Manhattan Grand Hotel Opens in Hulhumalé With Heritage-Inspired Luxury
- Hulhumalé's long-unfinished STO City Hotel development has opened as Manhattan Grand Hotel, a five-star property with 162 rooms, developed by World of Business Pvt Ltd with UAE investment.
- The hotel features MICE facilities with three event halls allowing three major events concurrently, four dining venues, a 20-metre pool, fitness centre and Mandara Spa.
- Design draws on Hukuru Miskiy architecture under the 'Live the Heritage' philosophy, with three and a half floors allocated to community and public services.
Hulhumalé’s long-unfinished STO City Hotel development has opened as Manhattan Grand Hotel, a five-star property with 162 rooms and suites and facilities designed to host three major events at the same time.
World of Business Pvt Ltd developed and operates the hotel, with investment from UAE-based Deep Seafood Company. Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises Hassan Zareer inaugurated the property on 7 November 2026 at a ceremony attended by government officials, the hotel’s owners and hospitality industry representatives. The opening celebrations included fireworks and traditional Maldivian Bondibaiy shared with the public.
The hotel is approximately ten minutes from Velana International Airport and offers eight accommodation categories, including rooms and suites with city or sea views. It caters to business and leisure travellers, transit passengers, airline crews and event organisers.
The hotel’s facilities for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) include three main event halls. Mā Ashi covers 700 sqm, Maalan covers 400 sqm and Holhuashi covers 390 sqm. Ras Ain Meeting & Conference Facilities also houses the Ras Giri Conference Room, Ras Faruma Training Room, Ras Vani Meeting Room and Ras Pod working spaces. Separate routes for guests, audiovisual equipment and dedicated banquet and event services allow the hotel to run three major events concurrently.
The hotel has four dining venues. Hen Na serves all-day breakfast, World of Seafood focuses on seafood, Café Barbera follows the Italian coffeehouse tradition and Vilu offers speciality dining. The property also has a 20-metre outdoor swimming pool and a fitness centre. Mandara Spa, part of the OneSpaWorld portfolio, will operate the hotel’s spa.
The design draws on the architecture of Hukuru Miskiy (Old Friday Mosque) and traditional Maldivian craftsmanship. A collection of historical and heritage-inspired artworks also reflects the hotel’s brand philosophy, “Live the Heritage.”
The development has allocated approximately three and a half floors to community and public services, including a Media Village, spaces for health and education, and facilities for young people. The Health Protection Agency has already begun operating from offices in the building.
“Our vision has always been to establish more than a hotel. Manhattan Grand Hotel brings together Maldivian heritage, modern hospitality and the infrastructure needed to support business, tourism and major events in the Greater Malé region. We are proud to see this landmark development welcomed into the community and look forward to the opportunities it will create,” said Ali Nahiz, Chief Operating Officer of Manhattan Grand Hotel.
