Highlights include new openings in Thailand, Bali, the Maldives and Seychelles and trends including the rise of the ‘More Inclusive”, new expert led residences for 2023 and why Sri Lanka is a must visit destination for next year.
NEW OPENINGS
Anantara Veli Maldives Resort – Reopening 1 December 2022
The adults-only resort, located 30 minutes by speedboat from Male International Airport, will reveal a major redesign by New York based designer, Yuji Yamazaki when it reopens on 1 December following an eight-month renovation. There will be a new top room category – six 148 sqm beach pool villas newly designed restaurants and a new spa and wellness concept.
For the first time, guests atAnantara Veli will be able to book a personalised wellness villa, which includes light, sound and scent therapy, Ayurvedic spa amenities, an earthing mat for meditation, a wellness minibar, a wellness consultation on arrival, daily fitness or yoga, a healthy cooking class and discounted spa treatments during their stay.
All villas have been fully renovated in traditional-meets-contemporary tropical style, using a natural palette of wood and stone and cool fabrics accented by pops of pink, coral and blue, as well as rattan finishes and the latest in high-tech comforts.
The Maldives is set to get a boost in 2023 with the recent announcement that Virgin Atlantic will launch a winter seasonal three-times weekly service to the Male from London Heathrow, with flights commencing 22 October 2023.
Anantara Ubud Resort, Bali – Opening Late January/February 2022
Anantara Ubud Resortwill have 85 guest rooms and one and two-bedroom pool villas. The new resort is located in the traditional hillside village of Payangan, 35 minutes from the centre of Ubud. Design is inspired by the study of local vernacular architecture influenced by Hindu traditions, juxtaposed with Javanese elements and interpreted into a contemporary silhouette.
Situated in one of Thailand’s last untouched areas, the new Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort is on an island in the middle of Phang Nga Bay. Accommodation includes beachfront pool villas that line a kilometre of sandy white beach and family suites with bunkbeds and a slide.
Guests can cycle through coconut plantations to traditional fishing villages and snorkel in clear waters just off the coast. Guests fly into either Phuket or Krabi and then take a speed boat to the resort’s private jetty.
Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort – Opening March/April 2023
Natural, native materials have been used in harmony with the environment, symbolic of an authentic experience of hillside village dwellings that are unique to Ubud. There will be several restaurants offering sustainable local and international cuisine. Locally sourced organic produce from the hills surrounding the resort will be served directly from farm to table. Visiting wellness practitioners will offer a range of holistic Balinese treatments that encompass the spiritual surroundings.
Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas, Thailand – Opening April 2023
Avani’s first resort in the Maldives,Avani+ Fares, is located on Fares Island in the Baa Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage site, known for its biodiversity. The private 12.4-hectare island has an unrivalled location close to Ahivahfushi Beyru – an area of abundant sea life including Hawksbill turtles, reef sharks and manta rays. The 200 tribe inspired guest rooms will include a selection of villas.
The newly built resort will also feature an AvaniFit Gym focusing on circuit training, indoor climbing wall, boxing ring and outdoor yoga pavilion. Six dining options will include The Pantry, serving comfort food and artisanal bites, and Petit Bistro, a restaurant dedicated to children. There will be an AvaniKids Club which will include fun activities such as cooking classes.
Avani+ Seychelles Barbarons Resort – Reopening Early 2023
One of Avani’s earliest properties to launch back in 2015, will once again welcome guests in early 2023 asAvani+ Seychelles Barbarons Resort, following a multi-million-dollar upgrade and year and a half closure. The new look resort will feature new restaurant options and a beach club, a brand-new extension which will see a new lagoon-style swimming pool with lagoon access rooms, plus the introduction of Avani beach suites. The substantial refurbishment aims to reinvent the popular beach club resort with a more contemporary look and feel while staying respectful of the pristine natural environment.
