The Maldives had a strong showing at this year's South Asian Travel Awards, with Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts picking up three gongs, Atmosphere Core taking two, and wellness brand ELE|NA named Leading Wellness and Spa Brand. The 10th edition of SATA was held at Barceló Nasandhura Malé on 8 October 2026, honouring tourism and hospitality businesses across South Asia.
Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives, in North Malé Atoll, won Gold in the Leading Surf Resort category for the fourth year running — its eighth win overall. The resort's appeal is anchored on Pasta Point, a surf break that draws surfers from around the world, though it also offers water sports and wellness options for non-surfers. Sister property Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives retained its Gold as Leading Beach Resort thanks to its sandy beaches, lagoon and mix of beachfront and overwater villas, and added Silver in the Best CSR Programme category. That award recognised a six-day dive programme run with its PADI centre, Dive & Sail, which saw nine students aged 16 to 18 from schools on Keyodhoo and Felidhoo earn PADI Open Water Diver certifications — a mix of theory, supervised dives and reef conservation training that opens doors to careers in marine tourism.
Atmosphere Core, the group behind brands including Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, took the titles of Leading Resort/Hotel Brand and Leading Hospitality Development Company. The development award reflects a portfolio now stretching beyond the Maldives — the company recently opened BORGO MONCHIERO HERITAGE by Atmosphere in Italy, its first European property. Managing Director Salil Panigrahi credited the group's teams and its focus on brands with a clear sense of identity.
ELE|NA, the Maldives-based wellness brand, won Leading Wellness and Spa Brand on the strength of its 'Wellness Your Way' approach, built around six pillars covering treatments, fitness, sleep, nutrition and emotional wellbeing. All its Maldivian properties hold Platinum Sustainable Wellness Accreditation, and it trains therapists through the ELE|NA Wellness Academy as it expands into India and Nepal.
Beyond SATA, Centara Grand Lagoon Maldives was named Best Luxury Resort at the 15th Asia Hotel Awards. Opened in April 2025 within The Atollia by Centara in North Malé Atoll, the resort has 142 villas and residences, including two- and three-bedroom pool villas, arranged around an expansive lagoon that shapes everything from arrival to dining and wellness.
So what does this mean if you're planning a Maldives trip? Awards lists like these are a handy shortcut when every atoll brochure looks the same. If surfing is the point of your holiday, Cinnamon Dhonveli's eight-time winning record speaks for itself. If it's a classic beach-and-lagoon escape, Velifushi's back-to-back win — plus its genuine community programme — makes it worth a look. And if you want contemporary luxury with overwater pool villas, Centara Grand Lagoon is one of the newest heavyweights in the North Malé Atoll.
