Marriott International Appoints MMGY Hills Balfour as UK Representatives for Maldives

7 July 2022, London – Marriott International has appointed MMGY Hills Balfour as their UK in market representatives for consumer and trade PR, focusing on their distinctive portfolio of seven resorts in the Maldives. Their luxury and lifestyle properties span the region allowing consumers easy access to fully explore the destination.

The Marriott International portfolio in the Maldives consists of the following resorts:

JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort

W Maldives

Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa

The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort

Marriott International offers the most powerful hospitality portfolio in the Maldives that caters to every traveller demand. From slick showstoppers to barefoot hideaways, the resorts set the standard for superior island living. The company’s loyalty programme, Marriott Bonvoy, is built on the belief that travel enriches its members and the world around them, and each resort follows the one island one property concept, and are where state of the art spas, exceptional dining experiences, pristine beaches and some of the best house reefs, come as standard.

The account is led by MMGY Hills Balfour Managing Director Caroline Moultrie and Associate Director Natalia Dowling-Kennedy, Senior Account Director Alexandra Stone and her team.

Peter Foreman, Senior Director, Sales & Distribution – Maldives comments, “We are thrilled to be working with MMGY Hills Balfour on behalf of our seven resorts in the Maldives. The UK is an important market for us – in February 2022 alone, we welcomed 251,339 travellers, making it one of the top source markets for the destination. With the year-end holiday season fast approaching, we look forward to working with them to help build brand awareness in the UK to support the Maldives by leveraging Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of resorts in the Maldives as one of the UK’s favourite Christmas and New Year destinations. We have no doubt they will help these properties go from strength to strength in the UK.”

Caroline Moultrie, Managing Director of MMGY Hills Balfour comments “Marriott International is one of the most significant hospitality service providers in the world and we are delighted to be adding this diverse brand portfolio in the Maldives to our team which includes some of the world’s most captivating hotels and destinations.”

The Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of resorts in the Maldives:

JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa

Situated in the secluded Shaviyani Atoll on the Vagaru Island,  JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa marked the start of Marriott International’s iconic JW Marriott brand in October 2019. The luxurious multi-generational resort offers 60 luxurious over-water and beachfront villas with a contemporary and tranquil design. Each villa is complete with its own private wooden deck pool with an outdoor shower, mirroring the seclusion of the resort. Spa by JW offers the chance for relaxation and rejuvenation with focus on the benefit of calm, indulge, invigorate, and renew and a wide selection of luxurious tailored treatments.

Other facilities include the adult-only Pool 18, five restaurants, three full-service bars and a wine Room, FAMILY BY JW™ – Little Griffins Kids Club, one of the largest kids’ clubs in the Maldives featuring 100 activities, and the dive centre offering daily excursions for diving, snorkelling, dolphin watching and fishing, and watersports centre with jet-skis, kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, and kite-surfs for hire.

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands

The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, balances the traditional Maldivian culture and traditions, with the refined elegance and luxurious service that defines The Ritz-Carlton brand. From a welcome by the Triton Trumpet, to the circular shapes and structures throughout the resort, these localised finishings encourage guests to embrace the cyclical nature of island life. Each villa includes an artfully crafted Beru, or drum, which coincides with the evening Bodu Beru, an indigenous form of dance and music with drums – made locally from coconut wood on the island – and one of the oldest surviving traditions dating back to the 11th century.  In line with luxurious service of The Ritz-Carlton, each guest has an Aris Meeha, or an Island Butler to cater for their every need.

Since June 2021, The Ritz-Carlton Spa has partnered with Bamford, an exclusive in the Maldives. The Bamford team has worked hand in hand with The Ritz-Carlton Spa to develop a targeted signature treatment menu using Soil Association certified Bamford products and therapies that are mindful of connection to the earth and the natural world.

