A fleet of 18 Azimut yachts will become part of the offering at two resorts in the Maldives. This is at the heart of the partnership between Azimut Yachts and Assets Group, announced on 13 September aboard Grande 44M during the Cannes Yachting Festival.
The yachts will be dedicated to Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi and Rosewood Ranfaru Maldives, where yachting will become an integral part of the guest experience. Rather than simply having boats available during their stay, guests will be able to move between islands and lagoons, making exploration of the archipelago part of the journey itself. The operation will also be supported by a new Azimut Service Center in Malé, dedicated to providing technical assistance and ensuring the fleet remains fully operational.
The collaboration therefore brings yachting and hospitality together, integrating navigation into an experience that encompasses the stay itself, services and travel between different destinations.
Eighteen yachts across two resorts
The fleet will arrive in the Maldives during the year and will consist largely of models from the Magellano Series: 15 of the 18 yachts will come from Azimut’s crossover range. The geography of the archipelago makes this choice particularly relevant. Here, the sea is the natural link between islands, resorts and lagoons, allowing the experience to extend beyond the boundaries of the resorts themselves.
Assets Group will integrate the 18 yachts directly into its hospitality offering. According to the company, the operation will make it the operator of the largest private luxury yacht fleet in the Indian Ocean. The characteristics of the two resorts also help explain the role the yachts will play. Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi extends across three islands, while Rosewood Ranfaru Maldives is spread across a chain of private islands surrounding a lagoon. The yacht therefore becomes a way of moving through a destination that naturally extends across the water.
Why the Azimut Magellano Series
With 15 yachts, the Magellano Series will form the core of the new fleet. Azimut defines the range around the concept of the crossover, highlighting in particular its spirit of exploration and the pleasure of spending time at sea.
It is an approach that fits naturally with the Maldives. In an archipelago made up of islands and atolls, a yacht adds a freer dimension to a stay ashore, allowing guests to experience the destination through journeys across the water. The choice of the Magellano Series therefore connects the fleet not only with guest transportation, but with a way of experiencing the destination in which yachting plays a role of its own.
A Service Center in Malé
A fleet of this size also requires a local technical presence. For this reason, the agreement includes the opening of a new Azimut Service Center in Malé, which will work alongside the shipyard’s Italian team and Azimut Yachts Maldives powered by Elite Yachts, Azimut’s long-standing partner in the Middle East and now active in the archipelago as well.
The facility will provide local assistance, maintenance and operational support. For Azimut, it also represents another step in the development of a market where the brand says it already has an established presence. As Enrico Chiaussa, Chief Commercial Officer EMEA APAC at Azimut Yachts, explains, the aim is to support commercial expansion with a level of service capable of assisting both partners and the fleet over the long term.
When the yacht becomes part of the destination
For Azimut, the agreement also opens up a different channel from the traditional sale to an individual owner. Marco Valle, CEO of Azimut|Benetti Group, identifies two strategic aspects of the partnership: opening the business model to new channels and strengthening the brand’s positioning through collaboration with the hospitality sector.
This is where the most interesting aspect of the operation emerges. The yacht becomes part of the way the stay itself is organised, connecting the resorts with the surrounding destination by sea. For Assets Group and Azimut, yachting therefore becomes one of the ways to discover the Maldives, complementing the experience offered by the resorts on land.
