It’s easy when
you live in a 5* resort to become addicted to luxury. We’ve all been trained to
demand high standards, to shudder at the thought of a towel being used more
than once. But it’s also the Hyatt mission to provide authentic hospitality. By
its very definition, you cannot teach authenticity so it’s lucky for us that
generosity is at the very heart of Maldivian culture. As much as I love fish,
it’s the people that have kept me in the Maldives; the local villages have humbleness
and warmth that never fails to make my heart swell.
We recruit as
much of the team as possible from the nearby islands. So when a guest comes to
visit Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa, they are not simply staying at a resort;
they are welcomed into a community. This connection gives Hadahaa a sense of
home. Tourists and locals are usually kept quite separate in the Maldives, it’s
possible to visit a resort and have the feeling that you could be anywhere. But
we want our guests to absorb the culture of the Maldives, to have memories of
somewhere extraordinary.
Ahmed “Speedy”
Nabeel is a waiter in The Dining Room and for eight months represented his
island of Gemanafushi as a “Hyatt Thrive Ambassador”. He particularly looks
forward to showing guests around his home island, I asked him to explain why
I feel very proud to show
them my island. When we bring the guests we don’t tell the island to expect
visitors; they are not seeing anything different to normal life. Sometimes we
will arrange a special lunch for the guests. We don’t do it for money; it’s for
them to experience. We just make normal local dishes. If they are vegetarian we
have to think a little bit because we don’t eat a lot of vegetables, for us
tuna and coconut is enough. I think the guests like it because they are getting
to see the real Maldives, a different experience. The guests know me already from
the resort, and when they come to the island they can meet my family and visit
my house, they feel happy because they see the proper Maldives. Only four years ago there were no resorts in
the area, we never met foreigners, we were only fishing.
The guests feel that they
are entering a different world. Of course, they get to understand traditional
things like houses and food, but I think they also enjoy seeing a simple,
relaxing life. No worries. No headaches. No traffic. When I step off the boat
onto my island I feel all the tension leave my body, I don’t need to think
about much.
We could never ignore
someone who comes from somewhere else, if anyone new comes to the island,
everyone knows; we think “that’s a visitor” and we will try to help them. If
they need anything, we will try to provide them with those things. If somebody
gets stuck, we will help them. When I left the Maldives I was surprised that
people weren’t as friendly, only the people working in the shops really talked
to me. That’s why I always want to live on my island because everyone knows
each other. That’s the important thing, we are all friends, everybody will help
everyone else, and there will always be someone to help you if you need it.
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| Speedy conducting a careers workshop for some local kids |
