The resort, which has 37 island and ocean villas, is located on the private island of Meradhoo and is Accor’s first management contract in the Maldives. The property was previously managed by Dubai’s Jumeirah Group.

Accor plans for the resort to undergo renovations before being rebranded as the Raffles Maldives Meradhoo Resort in “late 2018”.

Patrick Basset, Accor’s chief operating officer of upper south-east and north-east Asia, said: “We are thrilled to announce our very first luxury resort in the Maldives at a time when the region is enjoying excellent growth, especially with travellers from Asia Pacific.

“Accor Hotels is bringing to the resort our expertise in delivering unparalleled luxury experiences renowned in our Raffles, Fairmont and Sofitel brands.”

Dhevanafushi is around 400 kilometres from the capital Male in the southern Maldives. The resort can be reached by a 55-minute flight from Male International airport followed by a 15-minute speedboat transfer.