When Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives becomes Kandooma Maldives on October 1, the change will represent far more than a new name. The South Malé Atoll resort is using the transition to reshape its guest experience, with refreshed and new dining and leisure concepts, additional accommodation options, upgraded villas and a new approach to All-Inclusive built around the experiences travelers come to the Maldives to enjoy.

The resort is organizing its new identity around five signatures: Kandooma Blue, Kandooma Flow, Kandooma Table, Kandooma Social and Kandooma Ways, encompassing ocean experiences, movement and wellbeing, food, social connection and opportunities to discover Maldivian island life. Diving, surfing and watersports remain central, while the resort is expanding its land-based activities and offerings for families and teenagers. A new Kandooma Beach Club is also planned, alongside a phased refurbishment of villas and public spaces. Once the transformation is complete, the resort will offer 146 villas, including new two-bedroom accommodations.

The Curated Take

The more interesting part of Kandooma’s rebrand is its philosophy that All-Inclusive should be measured in memories rather than meals. By making activities such as scuba diving part of the proposition and building the brand around the island itself, Kandooma is positioning the resort as an experience to participate in rather than simply a place to stay. For a destination where many resorts can begin to blur together, that focus on what makes one particular island distinctive could be the more meaningful transformation.