It's been a good stretch for the Maldives on the awards front, with several resorts picking up international recognition that's genuinely useful for travellers trying to pick an island.
Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts took a double win at the Travel Trade Maldives Awards 2026, handed out at the TTM Awards & Gala on 27 August at CROSSROADS Maldives, wrapping up the tenth edition of TTM Maldives. Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon was recognised in the Best Dive Resort category — no surprise given its reputation among divers. The island sits in North Ari Atoll with a house reef often rated among the country's best, a 24-hour dive facility, and more than 50 dive sites within reach. If you want to spend most of your trip underwater rather than on a sun lounger, this is the sort of place the award points to.
The brand's other winner, Cinnamon Hakuraa Huraa Maldives in Meemu Atoll, was named among the Best Honeymoon Destinations. It's a five-star, adults-only resort spread across two islands, with overwater and beach accommodation around a wide lagoon — built for couples who want quiet rather than a party.
Elsewhere, The Standard, Maldives in Raa Atoll was named Best Family Resort in the Maldives at the Global Destination Awards by World Fashion Channel, presented in Moscow. The property leans hard into multigenerational travel: two-bedroom villas, a Lil' Shark Kids Club with daily programming, snorkelling and marine discovery sessions, sushi-making and soda-making workshops, and a new Teen Arcade Lounge with gaming consoles for older kids. Six restaurants, a spa and social nights like bingo and music quizzes at Todis Bar round out a resort that works for families without excluding couples or solo guests.
The MICHELIN Key list also featured the Maldives prominently. OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI retained its Key, keeping it among just 15 resorts in the country to hold one. The private-island resort in South Malé Atoll runs on its all-inclusive RESERVE Plan — unlimited dining across specialty restaurants, premium drinks and a personal butler — plus an ELE|NA spa and a wine library stocked with over 300 labels.
The bigger debut came from The Nautilus Maldives, which earned Two MICHELIN Keys in its first year in the guide — a rating reserved for hotels judged truly exceptional. Set in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll with just 26 beach and ocean houses, the resort's pitch is radical flexibility: no fixed check-in or check-out, no set schedules, breakfast at sunset or dinner on a sandbank if that's what you fancy.
Why does this matter if you're booking a trip? Awards aren't everything, but they're a handy shorthand. Divers have a clear signal in Ellaidhoo, honeymooners in Hakuraa Huraa, families in The Standard, and anyone chasing top-tier luxury now has two MICHELIN-endorsed options at very different price points. Between house reefs, biosphere snorkelling and overwater villas, the Maldives' variety — not just its postcard beauty — is what's being recognised.
