Heritance Aarah resort: first to be awarded gold for leadership in energy and environmental design.
The recently opened Heritance Aarah resort in the Maldives has celebrated international recognition for its sustainable initiatives and culinary excellence.
The premium all-inclusive resort is the newest addition to the Aitken Spence Hotels portfolio after opening its doors to guests earlier last year. Located in Raa Atoll and accessible from Velana International Airport via a 40-minute seaplane flight, Heritance Aarah boasts 150 villas, six restaurants, five bars, a PADI dive centre and the first of its kind IASO Medi Spa. The resort also provides guests with a range of excursions and curated experiences to choose from.
In September 2019 Heritance Aarah became the first ever property in the Maldives to be awarded the internationally recognised Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, which complies with the US Green Building Council rating system and is awarded to properties that save energy, water and resources; generate less waste; and support human health. The design of the resort compliments the policy of sustainability by implementing components such as fuel saving generators, energy saving LED lighting, water saving fixtures and energy efficient air conditioning.
Heritance Aarah was also acknowledged for its exceptional cuisine offering in October, after the resort’s chef team competed alongside the best of international brands in the South Asian region to become Overall Champion at the Culinary Art Food Expo 2019. The Expo, known as South East Asia’s biggest food and hospitality show, is organised by Chefs’ Guild of Lanka together with World Association of Chefs Societies.
The resort was awarded with a remarkable 29 Golds, 11 Silver and 5 Bronze medals. Overall the properties owned by Aitken Spence Hotels were awarded with an impressive 130 medals collectively. This is a second culinary win for the new resort, after claiming the highest number of awards won by an individual property in July at the Food & Hospitality Asia Maldives 2019 competition, where the resort competed alongside reputed global hospitality chains in the Maldives
Speaking about the success of Heritance Aarah, Ms. Stasshani Jayawardena, Executive Director – Aitken Spence PLC and Chairperson of Aitken Spence Hotels said: “We are honoured that Heritance Aarah has been presented with numerous accolades after just a few months of opening. Aitken Spence Hotels are known for distinction in the culinary field and Heritance Aarah’s 11 dining and drinking outlets introduces guests to flavours from across the world.
“Furthermore, our strategies to expand are led by guests’ expectations and design-led refurbishments to enrich the experience at our properties. A key priority is to ensure our resorts contribute positively to protect and preserve the environment and the ecosystems we operate in so we are proud that Heritance Aarah has been named as the first LEED Gold certified property in the Maldives.”
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