10 Questions: An Insight into Coco Bodu Hithi with the General Manager, Mario Stanic

With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Mario Stanic has worked his way up from Assistant Food & Beverage Manager at Park Hyatt Canberra in his native Australia all the way up to Cluster General Manager within the Louvre International Hotel Group.

Mario first joined us as the Group General Manager of our parent company Sunland Hotels in 2007, before moving to the John Keels Group in Sri Lanka in 2011. As Head of Operations New Projects and Cluster General Manager, Mario went on to become the General Manager of the Radisson Blu at Dubrovnik Sun Gardens in Croatia, winning the property “Best Resort Europe” in the 2012/2013 World Luxury Hotel Awards.

We’re so excited to welcome Mario back to the Coco Family. With his experience and achievements leading operations in internationally renowned properties, Mario is leading his team to elevate the overall guest experience at Coco Bodu Hithi.

So come on, let’s take a dip into the current events with Mario.

1. What does a typical day look like for you at Coco Bodu Hithi?
My days can actually be quite unpredictable. It normally starts off by reading my daily emails at the office by 8.30am and setting up a quick brief with my team. Afterwards during lunch, I walk through the restaurant and bar area and chat with guests before the afternoon meeting with my Heads of Department. On Fridays I’ll get ready for the GM’s Cocktail Party at 6.30pm and then oversee the Maldivian show on the Latitude deck at 8.45pm.

2. What do you love most about working at Coco Bodu Hithi?
I love being surrounded by nature and the ocean as part of a team where I can contribute to the success of the resort, the company, and the team.

3. Which of the specialty restaurants would you recommend at the resort?
I really love Stars for its ambience, they have a great Mediterranean menu set over the ocean with a fantastic view.

4. We heard that there are new Coco Signature dishes on the menu! Which would you say is your favourite?
We have a few new signature dishes such as our Coco Burger, Coco Cheesecake, and my favourite is the poached Salmon in a champagne sauce available exclusively at Stars.

5. We’ve just said goodbye to the festive season (for now!) What was your favourite guest experience from last year’s festivities?
We had a great programme last year, full of wonderful food and games for all the family. But I believe the Zumba dance classes around sunset at Yoga Pavilion took home the crown with its stunning ocean view. 

6. Looking back at your times with Coco Bodu Hithi, what would you say you love the most about the island?
I love the tranquillity of the island, the lush gardens surrounded by vast marine life, along with the excellent team and freedom to grow the island service and product.

7. Tell us about a memorable guest experience from your time on the island?
The thing that brings me the most joy is when I receive excellent feedback regarding our associates, who are often praised for being humble, polite, professional and they go out of their way to ensure that guests have a worthwhile experience.

8. The new Overwater Hammocks at the Escape Water Villas sound marvellous. Tell us more about it!
The hammocks not only enhance the Escape Water Villa experience visually, but they also create a relaxing and comfortable new space for our guests to lounge on.

9. How does Coco Bodu Hithi keep the little ones entertained?
Back in December, we launched our Kids’ Club with games, movies, and indoor and out of doors activities to keep the little ones entertained together with weekly special events like Little Chef.

10. And finally; everyone loves to do something special on the weekends. Are there any exciting activities at Coco Bodu Hithi during the weekends that you think everyone must try out?
I can always suggest snorkelling along our house reef to see turtles, or jet skiing over to the nearest sandbank for a swim and a picnic. Don’t forget to try our “Movie under the Stars” and weekend Beach BBQ every Saturday.