Shangri-La Group denies reports claiming closure of Shangri-La Resort

Shangri-La Group, on Sunday, has denied reports Shangri-La Villingili Resort in Addu Atoll, which reopened after five years last week, closed down.

The resort, once a major employer in the region, was shut down in April 2020 at the onset of the COVID‑19 outbreak in the Maldives. It reopened after five years, on December 30^th.

A senior resort official in the Maldives stated on Facebook that Shangri-La Villingili Resort has shut down again, only days after resuming operations, following the departure of the initial tourists.

When questioned by Sun regarding the matter, Katerina Dixon, Shangri-La Group’s Assistance Vice President, Regional Marketing and Corporate Communications for Middle East, India and Africa, denied the report. Dixon, citing that the resort is still in operation. However, she noted that only a few villas are currently in service, with some renovation work still underway.

Sun was unsuccessful in its efforts to obtain a comment Tourism Ministry or Addu City Council regarding the matter.

Shangri-La Villingili, a luxury resort located just a five‑minute speedboat ride from Addu International Airport, originally opened on July 31, 2009.

The delays in reopening the resort had raised concerns among the Addu community, where the resort is a major employer.