The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands Opens its Doors

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C today, 1st June 2021 announced its debut in the Maldives, with the opening of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands. Located on the Fari Islands, an archipelago on the north-eastern tip of North Malé Atoll, the area is famous for its untouched white-sand beaches and brilliant azure waters teeming with marine life.

Featuring stunning minimalist architecture, the resort invites guests to embrace the beru, or circle of island life and welcomes them into a world of exceptional luxury and memorable experiences.

Following much anticipation surrounding its debut, we are thrilled to finally open The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, and set a new standard for luxury hospitality in the Maldives, an internationally desired destination. This latest addition perfectly complements the Marriott International luxury portfolio, as we continually strive to meet the increasing demand for luxury offerings and experiences from affluent international travellers. This is an extremely monumental day for us, and is set to renew confidence in international travel.
Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Marriott International.

Easily accessible via a scenic ten-minute seaplane ride, or a 45-minute luxury boat ride from Velana International Airport, the resort is part of the picturesque Fari Marina with its vibrant Beach Club, charming boutiques and tempting eateries forming the archipelago’s communal heart. The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is ideal for guests seeking a holiday of discovery or exploration for the whole family.

Elemental Design Born from the Sun and the Sea

Designed by the multi-award-winning Kerry Hill Architects, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands is inspired by its natural surroundings, including the elements of swirling water and ocean breezes, which are incorporated into a design narrative that is rooted in the shape of a circle that also represents the flow of island life.

The resort features 100 luxurious one- to three-bedroom villas, either set over crystal clear waters or nestled along pristine beach coves, each offering spacious living spaces that blur the line between indoors and outdoors with panoramic sliding doors, a sun deck with a private infinity pool and breathtaking views.

*Image: Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands*

The resort’s minimalist design is respectful of its visual impact on the environment and draws much of its natural surroundings into the guest experience. As part of the legendary, highly personalized service of The Ritz-Carlton, and inspired by the ancient
royal customs of the Maldivian royal courts, each room is assigned an ‘Aris Meeha’ or island butler to fulfil a guest’s every wish.

Distinct Dining Delivers the Best in Beachfront Luxury

With seven distinct culinary venues, The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands strikes the perfect balance between high-end dining, beachfront luxury, and wellness-centred menus. Within a beautiful lantern-inspired overwater space, Summer Pavilion takes inspiration from The Ritz-Carlton Millenia, Singapore’s Michelin-starred restaurant, showcasing contemporary Cantonese cuisine.

Iwau, or ‘celebrate’ in Japanese, is an open-air restaurant with two teppanyaki grills for a multi-sensory dining experience. La Locanda serves rich espressos in the morning, while aperitifs in the setting sun prelude an evening of delightful southern Italian cuisine. The family-friendly Beach Shack is inspired by the carefree spirit and relaxed cuisines of the Mediterranean, featuring shared plates and grilled seafood.

Eau Bar welcomes guests to a laid-back glamourous setting, where guests can indulge in fresh oysters and caviar while sipping on tableside crafted cocktails, while afternoon tea gets a Maldivian twist and sunset is celebrated each evening with captivating drums and fire ritual.

Two of the resort’s venues are located at Fari Marina, a pleasant eight-minute journey in a dhoni, a traditional wooden fishing boat, from the resort island to Fari Marina Village. Arabesque is an eye-catching tribute to a traditional Bedouin tent, inviting diners on a culinary journey from Lebanon to North India. Tum Tum is a food truck serving light Asian delights; the perfect welcome stop in the middle of a day of shopping and exploration.

Culturally Immersive Activities Inspire Wonder and Discovery

At the resort, guests can enjoy an array of experiences designed to immerse themselves in the best of Maldivian island life and culture, including exciting adventures with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment Program. Activated for the first time in Asia-Pacific, this unique brand program inspires guests to connect with nature and ocean life, and to safeguard it for future generations.

The programming available at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands highlights the rich culture and unique ecosystem of the destination through immersive experiences designed for children, adults and local residents, including a family cooking class, a bike safari around the resort and a “Wonders of Water” ocean mystery program facilitated by one of the program’s resident naturalists.

The resort’s Ritz Kids program offers a total of 30 activities aimed at inspiring wonder and discovery, including a signature Ritz Kids treasure hunt, as well as a fun program for teens that includes lessons with expert drone cinematographers.

The resort also caters to all levels of scuba enthusiasts and snorkelers with a dedicated dive centre in partnership with Dive Butler International. Guests can also choose leisurely cruises on traditional dhonis for a chance to encounter dolphins, or swim with turtles and manta rays.

In addition to curated fitness retreats, the resort also features a comprehensive tennis program with coaching, as well as visiting professionals and in-resort tournaments. Guests looking to find their rhythm can take part in a boduberu drumming class, the heart of traditional Maldivian music and an integral part of island culture. By a campfire at the Beach Shack, the resort’s resident expert on the sea, or Moodhu Edhuru, evokes ancient traditions with traditional tales of life on the Maldivian archipelagos.

Natural-Sourced Serenity and Relaxation at The Ritz-Carlton Spa

For a complete luxury wellness experience, The Ritz-Carlton Spa, in partnership with renowned sustainable and holistic wellness brand Bamford, is a sanctuary of tranquil relaxation over the turquoise lagoon.

The iconic spa offers nine treatment rooms including a spa suite with its relaxation lounge, a salon and a boutique. Cardinal directions of each treatment room exude powerful energy, and a menu of bespoke spa treatments and healing massages also features a botanical and artisanal body and skincare collection by Bamford.

“The Ritz-Carlton brand creates exceptional experiences inspired by the surrounding locales, with encounters that leave lasting impressions and meaningful memories,” said Jennie Toh, Vice President of Brand Marketing and Brand Management, Asia Pacific, Marriott International.

For more information on The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands and reservations inquiries, please visit www.ritzcarlton.com/Maldives.

Feature image by The Ritz-Carlton Maldives

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