THE OZEN COLLECTION Wins Two Major Honours at the 2026 World Travel Awards

OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI's Royal RESERVE was named Maldives' Leading Luxury Hotel Villa for the fourth consecutive year, while OZEN LIFE MAADHOO won Indian Ocean's Leading Villa Resort for the second time.

Maldives, 1 October 2026: THE OZEN COLLECTION has secured two significant honours at the 33rd World Travel Awards, strengthening the Maldivian hospitality brand's standing across the luxury villa and resort segments.

The 2026 awards recognised two distinct expressions of the collection's island experience. At OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI, the focus is on privacy, space and highly personalised service. OZEN LIFE MAADHOO, meanwhile, combines villa accommodation with an expansive all-inclusive hospitality model built around dining, wellness and ocean experiences.

Official World Travel Awards results confirm the two category wins.

Royal RESERVE Wins for the Fourth Consecutive Year

The Royal RESERVE at OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI was named Maldives' Leading Luxury Hotel Villa 2026, marking its fourth consecutive victory in the category.

The residence also won in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and was crowned Maldives' premier luxury villa at the 2024 ceremony. That run establishes a notable record within one of the Maldives' most competitive ultra-luxury accommodation categories.

Spanning approximately 3,000 square metres, the Royal RESERVE is conceived as a private resort within the wider island. It features its own beach, a large swimming pool, extensive indoor and outdoor living areas, direct lagoon access and a private spa treatment room. Readers can get a closer look at the regal Royal RESERVE residence in our earlier feature.

Guests also have access to 24-hour butler service, private dining and the resort's wider RESERVE Experience™. According to the resort, dedicated therapists and a personal chef can be incorporated into the stay, allowing the residence to operate with a high degree of independence and privacy.

"This extraordinary recognition celebrates our passionate pursuit of crafting unforgettable journeys," said Abnash Kumar, General Manager of OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI. "To be honoured for four consecutive years fills us with immense joy and strengthens our commitment to perfecting the art of meaningful luxury."

The result suggests that the upper end of Maldivian hospitality is increasingly being defined by more than villa size. Privacy, service autonomy and the ability to personalise the entire rhythm of a stay are becoming central components of the ultra-luxury proposition.

OZEN LIFE MAADHOO Named Indian Ocean's Leading Villa Resort

OZEN LIFE MAADHOO received the title of Indian Ocean's Leading Villa Resort 2026. It is the second time the resort has won the category, following its earlier victory in 2024.

The resort is best known for its INDULGENCE™ Plan, which brings accommodation, dining, beverages and selected island experiences into a comprehensive luxury package. Depending on the duration of the stay, the plan may also include spa treatments or diving experiences. A similar concept is available across the collection through the all-inclusive RESERVE Plan at OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI.

Dining is a defining part of the experience. The resort's collection of restaurants includes M6m, or Minus Six Metres, an underwater restaurant positioned six metres below the lagoon. The venue serves seafood-focused menus accompanied by underwater views and is included within the INDULGENCE™ Plan under applicable dining terms. You can descend into the world of M6m in our dedicated feature, and read how the group is leading the culinary renaissance in the Maldives.

"This award is a testament to the dedication of our entire team," said Mei P. Pun, General Manager of OZEN LIFE MAADHOO. "Every aspect of OZEN LIFE MAADHOO is designed to offer a genuine connection to the beauty and culture of the Maldives."

While the Royal RESERVE represents concentrated privacy, OZEN LIFE MAADHOO offers a broader resort experience suited to couples, families and travellers seeking a more socially energetic island stay.

Two Different Interpretations of Maldivian Luxury

The two World Travel Awards reflect complementary positions within THE OZEN COLLECTION.

At OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI, luxury is expressed through control over space and time. The experience is designed around privacy, dedicated service and residential-scale accommodation.

At OZEN LIFE MAADHOO, luxury is presented through abundance and ease. Dining, beverages, excursions and wellness experiences are integrated into a plan intended to reduce transactional decisions during the holiday. Wellness is a growing pillar here, as seen in the ELE|NA Elements of Nature Spa experience.

Together, the properties illustrate how the Maldives continues to diversify beyond the familiar overwater-villa formula. The modern luxury resort must now compete through distinctive dining, wellness, personalised service, sustainability programmes and experiences connected to the surrounding marine environment.

A Growing Collection of Hospitality Distinctions

The World Travel Awards add to a series of recent recognitions reported by THE OZEN COLLECTION. In 2024, the group also made headlines when OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI made history at the World's Best Wine Lists Awards.

Both resorts were included within the top ten per cent of hotels worldwide in the Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2025. OZEN LIFE MAADHOO also entered Tripadvisor's Best of the Best category, which is reserved for the platform's highest-rated one per cent of listed hospitality businesses.

The collection additionally received joint gold for Best All-Inclusive Hotel for Families at the inaugural Junior Travel Awards 2026.

OZEN LIFE MAADHOO has maintained Green Globe certification for three consecutive years, while the ELE|NA Elements of Nature Spa at OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI was nominated for Maldives' Best Wellness Retreat at the 2025 World Spa Awards. The group's green credentials are explored further in how The OZEN COLLECTION leads in sustainable hospitality.

Awards do not guarantee that every guest will experience a resort in the same way. They nevertheless provide visibility within an intensely competitive luxury-hospitality market and can influence travel advisers, tour operators and travellers comparing high-value Maldivian stays.

From the Maldives to India

The latest honours arrive as THE OZEN COLLECTION prepares to extend its luxury-hospitality model beyond the Maldives.

Its announced pipeline includes:

• OZEN MANSION KOLKATA
• OZEN VILLAS JAIPUR, first covered when Atmosphere Core announced its 11th Indian resort
• OZEN PRIVADO GOA
• An additional resort in South Malé Atoll

The expansion will test whether the collection's defining ideas, including highly personalised service, destination-led dining and all-encompassing hospitality plans, can translate successfully from private Maldivian islands to Indian leisure and urban markets. The Goa project will enter a market already known for its best luxury vacation rentals in Goa, while the wider growth story is detailed in The OZEN COLLECTION's earlier expansion plans.

For THE OZEN COLLECTION, the 2026 World Travel Awards therefore represent more than recognition for two existing resorts. They provide the brand with a stronger international credential as it prepares for its next phase of growth.

About THE OZEN COLLECTION

THE OZEN COLLECTION is part of the Atmosphere Core hospitality portfolio. The brand currently comprises two private-island resorts in the Maldives: OZEN LIFE MAADHOO and OZEN RESERVE BOLIFUSHI.

Its hospitality philosophy, described as Refined Elegance, combines expansive accommodation, personalised service, dining and destination-led experiences.

Atmosphere Core's wider portfolio includes nine resorts in the Maldives, alongside heritage properties in India and Italy. The group operates THE OZEN COLLECTION, COLOURS OF OBLU, Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts and ONE Atmosphere. Another group property, Atmosphere Kanifushi, recently won Maldives' Leading Family Resort for the sixth year at the World Travel Awards 2025.