very male-dominated field and we’re going to make sure she has our support throughout to become successful. And we’re very pleased to welcome more girls than ever before to our class of 2020.” The class has six female participants.

The Four Seasons Resorts Maldives apprenticeship programme is now in its 19th year and has seen 597 graduates since its inception.

The apprentices live, work and study onsite and gain a very hands-on understanding of their chosen discipline.

Hotel Insider

47

Marketplace A quick guide to the suppliers and service providers that cater to the Maldivian tourism industry.

Banking & Insurance ALLIED INSURANCE

Allied Insurance Company Pvt Ltd is a leading insurance service provider offering total solutions with a comprehensive range of general, life Insurance and Takaful services throughout the Maldives. Allied’s customers include individuals, smallmedium businesses, corporate and government institutions. City Square, 3rd Floor, Chaandhanee Magu, Male’, +960 334 1001, toll free 1600, info@allied.com, allied.mv AMANA TAKAFUL

Amana Takaful PLC is a full-fledged and licensed General Insurance company with an outstanding portfolio of Takaful insurance solutions. Commencing operations in 2003, it stands proud as the only publicly quoted insurance company in the Maldives listed in the Maldives Stock Exchange (MSE). 3rd Floor, H. Mialani, Sosun Magu, Male’, Maldives, +960 331 5262, info@takaful.mv, takaful.mv BANK OF CEYLON (BOC)

With over seven decades of experience, the bank offers a broad range of services including commercial banking, trade finance, development financing, mortgage financing, lease financing, investment banking, corporate financing, dealing in government securities, pawn brokering, credit card facilities and others. H. Aage, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Male’, +960 333 7564, smit@bocmale.com.mv, bocmale.com.mv BANK OF MALDVIES (BML)

Known locally as “the national bank,” BML is a public limited company with majority ownership held by the government of Maldives. BML is a full-service bank engaging across the complete spectrum of personal, business and corporate financial services. BML Head Office, No. 11, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Male’, +960 333 0200, main.branch@bml.com.mv, bankofmaldives.com.mv

MAURITIUS COMMERCIAL BANK (MCB)

The Mauritius Commercial Bank (Maldives) is a leading commercial bank in the country, offering a comprehensive range of services to meet the needs of its valued customers. MCB Maldives aims also at being the preferred banking and financial partner of corporate customers, whether they are startups or well established groups. H. Sifa Building, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Malé, +960 3305656, contact@mcbmaldives.com, mb.mcbmaldives.com SOLARELLE INSURANCE

Solarelle Insurance is committed to finding new and innovative ways of reducing risks and losses, and is devoted to providing comprehensive General Insurance solutions that can be tailor-made to suit the different needs and lifestyles of its customers. 1st Floor, ADK Tower, Male', 20096, +960 330 0099, info@solarelleinsurance.com, solarelleinsurance.com STATE BANK OF INDIA (SBI)

State Bank of India opened its first branch in Male’ in February 1974. This heralded the commencement of its Maldives operations as one of the foreign branches of India's largest commercial bank. The State Bank Group has over 22,887 branches within India and another 191 offices outside India, spread over 36 countries. H. Sunsleet, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Male, +960 331 2111, sbimale@statebank.com, sbimaldives.com

Bath, Kitchen, Laundry ASTRABON

Astrabon is dedicated towards providing the most apt solutions for resort and hotel supply needs. Astrabon has the finest selection of products supplied by the most reputed manufacturers of the industry. Every product purchased from Astrabon is indicative of high-quality. Orchid Magu, Male, Maldives, +960 300 8060, sales@astrabon.net

CEYLINCO INSURANCE COMPANY

Ceylinco Insurance’s company policy is to settle claims within 14 days from the date of receipt of the complete documents, and they take pride in attempting to meet this deadline.Speed and efficiency are the company's hallmarks and total customer satisfaction is their goal. 3rd Floor, H.Merry Side, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Male', +960 969 3939, info@ceylincoinsurance.com.mv, ceylinco-insurance.com

AQUA CHROME

Aqua Chrome offers solutions for sanitary fittings, solar heaters and specialized roofing to various economic sectors. GROHE is the world's leading provider of sanitary fittings under one brand and is represented in Maldives by Aqua Chrome.

(Grohe) H. Gullalaamaage, Roashanee Magu, K. Male', +960 300 3663, aquachromemaldives.com

COMMERCIAL BANK OF MALDIVES

The Commercial Bank of Maldives is a joint venture between Tree Top Investments Pvt Ltd (TTIL) and the Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC (CBC). Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC was established in 1969, and have since become the largest private bank in Sri Lanka with an asset base over USD 6 Bn. Commercial Bank of Maldives, H. Filigasdhoshuge, Ameeru Ahmed Magu, +960 333 2668, info@cbmmv.com, cbmmv.com

HOTEC

Hotec is a sales agent in the Maldives for internationally renowned manufacturers of small equipment and supplies for the food service industry in Maldives. Their objective is to bring the best food service equipment, other kitchen accessories, and bath and wellness products from the best brands in the world. Ma. Favorite, Chaandhanee Magu, Male', +960 334 1616, info@hoteconline.com, hoteconline.com

HABIB BANK LTD

HBL is a Karachi based multinational bank and is one of the largest banks in Pakistan. Founded in 1941, HBL became Pakistan's first commercial bank and is the largest company in Pakistan in terms of assets. As of 2016, HBL has 1700 branches with presence in over 25 countries spanning four continents. Habib Bank Limited, H.Thuniya Building Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Male’, +960 332 2051, customercare.maldives@hbl.com 48

Hotel Insider

RADIANTHEAT

Radiantheat Maldives Pvt Ltd is the flagship company of Radiantheat Group and a leading supplier for commercial catering and laundry equipment and spares in the Maldives. Currently Radiantheat represents several renowned global brands.

