SIX & SIX to Launch RAH GILI Maldives, Appoints Sales Director for Russia and CIS

Tuesday 19th of August 2025

In Russia, hospitality is not just service , it is culture. It comes alive in rituals like the bread-and-salt ceremony, the carefully arranged zakuski, or the art of a meaningful toast. It is deliberate, refined, and rooted in the idea that hosting is about understanding, not performance. For Russian and CIS travellers, this tradition shapes how they view luxury around the world.

A Market with Loyalty and Expectations

The Maldives has become a second home for many of these guests. Russian visitors often return year after year, sometimes across generations. Their loyalty comes from a sense of rhythm: the comfort of privacy, trusted service, and familiarity. They do not travel for novelty, but for reassurance — knowing they will be understood without having to explain.

That loyalty is reflected in numbers. Russia is the second-largest source market for the Maldives this year, with more than 160,000 arrivals by early August. These are not only leisure travellers; many are ultra-high-net-worth individuals who consider the Maldives as natural in their lives as a family estate. For them, service must be seamless, trust must be consistent, and privacy must be protected. Once lost, trust is almost never regained.

RAH GILI Maldives: A Different Approach

Launching in February 2026, RAH GILI Maldives will be the first resort in the new SIX & SIX PRIVATE ISLANDS collection. Unlike traditional luxury models, the brand’s focus is “emotional fluency” — creating places of ease rather than showmanship.

The resort will feature 74 villas, both overwater and beachfront. The architecture is understated: warm, minimal, and free of excessive branding. Spaces are designed not to impress in the first moment but to provide lasting comfort. For Russian travellers, this respect for proportion, privacy, and subtlety translates into sanctuary.

Rather than dramatic gestures, the experience will be built on quiet details — a favourite preference remembered, a milestone acknowledged, or a menu tailored without needing to ask. These understated touches are what create lasting loyalty.

Leadership with Market Insight

To lead engagement with the Russian and CIS market, the resort has appointed Anna Mansurova as Director of Sales. With more than 15 years of experience in luxury hospitality across Europe, the Middle East, and the Indian Ocean, she brings both professional expertise and cultural understanding.

“This market doesn’t respond to persuasion,” Mansurova explains. “They respond to precision. If the welcome isn’t seamless, the stay risks falling apart. If service lacks nuance, trust disappears. In this market, second chances rarely come.”

Her strategy moves away from broad campaigns and trade shows. Instead, she is planning private gatherings in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Almaty, and Baku — intimate events that reflect the resort’s own philosophy. These occasions, framed around art, music, or curated tastings, are designed to establish emotional connection before a booking is ever made.

The Edhurun Concept

One of the most distinctive features at RAH GILI Maldives will be the Edhurun — a reimagined approach to butler service. In Dhivehi, Edhurun means mentor or guide, a role rooted in Maldivian society as a figure of care, memory, and discretion.

Unlike scripted service, the Edhurun is defined by presence rather than performance. They observe quietly, anticipate needs before they are voiced, and respond with subtlety. For Russian and CIS guests, this aligns perfectly with their expectations: service that unfolds naturally, without repeated requests.

As Mansurova notes, “Guests from this market don’t want to ask twice. What earns their trust is not what’s said, but what’s remembered.”

A Team Built on Emotional Orchestration

The appointment of Mansurova is seen as central to the resort’s philosophy. Edyta Peszko, Commercial Director of SIX & SIX PRIVATE ISLANDS, describes her as “a rare sensitivity who understands the emotional cadence of the Russian market.”

Director of Operations Marc Gussing echoes this view. “We’re not just launching resorts — we’re crafting places of ease. Anna isn’t only our Director of Sales; she is the first embodiment of the guest journey.”

He describes the group’s vision as “emotional orchestration,” where every touchpoint is guided by empathy. “If a guest arrives seeking silence, they shouldn’t be met with spectacle. If they return after years, they shouldn’t be asked, ‘Is this your first time?’ Our service is designed to remember.”

Beyond RAH GILI

The philosophy behind SIX & SIX PRIVATE ISLANDS goes beyond design and facilities. It aims to redefine luxury as emotional alignment rather than material excess. For Russian and CIS guests, who often measure value in how seamlessly a place adapts to their rhythm, this approach resonates strongly.

Through precise, personal engagement, RAH GILI Maldives intends to create long-term loyalty in a market that prizes discretion, memory, and respect. This strategy will also carry forward into future developments, including DHON MAAGA Maldives, scheduled to open in late 2026.

Shaping the Next Chapter of Maldivian Luxury

In a market where extravagance can feel empty, RAH GILI Maldives is setting itself apart by offering presence instead of performance. With Anna Mansurova leading commercial ties and the Edhurun concept bringing Maldivian cultural depth into the guest journey, the resort is positioning itself to meet expectations at the highest level.

For Russian and CIS travellers, the promise is not spectacle, but sanctuary — a place where hospitality is felt rather than announced, and where memory is as carefully kept as service.

As SIX & SIX PRIVATE ISLANDS begins its journey, its message is clear: the future of luxury lies not in louder gestures, but in quieter precision.