Heart of CCR

Sustainable Resorts in the Maldives

The Maldives is truly one of the world’s maritime treasures that prospers in a beautiful yet fragile environment. At Crown & Champa Resorts, we are committed to raise awareness and educate both our associates and guests on ways to be more mindful of the natural environment. We are not only aware of global environmental issues, but we also acknowledge our impact and responsibility towards our planet  for the present and future generations. 

We believe that taking care of the environment is a collective responsibility, and now more than ever,  each of us must take action to help protect and conserve our shared home. Here are various sustainable efforts our Maldives resorts are implementing  while providing exceptional holiday experiences to our guests.

Energy Management

Harnessing the sun

Opened in December 2018, the ultra-luxury Kudadoo Private Island was not only designed and built from all-natural materials, but its operations run entirely on solar power. The resort’s central hub, known as The Retreat,  houses an exclusive spa and wellness centre and features a photovoltaic roof covered with almost a thousand solar panels, which generate 300kW of electricity.

The five-star Hurawalhi Island Resort, the adults-only Komandoo Island Resort, the vibrant Kuredu Island Resort and the affordable Innahura Maldives Resort have also installed solar panels to harness energy from the sun, which translates to a massive reduction in carbon emissions.

The secluded island paradise of Veligandu Maldives has implemented efficient lighting in villas and public areas, with about 97% of its light bulbs replaced with energy-saving LED lamps. In addition, it has a desalinisation plant that allows the resort to produce its own potable water, about 164,980 litres daily, for guest and staff consumption.

The family-friendly Kuredu Island Resort proudly displays colourful, electric-powered scooters and shuttle club cars available for its staff and guests’ use to minimise the impact on air pollution.

Waste Management 

Greener measures have been put in place at our resorts to decrease single-use plastics that can end up in the ocean and harm delicate marine life. All our resorts have replaced plastic water bottles with reusable glass ones and use special linen bags instead of non-biodegradable plastic. Additionally, plastic straws have successfully been removed from our restaurants and bars, providing guests with eco-friendly alternatives.

Our properties are taking numerous ways to prevent plastic waste, including lesser-known and not on-trend endeavours such as:

• our buffet restaurants offer dispensers instead of individually-portioned butter in plastic containers
•  carbonated drink glass bottles are now used in minibars, allowing us to decrease plastic usage
• toiletries provided in our villas and spas are from Healing Earth, a world-renowned industry leader for luxury amenities that are organic and biodegradable. 

Marine Life Conservation

Kagi Maldives Spa Island, the Maldives’ only resort for relaxed luxury and lifestyle retreats, has established a coral nursery program where currently 15 coral fragments are growing in a well-monitored environment, which will be transported and secured back onto the reef in the future.

The famed dive resort of Vilamendhoo Maldives in the South Ari Atoll offers eco-conscious diving and snorkelling excursions that provide guests with a once-in-a-lifetime experience while educating them on the importance of protecting the marine ecosystem, including every creature living in it.

Many of our properties are also working closely with the Manta Trust, a UK based, independent non-profit organisation whose mission is to advance the conservation of manta rays and their habitats, and the Olive Ridley Project, whose dedication is to protect sea turtles in the Indian Ocean through research, education, and rehabilitation.

Sustainable Supplies 

Meeru Island Resort & Spa, one of the Maldives’ most expansive resort islands, features ‘Meeru Garden’. The sustainable garden was developed to meet the needs of its day-to-day kitchen operations and provide guests and associates with fresh ingredients and organic produce. Guests can also join the ‘Nature and Vegetation Exploration’ tour, providing them with information on how the resort manages to grow fruit and vegetables on the island and preserve the natural surroundings.

Komandoo Island Resort, the leading adults-only resort in the Maldives, sources fish directly from the neighbouring islands’ fishermen. As such, the resort is able to support the livelihood of these local fishers and contribute to the local economy.

Local Community Engagement 

Our commitment goes beyond just environmental sustainability. We aim to create value for local communities by empowering them through job creation, education and community impact initiatives. Throughout the year, we participate in various social activities within our communities, including blood donation drives, island reef and lagoon clean-ups, fundraising, and local sports events. Occasionally, we bring in local artisans to our resorts, where they can have the opportunity to showcase their craft and promote local culture and heritage.