Radiantheat Building 3rd Floor, H. Nooali, Hithigas Magu, Male' 20022, +960 333 4854, sales@radheatonline.com, radheatonline.com

OSMOSIS ASIA

TIMBER HOUSE

SOVEREIGN AGENCIES

Dive & Water Sports

Osmosis Asia Pvt Ltd provides clients with a space where they can find all products that will enable them to run their operations without hassle. They supply spare parts for commercial kitchens, commercial refrigeration, coffee machines, bar and vending equipment. 1st Floor, H.Bonthi Building, Hiffaseyha Goalhi, Male’, +960 300 9551, sales@osmosisasia.com

Sovereign Agencies offers an extensive range of products geared towards the hospitality industry, serving more than 60 resorts in the Maldives. Their products include emiment brands such as Primus, Bauscher, and Vito. Ma. Moorithi Building, 1st Floor, Chaandhanee Magu, Male’, +960 331 4422, sales@sovereignagencies.com.mv XENON MALDIVES

Xenon Maldives Pvt Ltd provides several types of equipments, genuine spares and services to hotels and resorts. These inlcude kitchen equipments that are commercial and used by popular chefs, and laundry machinery from USA. M. Three & One, Haveeree Hingun, 4th Floor, Male', +960 331 0013, sales@xenonmaldives.com, xenonmaldives.com

Buildware & Hardware ALIA INVESTMENTS

Currently in its 53rd year of service, Alia has been the sole distributor of the world renowned Yamaha brand for 43 years. Alia is also the distributor of Seakeeper gyroscopic stabilizers, Kohler brand’s sanitary ware, and a large variety of hardware products. 8th Floor, ALIA Building, Gandhakoalhi Magu, Maafanu, Male’ 20311, +960 332 3564, info@aliamaldives.com ASK HOLDINGS

ASK Holdings Pvt Ltd is a hardware company based in Male', Maldives. The company's mission is to maintain quality standards for all products and provide valued customers with store wide warranty services, best prices, reliable products and amenities to make the company's stores the first choice for your household needs. +960 332 4679, info@ask.com.mv CO-LOAD MALDIVES

Co-Load Maldives Pvt Ltd is known for establishing the American franchise Ace Hardware and Home Centre in Male', and also for their paint solutions through Color Bank. The company is the sole distributor of several world-renowned brands.

M. Baarana, 1st Floor, Majeedhee Magu, Male', +960 332 0450, admin@coload.com.mv

Timber House has over a decade of experience in the timber industry and helps prospective customers in evaluating the various volumes and types of timber best suited for their needs. M. Honeydew, Izzuddheen Magu Male’, 20311, +960 333 9111, info@timberhouse.com.mv

BEST DIVES

Best Dives Pvt Ltd is a leading diving and watersports centre, excursion and yacht charter service provider, operating in both high-end luxury resorts and middlerange resorts in the Maldives without compromising on quality service. 6/F MF Building, Chandhanee Magu, Male city, Maldives. +960 330 5960, info@bestdivesmaldives.com BLUE HORIZON

Blue Horizon offers diving and surfing adventures that are tailored to meet the needs of its clients. Currently the company operates two motorized yachts and two sailing catamarans. M. Bolissafaru 2nd Floor, Orchid Magu, Male', +960 332 1169, travel@blue-horizon.com.mv DTECH

dTech Pvt Ltd is the sole distributor of SEADOO and EVINRUDE brands - providing the finest Personal Watercrafts (PWC) and Outboard engine products in the Maldives. Having established in 1998, dTECh has always worked towards offering the best products to the Maldivian marine and power sports industry. M. Whale Shark, Male', 2021, +960 333 4051 spareparts@dtech.com.mv, dtecg.com.mv EURO DIVERS

Euro-Divers Maldives offer scuba diving activities in some of the best scuba diving resorts in Maldives as well as water sport activities at selected resorts. Euro-Divers Worldwide was founded by Swiss nationals over 40 years ago and offers safe, exciting and professional scuba diving activities and scuba diving lessons in some of the world’s best diving destinations. euro-divers.com GOLDEN JET TRADE

Golden Jet Trade Pvt. Ltd, established in 1985, a relatively small business then is now a leading supplier of quality Scuba Diving, Snorkelling, Water sports and Swimming equipment in the Republic of Maldives. Providing quality scuba diving wetsuits in all sizes, Scuba Diving fins or Flippers to Scuba Diving, Snorkelling gear and water sport knives and accessories. Golden Jet Trade Pvt. Ltd. 3, Chandhanee Magu, Male’, +960 322338 divegear@goldenjet.com.mv MA SERVICES

NALAHIYA

Nalahiya Trading Pvt Ltd is a leading importer of building materials in the Maldives.

