24 May 2017 10:24 am
Sri Lanka’s Aitken Spence Hotels and Resorts is to introduce its Heritance brand to the Maldives with the opening of Heritance Aarah next year, according to Maldivian news website Maldivian Insider.
In 2015, Aitken Spence acquired the uninhabited island of Aarah in the northern Raa atoll for US$ 50 million to develop it as a five-star resort. Accessible by a scenic 40-minute seaplane flight from the main Velana International Airport, Heritance Aarah will offer 157 villas and suites separated by tropical vegetation for privacy, and designed and built with a fusion of indigenous Maldivian and modern architecture.
The accommodation options include 51 beach villas, 10 family beach villas, 10 pool beach villas, four family pool beach villas, 56 water villas, 25 luxury water villas and a presidential water suite.
Aitken Spence, which manages over 24 hotels in Sri Lanka, India, Oman and the Maldives, runs six properties in the Maldives under its Adaaran brand— Adaaran Select Meedhupparu, Adaaran Club Rannalhi, Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi, Adaaran Prestige Water Villas and Adaaran Prestige Ocean Villas.
Along with Aarah, Aitken Spence acquired lease rights of another uninhabited island, Raafushi in the northern Noonu atoll. The company, however, is yet to disclose its development plans for the island. Four Heritance branded hotels are in operation across Sri Lanka, including Heritance Kandalma, Heritance Tea Factory, Heritance Negombo, Heritance Ayurveda and Heritance Ahungalla.