The Maldives has had a strong run in the 2026 awards circuit, and one resort is in the spotlight twice over. Sirru Fen Fushi, a private-island resort in the Shaviyani Atoll, has been shortlisted in two categories at the Luxury Lifestyle Magazine Readers' Travel Awards: Best Hotel for Families and Best Hotel for Sustainability. Unlike juried prizes, these winners are decided entirely by public vote, which is open now and closes at 11.59pm on 15 November 2026, with results announced on 2 December.
The twin nods fit the resort's DNA. Its name means 'Secret Water Island' in Dhivehi, and it sits on Gaakoshibee Island inside a 600-hectare private lagoon, backed by a 9-kilometre house reef. Families get a dedicated children's pool, a family zone at the infinity pool, and villas sized for group travel, plus activities like coral planting and marine exploration designed for all ages. On the eco side, the resort holds Green Globe GOLD certification, runs a Sustainability Lab, and hosts the Coralarium, an underwater art installation by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor that doubles as a coral regeneration project. Guests can join turtle research and marine discovery programmes.
Sirru Fen Fushi isn't the only Maldivian name collecting silverware. Grand Park Kodhipparu Maldives took nine accolades at the 2026 World Luxury Awards, including two Global Winner titles: Best Luxury Island Resort Spa for its overwater spa, and Best Sunset Views for FireDOOR, its glass-floored fine-dining restaurant perched over the house reef. The resort also picked up Indian Ocean titles for its spa and restaurant, plus a Best General Manager honour for Raffaele Solferino, ahead of its tenth anniversary in 2027.
In the capital Malé, Wellness by Mandara at Barceló Nasandhura made the Top 100 Spas of the World 2026 list from Luxury Lifestyle Awards. It's a rare urban spa option in a country where wellness is usually resort-bound, open daily to hotel guests, locals and day visitors, with Mandara's signature multi-hand massages and ELEMIS facials on the menu.
Marine operator Jalboot Group also won three categories at the World Luxury Travel Awards, presented at a gala in Bangkok on 24 October: Best Diving Experience in Maldives and Best Water Sport & Activities in Indian Ocean Islands for its Koamas brand, and Best Luxury Water Transfer in the Indian Ocean for the group itself, covering everything from inter-island transfers to yacht charters.
Why should travellers care? Award shortlists like these are a useful filter when a country has 150-plus resorts to choose from. If you want a trip that works for kids without ditching a genuine conservation angle, Sirru Fen Fushi is a candidate worth researching, and you can even vote for it before mid-November. Meanwhile, the Grand Park Kodhipparu and Jalboot recognitions flag strong picks for spa-focused escapes, sunset dining and reliable water transfers between islands.
