Athirige – Beach Villas
Athirige, “the shoreline”. Thirty villas along the western beach, each with direct beach access, a covered terrace, a spacious bedroom and an indoor–outdoor bathroom with a free-standing tub and open-air shower.
Projects / HA. Uligan, Haa Alif Atoll
Ulifushi – The Island of Shells
A 103-key island hotel on one of the northernmost islands of the Maldives, designed to celebrate the country's architectural heritage.
Phase 1 under construction7°05′ N · 72°55′ E13.36 ha~1.45 km beachfront
Ulifushi103Keys at full build-out
224Beds
4Heritage-inspired room products
3 phasesOpening over three years
The island
A yacht island with room to breathe.
Uligan is an inhabited island in Haa Alif Atoll (Ihavandhippolhu), about 328 km north of Malé. Around 400 people live there, on a small part of its 112 hectares. Its natural lagoons, reefs and safe anchorage have long made it a stop for yachts crossing the Indian Ocean.
The hotel site covers 13.36 hectares on the southern coast. It is flat, fronted by a white-sand beach and a wide lagoon, and set apart from the residential area. A wetland and mature vegetation on the site are kept in the masterplan.
- Location
- HA. Uligan, Haa Alif Atoll
- Site
- 13.36 ha in four blocks, about 1.45 km of beachfront
- Tenure
- Long-term lease to 2072, with options to extend
- Masterplan
- “Echoes from a Distant Past”
- Developer, owner, operator
- The Divia Private Limited
- Distribution
- Resort Life Travel and partner tour operators
Accommodation
Four products, from city-hotel rooms to royal residences.
Each product draws on a different part of the Maldivian building tradition, and together they welcome yacht guests, couples, families and groups.
Uthuru Dheyvi – City Hotel Rooms
Uthuru Dheyvi, “the northern star”. Six existing ten-room blocks, revived around courtyards and a 50 × 25 m pool. Guests arrive through a traditional gateway to Kaage, an open pavilion lobby and restaurant screened with jaali.
Honeymoon Villas
Ten secluded villas for couples, set between the Athirige villas and the Koilu suites.
Koilu – Heritage Suites
Koilu, “the royal residence”. Three multi-bedroom villas of about 540–610 m² in the secluded eastern landscape, each with courtyards, a private pool and vevu. Each is modelled on a royal residence: Utheemu Ganduvaru, Bodu Ganduvaru and Muliyaage.
Architecture
The vocabulary of a Maldivian house.
Every Uthuru Dheyvi room follows the plan of a traditional home, and the public spaces borrow from palaces and bathing tanks.
- Beyruge
- Front living space
- Etherege
- Inner bedroom
- Gifili
- Open-air bathroom
- Valu
- Green backyard
- Jaali
- Lattice screens for shade and air
- Udhoali
- Traditional swing
- Vevu
- Stepped bathing tank
- Ganduvaru
- Royal residence
Phased opening
Three phases, 103 keys by Year 3.
Each phase ramps up to stable occupancy in its third year of operation, so capital is spent in step with demand.
Phase 1 · opens Year 1
Athirige
- 30 Athirige beach villas
- Reception and Maldivian restaurant
- Staff housing and staff restaurant
- Landscaping
Phase 2 · opens Year 2
Uthuru Dheyvi
- 60 Uthuru Dheyvi rooms
- Kaage and the Maaizan lounge
- Main pool, spa, dive and watersports centres
- Bar and specialty outlets, utilities
Phase 3 · opens Year 3
Honeymoon and Koilu
- 10 honeymoon villas
- 3 Koilu heritage suites
- Main restaurant
- Jetty
Facilities
Resort facilities on a local island.
Guests stay on a half-board basis.
- Dining
- Main restaurant, Maldivian restaurant, Kaage, specialty and pizza restaurants, bar, Maaizan social lounge
- Wellness
- 50 × 25 m pool with vevu core and kids' pool, spa, gym, star-gazing deck
- On the water
- Dive centre, watersports centre and jetty for excursions, snorkelling and island hopping
- Also
- Gallery and day-care centre
Sustainable by design
The greenest building is the one already standing.
- Reuse
Six existing room blocks become the Uthuru Dheyvi city hotel instead of being demolished.
- Energy
Rooftop solar on the villas.
- Landscape
Mature trees and the wetland are retained, with on-island agriculture plots.
- Water and waste
Desalination, a sewage treatment plant and managed waste systems on site.
Getting there
By air to the north, then a short boat ride.
Uligan has a public harbour, and the hotel will have its own jetty for guest transfers. Hoarafushi domestic airport is 1 hour 10 minutes by air from Velana International Airport in Malé.
Distance from Uligan · by speedboat
Hoarafushi AirportDomestic
Hanimaadhoo International AirportDirect international flights since Nov 2025
Kulhudhuffushi AirportDomestic
Gallery
Site, villas and concepts.
Images marked “concept” are artist's impressions.
Explore Ulifushi
The concept, page by page.
For investors and lenders
The Ulifushi investor room.
The business plan, financial model, independent valuation and investment terms are available to approved banks, funds and qualified investors.