The company imports cement, coarse and fine sand, roofing sheets, plywood, GI pipes, gypsum boards and others. M Faaroshige', 8th Floor, Orchid Magu, Male', +960 333 1999, marketing@nalahiyatrading.com

MA SERVICES is a market leader in the sale, installation and maintenance of highpressure breathing air equipment, and is the authorized distributor for brands such as BAUER, Scubapro, Analox, HATZ. G. Veyoge, Husnuheena Magu, Male', +960 331 0935, maserv@dhivehinet.net.mv, maservices.com.mv OCEAN GROUP

PROMINENT RESOURCES

Prominent Resources Pvt Ltd was established in 2011 and has built a reputation as an importer of hardwood and other related items direct from Malaysia, Indonesia and New Zealand. M. Onigandu (1st Floor), Muranga Magu, Male', +960 333 3707, marketing@prominentmaldives.com RAINBOW

Established in 1990, Rainbow Pvt Ltd is a building service provider that caters to the Maldivian market. The company's extensive portfolio of products include furniture, roofing materials, sanitary-ware and fittings, kitchen systems, electrical products and paint. G.Maarana, Alikilegefaanu Magu, Male', +960 331 6914, sales@rainbow.com.mv

Ocean Group Maldives founded in 1998 is now one of the most successful premier dive and water sports operator with an impressive 20-year track record and many innovative launches. Customizes bespoke experiences for discerning travellers seeking truly unique dive and water sports experiences and have partnered with some of the best luxury resorts in Asia with the highest standards of sustainability and eco-tourism. +960 300-4649 go@oceangroup.mv SILVER SANDS

Silver Sands Pvt. Ltd. has been in the inbound travel business since its inception. In 2005, the Company expanded into resort-based recreational activities and has been investing in and managing dive and water sports operations at 11 luxury resorts in the Maldives. Chandhaneege, 2nd Floor, Alhivilaa Magu, Male', 20292, +960 301 7777, sales@silversands.com.mv

SONEE HARDWARE

Sonee Hardware is one of the largest hardware businesses in the Maldivian market. They offer a broad range of products, from hardware to kitchen tools. The company which started from 1970 since then has grown from one outlet to six.

Sonee Building, No. 7, Ibrahim Hassan Didi Magu, K. Male, Maldives, +960 333 6699, info@sonee.com.mv

SQUID MALDIVES

Squid Maldives is a leading company operating in the distribution of diving equipment and services. The Male’ based company is the sole authorised distributor of Mares, Coltri, DAN, and SSI services in the Maldives. Squid Maldives, Shop #1/29, Chandhanee Magu, 20189, Male, +960 723 9458, sales@mare.mv Hotel Insider

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Electrical, Energy, Water FSM

Established in 2000, FSM is a comprehensive fuel service provider that continuously seeks ways of improving its services and efficiencies through latest technologies and best practices. FSM works vigorously to improve their capacity and meet the challenges and the ever-growing expectations of their customers. Fuel Supplies Maldives Pvt Ltd, STO Aifaanu Building, 4th Floor, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Male’, Maldives, +960 333-6655 ILAA

ILAA aims to provide environmentally sound world quality products to the resorts of the Maldives to protect and preserve the delicate environment. The company provides renowned quality products for clean power, solid and liquid waste management and electric vehicles. Lot No: 10637, Zone: M2-24, Onugas Magu, Hulhumale’ 23000, +960 335 5751, info@ilaamaldives.com, ilaamaldives.com MWSC

Established in 1995, Male’ Water and Sewerage Company is the pioneer organization in the Maldives to institute a water production and wastewater management system. MWSC has become a multi-disciplinary engineering and manufacturing organization, providing engineering solutions for integrated utilities. Fen Building, 5th Floor, Ameenee Magu, 20375, Male, +960 332 3209, pr@mwsc.com.mv, mwsc.com.mv PLANKTON ENGINEERING

Plankton Engineering is one of the well-recognized names in the Maldives for designing, assembling, and supplying high quality panels. These include metering, generator control panels, high voltage panels, VFD Panles. The company builds and assembles electric panels in their workshop in accordance with industry quality standards. 1st Floor, H.Thonada, Janavaree Magu, 20045, +960 330 3678, info@ plankton.com.mv, plankton.com.mv STATIC COMPANY

Static Company Pvt Ltd's primary objectives are in the fields of mechanical and electrical engineering and water treatment. The company’s main activities include the design. contracting, supply of power generation and distribution of equipment, etc. M.Huraa, Fareedhee Magu, Male', Maldives, +960 331 0313, info@static-company.com

LE CUTE LIFESTYLE

Lintel Investments and Management Services Pvt. Ltd. is a wholly Maldivianowned company registered and operating in the Maldives as one of the country’s leading distributors of luxury fashion, beauty and lifestyle electronics brands. Le Cute Lifestyle Electronics is the official distributor for Panasonic, BOSCH Home Appliances, Electrolux, Marshall and Bowers & Wilkins brand of products in the Maldives. +960 301 0200, info@lintel.com.mv, lintel.com.mv REEFSIDE

Reefside Maldives is recognised as a leader in selling original watches and electronic products in Maldives. Reefside is the authorized service centre for LG, Sony, Bose and Nikon Electronic products in the Maldives and offers local and international after sales service guarantee. KKM Building, 03, Orchid Magu, P.O. Box 20189, +960 332 3545, reefside@reefsidemaldives.com, reefsidemaldives.com REFCOOL INVESTMENTS

Established in October 2002, REFCOOL has national reach and vision, offering exciting products and services that touch everyday lives of the people. Being in the business only for a few years, REFCOOL has already gained recognition as a major player in the rapidly evolving tourism and construction industry of the Maldives.

