Finolhu Villas / YYA

Resort information
Location: Gasfinolhu Island, Male Atoll, Maldives
Villas (exclusively for adults only)
Time: 3 hours difference from Singapore
Weather: Rain/light showers from May - Oct Best weather from Jan – Apr
Arrival: Male International Airport – 40 min by speedboat ride
Language: Dhiveli and English
Opening on 31 Jan 2015
Property size – 62,000sqm
Private 1000 meter beach for GMs only
Country currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR)
Currencies accepted: EURO, USD, JPY, SGD, AUD, HKD
Credit cards accepted: AMEX, VISA, MASTER , UNION PAY
Medical services: nurse onsite *
SITE PLAN

Welcome

Personalized transfer (exclusive to Villas GMs / 8 GMs per boat) Check-in: 15:00 for V/V and 12:00
with Club Med flight Check-out: 15:00 for V/V and GM with Club Med flight Call prior to arrival: GM
will be contacted by the resort in order to guarantee any special requests

Check in / out: Check-in and check-out procedures administered within Villas Butler: The main
interlocutor of our GMs throughout the stay, for : - All reservations required for the different
services - Room service - Any specials requests with regards to the Villas

Dedicated Concierge service: - currency exchange - general information - cash deposits or check out
paid in cash
Accommodations

52 VILLAS

13 SUNSET OVERWATER VILLAS –

- Size:168 sqm (indoor = 78 sqm and outdoor = 90sqm)

- Maximum occupancy per room: 2 (one king size bed in each Villa)

- Private pool: 1.2m in depth and 28sqm in size

- Sea view

- Amenities: air-conditioning, WIFI, DVD/Blue ray player, MP3 dock, flat TV screen in the room and
living area, telephone, mini bar, espresso machine, kettle, tea, coffee, table ware, iron /board, digital
safe, bathrobe and slippers, amenities kit, hair dryer, beach towels, board games, mosquito plug.

- Daily offer in the Villa: butler, breakfast included and tea time, daily room service, provision of
bottle, of water and mini bar refill, turn down service.

17 SUNRISE OVERWATER VILLAS - Size:151 sqm (indoor = 66.5 sqm and outdoor = 84.5sqm)

- Maximum occupancy per room: 2 (one king size bed in each Villa)

- Private pool: 1.2m in depth and 16sqm in size

- Sea view

- Amenities: air-conditioning, WIFI, DVD/Blue ray player, MP3 dock, flat TV screen in the room and
living area, telephone, mini bar, espresso machine, kettle, tea, coffee, table ware, iron /board, digital
safe, bathrobe and slippers, amenities kit, hair dryer, beach towels, board games, mosquito plug.

- Daily offer in the Villa: butler, breakfast included and tea time, daily room service, provision of
bottle, of water and mini bar refill, turn down service.

22 BEACH VILLAS (9 Sunset/ 13 Sunrise Beach Villas)

- Size:168 sqm (indoor = 66.5 sqm and outdoor = 101.5 sqm)

- Maximum occupancy per room: 2 (one king size bed in each Villa)

- Private pool: 1.2m in depth and 16sqm in size

- Sea view

- Amenities: air-conditioning, WIFI, DVD/Blue ray player, MP3 dock, flat TV screen in the room and
living area, telephone, mini bar, espresso machine, kettle, tea, coffee, table ware, iron /board, digital
safe, bathrobe and slippers, amenities kit, hair dryer, beach towels, board games, mosquito plug.

- Daily offer in the Villa: butler, breakfast included and tea time, daily room service, provision of
bottle of water and mini bar refill, turn down service.
Sports activities

Tuition - All levels

- Snorkeling

- Aquafitness

- Jet ski*

Initiation Course

- Surfing

- Tennis

- Badminton

Sports with no tuition

- Weights & Cardio room

- Table Tennis

General recreation

- Cooking class experience (45 min, thrice a week)

- Telescope stargazing

- Board games

- Dance lessons (thrice a week)

Evening entertainment

- Marine conferences (twice a week)

- Cultural activities (twice a week)

- Cinema under the stars

- Live music

- Dance and beach events

Main Pool

- 25 meters by 20 meters

- Depth of 1.2 - 1.5m

- Open from 7:00 - 21:00

- Life guard supervision 09:30 - 18:30

- Pool service: 09:30 - 12:30 / 14:30 - 17:30

Discovery*

Connecting with CULTURE

- Explore Male: Half day**

- Submarine & Male: Half day**

- Blue Lagoon: Half day

NATURE larger than life

- Private day light cruise with lobster: 3 hours

- Sunset cruise dining experience: 3 hours

- Scenic flights: 20 min - Islands cruise: 3 hours

Searching for EMOTIONS

– Jet ski: 30 min to 3 hours (different packages)

