#prestigetravel | JULY 2019 PRESTIGE 197
dossier. Don’t like parsley? He’ll make sure the message is passed
on, as I find out when we dine at two different restaurants and the
waiters at both sides ensure that the vegetable never appears on the
plate of a fellow guest who has an aversion to it. Want to lie in bed
and not move an inch? Just pick up the mobile phone that is given to
every guest and call or send a WhatsApp text to your Alfred Pennyworth.
That was how I changed my usd notes into smaller denominations, from
the comfort of my villa.
“We work to curate the perfect stay by discovering our guests’ likes
and dislikes from the time they get off the plane and come aboard our
luxury yacht,” says the resort’s General Manager Etienne Dalançon,
beaming at my question about the staff’s knowledge. “We work on a
ratio of five service staff to one guest. There are 31 nationalities working
within the resort, with 55 percent of them being local Maldivians, so we
are able to cater to luxury travellers from all over the world.”
HOMEY SPLENDOUR
Superlatives are not enough to describe this place. Each villa has
its own private pool and stunning Indian Ocean views, and there’s a
good range of accommodation to choose from, the most jaw-dropping
being the Ithaafushi Private Island. Spanning a whopping 32,000sqm,
it has a two-bedroom overwater villa and a three-bedroom beach
villa to accommodate large groups. The private island, accessible only
by yacht, has all the bells and whistles of a holiday home made for
over-the-top enjoyment: dedicated chef, personal concierge team, spa,
gym, five swimming pools and an entertainment centre.
For smaller groups, there’s the 536sqm Stella Maris Duplex Villa,
with wooden steps leading directly into the ocean, a jacuzzi on the lower
deck, and a chef’s service and barbecue station on its upper deck.
At a generous 234sqm, my King Beach Villa is a cosy cocoon with
contemporary neutral palettes, textured wall panels and fabrics with
geometric prints. I bask in the warmth of the sunrays that flood through
the floor-to-ceiling windows, laze in the swinging daybed and soak in the
infinity pool that is next to a dining gazebo with in-water sun loungers.
The villas are spaced well apart, so there’s plenty of privacy to enjoy the
outdoors – even au naturel.