Simply Abu Dhabi XXVIII

1 9 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I I f Coco Chanel were still alive, she would be enthralled by Coco Privé – the ultra-exclusive private island found in the North Malé Atoll of the Maldives. The sophisticated style icon would love it not because of the shared name, or the reassuring attention to every detail, but for the triumph of luxury. Coco Chanel said, “Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity. I love luxury. And luxury lies not in richness and ornateness but in the absence of vulgarity.” This is a perfectly accurate way to describe what the family- owned hospitality group Coco Collection has accomplished with Coco Privé and their sister resorts in the Maldives, Coco Bodu Hithi and Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu. There is no fussy and gilded atmosphere, nor imposing and ostentatious statements – just impeccable good taste. A refined and understated sense of what luxury really is. Whilst the entire interior design aesthetic, furnishings and finish, materials and state-of-the-art facilities are all of the highest quality, nothing is over the top. There is no vulgar over- embellishment or baroque decorative excess. The luxury is found in the utter seclusion and the warm yet professional and discreet service, which provides guests with any request that is feasibly possible. As Andrew Stuart McLaren, the IslandManager, says, “We aim to fulfil dreams, strive to make the impossible possible, and, above all, focus all efforts on our philosophy of providing guests with a 360-degree experience like no other they will have anywhere else in the world, at no other point of time.” Coco Privé Private IslandMaldives Secluded and luxurious havens unlike anywhere else, the award- winning Coco Collection resorts have to be experienced to be believed. Nick Rice reports on Coco Privé, the breathtaking private island in the Maldives.