Public voting opened for Hotelier Maldives Awards 2026

Public voting has been opened for the Hotelier Maldives Awards 2026 on Sunday, marking the next stage of the country’s national recognition program dedicated to resort-based hospitality professionals.

Voting will stay open for one month, giving industry stakeholders, colleagues, guests, and the general public the opportunity to take part in choosing the winners across the award categories. This stage follows the successful completion of the nominations phase, which received more than 460 entries from resorts among the Maldives’ 179 operational properties.

Launched in 2024 as the country’s first awards program dedicated exclusively to hospitality professionals, the Hotelier Maldives Awards—presented by Bestbuy Maldives (BBM)—were established to recognize the individuals and teams whose expertise and dedication underpin the success of Maldivian resorts. Since then, the platform has become a key fixture on the industry calendar, acknowledging both front-line and back-of-house contributors across a wide range of disciplines.

Speaking on the launch of the voting period, Ali Naafiz, Editor of Hotelier Maldives, noted that this year’s awards have received strong engagement from across the industry.

“The Hotelier Maldives Awards were created to recognize 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 recognizing the professionals who contribute to the daily operations and guest experiences that define Maldivian hospitality,” he added.

Public voting for the Hotelier Maldives Awards 2026 is available through the official awards portal, where participants can view the shortlisted nominees and submit their votes across the respective categories.

After the nominations phase concluded, all entries were reviewed to ensure they met the eligibility requirements before the final shortlist of nominees was confirmed. These shortlisted candidates have now advanced to the public voting stage, which will contribute to the overall evaluation together with the independent judging process.

The judging panel for the 2026 awards consists of a group of hospitality and industry professionals representing various areas of expertise within the tourism sector. Their assessments will play a role in determining the final winners.

The Hotelier Maldives Awards 2026 gala ceremony is set to take place on April 26th at Kurumba Maldives, bringing together hospitality professionals, resort leaders, and industry stakeholders to celebrate achievements across the sector.