Centara Hotels & Resorts Seeks to Redefine Family Travel Experiences in the Maldives

Wednesday, Dec 18, 2024 0

Independent survey reveals UK citizens love the Maldives, but are put off by high prices and lack of family facilities
Leading hotel operator addresses concerns with launch of family centred Centerra Mirage Lagoon Maldives
Resort part of multi-island destination The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts also set to welcome Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives in Q1 2025

Thailand’s leading hotel operator, Centara Hotels & Resorts is bringing its prowess in family travel to the Maldives through its award-winning Mirage brand following its success in Thailand, Vietnam and Dubai. Situated on a multi-island destination called The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts, Mirage will be joined by Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives when it opens early next year forming a two-island, one destination experience.

Recently opened, Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives is a vibrant underwater world-themed resort with unique facilities and concepts, including a large water park and the country’s longest lazy river. The opening marks the first phase of The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts and the broadening of the appeal for a destination more known for honeymoon retreats than family fun.

The results of a new consumer survey of British travel preferences, commissioned by Centara, supports the timing of the family-travel specialists’ confident entry into the destination with its Mirage brand as it reveals that while there is strong desire to travel to the Maldives, as a family destination is it perceived as high-cost and lacking in facilities.

Conducted by UK-based market research and polling company Survation¹, the Family Travel in the Maldives survey found that the destination has many attractive factors for UK visitors, most notably its Natural Beauty (cited by 63% of respondents) and the appeal of a Once in a Lifetime Experience (58%). However, almost half the respondents (49%) said they were unlikely to consider the Maldives for a family vacation due to its perceived High Cost (72%) and Lack of Facilities for Children (24%).

Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives will endeavour to fill this gap as one of the first resorts with a water park in the Maldives, a key attraction for British families (40%). The resort offers lagoon pools, mini atolls, slides and splash zones, where Uncle Octopus uses his tentacles to create the current for the 284-metre-long lazy river which traverses the length and breadth of the resort. Survey’s respondents also called for Family-style Accommodation (38%). The resort’s 145 beachfront or overwater rooms and villas are spacious and filled with tailored amenities, including outdoor terraces and bunk beds in every family room.

In short, Centara Mirage Lagoon is a fantasy wonderland for kids serving up fantastical experiences designed to peak the imagination, thrill and delight children, and their parents. Journey into a Stingray-themed playground, take a trip into the Nurture Zone featuring a wild orchid garden, or dive into the sweet treats of the Willy Wonka-inspired Candy Spa for kids massages and tailor-made teen treatments. All corners of the resort are designed to provide new experiences and enable parents and kids to Relax in a Stress-Free Environment, a key desire as revealed in the survey’s data at 74%.

The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts also plays host to Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives, a first-class resort experience defined by a true sense of space, tranquility and privacy, which remains true to the sophisticated elegance of the brand and builds deep guest connections through a series of curated, personalised experiences. This includes the serenity of the SPA Cenvaree Retreat, sea-to-plate gastronomy and peaceful days simply spent relaxing by the pool or enjoying sports and marine activities.

Michael Henssler, Centara’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Family travel is a core part of Centara’s DNA and has underpinned our style of Thai-inspired, heartfelt hospitality for more than 40 years. With the launch of Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives, we are offering families an opportunity to experience family travel in this idyllic archipelago like never before. With our ‘two islands, one destination’ model, The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts will be accessible and inspiring, creating an exciting new offering for the Maldivian tourism industry that meets the needs of British holiday-makers.”

Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives builds upon the award-winning Centara Mirage family resort concept, and Centara’s commitment to accessible hospitality. The world’s three other Centara Mirage resorts, located in Pattaya (Thailand), Mui Ne (Vietnam) and Dubai (UAE) – each of which is centred around a water park and tells its own story of adventure – have become hugely popular for their immersive concepts and intuitive amenities, which enable parents to unwind while their kids enjoy unforgettable experiences.

The Atollia by Centara Hotels & Resorts, located in the North Malé Atoll, 30 minutes by speedboat from the newly-expanded Velana International Airport, will complement Centara’s two existing properties in the country: the nature-inspired Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives and couple-centric Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives.

Centara Mirage Lagoon Maldives is offering the ultimate family wonderland experience, with complimentary stays and meals for up to two children aged 15 and under, and free roundtrip speedboat transfers to and from Velana International Airport. Introductory offer rates start from £330 per room per night and for guests who stay by 20th December 2024, Centara is offering a complimentary return stay for the same duration next year. Introductory rates for the high-end Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives rates start from £950 per room per night. Rates quoted include service and taxes, and may be subject to change.

Conducted for Centara by Survation, the UK-based market research and polling company, the “Family Travel in the Maldives” study was conducted from 25th – 28th October 2024, through online interviews with a total of 1,006 UK citizens aged 18 and above.