First Holiday Inn Resort to open in The Maldives

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) on October 15 announced that it has signed an agreement with Leisure Holidays Private Limited (LHPL), a Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) Group company, to takeover on 1 November 2009 and re-brand Kandooma Maldives to Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma.

Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma is the first Holiday Inn Resort in the Republic of Maldives, and will be the second Holiday Inn property in the Republic to carry the look-and-feel and service standards of the refreshed Holiday Inn brand.

LHPL, the owning company of Kandooma Maldives, is a subsidiary of HPL. HPL is listed on Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX), and its principal businesses include hotel ownership and management, property development and investments.

"This partnership gives us the opportunity to begin a relationship with IHG. We are confident of the strength of the new Holiday Inn brand, and believe the new Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma will provide a unique guest experience in this segment of the Maldives market," said Stephen Lau, Chairman of HPL Hotels & Resorts Pte Ltd and Executive Director of HPL.

The 160-room resort is built on Kandooma Island in the South Malé Atoll, which lies 35 km south of Malé International Airport, via a forty minute speedboat ride.

Kandooma Island is a favoured tropical isle because of its close proximity to many excellent dive sites. The Kandooma Channel, Kandooma Caves and Kandooma ‘Thila' (an undersea mount) dive sites all contribute to making the island one of the Republic's most sought after destinations for divers.

The Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma will feature villas with great sea or garden views and extensive food & beverage options. This includes a specialty restaurant with Mediterranean-Thai cuisine, a well stocked wine room, and a rooftop lounge serving tapas.

Sports and recreational facilities at the resort include the Dive Centre, Kandooma Kids' Club, full spa services at the COMO Shambala Spa and 3 radio channels with resident radio DJs. Guests can also enjoy activities such as dolphin watching, windsurfing, snorkelling, guided kayak safaris, and underwater hockey.

"This partnership is both a fantastic opportunity for IHG to build a relationship with a partner like HPL and to introduce a brand-defining resort property under the new Holiday Inn brand. I have every confidence that guests will enjoy the facilities and service experience at the Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma, which will be a refreshing new hotel option in the Maldives," said Jan Smits, Managing Director, IHG Asia Australasia.

Source: finchannel.com