LVMH style, what is the taste of a South Island holiday home? ──Maldives “Cheval Blanc Randheli” stay diary | GQ Japan
Pick up a car in the Maldives
In mid-May I had the opportunity to spend three nights at the Cheval Blanc Randheli Resort in the Republic of Maldives. The resort opened in 2013 in Noonu Atoll, 200 kilometers north of Malé, the capital of the Maldives. Since its opening, there has been no active media coverage, but this is the first time that it has accepted the Japanese media’s trial occupancy report. .
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On the day I headed to Haneda Airport, a rental car arranged by Cheval Blanc Landeri picked me up at my door. The first time someone picked me up for an interview, I got into the car and I was so nervous that I couldn’t believe I was going to the South Island.
To the Republic of Maldives, first take Singapore Airlines 777-300ER from Haneda Airport and arrive at Singapore Changi International Airport in about 7 hours. So I transferred to a SilkAir Airbus A320 for a 4 hour 30 minute flight to Velana Maldives International Airport. All flights on this trip are business class, and the service of Singapore Airlines is very good.
The exclusive Cheval Blanc Landeli is a 9-seater car with a turboprop engine. It is a top-wing aircraft, with the main wing mounted on the upper part of the fuselage, allowing easy access to the view below.
After arriving, our group of reporters took a private car connected to the hotel, went to the domestic flight take-off and landing area, and took a seaplane to the hotel. While waiting for your flight in the domestic terminal, you can while away the time in Cheval Blanc Landeri’s exclusive airport lounge. There are canopied sofa seats for two and a kid’s room with a large screen so you can relax after a long journey. From now on, I dream that business class will be the way to go to a resort. When I was relaxing after checking in at the hotel, the staff called me that the plane had arrived.
Stepping out of the lounge, a “Cheval Blanc Landeri” dedicated turboprop seaplane is docked at the pier. It’s a stylish plane, painted in brand colors gray and lemon yellow, with nine seats. It’s as spacious as a business class seat on an international flight. About 15 hours passed, including connecting flights. The hotel is finally here!
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Good morning sir
It takes approximately 50 minutes from Velana Airport to the hotel. The beauty of the Maldives continued on the way, so it didn’t take long. When I disembarked from the pier, the hotel staff ran up to me and said “Bonjour, Monsieur” with a smile. Confused, I replied, “Bonjour.” It wasn’t until I spoke fluent French that I felt the difference from Hawaiian and Southeast Asian resorts. In other words, I felt a sense of sophistication unlike other resorts, at which point I became a fan of Cheval Blanc.
By the way, this resort has butler service. During your stay, there are full-time staff who answer the phone 24 hours a day. My supervisor was Asim, a nice guy who spoke English and French. Get into the carriage together and go to the villa where you are staying. Got to the room and explained everything. The wine cellar in the room is dedicated to Bordeaux wines such as Château d’Armayac and Château Cos d’Estunnel. Moët & Chandon champagne was served as welcome champagne in the liquor cabinet on the table. Ask Asim, “Can I drink this?” Then Asim deftly opens it and pours it into a glass. Luxury is good!
As shown in the picture, the living room and bedroom can be connected openly. Six vertical doors, like screens, can be rotated horizontally to form partition walls.
240 square meters
This time I stayed in a water villa of 240 square meters. It has a living room, bedroom, bathroom, walk-in wardrobe, terrace and even a 12.5m long private swimming pool. You can also directly access the sea from the terrace. The ceiling height is about 4m. I heard from Asim that many couples are using it, but even so, the space is more than enough. In addition to a free-standing bathtub, the bathroom also has a shower. There is plenty of hot water so you won’t believe it’s an “island”. Both audio and lighting can be controlled from dedicated iPads in the room. You can even set the brightness of the lighting, which is handy.
I wanted to take a walk on the beach and head to the main lodge, so I called Asim and asked for a trolley. “Of course,” he replied on the phone. Either Mr. Jesus or Shure. I had the illusion that I had made a fortune.
“Le 1947” bar located in the main building. Of course, the Château Cheval Blanc, located in the Bordeaux and Saint-Emilion regions, is also the origin of the resort’s name. It was 2002, and it was selling for $5,000 a bottle.
Breakfast and Butler Service
During my stay, I woke up to the sunrise every day. The villa has curtains of course, but I didn’t have blackouts or an alarm clock, so I woke up in the sun. Then I called Asim and told him eggs benedict and quinoa salad were ready at 7 a.m., along with coffee and fresh orange juice. The resort provides breakfast at the main restaurant and room service at the villas. Food can be ordered 24 hours, which is great for someone like me who wants to spend time at a resort. But this is not good for Asim.
After breakfast, I took a beach cruiser around the island at the front door. The resort has 15 waterfront villas, 15 island villas with private gardens, and 15 garden water villas with both, a total of 45. The main hotel has a main swimming pool, 5 restaurants and 2 bars. There are not only French dishes, Italian dishes, Chinese dishes, but also Japanese Teppanyaki dishes. Even long-term guests will not get tired of it. During my stay, I frequented The Dellari, a Mediterranean restaurant located on the marina. The location of the sea hut is also good, the lobster spaghetti with sour tomatoes is delicious. Serve with chilled rosé for a tropical touch.
I swim in the ocean in my free time to cover resort facilities and private islands. The sea water is very transparent, and through the swimming goggles, you can see fishes of all sizes swimming around. On the last day, my coach and I swam outside the wave breaking block and tried snorkeling. Rich coral reefs spread out on the bottom of the sea about 10m deep. Along the way, the coach made a gesture and told me that there was a moray eel hidden in the huge coral. I dived desperately to see what it looked like, but it hid before I could see it.
During my stay, the only thing I did besides research was swim and eat in the sea. Despite this, I never tire of the four days I spent here. I wish I could have stayed two more days. I don’t know if it is thanks to Asim that I can spend such a natural time. I want to visit him again because I am so grateful to him.
(Private Island) Dive into a private island!
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private island. From the right are the guest villas, reception area, friend and family suites and at the left end of the island is the private spa.
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Living room in the main building. Both windows face the sea and are left open.
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The housekeeper and chef will provide full service according to the meal time.
Islands where VIPs from around the world stay
“Cheval Blanc Landeri” has its own private island separate from the island where the villa is located. The area is 8000 square meters (!), and the living area is 2530 square meters with 4 bedrooms. There is also a guest villa of 330 square meters away from the main building. The main building has a sea-facing restaurant, a grand piano, a private bar, and a 25m private swimming pool. By the way, from 1 million yen per night.i want to be rich
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Opened in 2013, Cheval Blanc Landeri consists of 45 villas and a private island. A villa has an area of 240 square meters. Rates start from 300,000 yen per room per night (varies by season).
●Randheli Island, Nonu Atoll Republic of Maldives ☎ 960-656-1515
Written by Keiji Iwata (GQ)
