The Centara Grand Island Resort And Spa – Maldives
An Exclusive Insight into the Extensive Gourmet Culinary Offerings & more...
The Welcome
Set amongst the perfect islands and blue ocean of South Ari Atoll in the Republic of the Maldives, Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives delivers a fantastic upper upscale resort experience. It is the ultimate barefoot luxury and is setting new standards for being a Culinary Destination and becoming one with nature.
So much attention to likes and details , make for a very warm welcome.
Just a twenty-minute seaplane flight from Male, guests can stay in one of very posh Ocean Villas or Beach Villas. The Villas are stylishly and beautifully conceived featuring soothing décor, sumptuous linens on king size beds, bleached wooden floors, and private terraces with panoramic views.
Headed by the lovely and gentle Ms. Prapaijit Thongma | Area General Manager
Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives and Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives
Khun Prapaijit Thongma’s experience in the hospitality industry spans more than Three Decades, in different destinations. Her expertise in hospitality helps her deliver Centara’s distinctive culture and ideology which shows in their earnestness and happiness to serve travellers of nearly every age group and diversity. I can happily say, Khun Prapaijit Thongma’s gracious hospitality and kind nature is one of the main reasons I would happily go back to The Centara Grand Maldives. She is truly a wonderful and such an inspirational person human being.
Centara’s deep roots in the Thai family values of caring, sharing and a sense of belonging helps the brand to specialise in bringing family-centric hospitality concepts to life.
The Club
Francis CP | Executive Chef
Food that makes the heart and palate sing . More on this culinary wizard Chef Francis Cp below
Nalin Dissanayake
Resident manager Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives
With over 20 years of experience in hotels/resorts in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, diverse experiences in housekeeping , front office, sales and marketing, food and beverage, make Mr. Dissanayake an integral part of the warm hospitality on the island.
Francis CP | Executive Chef
The fabulous food is the domain of Executive Chef Francis Cp
Chef Francis is a very versatile chef, his cooking like him is very fluid and likeable. He reads what a guest likes and produces meals that are beyond imagination with impeccable flavours. His knowledge and experience with bespoke properties make his food very modern and appealing both on the eyes and the palate. He is very passionate about sustainability and takes pains to not only train his staff , but also use and grow environmentally friendly ingredients , to decrease carbon footprint and to maximise the farm to table experience.
With 22 years of expertise in several styles of cooking including Fusion, Indian, Italian and Mediterranean, Asian, Southwest, traditional European and Vegetarian cuisine. His food is so much flavour and innovativeness in each plate.
I’m unable to stop raving about his Tuna Tartare which he does with fresh Strawberries or his Celeriac Mille – Feuilles , Wild Mushroom Cappuccino, Lobster and Beet Risotto etc etc. The Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives a must visit not just for the place but for his food as well.
He also moonlights as the resident DJ one day of the week, And really gets the crowd grooving.
With over 17 years of experience in mastering the delicate art of Japanese and Italian cuisines, the sweet and very affable chef Ajay oversees the Azzuri Mare – (Italian restaurant) and “The Club” an exclusive food and beverage outlet at the resort. Truly a master of his craft, each of his dishes are masterpieces in themselves. Foie Gras Parfait like no other, Cured Salmon BonBons, Grilled Wagyu or just a simple Lasagne Bolognese , his pastas are so so good and he had me hooked to his Spirulina Omelettes Etc etc.
Food And Drink Destinations
The Centara Grand Island Resorts and Spa offers guests alternative ways of discovering its destinations while enjoying unique experiences. In the Maldives, guests have the opportunity to take in the Indian Ocean from within with the Resort’s two Bars, and four restaurants. Start your day with a champagne breakfast at Reef. This all-day restaurant also showcases international cuisine at its lunch and dinner buffets. Azzuri Mare, set above the lagoon, is a romantic spot for Italian dishes and fresh seafood. Suan Bua specialises in authentic Thai food with a contemporary twist, ( they also hold fantastic Thai cooking classes here).