Choose Crown & Champa Resorts for your Holiday in the Maldives 

We are the leading hospitality group in the Republic of Maldives that takes pride in being a good corporate citizen by being part of the local community and culture. We are committed to preserving the environment through sustainable operations, guided by our core values: Respect, Empathy, Sincerity, Openness, Reliability, Trust and Sensitivity.

Discover our Collection of Sustainably-conscious Resorts in the Maldives

Luxury

Kudadoo Maldives Private Island: an ultra-luxury, fully-inclusive resort located in the magnificent surrounds of Lhaviyani Atoll. 

Hurawalhi Island Resort: a naturally-chic adults’ escape where luxury treads lightly, balancing barefoot bliss with enchanting adventures. 

Boutique Retreat 

Kagi Maldives Spa Island: a luxury boutique resort offering a mindful wellness retreat in an inspiring island setting. 

Family-friendly

Meeru Island Resort & Spa: a tranquil paradise of swaying palm trees and white sandy beaches, with a myriad of experiences and activities for families and couples alike.  

Kuredu Island Resort: a top-rated resort with a wide selection of accommodations, sports, dining and entertainment. 

Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa: a popular dive resort located in the South Ari Atoll, renowned for whale shark and manta ray hotspots. 

Veligandu Island Resort & Spa: Asia and the Maldives’ top romantic resort offering the ultimate secluded island retreat. 

Adults only (18+) 

Komandoo Island Resort: the Maldives’ leading adults-only resort ideal for couples, solo travellers, and groups of friends. 

Affordable 

Innahura Maldives Resort: an affordable resort with a fun, laid-back atmosphere perfect for those who are always up for fun and new adventures. 

By Zakariyya Easa
As a country solely dependent on tourism, Maldives is amongst the worst affected countries in the Asia region and potentially globally, due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, stated by recently released report by UNDP – Maldives (“Rapid Livelihood Assessment COVID 19”).

Remember, the economy has taken a hit. But the economy is not simply financial. The hotels industry is distinguished, among other services industry, by an everlasting competitiveness through an agile culture of imparted skills and talents delivered by L&D professionals across the organization.

The economy exists because of human capital and that capital requires support to grow and develop its resilience once again with careful nurturing of all the stakeholders, especially todays visionary and strategic HR/L&D leaders across in Maldives and in general around the globe.

Both Resorts and hotel industry is a human-intensive industry, the human element is crucial in this industry; where all the resorts and hotel activities and services are based on the human elements without denying the increasing modernity overflowing in to this industry.

Consequently, the need for well qualified and well-trained employees becomes a strategic objective. In turn, resorts and hotel’s human resource training system is a key factor in ensuring the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to achieve competitive advantage. Human touch is an inseparable element in hospitality service.

As learned from the recent virtual meetings organized by Maldivian Association of Human Resource Professionals (MAHRP), there will be a huge skills gaps that would emerge and unpredictable shortage on required human capital in Maldives especially in hospitality industry. Obvious “leakage” of expatriates’ skills-sets will be imminent,   where many major high-class companies and resorts relied on, will no longer be available, especially when reopening the tourism activities in Maldives in post COVID era.

Can local workforce be able to manage? Will they be able to cope within the required skills and talents demanded by all the variety of service expectation of different categories of resorts and hotels in Maldives?  What sorts of skills and talents that would surface in post COVID – 19, resort/hotel operation as adjoining requirement?

As I believe, in hospitality sector, human capital development (L&D Activities) activities have to be a fundamental strategic business policy to achieve success and acquiring a competitive advantage. CCR, as a leading resorts operating company,  we believe that  a positive relationship between work-based training activities and customers’ behavioral intention, is highly considered a logical finding as customers satisfaction of quality of service and quality of the products offered in resorts and hotel operation.

