Sangeli island is situated in the North-Western tip of Male, Atoll. Maldives is the home to Oblu Select at Sangeli! Operated by the popular Indian Ocean hospitality brand-Atmosphere hotels and resorts, the resort is positioned as a Five-star resort.
Oblu Select at Sangeli offers the discerning traveler an all-encompassing hustle free beach holiday experience in the Maldives. The resort has a variety of contemporary designed villas and suites. The property has 137 villas that include a beach, deluxe bedrooms, water, honeymoon Select ocean villas. Couples will just love the honeymoon Select ocean villas that have a sliding rooftop mirror on top of the bed, ideal for star-gazing and a romantic rendezvous. The infinity pool, private beach garden, outdoor terrace, and sundeck at these villas can be transformed into cozy settings for a quiet dinner or to spend the night under the stars. The tree house is another interesting spot to create a romantic dinner with 360-degree views of the island.
Here, you can find a selection of restaurants and services amidst some of the exotic dive and snorkeling locations in the entire Male, Atoll. Also, you can benefit from our upgraded premium holiday plan- The serenity plan with inclusions of fine dining experiences at the two specialty restaurants, Just Grill and Simply VEG as well as in-villa minibar replenishment with no extra charge. Food and beverage options are varied, and what is particularly unique is that the hotel has one and only vegetarian restaurant in North Male, Atoll, the famed Simply VEG that is also loved by even non-vegetarian. Also, they have the best fresh seafood and meat grill. Both restaurants are set in one Banyan island that is for adults only. The Courtyard is the main restaurant in the resort that you can have your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also, if you want to enjoy the signature cocktails during the night with a stunning beach view is the Sangs main bar. They do exciting entertainment is in store for you. Sangeli’s Boduberu team, a group of drummers with a lead singer perform traditional Maldivian music on Indian Ocean night.
If you want to have the most relaxing massage, you have to try the Elena Spa and Wellness that is situated on One Banyan Sangeli island. They do their therapies and massages using a range of natural and organic products.
General Manager of Oblu Select and driver of the success of the resort, Jorge Amaro says: “Oblu Select has experienced fantastic first year.” After the second year, what will Jorge Amaro say about the market especially with the Covid-19 pandemic year that affected all the world?
Interview by Diana Saleh:
1. You have lots of experience in the Maldives. How do you see this market especially in Maldives moving through the Covid-19 period?
We see that the Maldives is recovering, and we are now trying to give the people the feeling of security because every island is a resort or every resort is an island. This is the first war that we have done. Now, we are in the second part to bring people to us, and by the end of the year, I think we will be 60-70% of our capacity from the Maldives. And the resort is opening slowly from phase to phase. So, Maldives is recovering well because it is maybe the only place in the world people can travel with certain safety, and security.
2. Which market comes to Oblu resort?
The German market and the British market are the strongest markets. The third market is the Chinese, then the Japanese market. After Covid-19, the Middle East and Russian markets become the strongest markets because there is nowhere to travel. In August, we had 39 nationalities from the Middle East exploring the Maldives.
3. As you know, we come from the GCC market, especially from Saudi Arabia. Are you doing something special to encourage them to book in the Oblu resort?
We have learned to know about the GCC guest. Privacy is very important to him.
We have some of our chefs that worked in the region. We try to have some halal food, and our team tries to have good contact with the promoters in the region.
We also have staff with Arabic speakers because we know that some people sometimes have difficulties at that point. We try to create all the conditions needed so that the people coming here don’t feel isolated. Privacy is one thing and being isolated is another. So, we try to incorporate them together.
4.Also, as u know Saudi Arabia has a new vision for 2030, Neom city. And it has islands around the city. In your opinion can it be competitive to the Maldives?
The first thing, it is in a different area. The second, here we offer nature, lagoons, peace, tranquility, and the experience that you cannot have in other places. Everything is natural. Neom city is not natural. So, it will be amazing and people will love it, but you have not the feeling that you are in a place that was there for centuries. For example, this island and this resort are about 60% new. If I don’t tell you, you will not know that, because of the nature takeover.
Nature is there, the sea is there, the fish is there, everything wherever you go, you feel like you are in a natural place. You go snorkeling, you can take the boat around in the sea. You can see dolphins. So, the place is alive. I don’t know if Neom is the same. You are in a different region, and the temperature is not the same. The offer is not the same. I don’t see it as a competition.
I feel that what is done in the Middle East and what we do in the Maldives is complementary.
5. Why do you think Oblu is special? Is it for its spa, food and beverage, or for the resort as a whole?
What makes us different is the package, the offer. Here we have the serenity plan, other resorts have other plans. It is very easy to understand, you come to the resort and you know what you are going to have. Everything is clear. As you know we don’t have an offer for the rich and an offer for the non-rich. The spa also is amazing, along with the good and strong food and beverage, and nature. The whole experience starts with a good relation in terms of what we offer and what you can have.
6. How do you foresee the tourism market in 2021?
We are becoming faster in the tourism world because we have so deeply inside the Covid-19 and we have all the islands separated so, it is very easy to control.
The Maldives is becoming slowly the most important market in the world. I think the first 6 months of 2021 will settle down. After that, the market will increase because people will start to see that they want to travel. Where they can go, there are some limitations, but the Maldives don’t have any limitation.
I think the second part of the year, from July and August, the Maldives will become what was before in terms of occupancy. We will be settled with 80-90% of our total capacity. I am pretty sure that the Maldives will come out of this Covid-19 crisis stronger and we will become the first market in leisure, tourism, and luxury.
The Maldives you have the luxury and simplicity in the same place. And this is quite and difficult to find in the world. You want luxury, you can go to Dubai. But if you want to have the feeling of freedom, the feeling of open-air, and at the same time the little luxury that you need to feel of spending your money in something different out of the region, you find it in the Maldives.
Every island is a little piece of paradise and that is difficult to find in any place.
7. At the end of our interview, what do you want to send as a message to the Saudi market?
We are attentive to what is happening, we are attentive to the request, and we are trying to adapt the resort to the request, privacy, food, the reception when the visitors arrive at the resort and have more Arabic speakers.
I think that this is a market that can travel as couples. Our resort is known for couples and honeymooners. We have couples who came alone, then they come with their families and friends.
I think the best thing we can offer to the market, or in general, is our capacity to adapt to ourselves to what our guests want.
During the year we receive the European market that wants one thing, we have also the Chinese market that wants completely a different thing, and after we have the Arabic market who starts to come to the Maldives who also needs other facilities.
If you love the sea and you are among the people who love the adventure travel or if you love to have a romantic and relaxing trip, Oblu Select at Sangeli is an ideal destination for you!