Aitken Spence Hotels and Resorts is to introduce its Heritance brand to the Maldives with the opening of Heritance Aarah in 2018.
In 2015, the Sri Lanka-based hospitality group acquired the uninhabited island of Aarah in the northern Raa atoll for USD 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.
At Heritance Aarah, guests will be treated to a host of dining options across various world cuisines at six restaurants, including an All Day Dining Restaurant, a Signature Overwater Restaurant, a Sundown Over Water Restaurant, a Speciality Lagoon Restaurant, an Overwater Teppanyaki Restaurant and Sushi Bar and a Rustic Beach BBQ Grill. An array of exotic cocktails and a wide selection of wines will be served at five bars, including the main Pool Bar, Overwater Lounge Bar, Sundown Overwater Lagoon Bar, Infinity Pool Bar and the Overwater Sky Bar.
Heritance Aarah will feature an overwater spa with six treatment rooms set over the lagoon, offering a choice of luxurious health and beauty treatments and professional consultations to balance the body and mind. In addition, the resort will have a PADI licensed dive centre along with water sports, a kids’ club, a tennis court and a fully equipped gymnasium.
For guests seeking a haven for pure relaxation or an active holiday retreat with the whole family, Heritance Aarah promises to offer endless choices with a unique Premium All-Inclusive holiday plan and some of the largest beach villas in the Maldives.
Aitken Spence Hotels and Resorts, 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.