The world of work has changed not only in Maldives. It has always been evolving, however, during post COVID -19 pandemic is more significant and expected beyond. The time and the service expectation has started changing. Think industrial revolution as well as the introduction of automation, digitalization, and contact-less, paper-less, demanded by Gen-CX, from millennials to centennials. This is future of this industry.  Are the HR and L&D professionals ready to mold the new skills-sets and talents that demands by new service expectation. Increasing productivity, learning new skills, acquiring re-skills and talents are vital for the time that we are entering now. Are L&D leaders prepared and skilled to meet the need?

I am sure all business leaders, not only HR/L&D professionals have had a gamut of emotions in the last few months. Inertia, panic, hope, fear. How can we rebound with loads of dreams that this industry looking for?  What is evident is the need to have a wide set of skills within the workforce. Swift adaptation on the majority of training now available online together with excellent remote support, it is a great time to invest for the future through training and upskilling and reskilling of teams through current techniques of blended approaches.

Preparing our HODs, operational managers as right –caliber of coaches and mentors for the operational teams. Inspecting what you expects through the true “eyes” operational leaders. Embracing resort team from top to bottom on technological adaptation.  Enabling operational implementation in line with newly amplified H&S measure to combat COVID -19 to live with “Ever–normal life” in resort operation. Both HR and L&D professionals and resorts management team, needs to focus on the following ranges of evolving work-force talent acquisitions to survive over rivals during post COVID and beyond in hospitality operation. Impact of continuing T&D and Quality of Service would be shifted upwards as the application of the following in the operation.

• Workforce digital transformation and adaptation
• Machine intelligence application at work
• Application of Artificial Intelligence at work
• Cross – Disciplines of Learning System ( Multi – Skilling, Re-skilling at work-force)
• Working From HOME (WFH) and creating flexi-working culture among team members (no more micro-managing) – can this be applicable for resort operation?
• How should human capital developers ensure Team Members’ Social Sustainability
• Developing Training Programmes that would assist, team members mental well being
• Preparing team members for “Work- Cultural Transformation” in Post – COVID19 and beyond
• Preparing “teams” for Change Management during Digital Transformation
• Adopting work team in to “Tele-Commuting” – different digital platforms for meeting teams, HODs and event organization – to adhere physical distancing as required
• Emergence of “Different Talents Spectrums” in Post Covid 19 and preparing for those talent requirements( adjustments of Skills Gap, Developing Locals as required etc)
• Operational Manager, HODs to become mentors and coachers for team member in operation to achieve service expectation

As an industry leader in L&D, CCR, Training & Development team and its business leaders, are fully immersed in to the new “curve and wave of service expectation” expecting from hospitality industry. We are prepared and adapting in to the best -fit agile – learning culture required for the “Ever-normal” operational journey.

Zakariyya “Zaki” Easa is the Director of Training & Development at Crown & Champa Resorts.

Every year on June 5th, World Environment Day is celebrated to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect the environment across more than 150 countries.

The theme for World Environment Day 2020 is “Celebrate Biodiversity”. This theme focuses on ‘time for nature’ and providing the essential infrastructure that supports life on Earth and human development.

But, as the world reconsiders its habits during the current pandemic, here are ways in which Crown and Champa Resorts is protecting biodiversity this World Environment Day.

Avoid single use plastics and try to limit your consumption and unnecessary waste Plastic causes severe damage to marine life like turtles, seabirds, whales, and other species. Across Crown & Champa Resorts properties we have eliminated single use plastics on plastic bags and straws, as well as plastic cups, bottles, utensils, and replaced them with environmentally friendly alternatives.

Planting more trees: Apart from purifying the air, trees also help us humans in many other ways which include climate control. With the increase in greenhouse gases, trees help in maintaining the air quality by emitting oxygen. Trees also act as habitat for wildlife. Forests are home 80% per cent terrestrial biodiversity of the world. More recently Veligandu Island resort, embarked on a coconut tree planting exercise for horticulture and as a method to control coastal soil erosion.  At Crown & Champa Resorts, guests will also see our landscaping inclusive of native and naturalized flora from grasses, shrubs to trees due to their adaptability in growing on the island soil and sustainable consumption on water.