1st Floor, M. Seena, Varudhee Hingun, Male', 20253, 330 9900, info@refcool.com.mv, refcool.com.mv STATE TRADING ORGANIZATION (STO)

STO group, with its subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates, is a national leader in business. It also focuses on petroleum, cooking gas, construction materials, medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, home appliances, electronics, supermarket products and insurance. STO Head Office Building, Maafanu, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Male', +960 334 4333, info@stomaldives.net, sto.mv

Event, Lighting, Sound AZIDON

Azidon specialises in sound reinforcement, stage lighting and turn-key events and projects in Maldives. Azidon’s technical planning and process-oriented approach aims to deliver a flawless result that will impress. Azidon Pvt Ltd, H. Maafilaage, Ground Floor, Kaasinjee Magu, Malé, +960 330 0999, info@azidon.com DOAV

THE HAWKS

One of the leading fuel supply companies in the Maldives, the Hawks' services include fuel supply to inhabited islands, resorts, industrial and commercial projects, as well as sales and distribution of fuel related equipment. Bunkering services are provided both domestically and internationally to fishing vessels, ferries, safaris, cargo ships, cruise vessels, super and mega yachts. +960 334 0949, info@thehawks.biz

DOAV makes it possible to monitor and manage equipment, building management systems, scheduling, security, lighting, shades, HVAC, and energy consumption in real-time, all from a single dashboard to maximize system uptime, optimize investments in people, technology, and spaces, and ensure a great user experience.

Ground & 1st Floor, H. Fennaage, Buruzu Magu Male', 20054, Maldives, +960 3009600, info@doavonline.net, doavonline.net EVENT MALDIVES

URBAN INVESTMENT

Urban Investment Pvt Ltd is a distinguished supplier of electrical home appliances and is also one of the leading resort suppliers. The company operates three shops in the capital, Male', having a variety of products ranging from electric kettles to air-conditioners and generators. Urban Investment Pvt Ltd, Neena, 2nd Flr, Keneeri Magu, Male’, +960 331 7019, sales@urbaninvestment.net VAMCO

VAMCO's vision is to create long lasting solutions that customers will appreciate.

The company prides itself in creating customized packages (product solutions) for fishermen, cargo-vessels and for inter-island ferry operators as well as playing a role in bringing mobility to Maldivians. +960 332 1169, marketing@vamco.com. mv, vamco.com.mv

Electronics & Accessories ASTERS

Asters is a leading provider of high quality and affordable home and office furniture, electronic appliances, technology products and office supplies. Also supplies home, outdoor furniture, office furniture, IT solutions, stationery, office supplies and equipment. +960 3316464, sales@asters.com.mv 50

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EVENT MALDIVES is a team of young, creative and passionate professionals with extensive experience in events and entertainment. The objective is to make each and every event a unique experience. These include live shows, live events, ceremonies, exhibitions, product launch events and various other events. sales@ musicworldmaldives.com, musicworldmaldives.com

Food & Beverages AIRSEAFOODS

AirSeaFoods is a hotel, resort, restaurant & supermarket supply company, specialised in all kind of food, delivered from anywhere in the world to your place and/or your business, at a fast reliable way, with the best possible prices in the market. M. Baaranaage Hulhangubai, Majeedhee Magu, Male, Maldives, +960 333 2889, export@airseafoods.de, airseafoods.de ARIES MALDIVES (PYRAMID)

Pyramid was founded three decades ago and is one of the leading distributor for fast moving consumable goods (FMCG) in Maldives. Currently the main lines of products are juices, coffee, teas, biscuits, pasta, baked beans, cooking chocolate, flour tortillas etc. Representing some of the finest international brands and committed to serve resort market in Maldives for more than 30 years. 1st Foor, STO Trade Centre, Orchid Magu, +960 3328658 marketing@ariesmaldives.com

BESTBUY MALDIVES (BBM)

UNITED FOOD SUPPLIERS

CITY INVESTMENTS

VB BROTHERS

CYPREA FOOD & BEVERAGE

Engineering & Marine

Bestbuy Maldives (BBM), is a leading supplier to resorts, offering top brands and solutions. BBM is continuously evolving in line with the changing needs of its clients and is one of the most innovative supply operations in the Maldives.

Aagé 2nd Floor 02-02, 12 Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Malé , 20094. +960 332 0850, hello@bb-mld.com

City Investments (Pvt) Ltd was founded in 2002, and deals in bakery products.

