Opening up a new chapter of barefoot island living.
The story of a small island
Starting Point
Our client, a highly successful and experienced resort owner, sought to develop a luxury resort concept for this understated 5-star, 50-villa destination that would not be like any other 5-star resort - but rather something different: luxury reinvented. He brought MAp in because we understood the operational reality of running a resort on a small island, and to translate, together with him, the story of a small island into an experience. Our goal was to create a place where guests feel better than at home. To give guests the feeling that they are staying in a charming boutique resort truly rooted in the Maldives, getting to the soul of what a contemporary Maldivian island experience really means.
Destination
- Holistic resort concept that reinvented luxury
- Resort brand strategy coupled with compelling brand identity
- Guidance and insights on how to execute branding activities
- Clear positioning in order to reach and attract defined target audience
- Direction for Milhaidoo team on how to plan, execute, monitor and evaluate sales, marketing and social media activities
Awards + Accolades
- TripAdvisor Travellers Choice 2020: Best of the Best
- Member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World
- Golden Panther Award 2018: Best Beach Resort
- Connoisseur Circle Hospitality Awards 2018: Best Hospitality Resort in the Indian Ocean
- Harper's Bazaar - Bazaar Travel Guide 2018: The Best Islands
- Condé Nast Johansens Luxury Hotels Award: Winner 2018
- Elle UK: The 13 Most Beautiful Overwater Bungalows in the World
RoadMAp
Resort Concept
Concept Development
With the directive to reinvent luxury, MAp created a resort concept, together with our client and core team, around the idea of “barefoot informality” – a laidback atmosphere and effortless experience. And with that, we followed the inspiration of the forward-thinking owner and went about telling the story of a small island, the story of Milhaidoo, in a way that would make guests feel like they found the island where they truly belonged. Our goal was to make them feel like the storytellers, crafting their own dream holiday and writing their own story of the island; enabling a deeper and richer immersion into the small island life.
Resort Branding
Brand Creation, Brand Activation
In order to further tell the story of Milhaidoo in a meaningful way, we created a standout resort brand that matched the barefoot informality resort concept. MAp developed the brand strategy as well as the brand identity, including the corporate identity and graphic design. The resort’s team was equipped with user-friendly and actionable manuals and checklists, as well as a holistic corporate identity guide, to inform the rollout of the Milhaidoo resort brand and bring it to life.
Resort Marketing
Sales + Marketing Strategy, Hotel Launch
MAp performed a holistic analysis in order to identity how best to position the resort, and what sales, marketing and social media strategies and channels to utilise in order to achieve maximum impact. We then developed a manual to aid Milhaidoo’s sales and marketing team with planning, executing, monitoring and evaluating all relevant sales and marketing activities, as well as supported them during the launch phase.
#StoryOfASmallIsland
We are honoured to have been given the chance to co-create the story of a small island along with a pioneering visionary of an owner and experienced team. We look forward to the many chapters ahead for this incredible resort.