Eco-Friendly bathroom amenities. Through Crown & Champa Resorts’s partnership with Healing Earth, a world-renowned luxury amenities provider, bathroom and Spa amenities are organic and bio-degradable. The products are free of any synthetic additives and are people, earth and animal-friendly, and the gentle manufacturing process ensures that the natural ingredients preserve the efficacy of their properties. In addition to that, they are biodegradable and ensure that no toxic pollutants run off into the sea and onto the fragile reefs, and housed in refillable recycled glass packaging.

Coral Reef Gardening on Kuredu & Meeru. Crown & Champa Resorts is doing its best to help preserve its reefs and has decided to give them a helping hand by transplanting coral to areas that need some support.

Coral reefs are important for many different reasons aside from supposedly containing the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. They: protect coastlines from the damaging effects of wave action and tropical storms. Provide habitats and shelter for many marine organisms.

Crown & Champa Resorts is committed towards preserving the Maldives’ biodiversity through sustainable operations and various green initiatives. These initiatives include alternative sources of energy that include solar, food and water recycling facilities; a collection of greenhouses and desalination systems; and frequent island, reef and lagoon cleaning projects.

 

World Turtle Day is May 23rd each year and is celebrated throughout the world.  This annual observance is held to help people celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world. Though turtles have existed more than 100 million years, outliving dinosaurs, they are rapidly disappearing. Sea turtles, in particular face several threats from plastic pollution to the destruction of feeding and nesting sites.

Five of the world’s seven species of sea turtle call Maldives home, including the endangered Olive Ridley. Almost half of all the identified green sea turtles in the Maldives live in Lhaviyani Atoll, where Crown & Champa Resorts  has five of its properties and nearly all of them can be found around the Kuredu Island Resort   hose reef. In neighboring Komandoo Island Resort & Spa’s house reef, you are most likely see Green Sea Turtles as well as Hawksbill Sea Turtles.

At all of our properties, it is common for guests’ snorkeling or diving to come across these graceful creatures. Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa, well-known for whale shark spotting in the South Ari Atoll is also close to the world renowned Turtle Reef.  Hawkbills Sea Turtles and Green sea turtle can be seen all year round around Veligandu Island Resort & Spa.

All Crown & Champa Resorts are on the watch for ghost nets when out at sea and as seen in a recent video from Meeru Island Resort & Spa, this vigilance rescued a Maldivian sea turtle. Education is a must to ensure turtle conservation. At Hurawalhi Maldives, Kudadoo Maldives Private Island, Komandoo Island Resort and Kuredu, guests can participate in adopting a turtle with the Olive Ridley Project. We will continue to rescue, protect turtles and conserve their natural habitat for them.

How to Swim with Sea Turtles

For almost a hundred million years sea turtles and their ancestors have roamed the oceans. However these Though  tough survivors are classified as endangered and their future is uncertain. To pay respect to them, us and your descendants, please observe our code of conduct:

• Do not disrupt the turtles’ natural behaviour!
• Do not touch them! They can feel through their carapace and hate to be touched!
• Do not prevent them from taking a breath of air on the surface, they can drown immediately!
• Do not provoke them! If you do, you’re likely to experience one of world’s most powerful bites.
• There is no best way to ride a turtle. Do not even think about it!

Source: Olive Ridley Project 

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and while in one of our Crown & Champa Resorts, all 3,100 team member will welcome you to be a part of our island family throughout your stay and beyond. Being hospitable is just in our nature.

We are ready to host our visiting families be they a solo traveler, adults or families traveling with children. Our resorts are able to cater to those looking for accommodation as double, single, twin share, triple, and suites. To each one, we open for you to stay as kith and kin.

Interesting to note that close to 95% of visitors to our island are adults of whom 20% are honeymooners. This, however, is just part of our story; we celebrate our multi-generational families with young and grown-up children of all ages who like to go on vacations together.

Follow our stories on Instagram, each and every one of our guests is a part of our family. At Crown & Champa Resorts, we thrive on making these families smile, create precious moments and memories in the Maldives. #StaySafe #DayOfFamilies