Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa Maldives Lands a Private Runway

Have a private jet? Now you have somewhere to land it the next time you visit the Maldives.  Our sister publication, Luxury Travel Advisor, has the scoop on a new private jet airport terminal at Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa. 

Globetrotters now have a new reason to touch down in the Maldives. We hear Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa is gearing up to have its own private jet airport terminal.

Located at Gan International Airport in Addu Atoll, the terminal is for the exclusive arrival and departure of the resort’s guests, including those on commercial flights to and from Male International Airport. The terminal is five minutes by speedboat from the resort and has two lounges and a VIP room. Extra Touch: A private lounge is reserved for guests arriving by private jet and offers one-stop immigration, custom and baggage screening services.

Those looking to leap on this opportunity can take part in the Private Jet Experience, which features stays in a presidential villa and other benefits. The Private Jet Experience benefits include welcome champagne; a dedicated villa butler; dolphin cruise; daily massage at CHI, The Spa; personal mobile phone and the bespoke “Dine by Design” experience.

View rates, details, and more photos of Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa >>

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Image of the Day: Constance Moofushi Resort Maldives

Constance Moofushi Resort Maldives has 110 beach and water villas in an intimate location of pure lagoons, sandbanks, and tropical surroundings.

View rates, details, and more photos from Constance Moofushi Resort Maldives >>

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Image of the Day: Niyama Maldives

One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. – Henry Miller

Explore rates, details, photos and more at Niyama Maldives >>

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Your Questions Answered: Hotels in the Maldives Perfect for Family Travel

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. Be sure to explore our new blog series ‘Your Questions Answered’ to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: What hotels in the Maldives do you recommend for a family traveling with kids?

Answer: A few hotels in the Maldives that we’d recommend for families traveling with kids are below:

Dusit Thani Maldives - Children’s play area and club facility.

One and Only Maldives at Reethi Rah - KidsOnly is free for all children from 2-11 years and provides world-class benefits including exciting and imaginative daily fun programs, age-appropriate activities, facilities and amenities, over twelve hours a day. Babysitters are available 24 hours a day for those under 2.

Anantara Veli Resort and Spa - Open for children from the ages of 3 to 12, the Dhoni Kids Club keeps our youngest guests entertained during their holidays with an action-packed program featuring a variety of beach and outdoor activities, creative crafts and games that are fun, educational and culturally enriching.

LUX Maldives - PLAY offers children between the ages of 3 and 12 an opportunity to explore the many wonders and delights of island living. Supervised by a highly trained and enthusiastic team, kids are exposed to the nature and culture of the island's incredible surrounds, as well as a range of high-energy sports and outdoor activities. From art classes and treasure hunts to engaging and educational Teddy Tennis lessons, PLAY is everything your kids could hope for on an island vacation.

Four Seasons Kuda Huraa Maldives - Kids For All Seasons Kudamas Club, an organized program of fun activities

The Gili Lankanfushi Maldives - Baby sitting service is available.

Waldorf Astoria Maldives - Children are VIPs at the Waldorf Astoria Kids' Club. Their own little paradise has a private pool, games room, a bungee trampoline for older children and adults and an extensive tailor-made program of activities for their entertainment. Fun and discovery never end.

Kanuhura - The Kids Club offers imaginative fun for kids (2 to 11 years old).

To view availability, rates, and to make a reservation, simply visit this website and enter your dates of travel!

12 Days of Hotels: The 1 Best Beach Resort

Instead of 12 Days of Christmas, Five Star Alliance is having its own countdown featuring 12 Days of Hotels! We unfortunately don’t have a song to go along with our countdown, but we will be featuring a variety of categories. Today’s feature is the 1 Best Beach Resorts!

1. Banyan Tree Maldives Vabbinfaru

Maldives has some of the best beaches in the entire world, and this luxury hotel is surrounded by dazzling white talc sand and the bluest of waters teeming with an astonishing abundance of soft corals and fish sparkling in brilliant colors.

The Top 15 Luxury Hotel Destinations in 2012: #11 Male, Republic of Maldives

In the final days of 2012, Five Star Alliance is counting down the Top 15 Luxury Hotels and Resort Destinations Worldwide, as decided by you, our luxury travelers! Be sure to check in with us daily to keep up with our countdown and explore a few of the absolute best and most luxurious hotels in the world for your future travels!