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort 

The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort resides on the private island of Vommuli in one of the destination’s most exclusive atolls. Revered as the Maldives’ finest address, the inimitable property designed by WOW Architects and presents a rarefied expression of luxury – from its distinctive accommodations and facilities to bespoke programming – complemented by intuitive personalised service, signature to the St. Regis brand. For the third consecutive year, The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort won the Forbes Five-Star Travel Guide Star Award, signifying the luxury and elegance of the resort. Featuring 33 on-land and 44 overwater villas, guests can revel in peerless lush forest or tranquil ocean views with the design of each villa inspired by the treasures found on the island.

The resort is completed by the award-winning Iridium Spa, where guests can indulge in a holistic approach to relaxation and rejuvenation. With six overwater treatment rooms, including two dedicated to Ayurvedic practices, each visit is customised to the wishes of its guest.

W Maldives

W Maldives, home to one of the best house reefs in the Maldives, is the perfect blend of W’s innovative architectural design and living esthetics with island village simplicity. The luxury resort boasts 77 villas, consisting of 27 beach-fronts and 2-storey Wonderful Beach Oasis feature white sandy beaches, a private plunge pool, outdoor tropical showers and day beds; while the bold 50 overwater villas present an amazing clear turquoise water for abundant marine life for the ultimate luxury escape.

Guests are invited to relax and discover true pampering at the overwater AWAY Spa. Reminiscent of a show, a traditional Maldivian boat sporting elegant forms of vibrant sails, the spa features signature treatments, body wraps, sunburn soothers, tropical therapies and individual cleansing steam baths.  With six bars and restaurants featuring ‘ocean to table’ dining, a 25-metre sailing yacht to watch the sunset over the ocean from, or reserve Gaathafushi, a private castaway island and have this tropical playground completely to yourself and the perfect hideaway for celebrations, W Maldives is accustomed to guests every need.

Le Méridien Maldives Resort & Spa 

Le Méridien Maldives Resort and Spa is located on the Thilamaafushi Island in the Lhaviyani Atoll and features a 360-degree canvas inspired by the formation of the Atolls, fringing reefs and marine life. The island is a true castaway experience abundant with indigenous flora and fauna, surrounded by the turtle-filled lagoon.

The Explore Spa offers guests the opportunity to invigorate the senses by combining Ayurvedic principes with modern practices to address the needs of different Doshas to achieve the ultimate balance and wellbeing.

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa 

Situated on a private island in North Male Atoll, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa is accessible by a complimentary 15-minute speedboat ride from Velana International Airport, making it an attractive destination for those who prefer convenient travel. Following a $20 million renovation in 2018 of all facilities, the resort now boasts seven restaurants, two freshwater pools, a tennis court, a 24-hour gym and plenty of on-island activities, including Sheraton’s signature side-by-side family programme.

In collaboration with Reefscapers, the resort invites guests to participate in the coral-fragment plantation activity ‘Adopt a Coral’ to promote reef habitats. Believed to be one of the largest man-made coral structures in the Maldives, the resort has teamed up with local government authorities to save coral colonies.Guests may join the resident marine biologist on a private snorkelling tour to the house reef to learn about the coral propagation program and the marine life it cultivated.

The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort

Situated in a UNESCO-protected location, The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort has held sustainability at the forefront of its design and ethos since opening to guests in 2018 from protection of the pink hydrozoan corals and Bryozoans, to the sustainable design of the villas by award-winning architects PEIA Associati. Located in the Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve site, known for its plethora of coral reefs, and is home to one of the largest concentrations of manta rays and whale sharks in the world,  the five-star  resort features 70 villas with typical Italian flair.

The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort is a haven of wellness and relaxation, complete with The Heavenly Spa by Westin which enables guests to replenish the mind and body with a personal sensory experience. The Detox and De-Stress program will stay true to the Westin brand’s Six Pillars of Well-Being: Sleep Well, Eat Well, Feel Well, Work Well, Move Well, and Play Well; all contributing to The Westin being hospitality’s global leader in wellness.

For more information, visit Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of resorts in the Maldives: www.marriott.com/en/destinations/maldives.mi