NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort brings Cuban-inspired celebrations to Baa Atoll
NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort will celebrate Christmas and New Year with a festive programme featuring gala dining, a guided rum tasting, cocktail receptions and a New Year’s Day brunch, drawing inspiration from Cuban culture.
Titled “Havana Nights”, the programme will run from 21 December 2026 to 7 January 2027 at the resort on Fonimagoodhoo Island in Baa Atoll.
For chefs, bartenders and food and beverage professionals, the celebrations will bring together festive dining and beverage experiences, including a rum-focused event that combines an underwater retrieval activity with a guided tasting.
Christmas gala dining at Jumla
The festivities will begin on 21 December with a cocktail reception marking the first anniversary of the resort’s new chapter as NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort.
The reception will be followed by a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, opening more than two weeks of celebrations.
On 24 December, the resort will host a Christmas Eve cocktail reception and Gala Dinner at Jumla, accompanied by live music and Cuban-inspired entertainment.
The evening will form one of the principal dining occasions of the festive programme, bringing together the resort’s culinary, beverage and service teams for Christmas celebrations.
Throughout the season, guests will also have opportunities to enjoy dining and social gatherings alongside the resort’s entertainment, wellness and recreational activities.
Sunken Rum Dive and guided tasting
One of the programme’s distinctive beverage experiences will take place on 29 December with the Sunken Rum Dive.
The activity will see divers retrieve an ocean-aged rum cask from beneath the water, followed by Bring Up the Lost Treasure, a guided rum tasting ashore.
The experience draws inspiration from Handhuvaru’s signature rum offering, connecting the underwater retrieval with an opportunity to explore the spirit through tasting.
For bartenders and beverage professionals, the event will highlight rum as a focus of the resort’s festive beverage programme.
The guided tasting will provide guests with an opportunity to engage with the spirit beyond its use in cocktails, while the underwater retrieval adds a destination-specific element to the experience.
New Year’s celebrations and beachfront dining
On 31 December, NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort will host its New Year’s Eve celebrations, featuring live entertainment, music, fire performances and a midnight fireworks display.
The following day, guests will be able to enjoy a leisurely New Year’s Day brunch accompanied by live music and afternoon activities.
The brunch will provide another dining occasion within the festive calendar, following the Christmas Eve Gala Dinner and New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Cuban inspiration meets Maldives hospitality
The Havana Nights concept draws on Cuba’s music and cultural traditions, bringing a Caribbean-inspired theme to the resort’s festive programme.
The culinary and beverage experiences will form part of a wider schedule that includes family activities, wellness sessions, marine excursions and entertainment.
Located within the UNESCO-designated Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve, NH Collection Maldives Reethi Resort features 105 renovated beach and overwater villas, alongside restaurants, bars and recreational facilities.
Through its Christmas Gala Dinner, guided rum tasting and New Year’s celebrations, the resort will place food and beverage experiences among the highlights of Havana Nights, while marking the first anniversary of its new identity under NH Collection.
