The aqua bean bags on the sand at Velassaru's beachfront outdoor cinema? Those are ours. Velassaru Maldives built its iconic beach cinema with our Hayman bean bags in aqua, and the resort has been a repeat customer since 2017. Here's why a big, flat bean bag works for a cinema on the sand, and what the resort's setup shows.
Velassaru Maldives
Velassaru sits in the South Malé Atoll, about 25 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport. It has 129 beach and overwater villas and bungalows, and now trades as NIVA Velassaru Maldives. Cinema nights on the beach, with popcorn, are one of the things guests come back for.
The beach cinema
The setup is simple, and that's why it works. A screen on the sand with the Indian Ocean behind it, low tables with soft lights between the seats, and bean bags spread across the beach facing the screen. As the sun goes down, the sky behind the screen does half the work. We included it in our list of twelve of the world's best outdoor resort cinemas. Back home, our bean bags fill outdoor cinemas like Rooftop Movies in Perth and The Star's Skyline Cinema in Brisbane.
The bean bag: the Hayman in aqua
The Hayman is our largest and most adaptable cover. It works as a lounger, a chair or a bed, which is exactly what a two-hour movie on the sand needs. Each one has:
- The size: 180 x 140 x 30 cm when filled, big enough for two to share.
- The fabric: 1680D PU-coated polyester. It's water resistant, made to hold its colour, and resists mould and mildew.
- The fill: about 350 litres of EPS beans, held in a separate inner liner.
- The construction: double-stitched seams, shaped to support the body from shoulders to knees.
- The zips: YKK childproof locking zippers.
- The colour: aqua, which sits well against white sand by day and the sunset at screening time.
Why the Hayman suits a cinema on the sand
A beach cinema asks a lot of its seating. Guests lie back, sit up, share, and shift around for a couple of hours. A chair locks everyone into one position. A Hayman lets each guest pick their own: flat on their back, propped up like a lounger, or folded into a chair.
Sand is the other test. Beans stay inside the inner liner and the outer cover is easy to brush down or hose off. The cover comes off and is machine washable, so the bean bags can be cleaned without beans going everywhere. And because there are no legs or frames, nothing sinks into the sand or tips over.
Day and night
The same bean bags earn their keep in daylight too. Around the resort, aqua Haymans sit in groups around low white tables on the sand, under the palms and beside the cabanas. Guests read, nap and lounge on them during the day, and the cinema runs on them after dark.
A repeat customer since 2017
Velassaru first ordered from us in 2017 and has kept coming back. For a resort, reordering the same bean bag in the same colour means new seats match the ones already on the beach, so the cinema keeps its look from one season to the next. Elsewhere in the Maldives, Kudadoo Maldives Private Island has used our embroidered pool bean bags since 2018.
What this job shows
A few things we'd tell any resort planning a beach cinema (our guide to bean bags at hotels and resorts covers the rest of the property):
- Choose seats people can lie in. A movie is a long sit. A big, flat bean bag lets every guest find their own position.
- Skip the legs. Frames sink and tip in sand. Bean bags sit flat on it.
- Pick one colour and stick with it. Aqua gives Velassaru one clean look across the beach, day and night, and makes reorders easy to match.
- Use liners. Beans stay in the liner, the cover comes off for washing, and sand stays out of the fill. Our tropical and coastal care guide covers the routine.
- Let the bean bags work all day. The same seats can furnish the beach by day and the cinema by night.
Bean bags for your resort cinema
We supply bean bags to resorts, hotels and outdoor cinemas worldwide, in stock colours or custom, with your logo if you want it. Tell us the venue, roughly how many, and when you need them, and we'll come back with styles, pricing and freight. For larger commercial orders, depending on the quantity and where they're going, we can ship them filled.
See our resort bean bags and outdoor bean bags, read why bean bags suit outdoor cinemas, or call 1800 888 911.
Photos: Velassaru Maldives.
