Shangri-La Group Denies Closure Reports of Recently Reopened Maldives Resort

Shangri-La Group has denied reports that its Shangri-La Villingili Resort in Addu Atoll, Maldives, has closed shortly after reopening. The luxury resort, which resumed operations on December 30, 2025, after a five-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was rumored to have shut down again. A senior resort official had shared the news on social media, but Katerina Dixon, Shangri-La Group’s Assistant Vice President for Regional Marketing and Corporate Communications, refuted the claims. Dixon confirmed that the resort is still operational, though only a few villas are currently open, with renovation work ongoing. The resort, located a five-minute speedboat ride from Addu International Airport, originally opened in 2009 and is a significant employer in the region. Efforts to obtain comments from the Maldives Tourism Ministry and Addu City Council were unsuccessful.