If you needed proof that the Maldives has a grip on luxury island holidays, the 2026 Readers' Choice Awards delivered it. Condé Nast Traveller's readers placed Maldivian properties in 20 of the top 25 resorts in the Indian Ocean — and JOALI Maldives took the number one spot overall with a score of 99.83.

The numbers are striking. Maldivian resorts hold seven of the top eight positions and eight of the top ten. COMO Cocoa Island came third (99.35), Soneva Secret fourth (99.21), One&Only Reethi Rah fifth (99.18), The Nautilus sixth (99.06), Soneva Fushi seventh (99.01), Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru eighth (98.89) and Constance Halaveli tenth (98.59). Only Madagascar's Miavana by Time + Tide (second) and Mauritius' St Regis Le Morne (ninth) broke the streak. The remaining top-25 slots went to properties in Mauritius, Seychelles and Madagascar, but the region's crown clearly sits in Maldivian waters.

The awards season has been busy across the atolls. JOALI BEING, the wellness-dedicated sister resort in Raa Atoll, ranked eighth in Condé Nast Traveler US's Best Spa Resorts in the US & Around the World category — notable in a list of nearly 800,000 reader responses. Its approach is built around four pillars (mind, skin, microbiome and energy), with personalised programmes rather than a standard spa menu. Ocean Pool Villas start from USD 2,442 per night for two, B&B basis, so it's firmly a splurge.

The Nautilus in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, had a strong year beyond its sixth-place Indian Ocean ranking: two MICHELIN Keys and a spot on Condé Nast Traveler's Gold List. Its pitch is flexibility — 26 houses and a House Master who shapes each stay around guest preferences rather than fixed schedules.

There's fresh recognition up north too. JA Manafaru, in the rarely-visited Haa Alifu Atoll, entered the 2026 MICHELIN Guide hotel selection after a Forbes Travel Guide Recommended nod earlier this year. Its most intriguing detail is Kuri, a treetop restaurant seating just four guests inside a living banyan tree, serving a five-course tasting menu built on a "0km" philosophy — reef fish, coconut, pandan and screwpine from the surrounding atoll, served on ceramics made in the resort's own clay studio. Families are catered for as well: the Three Bedroom Royal Beach Residence spans 5,800 square metres with two private pools and a dedicated spa pavilion.

What does this mean for travellers? Practically, it's a cheat sheet. If you're weighing a big-ticket Maldives trip, these reader-ranked resorts — from the overwater villas of JOALI to the bohemian Nautilus and the remote wilderness feel of Manafaru — represent a vetted shortlist across very different styles and price points. Just remember that at these rates, the difference between a 99.8 and a 96 score matters less than picking the atoll, atmosphere and experience that match how you actually want to spend a week.