Hyatt has announced plans to open another property in the Maldives, and there are a few things I find interesting here…
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?
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