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Seaside Finolhu’s Crab Shack achieves global win for best luxury beachside restaurant
Seaside Finolhu’s trademark ‘toes-in-the-sand’ dining restaurant, Crab Shack has been awarded a global win for best luxury beachside restaurant at the 2020 World Luxury Restaurant Awards.
After the resort’s elaborate transformation earning its place as a proud member of the exclusive Design Hotels portfolio, this recognition is another grand achievement for Finolhu.
Crab Shack’s charm has been impressing international celebrities such as English model and actress Cara Delevigne who in an interview with Conde Nast Traveller in April described the Crab Shack as her absolute favourite place to feast, recalling her experience when she stayed in the resort back in 2018.
Crab Shack is a rustic seafood restaurant that offers a real toes-in-the-sand dining experience on a secluded stretch of beach.
“We’re so honoured and proud to receive this marvellous achievement for Crab Shack. We love our Crab Shack and our guests over the years have been captivated by this restaurant, including international celebrities,” Finolhu’s General Manager Marc Reader said.
“The dining experience here is absolutely fascinating; the laid-back vibe creates an ideal space to enjoy the island life while savouring your favourite seafood and wine as you admire the beautiful vista. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our guests and friends who voted for us.”
Located on the opposite side of Finolhu’s marvellous sandbank, Crab Shack can be reached by an immersive seven-minute traditional dhoni ride or a 20-minute walk along the beach.
The restaurant transports diners to another world where guests can indulge in mouthwatering seafood in the rustic ambience of the open-fronted wooden shack while gazing out across the azure waters of the lagoon.
While Finolhu recently completed an extensive transformation process that accentuates its image as a design-led luxury destination, the resort has also introduced new names and concepts for its dining outlets.
Finolhu’s all-day dining restaurant now goes by the name of Beach Kitchen. Serving international fare during the day, Beach Kitchen also brings the resort’s culinary journey concept to life with destination-themed dining experiences each evening.
The Arabian Grill serves up an exotic mélange of flavours from across the Middle East and North Africa with a highlight on freshly grilled fishes.
The resort’s fine-dining restaurant has retained the name Kanusan but improved into a much more sophisticated ambience with a must-try live sushi corner.
The Beach Club features the new library offering a relaxing spot to lounge on, while the Beach Bar serves well-crafted drinks.
For guests looking to grab a drink, the new Milk LAB serves a selection of refreshing milkshakes, protein drinks and fresh coffee.
Finolhu was opened in June 2016 and consists of four islands with long beaches. It has 125 beachfront and overwater villas (more than half with private pool) and four restaurants.
While popular with honeymooners, the extensive resort is also very family-friendly, with a kids’ club, a wide choice of activities and world-famous entertainment.
Owned and managed by Seaside Collection, a Europe-based hotel group with an exclusive portfolio of high-end resorts and city hotels, Seaside Finolhu Maldives is a luxury island resort. “Finolhu”, which is a direct translation of “sandbank” in Dhivehi is located in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Maldives.
For more information or to make a booking, please visit www.finolhu.com.
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.
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.
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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