● 177 resorts in operation ● 833 guesthouses ● 923,984 visitor arrivals in 2026 ● Resorts host 70.4% of all visitors ● Highest service charge: Velaa — USD 3,660 / staff ● Service charge is 10% by law, distributed monthly
mvhotelswatch.com
MV Hotels WatchMaldives Tourism · Transparency
Independent · Non-affiliated

An Independent Watch on Maldives tourism.

Monthly resort service-charge transparency, sector news, a full property directory, and a voice for the people who keep the islands running.

See this month’s service charge → Submit a tip anonymously
177
Resorts in operation
833
Guesthouses
924K
Arrivals in 2026
10%
Mandatory service charge
The Service Charge Table

Who paid staff the most in July 2026

Every tourist establishment collects a 10% service charge that, by law, must be shared among employees each month. We compile and rank what reaches workers.

Full table & history →
#ResortAtollUSD / staffMVR / staffTrend
1Six Senses KanuhuraKaafu$248.553,832.64Steady
2Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma MaldivesKaafu$289.724,467.48Steady
3Niva Kuramathi MaldivesAlifu Alifu$248.595,104Steady
4Soneva Fushi ResortBaa$699.1113,982.25Steady
5Biosphere HotelsBaa$3306,765.45Steady

Compiled from publicly reported figures (Resort Workers Maldives, Corporate Maldives, Hotelier Maldives). Service-charge data is not published by the Ministry of Tourism.

Latest

From across the sector

All news →
Workers
21 July 2026

Marriott International in the Maldives Spotlights Talent at the 2026 APEC Sustainable Bartender Championship ‘Rising Stars’

Briane Onyogo of The Ritz-Carlton Maldives won the 2026 APEC Sustainable Bartender Championship ‘Rising Stars’ at Sheraton Maldives on July 21, 2026, competing against seven other Marriott bartenders. His winning cocktail, "The Second Harvest," cleverly repurposed pineapple skins, cores, and coffee grounds into a kombucha paired with Chivas Regal 12-Year-Old. Onyogo will now represent the Maldives at the regional finals in Singapore in September 2026.

Arrivals
17 June 2026

Arrivals from Australia up 16% since launch of direct flights

The Male’-Melbourne route – marking the first direct air link between Maldives and Australia – was launched on May 17 as part of a partnership between Maldives’ national carrier, Maldivian and top Australian travel agency, Luxury Escapes.

What we cover

Four things, watched closely

01 · Money

Monthly service charge

A ranked, searchable record of what each resort distributes to staff — the single clearest signal of how a property treats the people behind the service.

02 · People

Workers’ voice

A confidential channel for staff to raise concerns about conditions, withheld charges, and treatment — reviewed before anything is published.

03 · Sector

News & happenings

Openings, ownership, arrivals data, policy and regulation — the developments that move the industry, summarised plainly.

04 · Map

Property directory

A growing directory of resorts, hotels and guesthouses across every atoll, with the basics on each in one place.

Workers’ Voice

Seen something? Tell us.

If your resort isn’t distributing service charge fairly, or conditions need light shone on them, you can submit anonymously. We verify before we publish.

Make a confidential submission →