HPL Hotels & Resorts has announced that it will manage a new 160-villa property that is currently under construction in the Maldives.

Expected to open in early 2008, Kandooma Beach Resort will be the hospitality management company’s second project after Rihiveli Beach Resort, which it took over in 2004. Both resorts are located about 15 minutes away from each other in South Male Atoll.

According to HPL Hotels & Resorts’ Marketing Communications Manager, Ms Karen Chan, the company has acquired a good understanding of the Maldivian market and sees an unfilled demand for the provision of an affordable, contemporary experience, one that does not go overboard on expensive services that may go unnoticed.

“Kandooma Beach Resort is conceptualized to provide its guests with an experience that seeks to make the guest holiday uniquely Maldivian, focusing on the delivery and enhancement of the natural beauty of the environment,” she said. “We see our market as wanting to come away richer, not only in relaxation and rest, but also in knowledge and experience.”

The resort will feature villas of various categories, ranging from garden and beach villas to sea front duplex and water villas, including one Royal Water Villa. Accommodation at the resort will be fresh and contemporary in appearance with clean lines and minimal clutter, while retaining the warmth of natural wood finishes.

Recreational facilities at Kandooma Beach Resort include several restaurants and bars, a spa and gym, a swimming pool with Jacuzzi, a books-music-movies library, a football field, a retail shop, Internet stations, a diving school & seaports centre, and a picnic island located just five minutes away by speedboat.

Headquartered in Singapore, HPL Hotels & Resorts is a hospitality management company, operated and wholly-owned by Singapore main-board listed, Hotel Properties Limited (HPL). The HPL Group has interests in 22 properties in 8 countries with more than 4,900 rooms.