Hyatt has announced plans to open another property in the Maldives, and there are a few things I find interesting here…
In this post:
Details of the Hyatt Regency Samarafushi Maldives
The Hyatt Regency Samarafushi Maldives is expected to open in 2027. The property is being developed in partnership with SingHaiyi, which currently has one other property in the Maldives, the Grand Park Kodhipparu. This will be the first Hyatt Regency in the Maldives, and the third Hyatt property in the country.
The Hyatt Regency will be located in the North Male Atoll, just a 25-minute speedboat ride from Velana International Airport (MLE) in Male. The resort will be nestled across 24 acres (10 hectares), with 130 villas, all with private pools. There will be several villa options, including beachfront, treetop, and overwater.
As far as amenities go, the property is expected to feature a dedicated kid’s club, a marine and diving center, a fitness pavilion, a yoga deck, and a spa with eight treatment rooms. Then for dining venues, there will be a sunset bar, a beach club, a Japanese specialty restaurant, an all-day dining concept, and a Regency Club (for World of Hyatt Globalist members, and those who book villas with club access).
Personally I wouldn’t count on the timeline for this hotel opening sticking, or for that matter, it even necessarily opening as a Hyatt Regency. When hotels are announced a few years out and construction hasn’t even started, I tend to think odds are about 50/50 as to whether it opens with the planned timeline, as the expected brand.
Below you can find some renderings of the property, which I must say look quite nice (admittedly some liberties are often taken with renderings).
Here’s how David Udell, Hyatt’s Group President for Asia Pacific, describes this property:
“The Hyatt Regency brand is rooted in a culture of bringing people together and fostering a spirit of community. For more than 55 years, it has inspired Hyatt guests to seek personal connections and professional collaborations in more than 40 countries around the globe. We’re thrilled to collaborate with SingHaiyi to invite travelers to open their minds and hearts to new perspectives and experiences in the Maldives, one of world’s most desirable resort destinations.”
I’m intrigued by his description of the Hyatt Regency brand, as I’m not sure that’s how I’d describe it…
My take on the new Hyatt Regency Maldives
I have a few thoughts on plans for the Hyatt Regency Maldives.
First of all, some people will no doubt find it convenient that this hotel is located so close to Male. It’s nice not to have to take a separate flight to get to your resort, both in terms of the amount of time it takes, and (hopefully) also in terms of the cost. That’s of course a double-edged sword, though, since the area around Male is often not quite as picturesque as some of the more secluded islands.
Next, I think it’s pretty noteworthy how this property will have a Regency Club. There aren’t many resorts in the Maldives with club lounges, and presumably that’s for a variety of reasons:
- Both food and alcohol are expensive to source in the Maldives, given that each resort is its own private island, so it’s not cheap to provide this kind of a facility
- Food and beverage spending is a big source of revenue for resorts in the Maldives, so the more that’s given to guests for “free,” the less they’ll spend on property
- The Maldives is a bucket list destination for many who are loyal to hotel groups and who have points, so the property will likely have a high percentage of guests with access to the facility
- Since the pandemic, we’ve seen the number of properties with open lounges decrease greatly as part of an effort to increase margins, so hotels seem to be able to get away with this
So the club lounge will be a selling point of the property for some, and I’m happy to see that there are plans for this.
Lastly, I can’t help but feel like Hyatt’s portfolio in the Maldives is just kind of random at this point. The other two properties are the Park Hyatt and the Alila:
- The Park Hyatt is on a gorgeous, secluded island, and has a really boutique feel, so I love that, though the property is definitely showing its age, and hasn’t kept up with the competition out there, which is fierce
- I honestly haven’t heard that much about the Alila, which is still fairly new… people seem to like it, but it’s not amazing, compared to what’s otherwise out there?
So it’s nice that Hyatt is expanding in the Maldives, though branding it as a Hyatt Regency kind of seems “bleh,” since it’s one of Hyatt’s least inspiring brands. Hilton and Marriott are definitely winning when it comes to their quality of properties in the Maldives.
