In a historic milestone for the southernmost atoll of the Maldives, Canareef Resort Maldives has been awarded the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award “Best of the Best” for 2026–the highest honour the world’s largest travel guidance platform can offer.

Out of over 8 million listings on Tripadvisor, fewer than 1% achieve Travellers’ Choice status. But “Best of the Best” is even rarer–granted to only approximately 1,500 to 2,000 elite properties worldwide. Canareef has now entered that exclusive circle for the very first time.

A First-Ever ‘Best of the Best’: A Tribute to the Team’s Dedication

While Canareef previously earned the standard Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award in 2017 and then consecutively from 2023 until now, the 2026 “Best of the Best” title marks the resort’s first time receiving Tripadvisor’s ultimate recognition. This achievement is not built on distant history. It is built on recent, consistent, above-and-beyond service–the kind that comes only from a team that truly cares.

This award is a tribute to every single staff member who wakes up each day determined to create genuine, heartfelt experiences. From housekeeping to front office, from the dive centre to the kitchen–their passion and commitment have turned ordinary stays into unforgettable ones. The Tripadvisor community has spoken, and what they praised most is the hard work, warmth, and dedication of the people behind the Canareef name.

Guests Have Spoken: From Honeymooners to Families

From honeymooners enjoying quiet sunset walks to families discovering Addu’s lush, unhurried paradise, guests have shared their honest, heartfelt experiences. Their words–full of gratitude for the attentive service, cleanliness, and genuine care they received–helped propel Canareef into the global spotlight. One recent Tripadvisor review read:“We were surprised by the level of service. The team truly cares.” Another said: “From the warm welcome to the heartfelt farewell, every member of the team made our stay feel truly special and personal.” Reflecting the island’s unique charm, one guest also wrote: “The island feels wonderfully untouched and serene, yet there is always something to explore, from dolphins to cycling under the palms.”

A Win for the Canareef Team and Addu Atoll Tourism

The award is being celebrated across Addu Atoll, as Canareef continues to be a major gateway to the atoll’s unique attractions–from the historic British Loyalty shipwreck to the Addu Nature Park in Hithadhoo, and the world-famous manta cleaning station that draws divers from around the globe.

“Receiving Tripadvisor’s Best of the Best Award for the first time is a proud milestone for Canareef,” said the General Manager of Canareef Resort Maldives.“What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it comes directly from our guests–and it reflects the recent hard work, dedication, and collective effort of our entire team. This award is a tribute to each and every staff member who pours their passion into this island every day. We share this honour with our team and with the wonderful community of Addu.”

What Makes Canareef Stand Out Today

Unlike many Maldivian resorts that focus solely on luxury over water, Canareef offers a rare blend of barefoot elegance, vast green spaces, and a connection to local life. Its four kilometres of shoreline, a natural lagoon, and a vibrant house reef make it a favourite for both relaxation and adventure. Yet it is the team’s genuine Maldivian spirit—the smiles, the stories, the spontaneous help —that guests mention again and again.

One recent reviewer wrote: “Canareef is not just a resort; it is a home. We came as guests and left as family.” Another noted: “After six visits to the Maldives, this is the first time I felt truly sad to check out.”

An Invitation from the Equator

With the 2026 Best of the Best award marking a major milestone, Canareef Resort Maldives invites travellers from around the world to discover the untouched charm of Addu Atoll. Reaching this southern paradise is now easier than ever, with convenient domestic flights from Velana International Airport or direct access via Gan International Airport, followed by seamless speedboat transfers to the resort.

As one Tripadvisor review put it: “Don’t let the distance fool you–paradise is worth every mile.”

Maldivian-owned group Versa Hospitality on Wednesday announced the launch of Versa Keys: a tiered loyalty programme designed to reward guests for their curiosity, loyalty and time spent across the group’s growing collection of destinations worldwide.

Versa Keys introduces a membership structure based on nights stayed, with four tiers–Member, Silver, Gold and Platinum–each unlocking a progressively richer range of benefits across all Versa Collection and Niva properties globally. The programme launches across all locations on 1 October 2026 and is central to Versa’s ambition to deepen guest relationships as the group continues to expand internationally. Each new destination will be fully integrated into the programme on opening, meaning members’ nights and benefits travel with them wherever Versa goes next.

Visha Mahir, CEO, Versa Hospitality, says: “Versa Keys reflects everything we believe travel should be. It rewards the moments that matter–the time guests invest, the experiences they seek out and the memories they leave with.As we grow, the programme grows with them: every stay across every destination counts, and every tier unlocks something more meaningful.”

A programme that grows with guests

Unlocking a lifetime of rewards with Versa Keys is easy. Simply stay across the Versa Hospitality portfolio to accumulate nights and unlock benefits, redeemable at any of Versa properties.

