Football Legends Holidays in the Maldives: 2023 Edition

With the country garnering popularity over the years, one group of travellers who have started to vacation in the country have also gained quite a bit of attention. Over the past few years, world-renowned footballers have started coming to the Maldives, not only to partner with resorts but also to unwind and enjoy their holidays. There were a handful of footballers who were spotted in the Maldives in the past year itself.

Annual Football Camp with Gary Cahill and Wayne Bridge

If you are a lover of the England football team, Gary Cahill and Wayne Bridge must be familiar names. The football legends took over Siyam World just last year for an annual football camp which took place in the summer. What better way for a football lover to spend their holidays than playing off with the best of the best?

During their stay, Gary Cahill and Wayne Bridges shared his expertise and coaching tips with.

Spanish footballer Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma

Pedro Rodíguez is a popular footballer among all FC Barcelona supporters. He is also a popular name in the football scene as Pedro was the first player in history to score in six different official competitions in one season.

It was no surprise when Pedro Rodíguez and his girlfriend came to visit the Maldives for the holiday, it garnered a lot of attention. The pair spent their holidays in a resort located near the capital city. During their stay, Pedro and his girlfriend also took some time to explore popular locations in Male’ City such as the President’s Office and the Friday Mosque.

Manchester City’s legendary goalkeeper, Ederson Santana de Moraes

Ederson Santana de Moraes and his family were spotted at Kandima Maldives in July 2023. During this island-style break, the staff at Kandima Maldives got the amazing opportunity to play along with Ederson! This was a rare opportunity that many would hope to get, as Ederson Moraes took this opportunity to sign autographs for fans as well.

Joe Gomez Vacations at Kandima Maldives

Kandima Maldives definitely appears to be a footballer’s favourite destination. English footballer Joe Gomez and wife also took a much-needed vacation to Kandima Maldives, during which they stayed in the aqua villa. Along with them also came the younglings. Gomez noted that the girls stayed in a studio suite while the youngest shared the aqua villa with the couple.

Children’s football camp with Robert Green

Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences marked their easter with the arrival of former English Premier League player Robert Green. Green’s Football Camo at Amilla Maldives was particularly exciting for the youngsters. In addition to kickstarting Easter with his football sessions, Robert also provided a two-hour Masterclass Boot Camp every day from April 7th to April 11th!

German legend Lukas Podolski at Heritence Aarah

German footballer, known and loved by many, took to Heritence Aarah to play a friendly match with a team of eager young players from Meedhu Island. In addition to the joyous match where Podolski offered tips and tricks, the youngsters also got a personally signed jersey.

If you love traveling and earning rewards, the expanded partnership between Marriott Bonvoy and Emirates Skywards is great news. With over 35 million members worldwide, this collaboration lets you convert points between the two programs, doubling your opportunities to earn and redeem rewards whether you fly or stay at a hotel. Here’s a simple guide to what this means for you and how to get the most out of your travel loyalty programs.

What Is the Marriott Bonvoy and Emirates Skywards Partnership?

Marriott Bonvoy is the loyalty program for Marriott International’s vast hotel portfolio, including more than 30 brands worldwide. Emirates Skywards is the frequent flyer program of Emirates Airlines, flying to over 140 destinations globally. Together, they’ve been partnering for over 10 years to let travelers earn rewards faster now with a new feature that lets you convert Skywards Miles to Marriott Bonvoy Points and vice versa.

How Does the Points and Miles Conversion Work?

The key highlight of this partnership is the seamless conversion between Marriott Bonvoy Points and Emirates Skywards Miles:

Convert Marriott Bonvoy Points to Emirates Skywards Miles: For every 3 Marriott Bonvoy Points, you get 1 Skywards Mile. Plus, if you convert 60,000 points, you receive a bonus of 5,000 Skywards Miles.
Convert Emirates Skywards Miles to Marriott Bonvoy Points: Starting now, you can convert 3 Skywards Miles into 2 Marriott Bonvoy Points. The minimum transfer is 3,000 Miles.

To make a conversion, log in to your Emirates Skywards account, enter your Marriott Bonvoy membership details, and convert easily on the Emirates website.

Double Your Rewards Earn Both Points and Miles

Here’s how you earn more rewards by linking your accounts:

When staying at Marriott Bonvoy hotels: Earn 1 Skywards Mile for every USD 1 spent, on top of your Marriott Bonvoy points.
When flying Emirates: Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and above members earn 3 Marriott Bonvoy Points for every USD 1 spent on Emirates flights, in addition to Skywards Miles.

If you have elite status in either program, you also get special perks like priority check-in, priority boarding on Emirates flights, late hotel checkout, and complimentary in-room Wi-Fi.

Who Can Benefit Most from This Partnership?

This program is perfect for frequent travelers who fly with Emirates and stay at Marriott hotels regularly. To maximize benefits:

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite, Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite, and Ambassador Elite members earn bonus points on Emirates flights and get airport perks.
Emirates Skywards Silver, Gold, and Platinum members earn miles on Marriott stays and receive hotel elite benefits like late checkout and priority check-in.

Keep in mind, you need to be registered with both programs under the same name and link your accounts to enjoy these benefits.

Why This Partnership Matters for Travelers

With this upgraded collaboration, your travel rewards become more flexible and valuable. Whether you want to use your points to book a luxurious hotel stay across 144 countries or redeem miles for flights to 158 destinations, this partnership opens doors to a more rewarding travel experience.

It’s especially helpful if you want to switch between earning hotel points and airline miles without losing value. Plus, the ability to earn both simultaneously makes every trip more rewarding.

How to Get Started

Make sure you are an active member of both Marriott Bonvoy and Emirates Skywards.
Link your accounts online through the Your World Rewards portal or Emirates website.
Start earning double rewards on flights and hotel stays.
Convert points and miles easily whenever you want to enjoy stays or flights.
Don’t forget to check your elite status perks before booking to get the most value.

Elevate Your Travel Rewards with Marriott and Emirates

If you travel often, this enhanced Marriott Bonvoy and Emirates Skywards partnership gives you more freedom and flexibility to earn and spend rewards across a global network of hotels and flights. The ability to convert miles to points and vice versa means your loyalty rewards can work exactly how you want them to whether that’s booking your next Emirates flight, upgrading your hotel stay, or simply enjoying exclusive perks.

Link your accounts today to start maximizing your travel rewards and experience the best of both worlds the comfort of Marriott hotels and the luxury of Emirates flights all while earning twice the rewards.

*As announced on 27th May 2025 by Emirates