Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with Ithaafushi Investments to open the brand’s first new-build resort in the Maldives.
The Waldorf Astoria Maldives will be the second hotel in the Maldives for Hilton, adding to a total of 11 Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts properties open or under development in the Asia Pacific region.
Spanning three islands in the South Male Atoll, the Waldorf Astoria Maldives will be near the Velana International Airport and the Maldivian capital of Male.
Maldives Appeal
The Maldives has seen some major upscale brands announce expansions this year. In April, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts signed a management agreement for Mövenpick Resort & Spa Kuredhivaru Maldives, the hotel group’s first resort in the Maldives. The planned 105-unit resort on the remote Kuredhivaru Island in the Noonu Atoll will open during the second quarter of 2018.
In January, Dream Hotel Group signed two hotels in the Maldives with local entrepreneur Mohamed Manik and Alpha Kinam Holdings. Set to open in 2019 and 2020 respectively, the Chatwal Maaga Maldives and the Dream Gasveli Maldives will triple the group’s current presence in Asia.
Waldorf Astoria in the Asia Pacific
Waldorf Astoria recently opened its 200th hotel in the Asia Pacific region. The brand's 52-story Chengdu property opened in late July with 289 guestrooms as part of the in99 Plaza mixed-use development in the new financial district of Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone.
Owned by Chengdu Yincheng Real Estate, the Waldorf Astoria Chengdu is near the Metro station, the Southern Railway Station, New Century Global Center and New International Exhibition & Convention Center.