It deals with some top F&B brands including Pregel Gelato and cocktail products from Italy, Darbo fruit jams from Austria, Fentimans soft drinks from England, Truchillo Freshly Roasted Coffee Beans from Italy and various other products. City Investments, Orchid Magu, Male, +960 799 0558, info@city.com.mv, city.com.mv

Formed in 2014, Cyprea F.N.B Private Limited is a subsidiary company of the ‘Cyprea Group’. Having associated with reputed brands from many parts of the world it is an emergent supplier for a range of dry, frozen, beverage and specialty products to the local market and resort sector. ‘The Cyprea’, 66/17, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Male’, Maldives. +9603013032, info@cypreafnb.com.mv EURO MARKETING

Founded in August 1997, the main purpose of Euro Marketing Pvt. Ltd. is to deliver daily merchantable non-alcoholic beverages and other snacks to the rapidly growing tourism industry of the Maldives. Additionally, serving consumer grocery retailers as well as restaurants, hotels, resorts and other food service establishments. Ma, Favourite, Chandhanee Magu, K. Male', +960 332 0022, euromarketingmaldives.com FANTASY STORE

Fantasy Pvt Ltd supplies food selected from international locales. Products include fruit, wine, meat, pastries, cereals and others. 1st Floor, M. Velaaluge, Fareedhee Magu, Male', +960 332 4668, fantasy@dhivehinet.net.mv HAPPY MARKET

Happy Market Trading Company Pvt Ltd (HMT) is a premium food and beverage importer & distributor operating in the Maldives. The company has exclusive distributorship of several world renowned F&B brands. M. Newplot, Ameenee Magu, Male`, +960 331 3523, info@happymarket.com.mv, happymarket.com.mv LILY ENTERPRISES

Lily Enterprises mainly focuses on handling and distributing several internationally renowned brands, as well as marketing and promoting them in the Maldives.

Additionally, the company is recognised for its efforts in providing efficient service and effective marketing strategies. Ahmadhee Bazaar, Male' 20182, +960 332 3236, info@lilyenterprises.com SEAGULL FOODS

Seagull Foods specialises in the import, wholesale and retail of food of the finest quality, in regards to fresh produce as well as processed food. Seagull Group also runs an agricultural and fisheries project on the island of Maafahi for fresh fish products and produce. G, Thundi, Ameenee Magu, Male' +960 334 3663, foods@seagullmaldives.com SIMDI RESU

SIMDI Resu is a leading supplier of restaurant and bar products such as the prestigious Sambonet and Matfer ranges. The company also supplies leading Italian coffee brands and automatic coffee machines. Established in 1988, SIMDI Resu has become one of the most successful and competitive suppliers of cost effective, state of the art, quality resort-ware. H. Casia, Kasinjee Magu, Male’ 20-044, +960 333 4483, resu@simdi.com, simdi.com STANDARD AND ORIGIN (S&O)

Standard and Origin, (S & O) dedicates in the food & beverage suppliers through being the brand equity and innovation. Among the tourism industry of Maldives, by becoming the Exclusive distributor of worlds famous brands like KraftHeinz, Kimberly Clark Professional, Del Monte, Pasfrost, Mydibel, Etc. Standard & Origin Pvt Ltd H. Sifa, 5th Floor Boduthakurufaanu Magu Male', +960 301 5544 sales@sno.com.mv.

United Food Suppliers (United) is one of the fastest growing businesses in the Maldives specialising in supply, storage and distribution of temperature controlled foods mainly geared towards the resort industry. United Food Suppliers, 5th Floor, M. Alia Building, Gandhakoalhi Magu, Male, +960 330 0777, info@ufs.com.mv

VB Brothers is one of the top FMCG distributors in the Maldives. The company has the ability of acquiring world's top brands such as Mars chocolates, Kellogg’s cornflakes, Johnson & Johnson products and Lo’real and Garnier products directly from their sources. VB Brothers Pvt Ltd, MF Building, 9th Floor, Chandhanee Magu, Male', Maldives, 960 330 3329, rsd@vbbrothers.com.mv

AS MARINE MALDIVES

AS Marine Maldives, a joint venture between AS Marine Dubai and Coastline Investment Pvt Ltd offers a range of services from boat repairs to refurbishments of boats’ structure and systems, with a wide range of boat types and brands. AS Marine Maldives provides complete solutions from the drawing board to delivery. +960 799 8590, info@asmarinemaldives.com HASSAN MARINE

Established in 1999, with a service center specialising in repair, installation and maintenance of out-board engines, Hassan Marine is the exclusive distributor in the Maldives of Mercury Engines, Quicksilver Parts & Accessories, Attwood Marine Products, NGK Spark Plugs, Seafirst Steering Systems and many more.

M. Kakolhas, Izzudheen Magu, Male', +960 300 7044, info@hassanmarine.com, hassanmarine.com MTCC

Maldives Transport & Contracting Company (MTCC) provides a diversified range of products and services, such as construction and project management services, logistical operations, modern transport services, engineering and docking services and an extensive range of reputed products. 7th Floor, MTCC Tower, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Male', Maldives, +960 332 6822, info@mtcc.com.mv OFFSHORE

Offshore's main focus is on the design and construction of safari yachts, dive boats, ferries, 4th generation fishing vessels and speedboats. These include hi-tech high-speed crafts and cargo carriers as well. Additional services include designing sophisticated yachts and boats, project costing, stability reports, turnkey boat building, supervision of projects and inspection, and consultancy. sales@offshore. mv, offshore.mv

Furniture & Flooring ALLORA PAN HOME

Allora Pan Home is the sole distributor of a leading Asian furniture brand "SB" in the Maldives. Visit Allora's showroom to experience the many options available to make your home a place of comfort and style. SB products are reputed for their design, quality and value for money. Allora Pan Home, Hithaffinivaa Magu, Male', Maldives, +960 332 5105, info@panocean.com.mv DAMAS

