November this year will see a touch of gentle Thai hospitality in the Maldives with the opening of the first overseas property of Thailand’s Centara Hotels & Resorts, an island property at the South Ari Atoll.

Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives is surrounded by white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters and is designed in a colonial style, with a central lighthouse and meandering boardwalks that lead to the guest accommodation, restaurants and other facilities.

 

Some of the world’s best snorkelling and diving sites are within easy reach and there is a house reef complete with a dedicated sunken ship wreck.

 

A choice of 112 suites and villas await individual travellers, romantic honeymoon couples, and family fun groups for a unique vacation experience in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

 

The resort offers beachfront and over-water accommodations divided into seven categories that range from 76 to 146 square meters, complete with a “resort within a resort” accommodation experience, the Island Club.

 

All guestrooms have separate bedroom and living room, large private terrace, indoor and outdoor showers, and all the amenities of a premier beach resort including satellite TV, high-speed internet access, and tea/coffee making facilities.

 

Guests opting for the Island Club level of accommodation have access to the exclusive Club Lounge with its signature complimentary servings, including breakfast, mid-day snacks, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails and canapes.

 

The resort features a variety of dining options, pools, recreation activities, sports and fitness facilities, a bar and lounge with nightly entertainment, a SPA Cenvaree, and a Kids’ Club.

 

Reef is the all-day dining venue, serving Asian and Western cuisines throughout the day and interactive buffets for breakfast and dinner. For authentic Thai cuisine there is Lotus, sited next to a lotus pond and offering along with the fine cuisine the opportunity for guests to take Thai cookery lessons.

 

Italian cuisine is prepared at Azzuri Mare, where the emphasis is on fresh seafood, traditional Italian cured meats, char-grilled main courses, incomparable Italian desserts, and a choice of fine Italian wines.

 

Coral Bar & Lounge is more than a bar, it is an entertainment complex where guests can enjoy live and DJ music, play pool and darts in the upstairs sports bar, and even explore their own singing talent in one of the soundproofed karaoke rooms.

 

Aqua is a restful sunset bar situated over water and is the perfect retreat for guests seeking peace and solitude, whether for a refreshing freshly squeezed fruit juice during the day or quiet sundowner in the evening.

 

The SPA Cenvaree oceanfront village offers a luxurious venue for traditional aromatherapy and therapeutic massages and treatments together with the resort’s beauty treatment salon.

 

Children are well taken care of, with an extensive Kids’ Club and daily activity program, divided into Kid Camp for the four to nine-year-olds and the E-Zone for those in the 10-17 age range.

 

The resort is easily accessible from Male International Airport with an air transfer time of just 25 minutes or speedboat services, with night transfer available, in 85 minutes.