Naturally lush island resort Amilla Maldives has earned further industry-leading recognition for its continued commitment to sustainability, achieving a fourth consecutive Silver certification from EarthCheck and becoming one of only five Maldivian resorts to be included in Forbes Travel Guide’s VERIFIED™ Responsible Hospitality 2025 programme.
Designed in collaboration with renowned hotelier and sustainability pioneer, Hervé Houdré, the Forbes Travel Guide VERIFIED™ Responsible Hospitality initiative sets a global standard for the world’s finest hotels. The programme provides clearly defined best practices to protect the environment and support the wellbeing of employees, guests and the community, encompassing areas such as food and water waste management, sustainable amenities, recycling, energy usage, health security, and integration with the local community and culture.
The leading scientific benchmarking certification group for travel and tourism, recognised by travellers, brands and destinations world-wide, EarthCheck’s science-based and people-focused accreditation process showcases the sustainability pathway, empowering travellers to make well-informed choices on their tourism experiences.
In 2024, Amilla’s ongoing commitment to balancing sustainability with natural luxury experiences saw the introduction of refillable, PCR-packaged, vegan-friendly luxury amenities from cult Swedish brand 16-69 and Dutch social enterprise Marie-Stella Maris; alongside reusable silicone Rolla Bottles for guests’ use during and beyond their stay.
The resort also embarked on a collaboration with local NGO Atoll Marine Centre (AMC) to support its work on coral restoration projects and gathering vital data on turtles, mantas, and sharks. The resort proactively invites guests to participate in coral planting excursions with the resort’s Marine Biologist and adopt a coral frame to receive monthly updates on its progress.
Most recently, a new collaboration with the University of Auckland marked a significant step forward in the conservation of white-tailed tropicbirds. As part of this initiative, the Amilla team successfully GPS-tagged 13 birds and ringed 17 others. Weighing just one per cent of the bird’s body weight, the GPS tags allow researchers to monitor feeding patterns; while the rings are designed to identify individual birds, making it possible to track behaviour and migratory patterns.
Amilla’s dedication to sustainability also plays a significant part in its culinary experiences, notably through its Homegrown@Amilla and Homemade@Amilla initiatives. Fresh produce such as herbs, vegetables, and mushrooms are cultivated in the resort’s own organic gardens; while Homemade@Amilla products including yoghurts, jams, pickles, sauces, probiotic sodas, tonics, and plant-based milks are also made by hand on-island.
In November 2024, the resort reported a 48.17 per cent year-on-year reduction in overall food waste, and a 37.5 per cent decrease in food waste per person, compared to November 2023. An ongoing effort to deploy digital solutions to minimise paper use in guest areas saw the amount of paper used for printing reduced from 2,289 reams in 2023 to 1,505 reams in 2024.
Community engagement is also a vital part of Amilla Maldives’ ethos, with the resort committed to conducting a minimum of one community activity each month. In 2024, these included a clean-up of Kihaadho Beach and reef; showcasing local artisanal businesses at the resort; inviting three local schools to sessions at the Amilla Football Academy; and donating 1,740 palm trees to the Maldivian islands of Kihadhoo and Maalhos.
Along with continuing the white-tailed tropicbird tagging partnership with the University of Auckland and further reduction of paper usage, the resort’s sustainability goals for 2025 include the introduction of a new food waste management system that converts food waste into gas for use in the staff kitchens; and developing new ways to upcycle glass bottles.