Damas Pvt Ltd. provides a wide range of products and services including real estate development & management, logistics & moving services, IT services, food and beverages, construction and fabrication materials, and resort equiptment such as cutlery and crockery, hotel linen, cold room items & implements. +960 333 3000, info@damas.com.mvdesign EVO

EVO is dedicated to providing high quality, creative interior solutions to meet the needs in interior planning and designing. As exclusive distributor of Germany’s top brands such as Nolte Kitchens, Express Kitchens and Csshmal, Evo Home aims to offer clients the best of furniture technology in the Maldives. evohome.mv Hotel Insider

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PALM GLOW

ROSEWARE

SPECTRA

SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS

IT Solutions & Networking

Internet, Telecommunication, TV

Palm Glow provides hygiene and maintenance solutions while continuously reassessing the commitment to professional hygiene and maintenance, to ensure that the customers are always up to date with the latest in technology, and is always supported from inception throughout the relationship cycle. Ma. Uthuru Innaage, 5A, Nikagas Magu, 20164, Male', +960 300 9700, palmglow.com

Spectra PLC is an interior product supply and service provider, specialising in ceilings, laminate and wooden floors, window tints, carpets, rugs, wallpaper and many more such products. They have a wide range of experience designing everything from government buildings, education institutes, theater and convention centers, to bedrooms. Faamudheyrige, Maafannu, Orchid Magu, Male’, 20209, +960 333 0099, info@spectra.mv

CLICK COMPUTERS

Click Computers is a reputed IT company providing turnkey IT solutions. It offers the latest IT solutions to multinationals, government agencies, private sector parties including hotels and resorts. The company deals with major brands including Dell, Acer, HP, Samsung, Apple and Asus among others. M. Borneo, Male', +960 334 2002, sales@clickmaldives.com COMPUTER PLUS

Computer Plus Pvt. Ltd is a leading vendor of computer products & services in the Maldives. It aims to provide a comprehensive and wide range of services and products to fulfill the requirements of the information technology sector from system design, procurement, and installation to maintenance of computer hardware as well as providing regular and custom software. M.Send Rose, Iskandharu Magu, Male', +960 333 4862, sales@computerplus.com.mv DHIVEHI VIUGA

Dhivehi Viuga (DV) is a network infrastructure solution provider that offers stateof-the-art service through a mixed team of local and foreign professionals with the mission of delivering unparalleled service and support to both the Maldivian and international markets. H. Soanary, 5th Floor, Boduthakurufaamu Magu, 20026 Male’, +960 334 4652, info@dhivehiviuga.com ETALK

Etalk Pvt Ltd provides customers with a unique range of products and services that are fully customisable and suited to homes, local businesses, offices, shops and the hospitality industry. The company designs, installs and services surveillance systems, access control systems, networks, business automation. Husnuheena Magu, 2002 Male', +960 3329132, sales@etalk.com.mv LINK SERVE

RoseWare Corporation Pvt Ltd was established with the objective of providing bestof-breed IT solutions for small and midsize businesses, with skills, resources, and expertise to give clients a recognizable edge while opening up a world of powerful resources. Ma. South Shine, Chandhenee Magu, Male', +960 330 8554, info@rosewarecorp.com

Serving since 2010, Systems Solutions Pvt. Ltd is an international software development and consulting company. Services provided by the company include IT consultancy, software development, offshore development, outsourcing services, ERP implementations, Content Management Systems (CMS), mobile application development and web development. M. Alia Building, 7th Floor, Gandhakoalhi Magu, Male', Maldives, +960 301 1355, info@solutions.com.mv

DHIRAAGU

Dhiraagu is one of the largest telecommunications operator in the country offering total solutions and a comprehensive range of mobile, internet, data and fixed line services throughout the Maldives. With nearly three decades of excellence and a proven record of success, we provide mobile, enterprise and fixed broadband services. Dhiraagu Head Office, Ameenee Magu, P.O. Box 2082, 20403 Male, +960 332 2802, 123@dhiraagu.com.mv MEDIANET

Medianet is one of the largest pay-tv broadcasters in the Maldives with over 30,000 subscribers. The company has an ever-increasing client base and content. Medianet has acquired the license and rights to the best available contents for this region, and offers impressive packages separately for the hotels and resorts in the Maldives.

Medianet Pvt Ltd, H.Sisil Hiya (Second Floor), Majeedhi Magu, 20071, Male', +960 332 0800, customerservice@medianet.com.mv OOREDOO

Ooredoo Maldives provides an extensive range of innovative voice, data and high speed broadband internet services tailored to the growing needs of today’s consumers and businesses. Ooredoo's services include fixed & wireless broadband internet, total resort solutions, mobile money services, and smart solutions.

