Every family journey shaped by Play: The Award-Winning Story of Krakengiri Kids' Club at Hilton Maldives Amingiri
At any resort, the children's club seems to be nothing more than just another piece of the guest experience. To families, however, it makes up for the whole vacation. It determines how easily kids adjust to a new setting, how secure parents feel in leaving their kids in someone else's hands, and ultimately, if they decide to come back next time. At Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa, Krakengiri Kids' Club takes up this task with the help of teamwork, patience and an individual approach that recognizes that each child and each family are unique. The devotion to providing a special experience resulted in Support Team of the Year award won by Krakengiri Kids' Club at Hotelier Maldives Awards 2026.
To Gesta Pattiasina, Manager of Krakengiri Kids' Club, this means much more than just being recognized for the work well done.
"Aside from the trophy itself, this award is so much more meaningful because it recognizes all the effort we put into making memorable experiences for our guests," she adds. "We make memories and fun experiences for kids and their families. This kind of recognition is a testament to all the great things that we have accomplished as a team." The award also brings to light the often overlooked importance of the children's club teams inside resorts. Their job is not only limited to organizing activities or watching the play area. It involves building trust with the families, knowing the personalities of the children, ensuring their safety, catering to different age groups, and making programs where each kid gets to participate at his/her own pace.
They also make a huge difference in the lives of parents because when the children are safe and happy, the parents can freely make use of the facility. In other words, the kids' club makes the experience of spending quality time together and having some alone-time fun for the parents possible.
Krakengiri Kids' Club operates thanks to the efforts of a team of eight specialists from six different nations. Despite being small compared to other departments of the resort, such diversity allows them to communicate easily with kids from different backgrounds, speaking different languages, having different temperaments and interests."Every specialist has something unique about him or her – experience, talent, and skills," Gesta notes. "Some are highly creative and talented in organizing various arts and crafts, whereas others love doing sports and playing games."
The team doesn't want all the members to perform in the same way. Thus, depending on one's personal strengths, some specialists will be responsible for art lessons, others will organize sports games and contests, some will take care of interactive classes. According to Gesta, leadership is an ability to use such diversity of talents for a common goal. "Everybody comes from different places and has his/her own unique experience. But what is the most important is that we all have the same vision of our goals. When everybody understands the goal, each one works towards achieving it, and leadership becomes much easier, because all work in one direction." Culture in the team is defined by cooperation, not by responsibilities. Team members help each other out constantly, which means that no matter what kind of schedule they have or what special requirements the visitors make or how the weather is or what individual needs each child has. “We strive for interdependence,” Gesta says. “Every person is as important as every other person. When this happens, cooperation comes easily.” This ability to adapt is crucial in a situation when no day is similar and there are always new challenges to deal with.
In any children's club, trust cannot come automatically. Children are often in a completely different place and environment with strangers taking care of them without their parents around. And in Krakengiri, this trust starts as soon as the families enter the club. Not only do the team members register families or explain the program; they spend some time introducing families to the premises, its facilities, and especially to the people who will be looking after the children."Trust starts building from the very first visit," Gesta says. "When families arrive, we give them a full tour. We don't just introduce the activities and facilities—we introduce every member of our team."The introduction is designed to help both children and parents feel comfortable. Families learn who speaks different languages, allowing them to connect more easily with the team members best suited to their needs."It's not only about us getting to know the children," she explains. "It's equally important for children and parents to get to know us. We explain who speaks Russian, who speaks Arabic, and introduce everyone individually."
The team also understands that every family adjusts differently. Rather than encouraging parents to leave immediately, they allow children the time they need to observe their surroundings, explore the space, and become familiar with the environment before joining activities. "We never push parents to leave their kids," says Gesta. "Each family is on its own time, even families with kids that are younger. The most important thing is to give them enough time to feel safe, comfortable and confident."This patient and relationship-driven strategy sets the stage for the rest of the family's visit. As kids start getting acquainted with the staff, procedures, and activities, they gain confidence automatically."Pretty soon," Gesta says with a smile, "the kids' club will be the place where they never want to leave. It's a place for happy kids and happy parents."And this philosophy continues to guide Krakengiri Kids' Club in creating a warm atmosphere where kids feel encouraged to learn new things and parents feel secure and relaxed.