Bottom line
The Hyatt Regency brand is expanding to the Maldives, with the opening of a property in 2027. The resort will be located just a 25-minute speedboat ride from the international airport, so that will be convenient. The resort will feature 130 villas, all with private pools, and will also have a Regency Club, which I’m sure many Globalist members will be happy about.
What do you make of plans for the Hyatt Regency Maldives, and Hyatt’s overall portfolio in the island nation?
HR Maldives is definitely an interesting choice for branding. I would have thought it'd be branded as an Andaz. But there are mid-level properties from the competition, such as Hilton Maldives and Westin Maldives, so I suppose there is precedent.
I spent 7 days at the Alila Kothaifaru earlier this year, (booked with points, paid upgrade to villa). The property was stunning. I found the service to be fantastic and thought the food was quite good. I haven’t been to the Park Hyatt there, but have stayed at several other Park Hyatt locations and many other luxury hotels and can say hands down that was the best service I’ve ever received.
How many other properties in the Maldives have you stayed at, though? I see this comparison a lot and it’s kind of meaningless. The Alilas and PH Maldives don’t compare well against real high end Maldives properties (hence they price below the JWM etc, and at a fraction of the likes of RC and WA).
Same thing in e.g. Bangkok when you sometimes see people say ‘the St. Regis Bangkok is amazing!’. I mean yeah,...
How many other properties in the Maldives have you stayed at, though? I see this comparison a lot and it’s kind of meaningless. The Alilas and PH Maldives don’t compare well against real high end Maldives properties (hence they price below the JWM etc, and at a fraction of the likes of RC and WA).
Same thing in e.g. Bangkok when you sometimes see people say ‘the St. Regis Bangkok is amazing!’. I mean yeah, if you’ve only ever stayed in hotels in the US and it’s your first trip to Asia every five star hotel will be amazing, in reality it’s basically a dump at this point by Bangkok standards…
Considering the quality of the island itself is a factor in Maldivian properties, based on my experience, I'd disagree with the assertion that Hilton/Marriott are winning in the country.
Between Conrad, St R, WA, and PH, I think PH takes the cake. The island of Hadahaa is truly special and spectacular, and its seclusion from the rest of the world gives it a solid edge, vs the larger properties Hilton/Marriott sport.
Obviously a Reef Villa...
Considering the quality of the island itself is a factor in Maldivian properties, based on my experience, I'd disagree with the assertion that Hilton/Marriott are winning in the country.
Between Conrad, St R, WA, and PH, I think PH takes the cake. The island of Hadahaa is truly special and spectacular, and its seclusion from the rest of the world gives it a solid edge, vs the larger properties Hilton/Marriott sport.
Obviously a Reef Villa at the W.A is peak for a standard redemption.
And we all have our personal preferences. I certainly would jump at the chance to visit both Conrad and W.A again- were my vacation days unlimited. That said, I will actively avoid Marriott, and in particular the St. Regis Maldives. (unfamiliar with Ritz, Alila, Hilton Amangiri, and J.W)
I recently stayed at the Alila Maldives. Property is gorgeous with some quirks in the room (namely - only outside bathroom and shower for the island villas). Service was kind of meh, expected a lot more and it was just so so...
Hey Lucky, I understand there’s a lot of interesting news today as there was with Southwest yesterday, but it would be really nice if you could share your experiences flying Copa Airlines’ 737 MAX 9 lie-flat business class before the weekend starts and the flow of articles starts to trickle.
I’m especially eager to hear your experience given that your last attempt to fly it, in September 2022, ended up in two extremely old 737-800...
Hey Lucky, I understand there’s a lot of interesting news today as there was with Southwest yesterday, but it would be really nice if you could share your experiences flying Copa Airlines’ 737 MAX 9 lie-flat business class before the weekend starts and the flow of articles starts to trickle.
I’m especially eager to hear your experience given that your last attempt to fly it, in September 2022, ended up in two extremely old 737-800 products with zero connectivity or entertainment, so I trust that this time the only truly all-Boeing Star Alliance member didn’t disappoint with its ‘Dreams’ product. Thanks and sorry for the trouble! :)
@ VT-CIE -- I promise the post is coming today! Working on it as we speak... thanks for the interest!