Unique Heritance in the Maldives

Aitken Spence Hotels, a subsidiary of Sri Lankan blue-chip conglomerate Aitken Spence, has taken its premier brand -Heritance – beyond the shores of Sri Lanka for the first time with the introduction of Heritance Aarah in the Maldives. The new property embraces the brand promise of the Heritance chain of hotels, where tradition is alive.

TT Bureau

Nestled in the Raa Atoll and a 40-minute seaplane ride away from Malé’s international airport, Heritance Aarah is the latest resort from Aitken Spence Hotels. With five successful Heritance properties in Sri Lanka, each boasting of inimitable stories of culture merging with hospitality and comfort, the new resort is part of the group’s extensive expansion plans.

Accommodation
Operating as a premier all-inclusive resort, Heritance Aarah consists of 150 villas including 26 intimate luxury duplex ocean suites, 56 sunset ocean villas and 68 land villas ranging from beach villas to pool beach villas, family beach villas and family pool beach villas.

F&B options
Designed to inspire and custom-built to immerse guests in the scenic sights and soothing sounds of the ocean surrounding the island, Heritance Aarah is adorned with earthly hues and vibrant blues. Guests can indulge in the many charms of the island at a poolside bar and an open-air rooftop venue, while ocean suite guests can enjoy a more exclusive space with three separate bars. With nine outlets for guests to experience diverse cuisines the culinary culture at the resort is intended to promote exclusive gastronomic delights from around the world. The six restaurants offer a wide range of flavours from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Wellness facilities
Accentuating this impressive offering are the overwater infinity pool and the medi-spa, equipped to cater to the rising demand in the wellness segment, with state-of-the-art treatments and equipment. The spa, with six treatment rooms set over the lagoon with views of the eastern coast of the island, provides a range of high-end wellness and pampering treatments, salon services, beauty treatments and programmes. From weight loss to anti-ageing treatments, massage therapy to body care, and facial care to revitalisation programmes, Heritance Aarah is set to become a destination for those pursuing wellness combined with leisure and luxury.

Experiences aplenty
The resort hosts a dive and water sports centre, a range of excursions and adventures, an interactive and engaging kids club, and traditional local activities to present a unique luxury holiday experience to guests. Keeping with the brand promise of Heritance to promote culture and tradition, the resort has an exciting calendar of daily activities including coconut leaf art workshops, cookery demonstrations for traditional sweets and dishes, traditional Maldivian Bodu Beru drumming, and a memorable local island dinner.

The resort also follows the ingrained ethos of sustainability and ethical commitments of the Aitken Spence Hotels group. Heritance Aarah has drawn the best practices from the group and has successfully implemented many an initiative which include (but are not limited to) reduction of single-use plastics, coral reef restoration, and sustainable sourcing with close integration with the local communities. Heritance Aarah is the first property in the Maldives to attain the LEED Gold Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the most widely-used green building rating system in the world. With its opening, Heritance Aarah has established itself as a differentiated Maldivian experience, giving discerning guests a holiday like none other.