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Kuda Villingili Resort’s Fire Restaurant wins 2024 Wine Spectator Restaurant Award of Excellence

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Fire Restaurant has been honoured for its outstanding wine program in Wine Spectator’s 2024 Restaurant Awards, which celebrate the world’s best restaurants for wine.

“We are immensely delighted to receive the Wine Spectator’s 2024 Award of Excellence,” said Amjad Thaufeeq, Commercial Director of Kuda Villingili. This award is a testament to our team’s dedication to providing our guests with an outstanding dining experience and a wide range of wine choices. Our wine programme is designed to cater to both connoisseurs and casual wine lovers, ensuring that every guest finds something to enjoy.”

“The restaurant industry is growing and thriving, with restaurant openings surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time. To take advantage of the uptick, restaurateurs are re-investing in their wine programs,” said Marvin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher, Wine Spectator. “Restaurants that make wine a priority are what the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards program is all about. I’m pleased to congratulate all 3,777 restaurants for their dedication to wine and exemplary wine lists.”

Launched in 1981, the Restaurant Awards represent the world’s only program focused exclusively on restaurant wine service. They are assigned on three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award, with 2,150; 1,531; and 96 winners this year in each respective category.

The Award of Excellence recognises restaurants whose wine lists feature a well-chosen assortment of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.

FIRE is inspired by the all-time classic American steakhouse experience, and the concept explores the art of grilling meat to perfection. A team of talented chefs, under the guidance of Executive Chef Lalith Sharma, delivers the finest prime-cut meat plated succulently alongside mouthwatering condiments and a selection of homemade sauces. This fine-dining experience is enhanced further with organic, free-trade certified, and free-range ingredients sourced from around the world. Each plate served is a heartily rich enhancement of timeless flavors. Nestled within the chic and well-balanced ambience of The Restaurant, Fire opens for lunch and dinner while the salty breeze and the gently lapping waves perfect this partially overwater experience.

The Wine list at Fire, is intended to reflect diversity of producers’ terroirs and grape varietals, showcasing an exquisite selection of wines ranging from classic to rustic and modern to vibrant. A particular importance was given to ensuring a balanced and generous sampling of the diverse flavors of both the Old World and the New World with exceptionally high quality and value, encouraging guests to experiment throughout their stay.

Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives is an exclusively private island, promising guests of all ages and personalities the opportunity to redefine time and space and the independence to discover themselves while strengthening bonds of togetherness and creating unique experiences. Located at a convenient 30-minute speedboat ride in the picturesque North Male Atoll, this picturesque slice of paradise offers 75 spacious villas sprawled on the beachfront and over the turquoise lagoon. The resort offers a diverse array of gastronomic experiences, from casual Hawker-style to fine dining on the beach, with three diverse dining venues and three unique concepts sure to appeal to everyone’s taste buds.

Awards

Sirru Fen Fushi secures dual nomination in Condé Nast Traveler Awards

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Sirru Fen Fushi – Private Lagoon Resort has been nominated in both the Condé Nast Traveller (UK) and Condé Nast Traveler (US) Readers’ Choice Awards 2026, reflecting recognition across two of the travel industry’s established global platforms.

The annual awards highlight hospitality brands based on guest feedback, with nominations reflecting performance across areas such as service, design, wellness and overall guest experience.

Located within one of the Maldives’ larger resort lagoons, Sirru Fen Fushi is known for features including the Coralarium, an underwater art installation, as well as its approach to sustainability and wellness. The resort said the dual nomination reflects its continued focus on delivering guest experiences aligned with international expectations.

According to the property, its offering combines accommodation, dining and wellness programmes within a natural island setting, supported by service and curated activities.

In a statement, resort management said the nomination acknowledged both the contribution of its team and the support of its guests.

“We are honoured to be nominated in both editions of the 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards,” the resort said. “This recognition is a testament to our dedicated team and the heartfelt support of our guests. We remain committed to creating experiences that resonate long after our guests return home.”

