S3, E10: At This Isolated Island Resort, Staff Accommodations Are (Almost) as Opulent as Guest Quarters

There’s still time to plan your visit for the April solar eclipse! This week on Unpacked, an astronomy and eclipse enthusiast—who travels the country in his classic Airstream—discusses how eclipses have transformed his life and why everyone should witness one at least once.

Transcript

Aislyn Greene, host: I’m Aislyn Greene, and welcome to Unpacked, the podcast that delves into a complex travel topic each week. Today, we’re off to the Maldives to examine the intricate world of staff housing in luxury settings.

Years ago, my sister worked as a sous chef on a cruise ship that navigated the Hawaiian Islands. This was long before the drama of Below Deck, but I was struck by the stark differences between her living situation and that of the guests. She shared a bunk room with three other women. While the guests were paying for their experience and she received room and board, it made me reflect on the behind-the-scenes realities of hotels, cruise ships, and luxury resorts. What are the living conditions like for those who work there, especially for those who reside on-site?

This question has also been on the mind of Sally Kohn. If her name rings a bell, it might be because you’ve seen her as a commentator on CNN, or perhaps you’ve read her book The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity. She is an activist, a writer, and an engaging speaker with a sharp focus on social justice and conflict resolution. Sally has contributed to Dinogo multiple times and is truly an inspiring individual.

Last year, she reached out to share her discovery of a new type of staff housing at a remote island resort in the Maldives—housing that prioritizes comfort, space, and dignity for its workers. Let’s explore what she uncovered.

Sally: I’m at the Ritz-Carlton Maldives in the Fari Islands, where it seems like most guests are on their honeymoons. And let me tell you, the Ritz does honeymoons exceptionally well. However, there’s something else the Ritz-Carlton in the Maldives excels at, perhaps more than any other luxury island destination.

Sally [in interview]: What brought you to the Maldives?

Abby, spa therapist: Um, I’m not quite sure. I don’t really remember. It’s like one of my friends was the first to visit the Maldives, and she said, “OK, Abby, this place is stunning. You should come and work here!”

My name is Abby, and I work as a spa therapist at the Ritz-Carlton spa.

Sally: Abby has been living and working in the Maldives for 13 years. At her previous resorts, she resided in the center of the island. You might not have considered this, but on a remote island vacation, the term 'remote' means staff can’t easily commute elsewhere. Thus, they are typically placed in staff accommodations located in the island’s interior. The quality can vary—sometimes it’s nice, sometimes not. There’s often a canteen, perhaps a gym, laundromats, and a shared kitchen. However, staff generally can’t access the beach, go for a stroll, or play soccer, because, frankly, luxury resort owners believe that vacationers prefer not to sunbathe alongside their spa staff.

Abby: When you're on the same island as the guests, your options are quite limited. Certain areas are off-limits because they’re reserved exclusively for guests.

Sally: And this raises an important question for another podcast: Does a resort need to be exclusionary to create an exclusive atmosphere? Unfortunately, this is the reality for most staff accommodations in luxury island resorts—except at the Ritz-Carlton Maldives.

Abby: We have our own island designated just for staff. There are plenty of activities available for us. We have access to the beach for swimming, a gym, and our own cafeteria where we can relax with a book and enjoy coffee. I have my own space, my favorite spot on the island where I can unwind. I love reading, so I have a bench on the beach that’s perfect for me.

Sally: I'm finally meeting Aduham, who works in housekeeping. To be completely transparent, I wanted to meet him because he was the one who created the stunning palm leaf sculptures in my suite. Aduham is not only passionate about palm leaf art but also appreciates living on the staff island, known as Fari Campus.

Aduham: We actually have an entire island just for us, right? After our shifts, that whole island is ours. We can do whatever we like. If I want to go snorkeling, I can do that. If I want to swim, that’s fine too. I don’t need any permissions; it's our island, and we have the freedom to enjoy it. That’s the best part.

Sally: There are four islands in the Fari group owned and developed by Pontiac Land Group—these are actually man-made islands, which is another intriguing topic for another time. Three of the islands host resorts: The Ritz-Carlton, the Patina Maldives, and the upcoming Capella. The fourth island, Fari Campus, is where the staff from all three resorts reside, totaling about 1,400 staff members currently.

It’s my third day at the Ritz-Carlton, and around lunchtime, I finally take a boat over to visit the staff island.

Nadheem: First, we’ll head to our beach, staff from beach. This is the Maldives, the sunny side of life. So we should always start at the beach.

Sally: Nadheem serves as the Learning & Development Manager at Fari Campus.

Nadheem: Here’s our football pitch, which isn’t just for football; we also play cricket and various other games here.

Sally: The island features a complimentary buffet-style canteen and a small subsidized restaurant that stays open late. Additionally, there’s a grocery store, a hair salon, a health clinic, a lounge, a computer room, and a gym—our next destination on the tour.

Naheel: This is ten times better than I anticipated.

Sally [in interview]: What were your expectations?

Naheel: Not this! Not this!

Sally: This gym is impressive—well-equipped and offers ocean views through its expansive windows.

Sally [in interview]: If I were at a hotel with a gym like this, I’d be absolutely thrilled.

Nadheem: Over there is the space where we host yoga sessions and aerobic classes in the evenings, including options like sunset or sunrise yoga.

Sally: The Pontiac Land Group truly innovated with the Fari Island Campus. It’s noteworthy not only that there’s a dedicated staff island but also that a luxury resort architect was involved in its design—this is certainly uncommon.

