News
Maldives celebrates best at World Luxury Hotel Awards 2013

Maldives.net.mv – On the 1st of November the red-carpet was once again rolled out by the World Luxury Hotel Awards to welcome some of the world’s top hoteliers & leading decision-makers. The spotlight was turned on some of the world’s most sought after hotels, lodges and resorts as they arrived in great anticipation to pick-up their recognition as the winning results were revealed at the annual “glitzy affair”. Once again Maldives was triumphant by winning some of the top awards including overall winner of the night.
Covered by France24 the World Luxury Hotel Award’s official media partner, the event included a 6 course gala dinner followed by top entertainment and presentation of coveted Awards.
Our belief is that service excellence is the most critical factor in a hotel’s measure as a luxury hotel and winning a World Luxury Hotel Award would enhance performance levels if industry peers can be judged against other major players in the field. We can always be inspired to greater levels of excellence meaning exceeding customer’s expectations and paying attention to detail, said Marinique de Wet Director of the World Luxury Hotel Awards.
World Luxury Hotel Awards events offer hoteliers with a unique opportunity to savour and celebrate their achievements of the past year with their industry peers.
The World Luxury Hotel Awards was established in 2006 to recognize the worldwide luxury hotel industry and legendary hotels with respect to overall service excellence. Award winners raised the bar of service delivery within the industry ever since as some of the world’s top hotels including brands such as Swissôtel, InterContinental, Hilton, Kempinski, Anantara & Mövenpick Hotels compete annually to receive top honours. Over 1,000 hotels from 87 countries were nominated to participate in the world’s most prestigious Awards initiative for luxury hotels in 2013.
The World Luxury Hotel Awards is positioned as the pinnacle of achievement for luxury hotels worldwide. The Awards account for 50 categories in the luxury hotel industry and include amongst others Luxury Private Island Resorts, Casino Hotels, City Hotels, and Lodges.
Winners are purely judged on service delivery and effective management voted for by International tour operators, travel agents and hotel guests who get the opportunity to cast their valuable votes annually, making the process fair and unbiased.
“The 2013 voting poll proved to yield a record number of votes which have been scrupulously monitored and we are truly proud to reveal those properties that have seen challenges in 2012 as opportunities.”
We believe that World Luxury Hotel Awards category winners would serve as an inspiration to nominees and other luxury properties on the global front to raise their levels of service delivery in order to feel comfortable in competing on an international level and to set a benchmark for themselves.
Growing numbers of discerning travellers around the globe are seeking excellence value, impeccable service and the highest quality these days and are now making a point of checking to see who has won a World Luxury Hotel Award before making their own travel choices. The Ultimate Hotel Guide featuring 2013 Award winners has become increasingly popular amongst travel agents & tour operators that utilized it for global reservations, the 7th Edition of this luxury guide was revealed at the Gala Ceremony recently.
Participation in the World Luxury hotel Awards encourages exclusivity and uniqueness, critical indicators that truly define a luxury hotel.
The Awards also aim to encourage sustainable competitiveness in order to build staff moral & create maximum awareness within the luxury hotel industry, De Wet, Director of the WLHA added.
Hotels where recognized on a country, continent and global basis and Awards were presented to hotels and hotel groups from Australia to Zambia complimenting leading hotel groups.
Leading partners to the 2013 Gala Ceremony included Qatar Airlines and Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau. With great enthusiasm Coco Privé Kuda Hithi Island, Maldives was announced the 2013 World Luxury Hotel Awards overall winner and the Award was presented to Mr Ahmed Shabeer, Managing Director & Chairman of Coco Collection. Congratulations!
Global winners
- Coco Privé Kuda Hithi Island Luxury Private Island Resort
- Constance Halaveli Maldives Luxury Island Resort
- Royal Island Resort & Spa Luxury Romantic Hotel
Continental winner – Indian Ocean
- Coco Bodu Hithi Luxury Villa Resort
- Hulhule Island Hotel Luxury Airport Hotel
- Island Hideaway, Luxury Boutique Hotel
- Paradise Island Resort & Spa Luxury Hotel & Conference Centre
Featured
Soneva Fushi awarded SeiBellissimi Art of Hospitality 2025

Soneva Fushi, situated within the Maldives’ Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, has been named winner of the SeiBellissimi Art of Hospitality Award as part of The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025. The accolade is one of two special awards announced ahead of the official ceremony on 30 October. The award is based on votes from more than 800 members of the Academy, who were asked to identify the hotel where they experienced their single-best hospitality moment within the two-year voting period.
