Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has announced the closing of the only island resort of the brand in the Maldives indefinitely.
A memo addressed to the staff of the resort states that since its closure in April due to the pandemic, the management has been exploring every option to mitigate the impact and resume operations while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all their guest and staff. However, the owners and management were unable to find any way to restart operations.
Rahim Flynn, the General Manager said in the memo, “It is with deep regret that I must inform you that, due to the poor business outlook for the foreseeable future, the board of directors has decided to extend the temporary shutdown of the resort from 25 August 2020, for a prolonged period of time.”
The memo further read all employment positions will be redundant, except minimal ‘care and maintenance’ team to ensure the upkeep of the resort.
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives is the first luxury resort in the Maldives, located south of the equator, in Addu Atoll. The three-kilometer-long island has 12 hectares of lush foliage, towering banyan trees, 17,000 coconut palms, 45 species of plants, 3 natural lagoons, and nature trails for guests to explore.
With over 130 tourist resorts in the Maldives, only two resorts are homed in Addu atoll; Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, and Canareef Resort Maldives. The closure of Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa comes months after Canareef Resort Maldives made a similar move. This only leaves South Palm Resort Maldives as the only operational island resort in the southernmost atoll, which is a brand new property developed on the uninhabited island of Ismehela Hera, opened late last year.
