Travel Matters Insight

Heritance Aarah

About…

Heritance Aarah has a remarkable reputation within the Maldives, as a leader in Luxury and Hospitality. The concept of this island resort is to encourage guests to have a regenerative day in order to wake up in paradise. Imagine the sound of the sea’s rolling waves gently massaging the shoreline of your detached Beach Villa (if this accommodation type is to your liking). With one-hundred and fifty villas, six restaurants, five bars, a PADI Dive Centre, a crèche & kid’s club and an IASO Medi Spa - Heritance Aarah is without a doubt a grandiose-star-studded luxury resort that guarantees superb dining, absolute comfort, extraordinary service and a landscape that re-defines the definition of ‘Heaven on Earth’.

Heritance Aarah is an extremely young island resort, having only opened its doors to guests in 2019. Due to a troubling 2020, the resort bounced back stronger and perfected their levels of service to produce prosperity in 2021 and 2022. Being such a modern luxury beach resort, guests can relax knowing that every aspect of their stay will be pure comfort! You will be escorted to the island via sea plane (an experience in its own right) and greeted on a tropical styled jetty. From here, guests are delivered to reception on a golf buggy in order to be checked-in. The greeting you will receive is indicative of your stay and experience at Heritance Aarah – 5 Star.

Accommodation at Heritance Aarah is split into either occupancy of two guests or four guests. Beach Villas, Ocean Villas, Pool Beach Villas and Ocean Suites have been designed for intimate couple stays, whilst the Family Pool Beach Villas, Family Poo Beach Villas and Ocean Residence are ideal for families or parties of four. Whatever your choice, you will either be greeted with golden sands & views of the Indian Ocean at your doorstep or elevated upon stilts in the Ocean itself. Each Villa and the Residence are stylishly designed with handcrafted fittings & furniture, King-sized beds, mini-fridges, outdoor showers and large open-air verandas.

Whilst visiting any island resort in the Maldives, it’s very important to weigh-up the activities on offer by the accommodator. Bear in mind, you are staying on an island, some of which are only a couple of acres in area. Heritance Aarah has a sheer abundance of activities that cater to a diverse crowd, ranging from; catamaran sailing, cocktail & cooking masterclasses, dolphin & turtle cruises, scuba diving, snorkelling and water skiing are just a handful to pick from. If you’re looking to break a sweat on land, check out the 3G Futsal pitch, beach volleyball & badminton courts’ and gym.

The resort also specialises in Aesthetics, Diet & Nutrition, Wellness Programs, Weight Loss Programs and Salon & Nail Services - all at Heritance Aarah’s Medi Spa. Here guest are able to indulge from a varied selection of signature treatments that comprise of Facials (‘Hydra Renew’ and ‘Age Renew’), Body Massage (Holistic, Hot Stone and Sports), Stretch Marks Correction: Abdomen or Thighs and much more…you may want to prolong your stay in order to utilise all treatments and take years off your appearance!

Lastly, and certainly not to be scoffed at, is Heritance Aarah’s dining options. At the end of your holiday, you will wonder how it was possible to put away three full meals a day, but such is the quality of cuisine at this luxury resort. Daily trips to Ranba are convenient for those who desire a selection of international-buffet cuisine, with the added perks of delightful views that overlook the main swimming pool area. Ralu provides those who are feeling a tad homesick with a chance to indulge themselves in French and Italian classics, all whilst being seated in a more expansive setting that might offer better protection from the elements. For authentic and regional cuisine; Banni, Hatha and Ambula are perfect options. The latter’s menu is themed purely on Sri Lankan spices & flavours that assist to craft savoury canapés, exotic foods and intriguing desserts.

Key Sustainable Features…

Sustainability has been completely incorporated into the business concept of Heritance Aarah and the resort was notably awarded Gold for ‘Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’ (compliant with US Green Building Council rating system ), in 2020.

Managed by Aitken Spence Hotels, this group has 22 hotels spread across Sri Lanka, India, Oman and the Maldives. Heritance Aarah was designed by architect Mohamed Shafeeq, who considerately incorporated the likes of energy-efficient air conditioning, energy-saving LED lighting, fuel-saving generators and water-saving fixtures into every aspect of his design.

The resort has also been awarded the following accolades -

• GCET (Global Code of Ethics for Tourism)

• LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

These accreditations take into account an all-inclusive set of values considered to guide key-players in tourism development, construction and maintenance (LEED’s framework creates healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings). The socio aspects address how communities (and tourists alike) aim to assist tourism’s welfare outcomes, whilst curtailing negative impacts on the environment, cultural heritage and societies.

Travel Matters Highlights…

Service - whilst everyone else was in isolation, Service workers in the Maldives were perfecting their craft!

“Upon being delivered at our Beach Villa, our Butler presented us with his mobile number so that we could contact him at any time, with any request. There was never an instance that we weren’t tended to, but always in a subtle manner. Being modern and already having a fierce reputation, Heritance Aarah has cherry-picked some of the best Hospitality talent within this region of Asia. Over a thousand 5-Star Tripadvisor reviews is testament to all their hard work.“

(Travel Matters ‘The Maldives Business Model’ Blog, 2022)

Map & Location…

Heritance Aarah is situated in the Raa Atoll, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Being southwest of Sri Lanka and India, the Maldives consist of 1,192 coral islands that forms an Archipelago of 26 Atolls. The Maldives (Republic of Maldives) is renowned for its fantastic glistening beaches and high-end resorts that offer luxurious villas, built on stilts in the water. Lovers of these islands tend to be those who have an affinity with the water, so expect to see many scuba diving & snorkelling and water sports enthusiasts. Take an adventure into the ocean and you may catch glimpses of astounding fish, coral reef, manta rays, turtles, sharks and the famous & illusive whale shark.

With its richness in marine life, biodiversity and flora & fauna, the NBSAP (National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans) has set the Maldives a set of guiding principles that relate to ecological sustainability, individual responsibility. As well as this, the Maldives has the accolade as the founding member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and being a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Non Aligned Movement.

In order to get to the island, guests must fly to Velana International Airport, where a Heritance will team member will be waiting. At this point, you will be whisked out of the airport to the Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) Terminal where a Seaplane Transfer will transport you to the Resort, just 45 minutes away.