A strong connection to nature guides guests throughout their stay, even at the resort’s contemporary dining outlets. These include an international all-day dining spot called The Reef – an over-water all day dining, sushi bar and sea lounge where fresh seafood and fish-market displays of daily local catches . A beautiful members only club lounge where Executive Chef Francis Cp brings creative flair to add modern and Maldivian twists to European dishes. An over-water fine dining destination, Azurri Mare, is where Chef Ajay Dahiwale whips up his fabulous fresh Italian cuisine, which are complemented by fantastic wines and Champagnes. And there is their signature Thai restaurant Suan Bua , which is really fantastic.Throughout the resort, still and sparkling water produced by the resort’s desalinisation process are served in the glass bottles for guests’ ease of consumption.
The Aqua Bar and the Coral Bar & Lounge are set over the ocean and specialise in cocktails. There is a fire show held which is quite a show stopper.
Adjacent to the main all-day dining restaurant, the bustling Coral Bar a high energy space for aperitifs or digestifs and cocktails by Pu the bartender , who does a beautiful fire cocktail show as well. At the elegant Aqua Bar – a relaxed space for aperitifs or digestifs to round off a meal at the water’s edge. Loungers and fire pits add to the laid-back atmosphere, while sunsets are best enjoyed with a sundowner here, the lounge overlooks the entire western side of the island. Destination dining experiences draw guests further into nature with private meals enjoyed under the stars and powder-soft sand beneath the toes.
The Centara Hotels & Resorts is a leading Thailand-based hotel chain, which is owned by Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited. Founded in 1980 , initially, the company operated under the brand name of Central Hotels & Resorts until rebranding as Centara Hotels & Resorts in 2007. The company is a division of Thailand’s largest retail conglomerate, Central Group, which is owned by the Chirathivat family. The Company has received a Royal Warrant of Appointment from His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the first hotel company in Thailand to receive this honour.
Currently, Centara Hotels & Resorts has more than 80 hotels in it’s portfolio both in operation and pipeline in 14 countries: Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, China, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Turkey, Japan and Myanmar.
Private, Romantic and Chic
Architecturally Inspired and Blending in with Landscape
The Villas are categorised based on the island’s stunning topography and include Beach Villas and Water Villas. Chic and modern bathroom fittings and carved wood detailing on furniture lend the villas a bohemian rustic chic vibe. Specially adapted to the Maldives, the gorgeous and spacious water and beach villas offer privacy and a romantic castaway vibe; guests can also experience the verdant island interiors with glamping BBQs or island cinema.
Architecturally inspired, the property unobtrusively clings to the Ocean as each Villa steps up to the next. This design ensures that all Villas feature a vast sun-drenched balcony or deck, floor to ceiling panoramic windows and breathtaking views of the crystal clear turquoise water of The Indian Ocean, surrounded on all sides by the calm blue water.
Hospitality
It’s the same tranquil natural surroundings from which the Spa Cenvaree at the Centara Grand Maldives draws its energy and vitality. The wellness area has been adapted to Maldivian island chic in its concepts with the use of endemic herbs and Thai and Indian Ocean-inspired treatments. The architectural design features hand-carved wooden doors, with sea breeze passages designed to draw fresh sea air into the treatment rooms. A dedicated Jacuzzi pool is provided for Spa Guests for pre or post treatment immersion.
The treatments are amazing like their special Sand Massage or the body wrap and massage , which are by far one of the best ever experienced.
The Centara brand has a strong reputation globally for sustainable tourism and are committed to improving the well-being of local communities and ecosystems wherever they operate and addressing the environmental impacts of their operations.
Centara Resorts are known for capturing the heart of a destination through community engagement and memorable guest experiences. At Centara Grand Maldives, these include cooking classes with a Thai master chef, Whale Shark Snorkeling , local island adventures, and sunset fishing aboard an authentic Maldivian dhoni whilst learning traditional line fishing methods to give guests a taste of the Maldivian way of life. The surrounding idyll is showcased with castaway picnics and overnight cruises to enjoy the stunning night sky of the Maldives from the luxury of the resort yacht.
Till We Meet Again
Lastly the warm and welcoming Thai hospitality , that makes one want to repeat the experience over and over again.
