The Hotelier Maldives Awards 2025 took place on Saturday evening at Barceló Nasandhura Malé, highlighting individuals and teams making notable contributions to the country’s hospitality industry. Organised by Hotelier Maldives and presented by Bestbuy Maldives (BBM), the event marked the second edition of what is currently the only national platform dedicated to recognising tourism professionals in the Maldives.
This year’s awards received over 450 nominations and 600,000 public votes, a significant increase from the 2024 edition. Winners were selected through a weighted process combining public input and evaluations by a panel of judges, with public voting accounting for 40 percent of the final score.
The 2025 edition introduced new categories to reflect the industry’s evolving structure, including Watersports Personality of the Year, Diving Personality of the Year, Airport Representative of the Year, and Resort Manager of the Year. In total, awards were presented across 23 individual and four team categories.
Among the recipients were Ausy Waseem of Siyam World, recognised as Resort Manager of the Year, and Mohamed Ashraf of Jumeirah Olhahali Island, who received the General Manager of the Year award. Ahmed Jameel of One&Only Reethi Rah was awarded both Chef of the Year and the BBM Chairman’s Special Award.
Four individuals received special recognition for long-term service to the industry. The Dedicated Service Awards, presented by the Minister of Finance and Planning, Moosa Zameer, were given to Mohamed Hashim of Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma, Mohamed Fuad of Bandos Maldives, Ali Rasheed Adam of Villa Resorts, and Hussain Manikfaan, who retired this year after a 50-year career.
Team and programme awards were also presented, including Hotel Team of the Year for Hilton Maldives Amingiri Resort & Spa, Training and Development Programme of the Year for the Marriott Kurimagu Leadership Programme, Sustainability Champion of the Year for OZEN Life Maadhoo, and CSR Programme of the Year for Six Senses Laamu.
The awards were supported by several sponsors and partners, including Dhiraagu as Digital Partner, Bank of Maldives as Banking Partner, Maldives Airports Company Limited as Gold Sponsor, and other supporting organisations.
The Hotelier Maldives Awards aim to highlight the contributions of professionals working in the tourism industry and continue to serve as a platform for industry-wide recognition.
