Luxury hotel to open the first 'ice rink' in the Maldives

jumeirah vittaveli, maldives
This December, the Jumeirah Vittaveli will open the first 'ice-skating rink' in the Maldives.

Winter is coming early to the Maldives this year with the opening of the country’s first 'ice-skating rink'.

The attraction has been conceived by Jumeirah Vittaveli, a luxury island resort situated a 20-minute catamaran ride from the capital, Malé.

However, unlike most artificial ice rinks, which are created by freezing a layer of water over a base of concrete (a process that requires a lot of power), the Jumeirah's rink will be made entirely out of synthetic materials.

Using artificial ice plates made out of plastic, developed by leading Swiss company Glice®, the rink will reportedly not require electricity or water to operate.

It is set to open at the beginning of December – a month when temperatures across the islands average around 27 degrees Celsius.

“The ice rink is a perfect expression of our goal to always wow guests,” says the hotel’s General Manager, Amit Majumder.

“We have many guests who keep coming back to us and I often hear that one of the reasons for their return is that they love to be surprised by our updates and developments each time they come.”

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jumeirah vittaveli, maldives
The luxury island resort is planning numerous festivities over the Christmas period.

The hotel, which is part of the Dubai-based Jumeirah Group, comprises a collection of 43 thatched villas. Each faces onto the beach and comes with its own private garden and pool. There are a further 39 Water villas. Seven Ocean suites are even more secluded, with each one accessible only by boat.

A stay in the ultra-exclusive Royal Residence, meanwhile, at a vast 3,500 square metres (equivalent to two thirds of a football pitch), includes use of a private restaurant, gym, spa and team of staff. It costs US$35,000 (approx. £26,290) a night.

Facilities at the hotel include an Asian-inspired spa and a 'house' coral reef. An on-site water sports centre offers snorkelling equipment and diving trips, along with jet-skiing, windsurfing and deep sea fishing.

The addition of an 'ice rink' marks the start of a packed festive season at the hotel, which will be celebrating with gala dinners on the beach, a visit from Father Christmas on Christmas Day, and a New Year’s party on December 31 featuring DJ sets, fireworks and a live fire dance.

The rink is just the latest extravagant project conceived by the Maldives' plethora of luxury resorts.

The region currently boasts several underwater restaurants - Hurawalhi claims to have the largest - and there's a sub-aquatic spa at Huvafen Fushi resort.

Another Maldivian resort, the Conrad Rangali, recently announced the launch of the world's first Instagram butler service.

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jumeirah vittaveli, maldives
The rink is made from synthetic materials rather than real ice.
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