In this Maldives Edition, The Sybarite had the pleasure of interviewing JOALI's General Manager Enver Arslan, who discusses with us his experience in the industry and the exciting things happening at JOALI, which opened just shy of two years.
You’ve worked for a number of five-star properties around the world - what led you to JOALI and how do you personally feel about the resort in terms of what makes it different and perhaps unique from the other properties you’ve looked after?
Before joining JOALI, I had been working for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts for many years at different resorts around the world including Jackson Hole, Palm Beach Florida, Las Vegas, Riyadh, Egypt and finally the Maldives. I was delighted to then join the pre-opening team of JOALI Maldives in 2017 where I held the position of Resort Director for four years, overlooking all operational departments before, during and after the launch at the end of 2018.
Working in hospitality, I find it very rewarding to be part of a new and independently-owned brand such as JOALI and to see it grow from strength to strength as the Maldives’ first and only immersive art and design resort. I enjoy living life to the fullest and was attracted to JOALI’s “Joy of Living” spirit in which nature, sustainability and the arts effortlessly combine.
How involved are you in lending your ideas for JOALI and is there anything in particular you’re proud of or something that you’ve contributed to the resort that has shaped some aspect of it?
I was lucky to join ahead of the resort’s opening in 2018 and loved collaborating with architects and helping to establish the resort’s broader vision to build a new culture and legacy. JOALI’s “Joy of Living” spirit is very important to me and I like to maximize this across all elements of the resort and its offering.
With your extensive experience and knowledge in the hospitality industry, it must have been something unexpected when the pandemic hit. Has there been any takeaway lessons or thoughts on what the future of travel might look like in your eyes?
The pandemic has taught me how precious and delicate life on Earth is, and I think lock-down has provided a greater appreciation of the beauty of nature in everyday life and the importance of taking care of this. As a result, I hope that sustainable and responsible travel will be of greater importance to everyone, and at JOALI we will continue to strive towards being as sustainable as possible and supporting local communities in the Maldives. We are already seeing guests stay for longer periods of time than ever before because of wishing to fly less frequently and embrace longer, slower stays and we anticipate that this trend will continue.
For those new to JOALI what would you personally recommend they do as an experience? I.e. for couples and for families?
Completely unique to the Maldives, I’d recommend exploring JOALI’s immersive art trail to explore the whole island and discover our fun and immersive artworks dotted around the resort, all inspired by nature with messages of sustainability at their core. Each villa has an art trail map for guests to use to explore the island independently, or of course with a guide if preferred. Artwork includes pieces such as a Manta Ray treehouse in which to enjoy destination dining and sundowners looking out to the ocean’s horizon, a swinging heron bird chair to read your book in while lounging by the main pool, and a ‘Club Tropicana’ mosaic, decorated communal dining table which resembles a colourful coral reef.
Currently, our transparent ‘glass-style’ kayaks in which you can see the ocean floor through are extremely popular with all ages.
How would you describe the JOALI overall resort culture in one paragraph? That encapsulates the spirit of the hotel itself and the island.
The “Joy of Living” and sharing this joy with our guests through art and design, sustainability, culinary arts and wellbeing. The “joy of living” encourages guests to be present and make the most of every moment of the day, and we as a team are continuously working to provide the most special stay for guests, creating memorable moments with loved ones to share for a lifetime.
Not just yachts darling - we're talking superyachts.
As the ever-opulent 2022 Monaco Yacht Week begins, join us as we explore the Galaxy Superyacht. The interior expertly crafted by Njord (by Bergman) x Northern Lights.
They say that Paris is always a good idea and this is certainly true, especially if you find yourself staying at the Monsieur George, Paris’ most handsome boutique hotel.
As Singapore has fully opened up, travel has seen a sudden resurgence of visitors flocking to the city. Should you be planning a trip out there with your children in tow, we've done the homework and have the perfect recommendation for you.
We arrived at Alila Villas Uluwatu well into the evening, exhausted from our flight and from the chaos that was the traffic. As soon as our feet landed on Alila grounds we instantly felt we were in a different place completely and that all that travel up to that moment was worth it.
One of the only resorts in the Maldives to house its own sustainability lab, we sat down with The Fairmont Sirru Fen Fushi GM Mr. Orton to discuss the resort and its new Netflix documentary.
If you’ve been to The Opposite House in Beijing or The Upper House in Hong Kong, then you’ll more or less know what to expect at The Middle House in Shanghai.
Plato’s account of Atlantis; “rocks of white, black and red were extracted from the hills and used to construct a great island city” holds a striking resemblance to the whitewashed abodes, cobalt-domed churches, and the black and red sand beaches which mark the isle of Santorini, an alluring Mediterranean oasis mired in mythology.
Despite the hustle and bustle of the Marrakech medina, luxury residence Riad Timila encapsulates its guests within its calm and welcoming atmosphere. The restored Moroccan house has six en-suite rooms, a rooftop terrace, a hammam, a media room, and a dining area.
The most exclusive fragrances in the world have no signature scent. Rather, the season's yield decides the aroma of each bottle at Ffern - an organic perfumery based dually in Somerset & East London.
On Thursday 8th September, our editor Niamh Walsh visited The NFT Gallery in Mayfair to witness an extraordinary, feminine venture into the medium of NFTs.
Traditionally, women have always been dissociated from whisky. Just imagine... old leather armchairs, men & their cigars sat in smoky bars sipping on the golden elixir. But where has this perception come from? Kevin Pilley sets out to explore the whisky myth, and how women are breaking these stereotypes in 2022.
In this intimate Q&A session we spoke to Finolhu's General Manager Marc Reader who joined Finolhu six months after opening in 2016, gaining further insight into the resort, how they dealt with the pandemic and more importantly what's in store for 2021 and beyond.
Learn more about luxury lifestyle by signing up for free
For our latest experiences and editorials, be the first in the know. You'll learn about upcoming experiences happening worldwide and the secrets and lifestyle of a sybarite.
