Luxury travel concierge group, Addicted to Maldives, hosted their highly-anticipated annual industry event in Sydney on Friday, in partnership with 16 of the destination’s most high-end properties, including headline partner, Soneva.
Addicted to Maldives co-founder, Dianne Lechner, said her team’s vision is to bring the magic of the Maldives to life.
“Our business is built on our own undying passion for the Maldives and we strive, on a daily basis, to share the beauty, uniqueness and appeal of the destination with Australian travellers,” she explained. “In partnership with Soneva, the goal of this year’s event was to host an event that encapsulated both our favourite destination and our gratitude to those within the industry who share our ethos and help us reach our goals.”
Attended by resort representatives and Australia’s top travel advisors and agents, ‘So Addicted’ was a celebration of Addicted to Maldives’ 98.5% year-on-year growth and an acknowledgement of the industry support that made this impressive achievement possible.
In addition to lucky-door prizes in the form of travel packages from participating resort partners, Addicted to Maldives also recognised Gloria Gammo from Smartflyer for taking out the annual Elite Top Performing Advisor Award.
Meticulously planned to emulate a luxury Maldivian escape, the exclusive event commenced with a yacht cruise through Sydney Harbour – reminiscent of the Soneva in Aqua experience – to a private dock in Darling Point, where attendees were serenaded by the sound of live acoustic music.
A short walk through lush rainforest, which resembled the dense foliage of a Maldivian island paradise like Soneva Fushi, led guests to the entranceway of a grand, greenery-clad mansion, where the day’s festivities unfolded glamorously around a splendid indoor pool.
From a relaxation station, where attendees were treated to massages, to an embroidery station offering personalised silk eye masks, the entire event was designed to reflect the luxurious and unique experiences for which the Maldives is renowned.
Supported by boutique Sydney-based catering company, Cook and Waiter, Soneva Fushi’s Executive Chef, Kevin Fawkes, was in attendance to replicate the world-renowned Soneva dining offering.
An extravagant outdoor spread of tasty ingredients was set up for guests to create their own nutritional bowls in freshly-halved coconuts, providing a taste of Mihiree Mitha, the resort’s main restaurant. Soneva Jani’s gourmet beachfront restaurant, Crab Shack, was also represented, with guests able to sample some of the resort’s much-loved seafood dishes, including its popular chili crab.
Hand-made ice-cream and chocolates could be found at the So Guilty & So Cool station; a small-scale version of Soneva’s famous dedicated ice cream and chocolate rooms; while Addicted to Maldives-branded coconuts, a selection of Soneva’s signature cocktails and roaming trays of rosé and champagne created a relaxed island-holiday vibe.
.jpg){kind=tracking}
