Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi Opens

Hilton opened Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi on 1 July 2019, the first property of its flagship luxury brand in the Maldives. The all-villa resort has 119 villas spread across three interconnected islands in South Malé Atoll, 30 minutes by yacht from Malé International Airport, with a separate private island available for exclusive use.

Alan Watts, Hilton’s president for Asia Pacific, tied the launch to the group’s centenary year, while Dino Michael, global head of Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, said guests were “searching for new and extraordinary experiences during their travels”.

Accommodation ranges from one-bedroom beach and overwater villas to multi-bedroom reef and beach villas with private pools. The resort also has a spa with overwater treatment villas, a beach club called Nava spread over several pools, and the Waldorf Astoria Young Discovery Park for children.

Food is the headline. There are 11 dining venues, among them The Ledge, a wood-fired barbecue restaurant created by Dave Pynt of Burnt Ends in Singapore, cooking over Jarrah wood in a custom four-ton dual-cavity oven. Terra seats two or four people in private bamboo dining nests on the island’s highest point, and The Rock is a wine cellar carved into boulders.

Li Long serves Shanghainese-style Chinese cuisine, with Peking duck roasted in what the resort described as the Maldives’ first wood-fired oven. Yasmeen is Middle Eastern, Glow is a greenhouse restaurant built around garden-to-table dining, Amber is a Champagne bar facing the sunset, and Peacock Alley serves cocktails, cigars and afternoon tea on the waterfront.

Culinary director Vijayakant Shanmugam oversees the kitchens, which draw on on-island nurseries for fruit, vegetables and herbs, and on partnerships with local fishermen. Details are on the resort website.