The first 5-star hotel in the Malé area, Barceló Nasandhura, has opened. This is a 16-story hotel developed by the Spanish Barceló Group with many modern services. The hotel was inaugurated by the Minister of Tourism and Environment, Tariq Ibrahim, at the opening ceremony. In addition to Minister Tariq, several government ministers, ambassadors accredited to the Maldives, and many representatives from the tourism industry were invited and attended the event.
After the opening of Nasandhura, speaking at the ceremony accompanied by traditional bodu beru performances, Tourism Minister Tariq Ibrahim noted that the Nasandhura Hotel is a place with a history that brought revolutionary change to tourism in the Malé area. The Minister expressed hope that this hotel developed by the Barceló Group would maintain that history. The Tourism Minister stated that this hotel would bring revolutionary changes to the tourism sector by providing services that will expand high-end tourism in the Malé area. “The conference facilities here are also very comprehensively developed with many services available. This will pave the way for MICE tourism. And this is an important opportunity to exchange ideas and establish connections,” the Minister said.
In his speech, Minister Tariq highlighted that Maldivian tourism is an industry that has achieved many successes, and the current government is working to build upon these successes to achieve further progress. He added that the main priority in this work is to develop sustainable tourism. “We place great emphasis on areas to increase sustainability. This includes work related to energy, environment, waste management, and water. We hope that the Barceló Group will play a leading role in these areas and promote sustainable tourism,” the Minister said.
Speaking at the event on behalf of the Barceló Group, the hotel’s General Manager, Enrique Reina Cannitrott, said that they are opening this hotel with pride and with the aim of providing good service. He also stated that the group believes that meaningful services will be available because of this establishment.
Barceló Nasandhura, the Spanish hotel chain, is a 136-room hotel. Of these, 95 rooms are sea-view rooms. The property has also further developed 116 high-end serviced apartments, and many modern services will be available here be available here. This place has been opened 10 years after the closure of the former Nasandhura Palace Hotel. The Barceló Group says this is a $100 million investment.
