AccorHotels opens two resorts in the Maldives
AccorHotels has opened the midscale Mercure Maldives Kooddoo (pictured above) on Gaafu Alifu Atoll. The property is situated adjacent to Kooddoo domestic airport, and is the first beachfront property directly accessible via a 55-minute flight from Malé without an extra speedboat journey. The property boasts 68 villas, 43 of which are over-water while 25 are on the beach; some of which also feature a private swimming pool.

Dining options include all-day-dining Alita Restaurant; Vistas, an over-water restaurant and lounge serving tapas and cocktails; while the Alita Pool Bar offers drinks and light bites. Recreational facilities include a 50m-long lagoon-side swimming pool, tennis and badminton courts, fitness facilities, a Kids’ Club, as well as a Dive & Water Sports Centre.

Elsewhere in the atoll nation, the French hospitality group will manage its first luxury resort come September 1, which will be repositioned in late 2018 following a series of enhancements.

Set on the private Meradhoo Island in Gaafu Alifu Atoll, Dhevanafushi Maldives Luxury Resort boasts 21 island villas and 16 ocean villas with private pools. Facilities include three restaurants, a cocktail bar, spa, fitness centre, a PADI-certified dive centre, and a 24-hour butler and private chef service. The resort can be accessed by a 55-minute flight from Malé Airport and a 15-minute speedboat transfer.

Rosewood Sanya
Located in Haitang Bay, Sanya on Hainan Island, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’s first resort in China offers 246 ocean-facing rooms, of which 45 include balcony plunge pools. Facilities include a 110m-long infinity pool on the 13^th floor, a health club complete with an indoor yoga studio, spa and five F&B options. For meetings and events, the hotel offers 3,425m² of space which includes six function spaces, a 1,500m² pillarless ballroom and The Pavilion – a Rosewood signature residential-style meeting and function space with a sea view terrace and open show kitchen.

Wild Coast Tented Lodge
Resplendent Ceylon’s newest luxury retreat, the Wild Coast Tented Lodge, sits on the edge of Sri Lanka’s Yala National Park. The eco-friendly property offers 36 safari-style tents – four of which are beach-facing with private plunge pools, while 16 will be located around five watering holes.

Amenities include the Ten Tuskers bar, Dining Pavilion, a library and the Sanctuary Spa. The property also has vehicles available to take guests on guided safaris through the park, in addition to a variety of lectures and workshops. The resort will also house a conservation station dedicated to monitoring and protecting wildlife in the surrounding area. Bookings are now available for stays from October 15, 2017 onwards.

ibis Melaka
Malaysia’s UNESCO World Heritage town of Melaka has welcomed a new ibis property. All of the 249 guestrooms are furnished with the chain’s signature Sweet Bed by ibis, and come with Wi-Fi access and a flat-screen TV. There are three F&B options – the ibis Kitchen Restaurant serving local and international fare; the Lobby Bar and Café for drinks; and a Grab and Go counter with light snacks. Other facilities include a garden gym, as well as three meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 200 people.