- Water ski beginners: 30 mins advanced: 15 mins

- Surf trip**: 2 hours

- Parasailing**: 15 mins

- Line fishing: 2 hours

Text description provided by the architects. MALE’ ATOLL (Kaafu Atoll), The Maldives—The
Maldives’ first entirely solar powered five-star resort is now open to guests. The Maldives
has the lowest average ground level of any nation, which makes for some of the world’s
most beautiful beaches. It also makes Maldivians extremely sensitive to the effects of rising
sea levels. The burden of global CO2 reduction lies primarily with a few large economies,
but achieving carbon neutrality on this small island should be an inspiration for sustainable
development in larger countries. There may be no better place in the world to showcase the
future of sustainable resorts than the luxurious tropical setting of Finolhu Villas by Club
Med.

The resort opened to the public with a three-day festival of special events, beginning with
presentations by Chairman and CEO of Club Med Henri Giscard d’Estang and CEO of Club
Med South East Asia Pacific Heidi Kunkel. At the speech given at the ceremony, the owner,
the initiator of “100% solar-powered” project, and Maldivian hospitality pioneer Champa
Hussain Afeef, recalled how the island was “a simple sandbank with coconut trees when we
first saw it.” With this project, he said, “We wanted to do something different and
sustainable. I believe renewable energy is not just the future for tourism, but for all other
industries as well.”
Designed by New York based architectural firm Yuji Yamazaki Architecture PLLC in
partnership with local firm Design 2000 and Italian engineering firm T&D Water
Technologies, the island resort will accommodate about 100 guests year round. Guests can
relax and enjoy the equatorial sun, and they can also see how solar energy is collected to
operate the island. The island is approximately 13 acres with interior space of 123,000 sq.
ft. It’s been determined that 67,000 sq ft. of solar panels, with a storage battery generating 1
mega watt on an average sunny day, is sufficient to serve 100 guests and 100 staff
occupying the resort at any time. The solar panels are visible to the guests throughout the
island and are integrated into all aspects of the resort’s design as an architectural
embellishment. The initial investment in the solar system (including the batteries and
monitoring system) will be paid off in seven to eight years by eliminating the need to
import diesel fuel. This should be a fantastic example for other countries with similar
climates. An about two hundred person occupying a 13-acre island is similar to the
population density of Miami. In theory, if Miami could delegate just 12% of their land or
rooftops to solar panels, the largest city in the “Sunshine State” could be powered entirely
by the sun.
Although the solar system generates a surplus of electricity, all guest rooms are designed to
minimize energy consumption. The typical guest villa is oriented with operable windows
strategically placed, maximizing air ventilation with natural Maldivian wind. Wooden shade
screens on two sides of each villa cut off direct sun before reaching the exterior walls and
patio, keeping interior temperatures low. The majority of guests typically do not turn on air
conditioning during their stay despite the hot and humid climate.
According to Yuji Yamazaki, AIA, and the principal architect: “All resorts in the Maldives are
accessed by boats or seaplanes. It is unique to this county that you first see any building in
the distance from the sea or sky, which gives the visitors a stunning impression of the
entirety of architecture on the island.” Yamazaki intended for the shape of the buildings to
suit the uniqueness of the place. For Finolhu Villas, YYA uses gentle curves for all roofs to
derive a sense of the organisms that inhabit the tropical environment. “Banana leaf, hermit
crab, ocean wave, sea turtle—those are all interesting reference points that guests have
pointed out to me after they have observed the resort, but the shape is really a function of
efficiency in this case.” says Yamazaki. The design of the surroundings takes inspiration
from what was there before. “It is impossible to recreate nature, but we tried our best. The
island had beautiful beaches, littoral plantings, coconut groves and interior forests. We kept
this basic structure, and also kept the native plant palette such as Sea Lettuce, Iron Wood,
Coconut Palm, Beach Hibiscus and Screwpine. When you have a beautiful and unique site
like this, you want to just preserve it. Hopefully our new landscape will seamlessly blend
with what was there before. Ultimately that’s the main thing that people come to enjoy.”