Soneva
TypePrivate
IndustryHospitality, tourism, hotel
Founded1995 (1995) in Maldives
Founder
Number of locations
3
Number of employees
722 (2016)
Websitewww.soneva.com

Soneva, formerly Soneva Resorts and Residences, is a resort chain founded in Maldives in 1995 by Sonu Shivdasani and his wife Eva Malmström Shivdasani.[1]

History

Soneva started as a resort brand under the company Six Senses BVI, founded by Sonu Shivdasani and Eva Malmström Shivdasani in 1995.[1]

In 2012, the Shivdasanis sold the Six Senses and Evason branded resort and spa management contracts, and related intellectual property rights, to Pegasus Capital Advisors.[2] The Shivdasanis also sold Soneva Gili (now known as Gili Lankanfushi) and concentrated on resorts with residences, as part of the "One Owner, One Operator, One Philosophy, One Brand" strategy under Soneva.[3] Following the change of Maldivian law in December 2010, Soneva Fushi became one of the first resorts in the Maldives to offer residences to foreigners for purchase under leasehold.[4] A 4 bedroom villa at Soneva Fushi was the first leasehold residential property to be sold in the Maldives in March 2011.[5]

Soneva Fushi is regarded as the first luxury hotel in the Maldives, setting of the trend of luxury holidays in the nation.[6][7][8] It was the first "Robinson Crusoe" styled resort in the Maldives [9][10] and also offered the first wine cellar in the Maldives.[11]

  • 1995: Creation of Six Senses BVI and Soneva brand
  • 1995: Soneva Fushi opens on the island of Kunfunadhoo, Maldives, with 48 villas
  • 2001: Soneva Gili, the first resort in the Maldives to be completely over water, opens[12]
  • 2001: First Evason hotel opens in Phuket
  • 2004: First Six Senses property opens in Hua Hin
  • 2007: Eco Centro opens at Soneva Fushi; the Maldives' first integrated waste management centre
  • 2008: Soneva Fushi debuts the first astronomy observatory in the Maldives[13][14]
  • 2008: Soneva introduces 2% carbon levy to offset carbon emissions
  • 2008: Soneva bans branded bottled water
  • 2009: Soneva Kiri opens in Koh Kood, Thailand[15]
  • 2010: Soneva Foundation is founded
  • 2011: Sale of private residences at Soneva Fushi begins
  • 2012: Split and sale of Six Senses, Evason, and Soneva Gili (now known as Gili Lankanfushi). Soneva is retained by Sonu and Eva Shivdasani as a separate brand under the “one owner, one brand” philosophy.
  • 2014: Soneva Fushi opens first Art and Glass studio in the Maldives[16][17][18]
  • 2015: Soneva in Aqua sets sail
  • October 2016: Soneva Jani opens with residences available for purchase[19][20] The resort currently feature 24 over water villas and two on land - expansions plans are currently underway to build more beach villas.
  • December 2020: Soneva Jani Chapter 2 opens, including 28 overwater retreats - with the new accommodation came the launch of Soneva's first all-inclusive product which includes all food and experiences.
  • 2022: Major fire at Soneva Kiri resort causes 34 Million Bhat in damages to personal property and injuries to two guests of the resort. Thai authorities file criminal complaint against three Soneva Executives.

Locations

Soneva owns and manages Soneva Fushi (Baa Atoll) and Soneva Jani (Noonu Atoll) in the Maldives,[21] as well as Soneva Kiri (Koh Kood) in Thailand.

Soneva also owns and manages a two bedroom luxury yacht, the Soneva in Aqua.

Future locations

Three more locations are underdevelopment, two to be located in the Maldives (one in the North and one in the South) and the other to be on Okinawa, Japan.[22]

The Soneva Foundation

The Soneva Foundation is a UK registered charity (number 113811) founded in 2010. It is funded by Soneva's 2% carbon levy on room revenue and profits from the sale of water bottled on the property.

