Hotelier Maldives opens public voting for Hotelier Maldives Awards 2026
Hotelier Maldives has announced that public voting for the Hotelier Maldives Awards 2026 opened on 15 March 2026, marking the next stage of the country’s national recognition programme dedicated to resort-based hospitality professionals.
Voting will remain open for one month, allowing industry stakeholders, colleagues, guests and the wider public to participate in selecting winners across the awards’ categories. The voting process follows the successful conclusion of the nominations phase, which recorded more than 460 submissions from resorts across the Maldives’ 179 operational properties.
Presented by Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) as the Title Partner, the Hotelier Maldives Awards recognise the contributions of hospitality professionals working across the Maldivian resort industry, highlighting both individual excellence and team performance.
The awards programme was first launched in 2024 and remains the Maldives’ only dedicated recognition platform focused exclusively on professionals working in resort operations.
Commenting on the opening of voting, Ali Naafiz, Editor of Hotelier Maldives, said the response to this year’s awards had been strong across the industry.
“The Hotelier Maldives Awards were created to recognise the people behind the success of the Maldives’ tourism industry. The response to the 2026 edition has been encouraging, with a record number of nominations submitted by resorts across the country,” he said. “With public voting now open, the wider industry and community have the opportunity to participate in recognising the professionals who contribute to the daily operations and guest experiences that define Maldivian hospitality.”
Following the nominations phase, submissions were reviewed to confirm eligibility before the shortlisted nominees were finalised. These shortlisted candidates have now proceeded to the public voting stage, which will determine a portion of the final evaluation alongside the independent judging process.
The judging panel for the 2026 awards comprises a group of hospitality and industry professionals representing different areas of expertise within the tourism sector. Their evaluation will contribute to determining the final winners.
The Hotelier Maldives Awards 2026 gala ceremony is scheduled to take place on 26 April 2026 at Kurumba Maldives, bringing together hospitality professionals, resort leaders and industry stakeholders to recognise achievements across the sector.
This year’s awards are supported by a group of industry partners. Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) returns as the Title Partner, while Dhiraagu supports the event as the Platinum Partner. Storm Events has been appointed as the Organising Partner, and Kurumba Maldives will host the gala ceremony as the Host Partner.
Hotelier Maldives noted that additional partners and sponsors for the awards programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
Public voting for the Hotelier Maldives Awards 2026 is accessible through the official awards portal, where participants can review shortlisted nominees and cast their votes across the respective categories.
The awards programme continues to highlight the contributions of the individuals and teams who support the Maldives’ tourism industry, recognising the professionals working across operations, guest services, culinary, engineering, wellness and other departments within resort properties.
