The pool area at the Park Hyatt Maldives (Courtesy Hyatt)
The pool area at the Park Hyatt Maldives (Courtesy Hyatt)

Hotel Insider: Park Hyatt, Maldives



The welcome

As welcomes go, it was rather dramatic. Minutes after we arrived, the resident biologist Arabella emerged - like a Bond girl - from the lagoon in full wetsuit, carrying fresh juice for us to sip on the beach. It's a party trick mostly practised on honeymooners but a clever one.

The neighbourhood

Hadahaa is at the southern most tip of the Maldives, close to the equator, in the Northern Huvadhu Atoll. It is one of the largest and deepest atolls in the world, which explains the coral, and only 10 of the 150 islands are inhabited. It is also a very long way (400 kilometres south) of Malé and, until recently, getting there was not the easiest. Seaplanes could not land without endangering the coral and so the journey involved a long boat trip after the internal flight. However, a new airport opened on a neighbouring island on September 11 and now it's a pleasant 15-minute hop on a speedboat. The advantage of scheduled flights is that planes can now take off and land after dark, which means guests don't have to stay overnight in Malé.

The room

The hotel was built by Alila, which took five years in order to avoid disturbing the coral. It was recently taken over by Park Hyatt, which has given all 50 rooms a facelift.

It's a good combination. Alila's sensitivity to the environment was paramount, and Hyatt has brought their own high standards to the interiors. There are 14 water villas, 16 pool villas and 20 garden villas. I stayed in a good-sized pool villa that was attractively minimalistic. Made of local timber and glass, its decor featured warm, earthy colours. The lush vegetation by the pool and patio also offered both privacy and beach access.

The scene

Haute couture meets barefoot. As with everywhere in the Maldives, it is expensive. But the magnificence of the coral and the sea life also attract divers and snorkellers. Arabella gives snorkelling tours guiding guests expertly through the coral.

The service

Good. Every guest has an iPad in the room, along with a 37-inch TV, a DVD and CD player, and an MP3 docking station.

With only 50 rooms the concept is that guests can be individually catered for. Staff can offer to take honeymooning couples to a sandbank in the middle of the Indian Ocean so they can feel alone.

The food

Battuta's has the reputation of being the only truly Maldivian restaurant in the country, but it was only open in the evenings. The problem is that there isn't really any such thing as Maldivian food, except that it involves a lot of tuna. Park Hyatt has recently revamped Battuta's and expanded the menus under a new Irish chef. They did not want to lose the heritage, so now it is described as "regionally inspired" cuisine. Locally sourced ingredients are used on the traditional grill and wood-burning oven. The tables and chairs are set on the sand, reinforcing the need to be barefoot while wearing couture.

Loved

The snorkelling - the best I have ever seen - and the spa. I had itchy legs and the Ayurvedic doctor and therapist between them managed to get my skin back to normal within a few hours.

Hated

Learning my car back home had been broken into; the peace of the island brought the stresses of real life into even sharper focus. I could not work out how to open the doors to my room and felt rather foolish at having to phone reception.

The verdict

This Park Hyatt cannot boast the underwater restaurants and nightclubs of other resorts, but its location is superb and the service is exemplary.

The bottom line

A double room costs from US$870 (Dh3,160) per night, including taxes. Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, North Huvadhoo (Gaafu Alifu) Atoll, Maldives (www.maldives.hadahaa.park.hyatt.com; 00 960 682 1234).

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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Business Insights
  • As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now

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Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now
Alan Rushbridger, Canongate

Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide

Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.

The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.

Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years

 

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