Alila Villas Hadahaa Becomes Park Hyatt Maldives

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa will be the first Hyatt hotel in the Maldives, a chain of 1,200 coral islands in the Indian Ocean, located southwest of India, just south of the equator. The first resort in the Maldives to follow Earth Check certification standards for construction and operations, the hotel's design provides for guest comfort and privacy, while ensuring sensitivity to the surrounding environment. Situated in the Indian Ocean's largest and deepest atoll, Huvadhoo, the hotel opened in late 2009 and has been operating as Alila Villas Hadahaa. In its first year of operation, the hotel garnered recognition as one of Condé Nast Traveler's 2010 Hot Hotels, Condé Nast Traveler's Best New Spas in 2010, and 2010 DestinAsian Luxe List's 41 Best New Hotels of the Year.

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa offers 50 luxurious villas with private decks and bedrooms with living areas. Designed by SCDA Architects of Singapore, the modern villa interiors include natural timber and stone in a minimalist, contemporary design. Fourteen of the resort's 50 villas are elevated over the Indian Ocean with an uninterrupted view of the breathtaking Maldivian horizon and are a private enclave for guests who yearn for tranquility. The other 36 villas are designed with intimate gardens featuring outdoor baths and rain showers. Individual plunge pools are outstanding features in some of these villas. Less than 30 steps from the azure water, they provide complete privacy and serenity to discerning travelers.

Park Hyatt Hadahaa features two specialty restaurants, The Dining Room and Battuta's, as well as a poolside bar and 24-hour in-villa dining. With a mesmerizing view of the ocean, The Dining Room is an intimate two-story a-la-carte restaurant serving an array of international delights for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Battuta's, the only indigenous restaurant in the Maldives serving gourmet regional cuisine, features an open kitchen and Maldivian-inspired interiors for elegant, yet casual dinners. Bell's Bar, an open-air lounge-style bar, perched beautifully between the ocean and an infinity swimming pool with breath-taking ocean views, features an impressive selection of vintage wines and champagnes, as well as cocktails, imported beers and fresh juices.

The hotel features a fitness and health center, multiple swimming pools, and a five-star PADI diving water sports center. Activities range from kayaking, snorkelling and diving to Maldivian cooking lessons, dolphin spotting, sunset cruises and guided visits to local artisan villages. A large freshwater pool overlooking the ocean provides guests with a picturesque backdrop during a casual swim or for lounging poolside. Guests looking for peace and solitude can visit the Spa Pool within the tranquil spa enclave. Shaded garden pavilions complement the serenity of the spa poolside.

The onsite PADI 5 Star dive center offers an opportunity to dive amidst undisturbed reefs and sites in this untouched atoll where the marine life is virtually more abundant and varied than anywhere else in the Maldives. Diving enthusiasts will enjoy experiencing the rich and diverse marine life, including a variety of sting rays – Spotted Eagle Rays, Porcupine Rays, Whiptail Stingrays, Marbled Sting Rays, sharks, and large numbers of green turtles and Hawksbill Turtles. On rare occasions, lucky divers have spotted Ornate Eagle Rays, Guitar Sharks, Whale Sharks, Marlins and Mobulas.