Ooredoo made history by launching the first ever and fastest 3G & 4G networks in the Maldives. H. Sunleet, 5th Floor PO Box 2196 Boduthakurufaanu Magu Male', +960 961 1000, 929@ooredoo.mv, ooredoo.mv

Logistics & Transportation ASIA FORWARDING

Link Serve Pvt Ltd is the one-stop shop for IT and security requirements. It handles installation & maintenance of CCTV systems, door phone systems, Local Area Networking, PABX Systems, access control systems, time & attendance systems, motion detectors, fire extinguishers, installation solar power systems, installation of alarm systems. Link Serve brings Maldives closer to the growing innovations and technological advances in the world today. +960 300 3000, helpdesk@linkserve.com.mv

Asia Forwarding is intimately acquainted with the carriers in all trade lanes so that they can direct your cargo in the most suitable way, whether your goal is to minimize freight costs, obtain the best packing, storage and warehousing, or meet seemingly ‘impossible’ deadlines. Asia Forwarding is a didicated team of professionals attending to your needs in a professional manner. +960 334 3041, info@theasiaforwarding.com

MAXCOM

CENTURION TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS

Maxcom Technologies was established in 2005 and is now one of the foremost IT hardware and IT solution centres in the Maldives. It also distributes the brand Dell and offers a variety of products and services such as storage and networking, tablets and laptops. Apart from providing IT equipment, the company also repairs and services computer systems. H. Fuhkafa, Sosun Magu, Male', +960 333 0034, sales@maxcom.com.mv

Centurion PLC's operations revolve around shipping, freight management, warehousing, distribution, logistics management, ship ownership & management, protection & indemnity. Providing reliable and effective transport solutions to the shipping and airline industry, specializing in the delivery of cargo to any location within Maldives. The company operates from three locations in the Maldives, covering the nothern and southern ports. Faamudheyrige, Orchid Magu, Male', Maldives, +960 333 8530, info@centurion.mv, centurion.mv

PERSONAL COMPUTERS

LEO TRADING

Established in 2008, Personal Computers is one of the most reputed names in the IT sector of the Maldives. With two outlets in key areas of Male’ and a dedicated service center, the company provides a comprehensive range of technology solutions that enhance the IT experience of their customers. Personal Computers ensure that the products are 100% genuine and meet the expected quality standards. For inquiries call +960 3003033, info@personalcomputers.mv, personalcomputers.mv 52

Hotel Insider

Leo Trading Pvt. Ltd. started its operation in the early 2000s. The key expert areas of the company include leasing of heavy construction equipment, shipment clearance, cargo clearance, discharging shipments, excavating, back filing & compacting, and constructing underwater pipelines and sewerage systems. Leo Trading Pvt. Ltd, M. Three & One, Haveeree Hingun, Male', Maldives, leo@leotrading.mv, +960 300 6638

LITUS

GLOBAL FIRE SERVICES

TTS

PESTEX MALDIVES

Established in 2012, Litus Maldives Pvt Ltd is a project logistics management company delivering cost-effective solutions throughout the Maldives. The company develops comprehensive project logistics and construction materials and resort supply service plans tailored to meet specific requirements of customers. M. Manaaziruge, Majeedheemagu, 20305, Male’, +960 300 3999, info@litusmaldives.com, litusmaldives.com

Global Fire Services Pvt Ltd is dedicated to protecting lives, properties and the environment from the perils of fire. With highly qualified professionals, latest technologies and years of experience, the company uses modern fire prevention methods and progressive public safety education for the benefit of the community.

M. Kadhuruma, Fandiyaaru Magu, Male’, Maldives, +960 301 6616, info@gfsmaldives.com, gfsmaldives.com

Total Transport Solutions is one of the leading shipping, freight forwarding & logistics service providers in the Maldives. They offer a range of products and services varying from liner agencies, feeder operations, airline GSA, vessel husbanding and project cargo logistics. 7th Floor, Ma. Maadheli, Majeedhee Magu, Male', +960 301 1888, info@ttsgroup.mv

PestEX Maldives is engaged in importing and distributing pest control products to both domestic and corporate clients. Additionally PestEX Maldives is a trusted pest management service provider of many corporate bodies such as resorts, restaurants, safari boats, commercial and industrial sites etc. PestEX Building, Neeloafaru Magu, Galolhu, 333 8009, info@pestexmaldives.com

Office Supply & Printing Services

PESTERMINATORS

Pesterminators Pvt. Ltd. is not just another pest control company that sells chemicals. Pesterminators is a unique concept developed by Agro Services with the motive of being the one-stop-shop for all pest control requirements. +960 334 2930, info@pesterminators.com.mv

ASRAFEE BOOKSHOP

Asrafee Bookshop was established in 1976. Since then the company has earned a reputation for offering a wide range of products from stationery, educational materials, books, art supplies and so on. Asrafee Bookshop, Chaandhanee Magu, Male', +960 332 3424, asrafee@asrafee.com CHANDLIER

Chandelier Company Pvt Ltd is a stationery and office equipment supplier in the Maldives. The company deals with government offices, schools, banks, organizations, hotels and resorts as well as the private sector. +960 332 7858, sales@chandelier.com.mv

SAVIOURS

Saviours Pvt. Ltd. is a customer oriented company, intending to serve the market need for a professional and customer focused security and safety solution provider.

The company emphasises services and support, as well as offers a wide range of quality products which are innovative, state-of-the-art and price competitive. +960 799 9966, info@savioursmaldives.com

Travel Agent & Tour Operator

COPIER PLUS

Copier plus Pvt. Ltd. was established with the focus of providing a total office automation solution to the Maldives. With Toshiba tech on board, Copier Plus was launched in 2004 with a showroom and a service center. In 2008, the company added Brother International’s merchandise to its product line. H. Kuredimaage, Majeedhee Magu, Male', 960 331 2121, info@copierplus.com.mv, copierplus.com.mv

ACE TRAVELS MALDIVES

M7 PRINT

CANOPUS MALDIVES

M7 Print Pvt Ltd. was established in December 2007. The company's products and services include offset printing and production of eco-friendly paper shopping bags and other products and solutions. It is one of the largest printers in the country proving retail and wholesale services across all the economic sectors.

