Athul LalLondon: Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, on October 17, launched its fifth property, VARU by Atmosphere, a 40-minute-long ride on a speed boat from Male International Airport to the Northwest of the Maldives. Stephane Laguette, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Atmoshphere Hotels & Resorts was at WTM London 2019 for promoting the Group’s newest property among the travel trade community in the UK, which is its top source market, followed by Germany.
Revealing the Group’s expansion plans to Destination Reporter, Laguette said the upcoming OBLU X in Male Atoll, scheduled to be opened in 2020, will be the largest of all Atmosphere properties, with 350 villas and suites. This will be a mix of 3, 4 and 5-star categories. Another OBLU property with 220 villas and suites will open in 2020 in Baa Atoll. Taking a cue from its success in Maldives, the Group is now foraying into Sri Lanka.
“In 2021, we plan to launch OZEN by Atmosphere at Tangalle in the south coast of Sri Lanka. This exclusive resort will have 37 villas and five private residences. Adjacent to this property, we are setting up OBLU Select at Tangalle with 118 rooms and suites. We hope to commission this property by late 2021,” he said. Atmosphere’s first property in Maldives, Atmosphere Kanifushi, opened its doors in December 2013. Later, under the Atmosphere brand, the following sub-brands – Ozen (luxury), OBLU (4-star), OBLU SELECT (5-star) and VARU by Atmosphere – were created.
Though it has no immediate plans to open properties in India, the Group has appointed a senior sales manager in Bengaluru as part of intensifying its sales and marketing activities. “We have not been very active in the India market till recently. Now, we have started selling all the five properties in India. The focus is to do one-to-one meetings with leading travel agents and tour operators. We do have guests coming from India, particularly in the leisure segment. However, the potential is enormous and we look forward to tap it in the coming years,” he said.
