THE WESTIN MALDIVES MIRIANDHOO RESORT

MIRIANDHOO ISLAND, BAA ATOLL

For a storied brand like Westin, it is surprising that The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort is the group’s first property in the sunny island state. But it is worth the wait as the hospitality giant brings out all the tricks in its book to make a stay at the resort a memorable one. Designed by the award-winning architects Peia Associati, the Italian firm behind the Katara Headquarters in Doha, Qatar and the Cultural Center Ikeda for Peace in Milan, Italy, the resort, which boasts 70 overwater and island villas, is located in the only Unesco Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives, close to the Hanifaru Bay. (Biosphere reserves are made up of terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems that promote solutions to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.) That was why I could already spot small fishes and jellyfish close to the resort as the seaplane arrived at its jetty, which got the city boy in me excited. The design of the resort takes inspiration from elements closely associated with the atoll such as water, sun and wind. For one, the entire resort is shaped like a turtle with its head starting from the jetty. There are no concrete walking paths on the island. To minimise the alteration and consumption of land and natural resources on Miriandhoo, the villas and facilities such as the Westinworkout Fitness Studio and Westin Kids Club are built in a loop, creating a sandy path wide enough for guests to walk and buggies to drive by. But what impressed me the most was the property’s focus on sustainable living in its subtle manner. Don’t expect single-use cups or straws, drinking water in plastic bottles or air conditioning everywhere. Instead, I was served drinks with bamboo paper straws, offered drinking water—reverse-osmosis filtered water, at that—from swing-top glass bottles and dined at the resort’s three restaurants—island Kitchen, The Pearl and Hawker—which serve sustainably sourced ingredients and offered al fresco seating. Clever design also takes a starring role at the resort. Take its villas and The Pearl restaurant for example. They are encased in a contemporary shell-like structure, which do not trap heat, keeping temperatures low, reducing the need for air conditioning and thus minimising the resort’s impact on the environment. A green vacation—what’s there not to like? westin.marriott.com