It has been a strong awards season for Maldivian hospitality, with four different properties and groups picking up regional and international recognition in recent weeks.
Atmosphere Core, the resort group behind a growing portfolio of Maldivian and international brands, took a double win at the South Asian Travel Awards (SATA) 2026, named both Leading Resort/Hotel Brand and Leading Hospitality Development Company. The development title reflects its expansion beyond the Maldives — most notably the opening of Borgo Monchiero Heritage by Atmosphere in Italy, the group's first European property. Managing Director Salil Panigrahi credited the awards to the group's teams and the trust of guests and partners.
Also at SATA 2026, JEN Maldives Malé by Shangri-La claimed two accolades: Leading Business Hotel and Leading City Hotel (40 Rooms and Above). The property sits in the heart of Malé, the capital, and doubles as a practical base for business travellers and a convenient stopover for those transiting between the airport and more remote resorts — a rare urban option in a country defined by island escapes.
Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives, part of The Atollia development in North Malé Atoll, was named Best Luxury Resort at the 15th Asia Hotel Awards 2026. Opened in April 2025, the resort has 142 beachfront and overwater villas and residences, including multi-bedroom options with private pools and Jacuzzis, built around an expansive lagoon setting that shapes how guests arrive, dine and spend their days.
Fushifaru Maldives earned the traveller-facing headline of the bunch: No. 4 resort in the Indian Ocean in the Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Choice Awards. The boutique property in Lhaviyani Atoll is home to the atoll's largest natural sandbank, and sits within a Marine Protected Area. The nearby Fushifaru Thila is a well-known manta ray cleaning station, with regular sightings of turtles, reef sharks and dolphins, making it a serious draw for divers and snorkellers as much as for beach loungers.
For anyone weighing up a Maldives trip, these lists are a useful shortcut. Atmosphere Core's brands and Fushifaru suit travellers after character and warmth, Centara Grand Lagoon targets the contemporary luxury end, and JEN Maldives Malé fills a genuinely useful niche for city stays and business travel. The manta season at Fushifaru Thila alone is reason enough to put Lhaviyani Atoll on the shortlist.