M7 Print, Ameeneemagu, Male', 20033, +960 330 7787, print@m7maldives.com, m7maldives.com NOVELTY PRINTERS & PUBLISHERS

Novelty Printers & Publishers Pvt. Ltd. was founded in 1965 by Mr. Ali Hussain as a home business. From manual stencil to letterpress to offset printing, the company today is one of the nation's largest and leading providers of printing, publishing and related services. M. Utility, Male, 20340, +960 331 8844, printers.novelty.com.mv, novelty.com.mv

Ace Travels Maldives provides both inbound and outbound tours in the Maldives.

The company is a fully owned subsidiary of Aitken Spence Travels Pvt Ltd. Aitken Spence Travels is a joint venture between Aitken Spence PLC and TUI Travel PLC. Ace Travels Maldives, H. East Light, Ameer Ahmed Magu, Male', +960 3338026, sales@acetravelsmaldives.com

Canopus Maldives offers a range of services to clients, including destination management through Aqua Sun, which offers complete solutions to inbound services to the Maldives. Moreover it supplies award-winning Atomix and AlMakreb brand speedboats through Surpass, who also supplies Italian coffee and coffee makers for homes, restaurants and offices. +960 332 1079, info@canopusmaldives.com CAPITAL TRAVEL & TOURS

Capital Group is a network of companies owned and managed by the principle company Capital Travel & Tours Private Limited, established in 1991. The company's primary actvity initially was to operate as an in-bound travel agent in the Maldives. Today, Capital Travel has well over 500 partners around the world. M. Banff Villa, 4th Floor, Majeedhee Magu, Male’, +960 331 5089, capital@ dhivehinet.mv, capitaltravel.com

PROCURE PLUS

Procure Plus supplies office stationery, including printers, printer toner & cartridges, and computer accessories, tea room facilities, cleaning appliances and document solutions at competitive prices. Penton Villa, Male', +960 332 6220, sales@procuremaldives.com, procuremaldives.com

Safety and Security ANTIFIRE

Antifire Maldives deals with various safety products including fire extinguishers, fire alarm systems, fire hose reel systems, dry riser systems, hydrant systems and automatic fire suppression systems. The company works with clients to plan and design fire safety and security equipments and systems that are highly relaible, dependable, safe, affordable and environment friendly. G. Graces, Male', +960 331 0322, admin@antifiremaldives.com, antifiremaldives.com

SPLENDID ASIA

Splendid Asia is a tour operator based in the Maldives. The company offers tours of the Maldives' beautiful beaches and divespots while offering a range of activities and sports. Splendid Asia is dedicated in promoting the cultural and natural treasures of the Maldives. G. Kasthoorige, Male', +960 331 2460, info@splendidasia.com, splendidasia.com SUNLAND TRAVEL

With more than 30 years of experience in holiday operating, Sunland Group diversified to Sunland Journeys in 2014. Sunland was established in 1988 and its travel arm arranges personalised journeys for travellers via Singapore Airlines. The company is focussed on using its knowledge to ensure that their travellers get the best deals, hotels and guidance. H. Moonlit Villa, 1st Floor, Medhuziyaaraiy Magu, Male, +960 331 0031, airsvc@sunland.com.mv, sunlandjourneys.com Hotel Insider

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VOYAGES MALDIVES

Established in 1980, Voyages Maldives is one of the leading travel and tour companies in the Maldives. Voyages has over 30 years of invaluable experience in the industry and is labelled as one of the largest companies of its kind. Voyages offers a wide range of exclusive services to travelers from around the globe. M. Narugis, Chaandhanee Magu, Male', +960 332 2019, tours@voyagesmaldives.com, voyagesmaldives.com

Wellness COSMERC

Cosmerc Maldives Pvt Ltd is a company with several years of experience. The company's collection features a wide range of organic shampoos, shower gels, body lotions and other cosmetic and beauty products. Cosmerc supplies room amenities to over 45 resorts and offers very competitive prices. M. Naka, Jambu Magu, Male', Maldives, +960 991 5588, sales@cosmerc.com, cosmerc.com DUNIYE SPA

Duniye Spa, a leading spa-wellness management & consultancy company in the Maldives, was founded in 2002 by a group of international hotel owners with the vision to provide a special place for holistic well-being and world class spa treatments. Duniye Spa, Champa Building, 3rd floor, 20187 Male', Republic of Maldives, T. +960 664 3157, duniyespasdirector@meeru.com MEDICAL SWISS BEAUTY

Medicsl Swiss Beauty allows customers to unwind and enjoy the benefits of beauty treatments in a centre devoted exclusively to health & rejuvenation. H. Starlit Villa (Ground Floor), Abadhah Fehi Magu, Male', +960 797 500 SERENA SPA

Serena Spa: a haven of peace & tranquility set against the ambience of natural beauty, for those who wish to relax, restore and rejuvenate body, mind and spirit.

Operating in 9 locations in the Maldives, Serena Spa's boutique offers an eclectic selection of spa products, including incense, massage oils, bath blitzes, burners and more. Serena Spa Pvt Ltd, M. West End, Male', Maldives, +960 331 3866, maldives@serenaspa.com

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Hotel Insider