The Standard, Huruvalhi Maldives: American hotel brand takes its creative cool to first resort property
- Rainbow colours, glass-bottomed dance floor and the country’s biggest disco ball bring fun twist to the atoll idyll
Where is it? On the island of Huruvalhi, in the Maldives’ Raa Atoll, a 35-minute seaplane flight northwest of Malé’s Velana International Airport.
Ah, so it’s another honeymooners’ retreat? Not exactly. The former Carpe Diem Beach Resort & Spa was recently taken over by funky American hotel brand The Standard, which has completely renovated the 88 overwater villas, 27 beach villas and various venues and facilities in its signature style.
Quirky how? The overwater villas’ exteriors are painted in bright shades – from mustard yellow and terracotta orange to cornflower blue and Prince purple – making that portion of the resort resemble an enormous Pantone chart. Inside, the rooms and furnishings are predominantly white, punctuated by occasional bursts of vibrant colour – a mint green cushion here, a hot-pink stripe there – while a multihued lighting system can be adjusted to suit a guest’s mood.
Behind the bed is a wall adorned with brilliant-white snorkelling equipment and a hot-pink inflatable ring, ready to be grabbed on a whim. There’s also a glitterball that dangles above the capacious circular bathtub. Because … disco.
I want to be pampered. Tell me about the spa. The Standard’s LA roots are reflected in the spa, where the tailored treatments range from gemstone-powered vibrational sleep rituals to cannabidiol-enhanced hot stone massages. Thrice daily yoga sessions take place by the sea and scrubs and mud baths are offered in the largest hammam in the Maldives.
