Maldives Employees Are #Done With Fake "Instagram Models" Requesting To Stay For Free At Their Resorts

hubbs6/26/2018 4:30 PM

There might not be a more “Instagrammable” location than the Maldives.

The group of coral islands in the Indian Ocean showcase crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches and luxury accommodations frequented by honeymooners, A-listers and Instagram’s elite “influencers.”

But have you ever wondered how so many social-media savvy individuals can afford it? The truth is, most can’t. They stay for free because luxury hotels do it in exchange for publicity.

It’s by no means a new model of doing business, but it’s starting to wear thin. Earlier this week, hotel owners from the Maldives revealed how frustrating it has become to be inundated with requests for freebies — especially from those on the fringe of social media success.

Kate Jones, who works for a five-star resort in the Maldives, told The Atlantic that “everyone with a Facebook these days is an influencer” and far too many think that entitles them to a free ride in paradise.

“People say, I want to come to the Maldives for 10 days and will do two posts on Instagram to like 2,000 followers,” she said.

“It’s people with 600 Facebook friends saying, ‘Hi, I’m an influencer, I want to stay in your hotel for seven days.'”

I love this move. We’ve reached the point in society where any girl on Instagram classifies themselves as an Insta Model. If you went to Penn State and have your whole sorority follow you you’re basically an Instagram model. If you took a few pictures in front of the beach on vacation in the D.R. and then a few poolside pics back home you’re an Instagram model. You know who are the real Instagram models? Emily Ratajkowski (18.1 million followers), Alexis Ren (12.5 million followers), Devin Brugman (1.3 million followers). If girls like them hit you up to stay at your gorgeous, super-expensive resort then you can cater to whatever needs they may have. If some college smoke hits you up with 10k followers asking for you to comp her and her friends entire trips then tell them to kick rocks.

How expensive does this place get? Nate blogged a little while ago how Maldives was opening a resort that was underwater. The starting price was $50,000 a night!!

Bitch you better be sleeping with Leo DiCaprio or have hundreds of thousands of followers you can actually influence if the heads of this resort are going to comp everything. We’re talking $250,000 if you stay five days. This area in South Asia has been dubbed by many as the “most Instagrammable place” in the world (I saw it during my research of where Maldives was on the map). I mean the resort has to make money somehow. It’s obviously a great look to have gorgeous women walking around your place in bikinis 24/7, but you have to set the limit somewhere. Like I don’t know if June with all her 1,300 followers needs to be staying a week for free so she can get 100 likes on her account and reach literally no one to come to the island.

Alright now let’s do a little exploring of Maldives to end the blog