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).

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Rating: 2/5
The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

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The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

Emirates Red Crescent

On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.

Gulf for Good

Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.

Noor Dubai Foundation

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

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