While it’s too soon to gauge the overall effects—the Ritz and Patina opened their doors in 2021—the Pontiac Land Group is optimistic that the Fari Campus will contribute to staff happiness, which in turn should facilitate hiring, retention, and enhance the guest experience.

We explore one of the accommodations, specifically Nadheem’s room. This setup mirrors typical staff housing in other resorts: your room size and number of roommates depend on your position. Housekeepers or spa staff often share a room with three others in bunk beds, whereas managers like Nadheem enjoy the privacy of a single room. Depending on your role, housekeeping may even change your sheets once or twice a week.

Nadheem’s room is contemporary and filled with light, featuring a double bed, a sofa, a desk, and a large ceiling fan.

Sally [in interview]: Let’s talk about the mini fridge.

Nadheem: And the TV.

Sally [in interview]: Did you have to bring your own TV, or is it provided?

Nadheem: It’s provided here.

Sally: Additionally, each room comes with an enormous water bottle that I've never seen before.

Sally [in interview]: What’s up with this giant water bottle?

Nadheem: This is the Fari Campus water bottle. Every resident has one in their room.

Sally: Oh, I see.

Samhi: They really want us to stay hydrated.

Sally: That’s quite a bit of water.

Nadheem: Definitely a lot of water. I usually fill it from the pantry, boil it, and then drink it.

Sally: I sit down with Nadheem and a group of staff members in the canteen for lunch.

Worker: The sense that you can leave your work behind and return as a better version of yourself is a truly unique experience we all feel living on our staff island, Fari Campus.

Another worker: Having a dedicated island like this allows us greater freedom to engage in activities without restrictions. You truly feel that sense of freedom as you wander the island.

Sally: Lunch at the staff island cantina was enjoyable, but later, I dined with some Patina staff who also live on the island. We went to the Patina’s Patagonian steakhouse, where I had an exceptional steak. Just to clarify, while the cantina was nice, the steakhouse was something extraordinary. Hotel staff have the perk of enjoying resort amenities—like dining at a hotel restaurant, getting a massage in the spa, or staying in an overwater bungalow at half price. There are regular boat services connecting the staff island to the other resort islands, along with boats back to the mainland.

Fatima: I’m Fatima, the events and curations coordinator. I began my journey at Patina in early 2021, well before we opened, and I was among the first frontline staff to arrive from the island.

They really emphasize work-life balance here. It’s just a 10- to 15-minute boat ride from where we work to our accommodations. It’s perfect! Everything is new and clean, plus we enjoy privacy. We even have the chance to visit Mali daily, with three arranged boat rides back and forth, allowing us to see our families anytime.

Sally: Let’s not sugarcoat everything. The Maldivian tourism industry is worth over $500 billion, yet many staff earn only a fraction of what guests spend—thousands of dollars a day. As of 2021, tourism represented about a quarter of the Maldivian economy and a third of government income. While this means a stable income for many, it comes at a cost. Many workers have to spend extended periods away from their families. For instance, Nadheem, the learning and development manager, has a five-year-old and a ten-year-old living on his home island in the Maldives.

Nadheem: Typically, the mattresses at the other accommodations are over there. I’m here because I can bring my family, making it easier for us to have this arrangement. We have single housing, allowing our family to stay with us for 90 days.

Sally: Nadheem’s walls are mostly bare, except for a small cluster of handwritten notes, clearly penned by small hands.

Sally [in interview]: I could see from the—

Nadheem:—some of the notes—

Sally: I guessed that wasn’t your handwriting.

Nadheem: They leave me little notes, you know? When I come home from work, I find their drawings. Clearly, this isn’t my style—they’re the ones who use it.

Sally: So they live at home but come to visit you?

Nadheem: Yes, they visit during school holidays, and they’re coming again on the 22nd of this month.

Sally: And you visit them when you get your time off. That must be tough.

Nadheem: It is what it is, right? For most locals working in the resorts, this is simply our reality.

Sally: During my time at the Ritz-Carlton, I met a young man from the Philippines who was thrilled to be there. It was his first job in the Maldives, and he was excited because it meant he could finally be close to his mother, who works at a different resort on another island. She has spent most of his life working in the Maldives.

Does the Fari Campus model resolve all the challenges of island resorts? Not entirely. The positive aspect is that the Maldives has robust minimum wage laws, and Ritz employees enjoy generous vacation time—over a month annually. However, while I was there, I learned about a family that, if my calculations are correct, spent more in a single weekend than a Ritz housekeeper earns in an entire year. Travel, whether in the Maldives or Manhattan or anywhere else, often involves those who have being served by those who have less. Nevertheless, the Fari Islands and their management are perhaps, hopefully, making strides towards a fairer situation through their innovative staff housing. Or at least creating a perception of fairness, which is also crucial. Here’s Abby from the spa again.

Abby: When you’re on the same island as the guests, your options are limited. But having a dedicated staff island means you can do whatever you like—swim, snorkel. It feels like I’m a guest here too.

Aislyn: That was Sally Kohn, reporting from the Ritz-Carlton Maldives Fari Islands. We’ll include links to the resort's website in the show notes, along with Sally’s social media profiles and other stories she’s contributed to Dinogo. See you next week!

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You’ve been listening to Unpacked, brought to you by Dinogo Media. This podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with music by Chris Colin. Remember: the world is complex, and we’re here to help you make sense of it all.