Voting for the Condé Nast Traveler (US) Readers’ Choice Awards and Condé Nast Traveller (UK) Readers’ Choice Awards is open until 30 June 2026.

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Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas named to 2026 T+L 500 list

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Minor Hotels has announced its most successful year to date in the Travel + Leisure annual hotel rankings, with ten properties included in the 2026 T+L 500 list of the best hotels in the world, including one of its flagship resorts in the Maldives.

Representing the Maldives is Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, which was once again recognised among the Indian Ocean’s leading luxury resorts. The property was noted for its overwater villas, underwater dining experiences and location within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll.

The inclusion highlights continued international recognition for the Maldives as a premium tourism destination, with luxury hospitality brands maintaining a strong presence in global travel rankings.

Minor Hotels, which manages more than 640 hotels worldwide across operation and development, said this year marked a record performance in the T+L 500, with properties recognised across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.

Asia recorded the strongest representation, with five Anantara resorts featured on the list. Alongside the Maldives property, resorts in Vietnam and Sri Lanka were also recognised.

Dillip Rajakarier, Group CEO of Minor International, the parent company of Minor Hotels, said the recognition reflected the strength of the group’s portfolio.

“To see ten of our properties recognised in the T+L 500 underlines the scale and quality of our global luxury portfolio,” he said. “It reflects the breadth of what we’re doing in luxury today, and the consistency with which those experiences are resonating with guests across our brands and regions.”

The T+L 500 list is compiled from the results of the 2025 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. It features hotels and resorts that readers repeatedly select for service, quality, amenities and guest experience.

The 2026 edition appears in the May issue of Travel + Leisure, with selected highlights also published online.

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Awards

Family Fun Summer returns to JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa

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As multigenerational travel continues to influence the luxury hospitality sector, JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa has reintroduced its Family Fun Summer programme, aimed at families seeking more time together through a combination of accommodation, activities and dining benefits.

Built around the brand’s “Stay in the Moment” philosophy, the programme includes a USD 300 resort credit that can be used across dining, spa and recreational experiences, allowing different generations to shape their stay according to their interests.

At the centre of the offer are the resort’s Overwater Duplex Villas and Two-Bedroom Duplex Beach Villas with Pool, which are designed to accommodate multigenerational travel through larger layouts and private space. These villas are supported by Thakuru service and complimentary bicycles, giving guests flexibility in how they move around and experience the island.

Beyond the villa, the programme includes a range of activities intended to support family engagement and shared experiences. Younger guests have access to the Family by JW™ Little Griffins Kids’ Club, one of the larger children’s clubs in the Maldives, with more than 100 programmes focused on play and discovery. Families can also take part in culinary classes at the JW Garden, where the resort offers a farm-to-table experience linked to the natural setting of the island.

Mohit Dembla, General Manager of JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa, said the programme responds to changing guest expectations around luxury travel.

“Today’s luxury traveller isn’t just seeking a beautiful destination, they’re seeking time,” he said. “Time together, time to be present, time away from the noise. ‘Family Fun Summer’ is our answer to that, a sanctuary where every generation finds something meaningful.”

The Family Fun Summer package includes the USD 300 resort credit, which can be used for spa treatments, dining or island activities. It also includes daily breakfast, as well as three-course lunches and dinners for two adults and children under 12 at selected venues. Families will also receive a floating breakfast served in the privacy of their villa.

In addition, the package offers 60 per cent savings on dining at the resort’s signature restaurants, Hashi and Shio. Other inclusions include Thakuru service, complimentary use of non-motorised watersports equipment, and private bicycles for island use. The package also includes a 30-minute photography session and one printed photograph as a keepsake.

Through the relaunch of Family Fun Summer, JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa is positioning itself within the growing multigenerational travel segment, combining larger villa accommodation with dining, leisure and family-focused experiences.

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