Featured
World Travel Awards honours Maldives with top Indian Ocean prizes
World Travel Awards has unveiled its Indian Ocean 2020 winners to coincide with its inaugural Indian Ocean Winners Day.
The global initiative to recognise and reward excellence in travel and tourism will also reveal its global title holders later this month during the Grand Final.
Winners include Maldives, which cemented its reputation as the definitive secluded sanctuary to win ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Destination’, ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Beach Destination’ and ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Dive Destination’.
Meanwhile the lush forests, wild waterfalls, unique wildlife and palm-fringed beaches of Mauritius helped it lift ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Adventure Tourism Destination’ and ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Honeymoon Destination’.
The mystical island of Madagascar was named ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Green Destination’, while Reunion Island was heralded ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Nature Destination’.
Maldives enjoyed a strong showing in the hospitality sector. Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, home to the world’s first underwater villa, lifted the title of ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel’, while Vakkaru Maldives, with its unique take on luxury, picked up ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Resort’, and Kurumba Maldives won ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Family Resort’.
New arrival on the region’s luxury hospitality scene, Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa, was voted ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading New Resort’.
Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa claimed ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Villa Resort’ and Andilana Beach Resort, Madagascar declared ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Beach Resort’.
In the aviation sector, Air Seychelles lifted ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Airline’, while ‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Airport’ went to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Mauritius.
The results follow a year-long search for the world’s top travel, tourism and hospitality brands.
Votes were cast by travel industry professionals and the public, with the nominee gaining the most votes in a category named as the winner.
“Our winners represent the very best of the Indian Ocean’s travel and tourism sector and my congratulations to each of them. They have all demonstrated remarkable resilience in a year of unprecedented challenges,” World Travel Awards founder Graham Cooke said.
“The World Travel Awards 2020 programme received a record number of votes cast by the public. This shows that the appetite for travel and tourism has never been stronger and bodes well for the industry’s future as the global recovery begins.”
Other winners include Constance Hotels & Resorts (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Hotel Brand); Cunard (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Cruise Line’); Simply Maldives Holidays (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Travel Agency’); The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Resort’); Seychelles Travel (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Tour Operator’); and Hey Hey Maldives (‘Indian Ocean’s Leading Luxury Tour Operator’).
Awards
InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau secures Readers’ Choice Awards nomination
InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort has been nominated in the “Resort” category of the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2026, one of the travel industry’s recognised measures of guest preference and brand standing.
Located in Raa Atoll, the resort is continuing to build its profile through its all-Club concept, service model and guest experiences shaped by both location and programme. As the Maldives’ first all-Club InterContinental resort, the property includes a set of signature benefits with each stay, including daily breakfast, afternoon tea and evening aperitif.
The resort features 81 beach, lagoon and overwater villas and residences, along with seven restaurants and bars. Its guest offering combines private accommodation with a range of tailored experiences, including manta ray encounters in the Maamunagau lagoon, customised Dining by Design experiences, visiting wellness practitioners and its Artist in Residence programme.
InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort is also positioned to serve both couples and families, through its family offering and adults-only Retreat enclave.
The nomination reflects continued recognition for a resort that combines service, experience-led programming and a natural setting within one of the Maldives’ established tourism atolls.
Featured
Westin Maldives Miriandhoo introduces Family Fun Summer package
The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort has introduced its Family Fun Summer offer, aimed at families seeking longer island stays built around shared activities and rest. The offer is available for booking from 15 April to 15 June 2026, with a minimum stay of four nights for travel through to 20 December 2026.
Located within Baa Atoll, the Maldives’ first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, The Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort is positioning the offer around family wellness, marine experiences and time spent together in a natural island setting. Seasonal snorkelling with manta rays in Hanifaru Bay remains one of the area’s key attractions, while the resort’s collection of beach and overwater villas is designed to accommodate families looking for space and flexibility during their stay.
For larger families and groups, the resort also offers the two-bedroom Heavenly Beach Residence, which includes a living room, kitchen and dining area intended to support longer and more relaxed island stays.
The resort says the guest experience can be shaped around both activity and downtime, supported by Westin’s Sleep Well concept and Heavenly Bed. Children have access to the Westin Family Kids Club, which includes a children’s pool and pirate ship, while parents can make use of Heavenly Spa by Westin.
Away from the villa, the resort is also promoting shared family experiences through Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy activities focused on the culture and environment of Baa Atoll. These include traditional lacquer craft workshops, visits to local islands and guided marine activities in surrounding waters.
The Family Fun Summer package includes three meals per day, with children under 12 dining free of charge. It also includes a one-time dolphin cruise for two adults and two children, a 30-minute photography session with one printed photo, and a USD 150 resort credit.
Awards
Reethi Faru Resort recognised in four categories at 2026 Haute Grandeur Awards
Reethi Faru Resort has been recognised at the 2026 Haute Grandeur Global Excellence Awards, receiving honours in four categories: Best Beach Villa in Indian Ocean, Best Pool Villa in Indian Ocean, Best Eco-Friendly Resort in Maldives, and Best Sustainable Hotel in Maldives.
The awards recognise performance across villa accommodation and environmentally focused hospitality, reflecting the resort’s emphasis on guest experience alongside sustainability and environmental stewardship.
According to the resort, the recognition supports its positioning within the Maldives market as a property that combines natural surroundings, accommodation standards and responsible hospitality practices.
Located on Filaidhoo in Raa Atoll, Reethi Faru Resort features 145 villas, including beachfront and overwater accommodation designed in a style that combines Maldivian elements with contemporary comfort.
The resort’s food and beverage offering includes six restaurants and six bars, while its leisure facilities cover watersports, diving, yoga, spa treatments and fitness activities. Surrounded by coral reefs, the resort also offers guests access to marine-based experiences in the Indian Ocean.
Sustainability remains a central part of the resort’s operations, with initiatives that include coral reef restoration and guest experiences linked to environmental awareness.
Through its recognition at the 2026 Haute Grandeur Global Excellence Awards, Reethi Faru Resort has added to its profile as a Maldives resort with a focus on both accommodation standards and sustainability.
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