The award recognises the quality of service that ensures guests feel cared for throughout their stay. It celebrates the work of a property and its entire team, acknowledging excellence in areas ranging from reception and housekeeping to amenities and food and beverage services. Voters were asked to consider ambience, unique experiential elements, and the warmth of the hospitality on offer.
Soneva Fushi, the original Soneva resort and regarded as the model for barefoot luxury, is located on one of the Maldives’ largest and least developed islands. The resort comprises 71 private villas, either set amidst dense jungle or positioned above the ocean. Guests are invited to embrace a slower pace of life, with experiences ranging from deserted island picnics and wellness treatments at Soneva Soul to curated events under the Soneva Stars calendar.
Emma Sleight, Head of Content for The World’s 50 Best Hotels, said: “This award celebrates the foundation of hospitality and honours the emotional connection that guests have with a hotel and its team. For three decades, Soneva Fushi has been delivering memorable service at the highest level that puts the guest at the heart of every interaction. A mainstay of The World’s 50 Best Hotels list since the awards’ inception, Soneva Fushi is a worthy winner of the SeiBellissimi Art of Hospitality Award, setting a benchmark of all-encompassing excellence one stay at a time.”
Each villa offers extensive indoor and outdoor living space, private pools and ocean views. A distinctive feature of the resort is its Barefoot Guardians – dedicated butlers assigned to each villa to provide personalised service. Available at all times, they arrange every aspect of the guest experience, from zipline adventures and snorkelling at Hanifaru Bay to stargazing at the observatory or dining in one of 14 restaurants. The Barefoot Guardians also manage the Soneva Stars calendar, which hosts international chefs, wellness specialists and sporting figures.
Antony Paton, General Manager of Soneva Fushi, said: “This award belongs to the entire team at Soneva Fushi. It is a reflection of our shared purpose to create moments of joy, connection and wonder every single day. Being recognised by The World’s 50 Best Hotels affirms that the quiet magic we strive for is not only felt by our guests, but remembered. And that, to us, is the greatest reward.”
Giancarlo Mancino, Chief Executive Officer of SeiBellissimi, added: “At Soneva Fushi, hospitality is a seamless extension of a lifestyle deeply rooted in sustainability, wellness and mindful luxury. Founded with a slow life philosophy, every experience here is a tribute to living in harmony with nature, honouring health-conscious principles, and crafting each moment with genuine care. This devotion to sustainable elegance and the art of well-being is the perfect mirror of SeiBellissimi’s own values: Italian craftsmanship, conviviality, and a respect for quality that goes beyond the ordinary.”
The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 ceremony will take place at Old Billingsgate in London on Thursday 30 October, where Soneva Fushi will formally receive the SeiBellissimi Art of Hospitality Award.
Awards
Minor Hotels celebrates multiple wins at TTM Awards 2025

Minor Hotels, a global hospitality group operating nine resorts in the Maldives, has announced that three of its properties were recognised at the Travel Trade Maldives (TTM) Awards 2025. The annual awards celebrate achievements across 28 categories, with winners selected through votes cast by guests and travel partners.
Niyama Private Islands Maldives received the award for Best Family Resort. The property is known for offering experiences for all ages, with facilities including a playground, splash park, and gourmet kitchen at its children’s club, alongside an extensive schedule of activities. Young guests are provided with age-appropriate experiences such as snorkelling safaris, cooking classes, surf lessons, and outdoor cinema evenings.
Accommodation includes a variety of spacious villas and pavilions, such as the newly renovated Deluxe Family Beach Pool Villa. Combined with diverse dining options, recreational activities, and personalised service, the resort seeks to provide both adventure and relaxation for families.
Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort was named Best Beach Resort, reflecting its setting of white sands, turquoise lagoons, and coconut groves within Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The resort offers contemporary villas, including Beach Pool Villas and Two-Bedroom Beach Pool Villas, with direct beach access.
Since opening in 2023, Avani+ Fares has aimed to introduce a laid-back approach to Maldivian holidays, combining modern design with the natural environment. Guests can participate in activities ranging from water sports and wellness to dining and cultural programmes.