The four tiers are structured as follows:

• Member | 1-6 nights: Membership begins automatically from the moment you check in for the first time.
• Silver | 7+ nights: Receive enhanced arrival privileges, early check-in (subject to availability) and discounts on food and beverages, spa and excursions and laundry services.
• Gold | 48+ nights: Gold members unlock a curated experience for two once per stay, a guaranteed late check-out until 4pm and an additional 5% discount on top of Silver benefits across food, beverages, spa and excursions.
• Platinum | 84+ nights: The programme’s highest tier builds on everything Gold offers. Platinum members enjoy increased discounts on food, beverages, spa and excursions–an additional 5-10% on top of Gold–plus discounts on in-villa dining and minibar and a guaranteed late check-out extended to 6pm.

Simple to join, effortless to use

Guests are automatically enrolled from their first stay and nights accumulate naturally across all group properties. Resort teams are on hand throughout each stay to highlight earning opportunities, guide guests through their benefits and ensure the programme adds value at every touchpoint.

Versa Hospitality is the evolution of Universal Resorts–the pioneering force behind over 50 years of Maldivian hospitality. Today, Versa carries that legacy forward, shaping extraordinary destinations across the Indian Ocean and beyond.

The Versa portfolio is defined by two distinct yet complementary divisions: the lifestyle-led brand Niva, uniting six properties in the Maldives and Seychelles, and a curated collection of acclaimed resorts including Huvafen Fushi, Milaidhoo and Baros.

There are surfers who follow a game plan. And then there’s Mason Ho. A blend of style icon, surfing heritage and technical standout, Ho has built a career doing things his own way, usually at full speed, often upside down and regularly pushing the limits of performance across challenging reef breaks and unconventional equipment.

This is exactly why the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy feels like a natural fit.

For Ho, part of the appeal lies in the opportunity to surf through different eras of the sport – an event where adaptability matters as much as performance, where board choice can shape a heat, and where surfers are recognised not only for power but for style, flow and reading the moment.

From unlikely barrels to impossible lines, few surfers in the modern era have built a career on instinct in quite the same way. Whether riding single fins, twins, thrusters or something less conventional, Ho approaches surfing less as a fixed discipline and more as an open-ended exploration, a quality that continues to define his style and his impact on the sport.

“I try to approach it like I’m living in another time,” says Ho. “If it’s single fin day, I think about guys like Michael Peterson, my dad and Uncle D. Then when it’s twin fin day, I start thinking about MR and all the stories my dad used to tell me. That’s what makes this event so unique. You get to step into different eras of surfing throughout the week.”

Hosted by Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, the invitation-only event brings together six of surfing’s most celebrated athletes to compete across three iconic board divisions: single fin, twin fin and thruster. Set against the clean, high-performance walls of Sultans, the format rewards adaptability as much as power, style as much as strategy, and timing as much as talent.

“Mason brings a completely unique energy to this event,” says Mark Winson, Event Director. “You genuinely never know what he’s going to do next – whether it’s on a wave, on a board, or in the channel between heats. But underneath all of that personality is one of the most naturally gifted surfers on the planet.”

Ho, who returns for his second Surfing Champions Trophy appearance, said the experience of competing in the event once before has only increased his anticipation for 2026.

“Last time I didn’t really know what to expect,” he says. “This year I’ve got a slight clue, which makes me even more excited to come back healthy. The waves have been super fun the last few years, the resort is amazing and there’s always a really cool crew around. I can’t wait to get back out there.”

Mason joins Kai Lenny as the first two athletes announced for this year’s event. The remaining 2026 competitor line-up will be revealed in the coming weeks, with updates shared across surfingchampionstrophy.com and Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa channels.

Where Champs Come to Surf

First staged in 2011, the Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy has become one of surfing’s most distinctive invitation-only events, bringing six celebrated athletes to Sultans to compete across single fin, twin fin and thruster divisions. Past names include Mark Occhilupo, Taj Burrow, Josh Kerr, Kelly Slater, Joel Parkinson, Michel Bourez, Carissa Moore, Maya Gabeira and more. After Bourez’s dramatic 2025 win, complete with a comeback from injury and the event’s only perfect 10, this edition has plenty to live up to. With Kai Lenny and Mason Ho now confirmed, it is already shaping up to be beautifully unpredictable.

The Garden-Island Base at Kuda Huraa

Just 25 minutes by speedboat from Malé, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa gives the event its warm, garden-island base, with easy access to North Malé Atoll’s best breaks and a longstanding collaboration with Tropicsurf. Between heats at Sultans, guests can expect post-surf stories, recovery rituals, sunset gatherings and the rare chance to swap board talk with world champions in boardshorts. Serious surfing, very unserious tan lines.

To reserve a stay during the 2026 Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy and enquire about the Surf’s Up package, contact reservations.mal@fourseasons.com or call +960 66 00 888.