Lobigili: The Maldivian Bet
By Massimo Terracina
The Maldives, a country nestled on the Indian Ocean, made up of over 1100 islands, divided into atolls that dot a sea of blue, green and azure tones, is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Only 149 of these islands are dedicated to resorts, hotels that, if you go there once, you won't forget as long as you live.
The last one inaugurated, in chronological order, on March 24, is on the small island of Lobigili, (in Maldivian Lobi “love”, Gili “island”) and represents not only an architectural challenge with its 68 villas, built on a small piece of coral land, but a human challenge, which Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, (https://www.atmospherehotelsandresorts.com/) the young and innovative Indo-Maldivian hospitality chain, has won against local culture, conventions, gender conflicts.
"We were told that we would not succeed in this huge “BET” - explains Stephane Laguette, cco of Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, very satisfied - that we would never be able to create a resort in which about 80% of the staff would be “Women”. But here we are, with an ace up our sleeve, an experiment that no one, before us, had tried in the Maldives ".
The small Oblu Select Lobigili, (https://www.coloursofoblu.com/oblu-select-lobigili) features a 5 stars welcome, flagship of one of the three brands of the chain, which will see the opening in may of its sister island, Ailafushi, to which it is connected through 800-meter wharf, with 268 villas dedicated to families.
"The mood we want to give to the structure is dynamic, vibrant, dedicated only to an adult audience - specifies Rifaa Saeed, marketing manager - not necessarily couples, but the occupancy is of a maximum of two people per room, because here we want people to entrust to our Island Hostesses, girls of all races, religions, cultures united by an open smile to forget stress, welcome the vibrant, dynamic, but at the same time relaxing and welcoming character of the island. A bit like the Atmosphere cgroup where there are so many of us working, and as a Maldivian woman, this fills me with joy and pride".
After the 20-minute fast boat ride from the airport, you arrive at the jetty where the "Island hostesses" make you sit at the Pool Bar, for an informal and personal check-in over a refreshing cocktail or a sparkling glass. After completing the formalities, each guest is entrusted to a girl who takes care of housing needs, equipped with an electric golf cart, pink or yellow and a food & beverage island hostess who will be your contact person at the Ylang Ylang restaurant.
In short, they will spoil you as best you might not expect, but without intrusiveness.
"It is our idea to create a different resort in which you can live a 2.0 experience! - explains Silvia Collepardi, vice president of sales & marketing for the COLOURS OF OBLU brand of which the resort is part - And I believe that with this formula, judging from the feedback already received, it is a winning and, above all, unique solution in the panorama of Maldivian resorts".
All these girls have in common the fact that they have already worked in the business and have found a position here that they say satisfies their sense of challenge, making them even more responsible.
"We have so many of them, everyone a single “pearl” – says Jorge Amaro, gm of the newly opened resort - Marwa, 32, from Alexandria in Egypt takes care of welcoming customers, a sort of "butler" which helps the guest manage their days. Sara, a 24-year-old Maldivian, runs around the island aboard the pink cart, to transport the lazy ones, while Sally comes from the Philippines, speaks Italian because she worked for two years in Ferrara, and she also takes care of looking after the guests at the restaurant".
Maya, 30, Indian from Manipur takes care of the drinks at the Pool and Swing bar expertly mixed by Kathrin, a 30-year-old Filipina, the soul of the cocktail bar.
Rose 24 and Julia, 30, are both Kenyan, with a very white smile and, together with Monica, 23, from India, are three F&B Island Hostesses.
You will see them running around happily on the piers, which lead to the 22 Nest Water villas facing east, and to the same number of Sun Nest Water villas that watch the sunset, or the 22 Sun Nest Beach Pool villas, or move happily between the tables of the main restaurant, which will soon be added in the middle of the bay that separates the two islands, the submarine one, the Only Blue, without forgetting the skilled hands, which surpass the smiles, of the operators of ELE | NA THE SPA.
Maldives, what else?
