Villingili is the only

resort island A resort island (French ''Île-hôtel''; "hotel island") is a hotel complex located on an island; in many cases one luxury hotel may own the entire island. More broadly, resort island can be defined as any island or an archipelago that contains ...

Addu Atoll Addu Atoll, also known as Seenu Atoll, is the southernmost atoll of the Maldives. Addu Atoll, together with Fuvahmulah, located 40 km north of Addu Atoll, extend the Maldives into the Southern Hemisphere. Addu Atoll is located 540 k ...

Maldives Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...

. In 1997 the government of the Maldives contracted the American firm Abonmarche to build a large resort and marina there, to attract tourism. Later, the government redacted this contract in 2000 and, finding no other bidders, awarded it to another firm called "Energy Tours" to build a smaller resort. Energy Tours defaulted on this contract. In 2005 Maldives President

Maumoon Abdul Gayoom Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (; dv, މައުމޫން ޢަބްދުލް ޤައްޔޫމް; born 29 December 1937) is a Maldivian politician and an Islamic scholar who served as the President of Maldives from 1978 to 2008. After serving as Minister of Trans ...

contracted

Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts () is a multinational hospitality company. Founded in 1971 by tycoon Robert Kuok in Malaysia, the company now has over 100 luxury hotels and resorts with over 40,000 rooms in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East ...

, a

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

-based company, to build the first luxury resort in

. The resort is being developed by Addu Investment Private Limited (70%) and the Maldivian Government (30%). The resort cost an estimated

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

150 million and opened in early 2009. Shangri-La's Villingili Resort & Spa features a range of 132 villas including two Presidential Villas.The Villingili Shangri-La Resort is currently closed indefinitely The island is also notable for having the highest natural elevation in the Maldives, Mount Villingili. It stands at a modest and is located at tee number eight on Villingili's Golf Course – the only golf course in the Maldives. The previously known highest point on Addu Atoll stands at only above sea level.Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa, Maldives claims highest peak in Maldives
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References

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External links

The Villingili Fiasco

Gayoom Awards Villingili Resort to Brother-in-Law Without a Bid Process; Resort Owners Angry

Shangri-La's Villingili Resort & Spa
Islands of the Maldives Highest points of countries