Luxury hotel to open the first 'ice rink' in the Maldives
Winter is coming early to the Maldives this year with the opening of the country’s first 'ice-skating rink'.
The attraction has been conceived by Jumeirah Vittaveli, a luxury island resort situated a 20-minute catamaran ride from the capital, Malé.
However, unlike most artificial ice rinks, which are created by freezing a layer of water over a base of concrete (a process that requires a lot of power), the Jumeirah's rink will be made entirely out of synthetic materials.
Using artificial ice plates made out of plastic, developed by leading Swiss company Glice?, the rink will reportedly not require electricity or water to operate.
It is set to open at the beginning of December – a month when temperatures across the islands average around 27 degrees Celsius.
“The ice rink is a perfect expression of our goal to always wow guests,” says the hotel’s General Manager, Amit Majumder.
“We have many guests who keep coming back to us and I often hear that one of the reasons for their return is that they love to be surprised by our updates and developments each time they come.”
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The hotel, which is part of the Dubai-based Jumeirah Group, comprises a collection of 43 thatched villas. Each faces onto the beach and comes with its own private garden and pool. The seven Ocean suites are even more secluded, with each one accessible only by boat.
A stay in the ultra-exclusive Royal Residence, meanwhile, at a vast 3,500 square metres (equivalent to two thirds of a football pitch), includes use of a private restaurant, gym, spa and team of staff. It costs US$35,000 (approx. ￡26,290) a night.
Facilities at the hotel include an Asian-inspired spa and a 'house' coral reef. An on-site water sports centre offers snorkelling equipment and diving trips, along with jet-skiing, windsurfing and deep sea fishing.
The addition of an 'ice rink' marks the start of a packed festive season at the hotel, which will be celebrating with gala dinners on the beach, a visit from Father Christmas on Christmas Day, and a New Year’s party on December 31 featuring DJ sets, fireworks and a live fire dance.
The rink is just the latest extravagant project conceived by the Maldives' plethora of luxury resorts.
The region currently boasts several underwater restaurants - Hurawalhi claims to have the largest - and there's a sub-aquatic spa at Huvafen Fushi resort.
Another Maldivian resort, the Conrad Rangali, recently announced the launch of the world's first Instagram butler service.
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