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Tuesday, 22 August, 2017, 11 : 12 AM [IST]
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Hideaway Resort A mix of nature, luxury & privacy
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Anurag Tiwari
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Maldives is that gem of the Mother
nature which will always have
to deal with the injustice when
professionals attempt to describe it. All thanks to
the Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa, Maldives,
which bestowed to me an opportunity to live the
luxurious offerings at the resort and to make an
attempt to describe the best of nature’s creation.
Maldives as a destination needs no introduction.
The illusionary blue waters of Maldives are said
to be one of the best waters on this planet and
without a doubt it’s the marine life of this small
yet big Island nation (approx. 1,190 coral islands
within the country) which has attracted travellers
from around the world. Male, the capital of
Maldives, is the most popular city in the country
for the visitors. Maldives is dotted with a range of
luxury resorts, some of them at a close proximity to
Male. Hideaway Resort and Spa has established
itself significantly in this competitive market, with
due credit to its luxurious offerings and esteemed
privacy.
Travelling to Male is easy from India but
Hideaway is quite a distance from Male. The
nearest airport to the property is at Hanimaadhoo
which is an approximately 20 minutes speed boat
ride to the Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa in
Dhonakulhi Island, Maldives. We boarded a small
Maldivian Air aircraft - Bombardier Dash 8, mid-night flight to Hanimaadhoo
from Thiruvananthpuram, as it’s the only destination in India from where
Maldivian Air directly flies to Hanimaadhoo. An hour long flight journey
can help you take a small nap and prepare yourself to experience one of
the peaceful dawn while you’ll be on your way to the resort on a speed boat
sailing you through the Indian Ocean.
Hideaway Resort and Spa, Maldives,
built on only 8% of 1.4 km large island
can easily be described by remote location
which offers an isolation one strives for in
their daily life hustle. From the ambiance
to the offerings, the resort ensures to be
a pleasant stay. Spanning 297,000 sq mt,
Hideaway offers 103 suites categorised in
to 10 types, ocean and water villas ranging
from 176 to 1400 sq mt, private beach villas
ranging from 320 sq mt to 1150 sq mt and
Hideaway Palace spanning 1,420 sq mt.
Some of these villas are amongst the largest in Maldives, each complimented
with the most modern world class amenities which one expects from a high-end
luxury property.
One aspect of the resort which has grown to be the USP for the property
is the uncompromised privacy. Each villa is designed keeping in mind the
personal space of guests. The resort is symbolic to its name where one can
leave back their daily hectic work schedule and get hidden amidst nature.
Counting from cuisine to rejuvenating spa experience to the best of marine
life to other excursions and in-house recreational experiences, the resort
management aims at offering tailor made services pleasing their guests.
It’s a universally accepted fact that Indians while travelling cannot only
survive on international cuisines. Indian cuisine, especially vegetarian
food is must. Since I am a vegetarian, Hideaway was a blessing. There are
Indian chefs and in particular Chef Oliver who not only has mastered the
Indian cuisine, but is also a perfectionist
in tailoring the international cuisines
according to one's taste buds. Hideaway
Resort and Spa has three restaurants
and one beach side pool club namely,
Matheefaru and Meeru Bar & Grill
excelling in International cuisine,
Samsara Asian Restaurant catering
to exotic flavours of Asian cuisine and
Sunset Pool cafe-Beach Club scattering
along the white sand beach with
infinity pool. The property also has
provisions to cater candle light dinner
for honeymooners on the beach.
‘Hideaway Resort eyes India as
an emerging source market’
Michael Wieser, CEO, Lily Hotels Pvt. Ltd. (Parent company of Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa)
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Q. How does a relatively new brand, Hideaway Resort and Spa, deal
with the competition from the top international hotel brands present
in Maldives?
A. Hideaway Resort and Spa, Maldives, has always concentrated
its efforts towards delivering its guests the privacy and peace they
search for in their day-to-day life. There are quite a few international
hotel brands present in Maldives and are near by Male which gives
them easy connectivity but due to heavy traffic in this region, marine
life is disturbed due to continuous traffic on sea. Hideaway Resort
works towards delivering privacy along with the best of marine life in
Maldives. There have been many sports professionals and celebrities
hosted by us who choose Hideaway for the privacy we offer to them.
