Hotelier Maldives has opened nominations for the Hotelier Maldives Awards 2026, with Bestbuy Maldives (BBM) returning as the title sponsor.
The one-month nomination period opened on Friday, inviting resorts across the country to submit entries via an online portal. 
Hotelier Maldives said the 2026 edition marks a significant expansion of the awards programme with the introduction of eight new team-based categories, placing greater emphasis on departmental excellence and collective performance across resort operations.
Launched in 2024 as the country’s first awards programme dedicated exclusively to hospitality professionals, the Hotelier Maldives Awards—presented by Bestbuy Maldives (BBM)—were established to recognise 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.
The most recent edition, Hotelier Maldives Awards 2025, held at Barceló Nasandhura Malé, marked a major milestone for the programme. The event attracted more than 450 nominations and generated over 600,000 public votes for shortlisted candidates. Winners were selected through a combined evaluation of expert judging (60 percent) and public voting (40 percent). Awards were presented across 23 individual categories, along with four team, programme and special categories, recognising excellence in areas including general management, front office, culinary, wellness, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
A dedicated segment of the ceremony honoured long-serving hospitality professionals whose careers have helped shape Maldivian tourism. The Hotelier Maldives Awards for Dedicated Service were presented to Mohamed Hashim of Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives, Mohamed Fuad of Bandos Maldives, Hussain Manikfaan of Coco Bodu Hithi, and Ali Rasheed Adam of Villa Resorts, continuing a tradition established at the inaugural 2024 awards.
Looking ahead to 2026, the awards will continue to recognise outstanding individual hoteliers while introducing eight new team awards designed to reflect the increasingly integrated and collaborative nature of modern resort operations. The new categories include Sales & Marketing Team of the Year, Rooms Division Team of the Year, HR & Training Team of the Year, Engineering Team of the Year, Finance Team of the Year, F&B & Culinary Team of the Year, Wellness Team of the Year and Support Team of the Year.
 
Further information regarding the Hotelier Maldives Awards including the eligibility, judging and the full list of categories, along with the online nomination form, will be available at hoteliermaldives.com/awards.