Tivoli Hotels & Resorts – New Openings and Refurbishment –Spring 2023
Tivoli Hotels & Resortswill launch its first hotel in Spain in Spring 2023.The luxury La Caleta Resort, located in Tenerife’s Costa Adeje is currently closed and undergoing refurbishment and will reopen as a Tivoli hotel in the spring with 284 guest rooms, including 20 suites, four restaurants and two bars, three swimming pools andan Anantara Spa.
Located in the Algarve directly on the beach next to the marina and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Tivoli Marina Vilamourawill be reopening in February 2023 following a major renovation of its interior and exterior spaces. The new design will take its inspiration from the beaches and sea of the Algarve to offer a more contemporary and sophisticated feel. The resort houses the super chicPurobeach Club, which offers two distinct zones – the beach with white Balinese style sunbeds, a restaurant serving local favourites and resident DJs and a pool in a leafy garden with cocktails on the terrace, spa treatments and yoga during the day.
TRENDS
The Rise of the ‘More Inclusives’
A new breed of inclusive resort is emerging, as more luxury travellers want to pay in advance for their holiday with no big bill at the end. Luxury resorts are rising to the challenge with a range of ‘More Inclusive’ options.Niyama Private Islands Maldiveshas recently launched ‘The Niyama Luxury Experience’ a comprehensive new package thatincludes à la carte dining in all the resort’s signature restaurants, free flowing drinks, a spa treatment and either a dolphin cruise, snorkelling safari or a sunset cruise.Anantara Maia Seychelles Villashas the ‘BeyondAll Inclusive’ concept which includes unlimited dining and drinks, personal Villa Host, wellness activities and water-sports.
Experts, Experts, Experts
As time poor people look to get the most out of their holiday, the popularity of visiting experts is increasing be it in spa, cuisine or sport. From 17 – 23 February, guests staying atAnantara Al Baleed Resort Salalahin Oman will be able to up their Freestyle Football game with masterful tips and tricks from Guinness World Record Holder, Marcel Gurk. Helping strengthen both technique and concentration, tricks will include flick-ups, crossovers and neck-stalls – a favourite of professional footballers, where the ball balances on the back of the neck. The resort will also be welcoming two-Michelin starred Spanish chef Paco Rocero in January for a cookery workshop and tasting menu.
Anantara Veli Maldives Resortwill host former WTA World number nine player, Timea Bacsinszky from 27 December – 8 March 2023. During this time, the former Swiss champion will provide one-one-one coaching to those looking to master their technique.During her career Timea Bacsinszky won four singles and five doubles titles on the WTA Tour, an Olympic Silver Medal in Rio 2016, as well as 13 singles and 14 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit.
Luxury eco spa hotel,Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Gardawill be continuing its‘Wellness Weeks’ programme in 2023. The ‘Wellness Weeks’ see the resort open their doors to famous wellness practitioners, who specialise in a variety of holistic disciplines. Celebrity skincare expert, Nichola Joss is at Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda from 6 – 11 December 2022 with the 2023 programme to be announced in the New Year.
Hot Destination: Sri Lanka
2023 will mark 20 years since the death of the influential architect, Geoffrey Bawa, who was the leading proponent of tropical modernism architecture. Those looking to experience some of his work can stay in Anantara Kalutara Resort on the south-east coast which was partially designed by the legendary Sri Lankan architect or in the more affordable Avani Bentota Resort, located on one of Sri Lanka’s best beaches and designed by Bawa. On 4th of February 2023 Sri Lanka will celebrate its 75th National Day with celebrations taking place across the country. The biggest parties will take place in Colombo, increasingly a city to spend time in with its vibrant restaurant and bar scene and the hotly anticipated opening of Cinnamon Life Resorts in Autumn 2023 on the waterfront of Beira Lake.
Plant Based Dining
The growth in popularity of veganism is moving into luxury hotels, as more people choose a plant-based diet for health and eco reasons.Lefay Resort & SPAoverlooking Lake Garda recently launched new restaurant, ‘Gramen’. Named after the Latin noun meaning plant or herb,Gramenembraces the Lefay Vital Gourmet concept that focuses on the best local seasonal produce together with Italian culinary heritage. The meat free dishes do not include any dairy products or their derivatives.
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