The Australian-Dutch Citizen Maurice has been managing resorts in the Maldives since 2017. He started his Maldivian journey as Resort Manager of Ozen by Atmosphere. He held the General Manager post of Atmosphere Kanifushi, Vice President of Operations for Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, and most recently led the pre-opening team at Le Meridian Maldives Resort & Spa before joining Coco Collection.

The Travelution team spoke to Maurice about his return, elevating guest experiences and streamlining resort operations.

Can you give us an introduction about yourself?

Born into a migrant family from the Netherlands in Australia, I grew up with a Dutch accent as this was my first language at our home. Being from a migrant family opened my mind to the rest of the world and various cultures. Most of my school friends would have such curiosity about what might come out of my lunch box each day!

Australia is such a large diverse country with endless opportunities and rich experiences, that it developed in me a sense of travel and adventure.  Having seen much of the fascinating part of Australia in my younger days, more recently, I’ve enjoyed traveling extensively around the globe in various countries. Now with most countries moving into post COVID norms, I can’t wait to continue exploration again.

Could you tell us about your journey in the tourism and hospitality industry and how did it all start?

From the outset in hospitality and tourism, my feet got firmly planted in operations with a Hotel Operations traineeship at Star City Casino in Sydney. It wasn’t long into this traineeship that I felt I had found my pathway into the future. Eventually, I moved to Accor Hotels where I worked in all operational departments and gained great foundational experience to lead the way into General Management. During this time, I had managed meetings and events for some very large groups such as McDonald’s, Gloria Jeans, and KFC Yum to mention a few. At a key point in my career, I had the fortune to work in the Maldives. The Maldives, being a pinnacle for luxury resorts in the world.

What do you love about Coco Bodu Hithi and how has the experience been in this beautiful property so far?

My all-time favorite part of Coco Bodu Hithi is that it is such a naturally beautiful island with huge villas. Having a lot of experience previously in the Maldives, I am constantly amazed by the lush vegetation and birdlife we have here, not to mention the house reef and abundant marine life, which every guest that I speak to mentions to me again and again!

What are some of the biggest milestones in your career while working in the Maldives? Could you tell us about any proud achievements?

Some milestones in my career in the Maldives would have started purely by being fortunate enough to be working and living here since 2017. I’ve worked with some great resort groups and experienced several islands, all unique and beautiful in their own way.

Since 2017, I spent almost a year on a pre-opening project which I consider a true feather in the cap so to speak. To experience what is essentially a birth of a new resort will remain in my memories forever. Working now for a local resort brand, being with Coco Collection now is truly an honor as the brand is one of the cornerstones of tourism in the Maldives. Coco Collection has crafted five-star properties and won awards and global recognition since its launch in 2005. As part of the world-renowned Sunland Hotels group, Coco Collection benefits from over 30 years of hospitality expertise.

Where would you position Coco Bodu Hithi at visitor markets? And what would be your target markets?

We are a five-star luxury resort, and we are fortunate to welcome guests from all over the world with a great mix of markets.

The Maldives received over 19 thousand tourists in 2020 and over 55 thousand tourists in 2021 from the United States? Is this an important market for Coco Bodu Hithi? If so, what is being done to tap into this market?

The US market is a very promising and exciting market for us. We are continuing to build awareness of our resort and are currently exploring new opportunities to grow in the market supported by our affiliation with Preferred Hotels & Resorts.

What do the guests like the most about the way the resort delivers the service?

Guest interaction is of the utmost importance for us here at Coco Bodu Hithi, from arrival until departure. The team is well-versed in the importance of unique and attentive service as we go through our “service degrees” program developed by Coco Collection to give us a defining edge.

Can you tell what the most demanded service at Coco Bodu Hithi is?

If you ask around the resort, you will get a range of answers from food and beverage service, experiences, guest service, dive and watersports, spa, and even buggy service. This highlights the fact that we can’t really pinpoint one service as the most in-demand service as each service is of equal importance as another– it is only how we offer those services that make a difference.

What do you want to tell the youth that wants to go build a career in this industry? What’s the advice?

One of the key elements to successfully have a great career in the hospitality industry is knowledge. If you have the opportunity to diversify your knowledge by working in different departments, grab the chance with both hands and get as much ground knowledge as possible. The more knowledge, you have the more doors and opportunities will open in order to grow.