Only 8% of the island has been built thereby preserving the nature’s
offerings. Hideaway faces a challenge in terms of connectivity but
Hanimaadhoo airport, the nearest airport to Hideaway, will soon
see a surge in number of flights and we are hopeful this will help us
in attracting more guests. Travellers will also be able to charter the
flights easily till Hanimaadhoo very soon.
Q. For Hideaway what has been the average room occupancy and
which are the top source markets?
A. We are receiving year-on-year average room occupancy of 70%.
During the peak season which is generally during Christmas and
New year, we are almost fully booked with average room occupancy
reaching around 98%. The European market was the top performing
source market for us but now the Asian market has certainly overtaken
them. China, Japan, Korea and few South East Asian countries are the
top contributors for us from the Asian market while Central, North and
East parts of the Europe are big contributors for Hideaway Resort and
Spa, Maldives.
Q. How is the Indian outbound market performing for Hideaway
Resort and Spa, Maldives?
A. Hideaway Resort and Spa, Maldives, reopened in 2014 after
redevelopment coming up with Ocean Villas and Water Villas. Before
that it had only land villas. We started to promote Hideaway aggressively
in the Indian market after our reopening. Potential that India carries
as a source market for outbound travel is immense. For us, India is an
emerging market. We are receiving approximately 600 Indian visitors
year-on-year. With Maldivian Air providing direct connectivity to
Hanimaadhoo from India and other Indian airlines working on for flights
to Hanimaadhoo, we are hopeful that numbers of Indian travellers to
Hideaway will continue to grow at a healthy pace.
Q. What are the marketing and promotion plans of Hideaway Resort
and Spa, Maldives, in particular for the Indian market?
A.We are focusing on digital platforms for B2C promotions. We receive
a lot of repeat travellers who help us at a great extent in word of mouth
promotions among their relatives and friends. Also, in terms of B2B,
we are participating in various popular travel trade shows across the
world. For the Indian market, we have appointed Explora, a Mumbaibased
travel representation, for trade representation and marketing
& promotions. Explora is helping us reach out to our target high-end
traveller segment in right way. Through Explora, we participate in
popular travel trade shows across India and have plans to conduct oneon-
one meetings and roadshows in the popular Indian cities.
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With 12 private treatment rooms, Spa and Beauty centre of Hideaway
has a wide range of personalised treatments which use natural Balinese
products to rejuvenate the guests. The Hideaway Spa and Beauty Palace
also features steam room, outdoor pavilion, manicure/pedicure station,
relaxation zone and retail area.
Talking about activities to add in your to-do list while interacting with the
illusionary blue waters of Indian Ocean, the sky is the limit. Hideaway works
with Meridis Dive centre which assist the guests by providing professional
guides for snorkeling and deep sea diving activities. For those who cannot
swim, Meridis provides a submarine ride to experience the underwater
life. Hideaway also has watersports centre which offers all the popular
activities like Jet Ski, Kayaking, Wind Surf, etc. It also takes its guests on a
luxury yacht ride in the Indian Ocean allowing the guests first hand fishing
experience and dolphin sightseeing.
Air Connectivity
- Maldivian Air - Thiruvananthapuram to
Hanimaadhoo on Monday and Thursday at 0310 hrs
- 20 minute speedboat transfer from Hanimaadhoo to
Hideaway Resort and Spa
via Male
- 50 minute domestic flight from Male to Hanimaadhoo
- 20 minute speedboat transfer from Hanimaadhoo to
Hideaway Resort and Spa
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The differentiating factor for Hideaway Resort was its privacy and
hospitality which can be a rare find in the 1,200 islands nation thereby
putting Hideaway Resort in the driver’s seat. Counting on these X factors
and assisted by the nature’s offerings, the resort management is certain
that Hideaway Resort and Spa will receive healthy growth in the future
and emerge victorious in the rigorous Maldivian tourists market which
welcomes more than one million travellers every year.
anurag.tiwari@saffronsynergies.in
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