The North Malé Atoll resort’s garden-set wellness retreat was recognised at the Maldives tourism industry awards held at CROSSROADS Maldives
Araamu Spa at Villa Nautica has been named Best Spa at the TTM Awards 2026, recognising its nature-led wellness setting and treatment programme.
- Araamu Spa at Villa Nautica was named Best Spa at the TTM Awards 2026.
- The award was presented during the TTM Awards & Gala at CROSSROADS Maldives on 27 August, which recognised winners across 32 categories.
- Villa Nautica’s spa combines classic body and facial treatments with Ayurvedic therapies, beauty care and facilities including sauna, steam and bathing experiences.
- Its signature Swept Away ritual uses elements including ginger lemonade, a foot ritual, Himalayan salt therapy, scalp reflexology, salt-stone massage and a warm herbal bath.
(NEWS) MALÉ, Maldives, 2026-Sep-02 — /Travel PR News/ — Araamu Spa at Villa Nautica has been named Best Spa at the TTM Awards 2026, giving the North Malé Atoll resort a fresh wellness accolade as Maldivian properties continue to compete not only on beaches and villas but increasingly on the quality and identity of their spa experiences.
The award was presented as part of the TTM Awards & Gala 2026, held at CROSSROADS Maldives on 27 August. Travel Trade Maldives listed Araamu Spa – Villa Nautica Paradise Island as the winner of the Best Spa category, one of 32 awards presented during the tenth edition of the industry event. More than 600 travel trade professionals attended the gala, according to the organiser.
For Villa Nautica, the recognition puts attention on a quieter part of an island otherwise known for its lively, yacht-inspired resort identity. The property, located in North Malé Atoll around 20 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, describes Araamu Spa as a tropical garden sanctuary set apart from the resort’s busier social spaces.
Wellness built around the island setting
According to Visit Maldives, the appeal of the spa is closely tied to its environment, with tropical planting, shaded courtyards and winding pathways forming part of the guest experience rather than simply framing a treatment menu.
Araamu is the dedicated wellness brand of Villa Resorts, and at Villa Nautica the programme combines classic body and facial therapies with Ayurvedic treatments and beauty care. The resort’s official spa information also lists sauna and steam facilities alongside a broader collection of restorative treatments designed around relaxation and rejuvenation.
The brand name itself is linked to the idea of deep relaxation. Villa Resorts says “Araamu” is derived from Sanskrit and refers to a blissful state of total relaxation, a philosophy reflected in a menu that moves between traditional therapies, contemporary massage techniques and island-inspired rituals.
Swept Away anchors the treatment menu
One of the spa’s signature experiences is Swept Away, a multi-stage ritual inspired by the ocean. The treatment begins with warming ginger lemonade, a detoxifying foot ritual and deep breathing before progressing through Himalayan salt therapy, scalp reflexology, cool salt-stone massage and a warm herbal bath.
The sequence is deliberately structured around changes in temperature, scent and touch, with the resort presenting it as a full-body reset rather than a conventional single massage. That type of layered treatment has become increasingly common in luxury wellness travel, where spas are being asked to provide a sense of journey and place as well as technical therapy.
Villa Nautica’s wider spa facilities reinforce that positioning. Private treatment spaces, tropical gardens and water-based rituals create a more secluded experience within a resort that also offers water sports, diving, dining and family facilities. The contrast gives guests a clear option to move between activity and recovery during the same stay.
TTM recognition adds another point of differentiation
The TTM Awards are voted on by travellers, industry partners and members of the trade, according to the 2026 awards programme. That makes the Best Spa title a useful commercial signal in a Maldives market where wellness is increasingly a core part of resort selection rather than an optional extra.
For travellers, the distinction is less about a single treatment than the overall proposition: access to a dedicated wellness setting, a varied therapy menu and a spa environment that feels intentionally separate from the rest of the resort. For Villa Nautica, the award gives Araamu Spa a stronger identity within the property’s broader island experience and adds another reason for wellness-focused guests to look beyond room type and beach location when choosing a stay.
