Aitken Spence Hotels and Resorts is set to introduce its Heritance brand to the Maldives with the opening of Heritance Aarah towards the end of the year.

The resort will be accessible by a scenic 40-minute seaplane flight from Velana International Airport. According to the official website of Heritance Aarah, the resort will feature 157 villas and suites separated by tropical vegetation for privacy.

The rooms are designed and built with a fusion of indigenous Maldivian and modern architecture. Room categories at the new resort include 51 Beach Villas, 10 Family Beach Villas, 10 Pool Beach Villas, four Family Pool Beach Villas, 56 Water Villas, 25 Luxury Water Villas and a Presidential Water Suite.

Heritance Aarah is set to treat its guests to a host of dining options at six restaurants which include: 

• An All Day Dining Restaurant 
  
• A Signature Overwater Restaurant 
  
• A Sundown Over Water Restaurant
  
• A Speciality Lagoon Restaurant 
  
• An Overwater Teppanyaki Restaurant 
  
• A Sushi Bar and a Rustic Beach BBQ Grill

Furthermore an array of exotic cocktails and a wide selection of wine will be available for guests at five bars situated at the resort. The five bars include:

• The main Pool Bar
  
• Overwater Lounge Bar
  
• Sundown Overwater Lagoon Bar,
  
• Infinity Pool Bar 
  
• The Overwater Sky Bar.
  

Guests looking to pamper themselves will be delighted to know that the resort will feature an overeater spa with six treatment rooms set over the lagoon offering a choice of luxurious health and beauty treatments and professional consultations to balance the body and mind.

Furthermore the resort will have a PADI licences dive centre along with a host of water sports, a kids club, a tennis court and a fully equipped gymnasium.

Aitken Spence Hotels and Resorts manages over 24 hotels in Sri Lanka, India, Oman and the Maldives. The chain runs six properties in the Maldives under its Adaaran brand; Adaaran Select Meedhupparu, Adaaran Club Rannalhi, Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi, Adaaran Prestige Water Villas and Adaaran Prestige Ocean Villas.

Along with Aarah, Aitken Spence also acquired lease rights of another uninhabited island, Raafushi in the northern Noonu atoll. The company, however has yet to reveal more of its development plans for the island.

Four Heritance branded hotels are in operation across Sri Lanka, including Heritance Kandalma, Heritance Tea Factory, Heritance Negombo, Heritance Ayurveda and Heritance Ahungalla.