The Maldives is made up of approximately 1200 coral islands, grouped in a double chain of twenty-six major atolls.  It is nirvana for many scuba divers, who come for the amazing diversity of sea life.  Overwater bungalows are the  most common type of accommodations found here, along with thatch-roofed villas and ocean pavilions.  Five Star Alliance offers 29 luxury properties in or near the capital city of  Male.

What Makes Our Guests Love Male?

-Male is host to Hanifaru Huraa, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve renowned as a feeding ground for manta rays and whale sharks.

-Night reef fishing trip (offered by a lot of resorts) give visitors the opportunity to catch their own dinners.

-The warm seas of Maldives have high visibility throughout the year, with water clear enough to see the passing fish as far as fifty meters away.

-There's still availability for New Year's Eve in Male! Nightly rates range from $272USD at Traders Hotel Male Maldives to $1570USD at Dusit Thani Maldives (pictured right) to $2205USD at Shangri-La's Villingili Resort and Spa Maldives. 

-Plan ahead for a spectacular Valentine's Day, where nightly rates range from $675USD at Vivanti by Taj Coral Reef to  $875.50 at LUX Maldives to $1575USD at One&Only Maldives at Reethi Rah (pictured below).

Did You Know?

Maldives holds the record for being the flattest country in the world and for being the smallest Muslim country in the world.

Check out all the best luxury hotels and resorts in Male>>

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Image of the Day: Six Senses Laamu

As the only resort on virtually uncharted Laamu atoll, Six Senses Laamu offers a truly private getaway.

Image of the Day: Banyan Tree Madivaru Maldives

At Banyan Tree Madivaru Maldives, the tented villas open on a stretch of pristine white sand.

No Man Is an Island, But the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Is

Everyone loves a beach resort, and the shallow waters of the Maldives make it possible to find a truly singular experience. Because the oceans are uniquely calm, resorts like the Waldorf Astoria have built out entire bungalows just above the lapping waves. From your residence, you'll have a truly panoramic view of the surrounding waters. Among a series of already outstanding resorts, the Waldorf Astoria Maldives sets itself apart even from that distinguished crowd. I'd hate to turn this into an apotheosis of the Waldorf, but it's hard not to exalt the virtues of a resort that is its own island. The seclusion of having your own bungalow on a private island is truly unmatched.

When a resort is an island, it is doubly important that it has the luxurious facilities to accommodate your every desire. While fine dining and a top-notch spa are the unmistakable call signs of any luxury resort, the Waldorf Astoria has taken them to another level. Their world-class Modun Spa is organized around the concept of a winding journey towards self-discovery and holistic rejuvenation with the spa facilities laid out along a twisting path that leads you through a natural progression of treatment. Dine on incredibly sumptuous cuisine either at one of the many restaurants and bars or bring that very same experience to the comfort and privacy of your own villa. Children are cared for in the Kids' Club, leaving the adults free to experience the unmatched luxury. If I wanted the experience of the unmistakable Maldivian bungalow, I would be remiss if I didn't seriously consider the Waldorf Astoria Maldives as my destination of choice.

Nothing Evil about the Villingili Resort and Spa Maldives

The Maldives are well-known for being one of the few places in the world you can find overwater bungalows, largely because the water is calm and pristine enough to support the fragile construction they require.  But in the land of floating villas, the Shangri-La Villingili Resort and Spa Maldives is looking to make a name for itself in another way.  Rather than send their villas out into the water, they've taken to the foliage, their tree house villas nestled in the beachfront palm fronds that every child learns to draw at the age of 5 as foreshadowing of their future desire to stay at a place like this.  

The resort plays home to all the features that the luxury traveler has come to expect.  Khazaanaaga, a divided, on-site restaurants give you options from the South China Sea, Arabian Gulf, and Indian Ocean, and Javvu gives you the more Western choice and cafe-style dining during the day.  CHI, the Spa at Shangri-La offers every treatment you could ever want while relaxing on a sandy beachfront and is inspired by traditional Chinese and Himalayan spiritual and physical wellness.  A children's adventure zone, two tennis courts, and an Eco centre that allows you to explore the local flora and fauna even after you've come back from any of 25 dive sites, including a British shipwreck.  The Shangri-La Villingili Resort and Spa is just about everything I'm looking for in a beachfront property.