One project is focused on the restoration of forests in northern Thailand, in Chiang Mai where 452,000 trees were planted.[23][24][25] A Framework Species Methodology was used, and 90 different species of trees were planted with guidance from the Forest Restoration Research Unit at Chiang Mai University. Three main sites were restored: at Si Lanna National Park, The Royal Project at Nong Hoi, and the Pai River Watershed Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Soneva Foundation has also implemented 488 projects in 53 countries to improve access to safe drinking water or basic sanitation. These projects turned into the WHOLE WORLD Water (WWW) campaign, which was co-founded by the foundation, together with Karena Albers and Jenifer Willig in 2013. Hotels and restaurants who join the campaign filter and bottle their own drinking water in reusable glass bottles, and donate 10 percent of the profits in sales to the WWW fund.[26][27] In many places including the Maldives, this process saves the property money as they cut down on costs associated with the transportation and disposal of imported plastic-bottled water.[23] Several properties have joined the campaign, including Fairmont Hotels, several Ritz-Carlton properties, Virgin Limited Edition hotels, Raffles Hotels and Auberge du Soleil[28][29]

The Soneva Foundation also holds the annual SLOW LIFE Symposium, from which WHOLE WORLD Water was formed. Business leaders, scientists, NGOs, renowned thinkers and policy makers convene with the goal of implementing positive change in the world that is also good for business.

References

  1. 1 2 "Meet the Core | Soneva Resorts and Residences Official Site". www.soneva.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  2. ↑ "Pegasus Capital to Acquire Six Senses Resorts & Spas | Business Wire". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  3. ↑ Resource, Hotel News. "Soneva Gili Resort and Spa Sold to Singapore-based Investor". www.hotelnewsresource.com. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  4. ↑ "Buy your own slice of paradise in the Maldives". Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  5. ↑ "Six Senses Transfers First Maldives Residential Lease". Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  6. ↑ "Even if you don't want to splash out on super luxury, go to the Maldives". 2015-12-05. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  7. ↑ "Steal the Style: Soneva Fushi, the Maldives". 2015-06-18. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  8. ↑ MVHotels. "Sonu Shivdasani". mvhotelsonline. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  9. ↑ "The dream maker: Soneva's Sonu Shivdasani". Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  10. ↑ "The best hotels in the Maldives". Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  11. ↑ "The history of tourism in the Maldives-Telegraph". Archived from the original on 2013-11-19. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  12. ↑ "Soneva Gili by Six Senses - Maldives Resort". Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  13. ↑ "PrivatAstronomy". PrivatAir (Winter). 2015.
  14. ↑ "Family-friendly Maldives". Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  15. ↑ Krisanne Fordham, for. "World's most beautiful beachfront hotels". CNN. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
  16. ↑ Hussein, Noona (2015-09-02). "Soneva Fushi opens the first Art and Glass Studio in the Maldives". Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  17. ↑ "Soneva Fushi Opens the First Art and Glass Studio in the Maldives". September 10, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Maldives' Soneva Fushi Launches Glass Studio". www.luxurytravelmagazine.com. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  19. ↑ Hawker, Cathy (March 13, 2015). "The Maldives: A Maturing Vacation Property Market". World Property Journal. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  20. ↑ "No news, no shoes: A rare chance to buy a luxury pad in the Maldives". Yahoo Finance UK. Retrieved 2016-11-01.
  21. ↑ "Soneva Jani Resort Info". Retrieved 2018-03-01.
  22. ↑ "New Chapter Opens for Asia's Soneva Hotels With a More Than $200 Million Investment". Skift. 2019-12-02. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  23. 1 2 Hughes, Mark. "Koh Kut resort owner aims for $100m IPO: Soneva chief targets sustainable expansion". www.bangkokpost.com. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  24. ↑ "The Soneva Foundation". slowlifefoundation.org. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  25. ↑ "Sustainability challenges in Southeast Asia | Green Hotelier". www.greenhotelier.org. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  26. ↑ "Whole World Water". www.wholeworldwater.co. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  27. ↑ Loader Wilkinson, Tara (June 30, 2016). "The NGO Aiming to Bring Clean Water to One Billion People".
  28. ↑ "WHOLE WORLD Water Launches Give the #WholeWorldWater Campaign to Address Global Water Crisis | Business Wire". www.businesswire.com. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
  29. ↑ "World Water Day: What the Travel Industry Is Doing to Help". 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2016-09-16.
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