Articles

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Bank of Maldives was founded as a joint venture between the Government of Maldives and an overseas bank, IFIC, in 1982. Following divestment by IFIC in 1992, the Government assumed a majority shareholding. The bank is now listed on the Maldives Stock Exchange with the Government holding 62.2 per cent, State Owned Enterprises 4.1 per […]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]For the cover story of issue 32, Hotelier Maldives looks at the history of some of the notable suppliers operating in the country, looking at what sets them apart from their competition. In this feature, we bring you Astrabon Resorts and Hotels Supply. Astrabon Resorts and Hotels Supply was established in 2002 by Yoosuf Riffath, […]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When a guest enters your lobby, chances are they are about to have their first human interaction with your hotel’s individual “brand”. In the past, most guests called to book by voice and then called back multiple times prior to arrival with questions about driving directions, transportation, area restaurants, hours of operations and the like. […]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Not long ago, a lot of people were wondering what a hashtag was and why you would ever need one in their S&M strategies. Today, entire marketing campaigns are designed and even titled with strong, eye-catchy hashtag-ed words. And if #youdontgetit, you will miss out on our next big digital media move.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Hashtags are simple […]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Con air: What is brandjacking? The neologism brandjacking was coined over a decade ago, by astutely combining the words branding and hijacking. In our industry, when we talk about brandjacking, we usually refer to all those activities whose lowest common denominator is the exploitation of another company brand’s equity, such as the creation of fake social […]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Since artificial intelligence has no emotional intelligence, technology alone cannot deliver hospitality. If every hotel brand adopts the same tech solutions and continues to take human engagement out of the cycle of service, hotels will become a commodity. Because I am in the field of hospitality industry training, when I read industry news headlines that […]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We bid farewell to organic reach a long time, however, our social media channels are still somehow alive and driving traffic to our content. What exactly happened to after the latest algorithm update? Here is the good, the bad and the ugly truth. January 2018. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that content-rich of ‘meaningful interactions’ […]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Spas started becoming a vital part of hotel offerings in the mid-90s, and some 20 years ago, there were only a few spas. Over the years, the travel market has seen immense development, but the spa industry has been a bit stagnant when it comes to change. Similar to elsewhere, the market in the Maldives […]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Robot butlers, keyless entry and virtual reality-enhanced room bookings: Hotel guests are increasingly being greeted by these once futuristic tech features around the world. But hotels in Asia have been upping the ante, with a younger hospitality industry – and many guests in their 20s and 30s – quickly taking to new innovations. In Japan, […]

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Opened in December 2016, the first exclusive-use private island managed by Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, the Private Island at Voavah is a five-acre playground in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, offering natural wilderness flanked by white beaches and crystal clear water. Voavah’s seven bedrooms are located across three living spaces: a three-bedroom Beach […]