NH Collection Maldives Havodda Resort was awarded Best Dive Resort, recognised for its accessible house reef and marine biodiversity. Located close to the shoreline, the reef offers opportunities for snorkellers and divers of all levels, with frequent encounters with species such as reef sharks, turtles, rays, and tropical fish.
The resort also provides access to the dive sites of Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, where PADI-certified instructors guide guests through channels, thilas, and reef walls.
In addition to these three awards, Minor Hotels’ properties received 12 finalist nominations across seven categories. These included its newest addition, NH Maldives Kuda Rah Resort, which was shortlisted in three categories.
The group’s nominations at the TTM Awards 2025 were:
- Best Beach Resort: Avani+ Fares and NH Collection Maldives Havodda
- Best Family Resort: Niyama, Avani+ Fares, and NH Maldives Kuda Rah
- Best Boutique Resort: NH Maldives Kuda Rah
- Best Culinary Resort: Niyama
- Most Picturesque Resort: NH Collection Maldives Havodda
- Best Surf Resort: Niyama
- Best Dive Resort: Avani+ Fares, NH Collection Maldives Havodda, and NH Maldives Kuda Rah
Featured
Sirru Fen Fushi unveils ‘Symphony of the Island’ festive celebrations

This festive season, Sirru Fen Fushi – Private Lagoon Resort, located in Shaviyani Atoll, Maldives, will host an extensive programme of events under the theme Symphony of the Island. Running from 22 December to 7 January, the schedule brings together globally acclaimed performers and specialists, from award-winning musicians and Michelin-starred chefs to a World Cup football champion, wellness practitioners, mixologists, and even a NASA astronaut.
The resort’s New Year’s Eve celebrations will be headlined by Rami Jaffee, Grammy-winning keyboardist of the Foo Fighters, accompanied by violinist, cellist, and vocalist Jessy Greene (formerly Foo Fighters and Pink), and drummer and producer Erik Aldenius of Billy Idol. The All-Star Band will also feature Todd Morse, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from The Offspring, and Bill Reynolds, Grammy-nominated bassist and producer, formerly of Band of Horses, creating a powerful line-up to welcome 2026.
Onu Onu Beach Bar will host award-winning bartenders throughout the festive period. On 30 December, Harrison Kenny, associated with the World’s 50 Best Bars, will present alongside Millie Tang, one of Australia’s leading bartenders. On 3 January, Pham Quoc Dat, Head Mixologist at The Haflington in Vietnam (Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024), will take over the bar with a signature showcase.
Culinary highlights include the arrival of Chef Valentino Cassanelli, Head Chef of Michelin-starred Lux Lucis in Italy, who will collaborate with the resort’s Executive Chef Girish Sharma on 8 and 10 December. Cassanelli will also host his own signature four-course dinner. On 3 January, Jean-Philippe Blondet, Chef Patron of Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, will present a four-hands dining experience at Azure alongside Chef Girish.
Sports and wellness sessions will be led by Christoph Kramer, Football World Cup Champion and television football expert, former professional tennis player and coach Alexandra Viktorovitch, Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncturist and trainer Josiah Ngai, and yoga instructor and sound healer Tamuna Lomidze. Guests will be able to book one-to-one sessions throughout the festive programme.
On 6 January, the resort will present a special performance by Daria Pavlenko, Principal Ballerina of the Mariinsky Ballet in St Petersburg.
NASA Astronaut and U.S. Navy officer Dominic Antoneli will share first-hand insights into life in space, recounting stories of exploration and discovery.
The season will begin on 22 December with the island illuminated by festive décor and Christmas Eve sunset drinks at Onu Onu Beach. On Christmas Day, celebrations will include a beach arrival by Santa in Maldivian style, followed by a festive brunch and a lobster and champagne dinner, with entertainment from fire dancers, magicians, and musicians.
The New Year’s programme begins with a sunset journey from Spa Beach to Central Park, before a gala dinner at RAHA Market. The evening will feature the All-Star Band, ballet performances, acrobats, and a fire and laser show, concluding with an after-party to welcome 2026. On 1 January, guests can enjoy a New Year’s brunch accompanied by live jazz and tropical rhythms.
Orthodox Christmas Eve on 6 January will include a gourmet buffet at RAHA Market, seafood dining at Azure, and a performance by ballerina Daria Pavlenko, followed by a beach party with international DJs. On 7 January, celebrations will conclude with a Cristal Champagne golden-hour sunset and beachside à la carte dining.
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