Business
Soneva to again shake up Maldives tourism with two new concept resorts
Back in the early 1990s, Sonu Shivdasani and his wife Eva built their ‘home’, Soneva Fushi on the deserted island of Kunfunadhoo in the Maldives. Inspired by the couple’s intensely personal vision of a locally-crafted villa and environmentally responsible lifestyle, Soneva Fushi opened its shores in 1995 as the first ‘castaway’ resort in the Maldives, pioneering a trend for back-to-nature luxury holidays.
With the resort located in the central Baa atoll, Soneva established a blueprint for barefoot luxury holidays in the Maldives and around the world, with several firsts to its name: the Maldives’ first integrated waste management centre, first to introduce a two percent carbon levy to offset carbon emissions, and the first Art and Glass studio in the Maldives.
In December 2016, the world-leading luxury resort group opened its second resort in the Maldives, expanding Sonu and Eva’s own brand of luxury tourism and their environmentally responsible lifestyle, SLOW LIFE.
“Soneva Fushi is the jungle and the beach. At Soneva Jani, it’s the lagoon,” Sonu, who serves as the Chairman and CEO of Soneva, says, in an exclusive interview with Maldives Insider.
The Fresh in the Garden restaurant at Soneva Fushi. PHOTO/ SONEVA
In less than a year, Soneva Jani has created a lot of buzz amongst luxury travellers with several exciting features such as retractable roofs and water slides. It has also been named the Best Over-the-Top Luxury hotel of the year by Jetsetter.com.
With the extraordinary success of his latest brainchild, Sonu seems unstoppable. He is already looking to again shake up the Maldives increasingly competitive tourism and hospitality market with two new openings over the next three years.
But these new resorts will be nothing like the offerings the Maldives has seen so far.
Sonu says the brand new resorts will introduce two different concepts that “don’t exist in the Maldives today”. They will, however, complement the group’s offerings at its existing resorts in the Maldives, Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani, he adds.
“[The two new properties] will be a luxury experience, but different to what you have here at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani,” the Indian-British hotelier says.
Sonu, who was instrumental in transforming the Maldives from a three-star diving destination to the ultra-luxury island paradise that it is today, expects the new resorts to be located in an hour or an hour and a half speedboat ride from Soneva Fushi as well.
“It’s really like a circle that’s an hour or an hour and a half from Soneva Fushi,” he says.
“That’s also one of the requirements we had when we were looking to develop Soneva Jani. We can use the infrastructure here [at Soneva Fushi] and the overheads to support our expansion.”
Aerial view of Soneva Jani, the newest property of Soneva. PHOTO/ SONEVA
Soneva Fushi inspires the imagination with 65 spacious beachfront villas, ranging in size from one to nine bedrooms, hidden amongst dense foliage. Highlights of the resort include the open-air Cinema Paradiso, counting Saturn’s rings in a high-tech observatory, home-made chocolate and ice-cream rooms, five hundred wines to choose from and nine dining options.
If the experiences are magical, the philosophy is simple: No news, no shoes. No pretensions either.
The iconic resort has bagged several international awards for eco-friendly tourism and green initiatives, including the 2017 Green Hotelier Award for the Asia Pacific region and the Sustainable Hotel Award by the Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP). It has also secured a spot in the Gold List compiled by Condé Nast Traveler China as the Best Hotel in the Maldives and amongst the best resorts in the world in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2017.
Inspired by the Sanskrit word Jani, which means wisdom, Soneva Jani is located in a 5.6-kilometre private lagoon in the northern Noonu atoll. The resort, which encompasses a collection of 24 overwater villas and one island villa, spans five islands surrounded by pure white beaches, covered in rich tropical vegetation, offering the ultimate in privacy and luxury.
Soneva also operates a luxury yacht in the Maldives, Soneva in Aqua, and a resort in Thailand, Soneva Kiri.
Featured photo: Ibrahim Asad
Maldives on Thursday welcomed the one millionth tourist to visit this year.
The one millionth tourist is a Thai named Sutapa Amonwivat, who arrived from Singapore with her husband and two children. This is her second visit to Maldives.
Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) and the Ministry of Tourism gave a warm welcome to Sutapa at the Velana International Airport (VIA) Thursday afternoon. She was welcomed at the VIA by tourism minister Ibrahim Faisal, MMPRC Managing Director Ibrahim Shiury and senior officials of various relevant agencies.
After welcoming her with traditional offerings, she was presented with various gifts by the ministry, MMPRC, customs, immigration, Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) and Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA).
Maldives reached one million tourists in June, three weeks earlier than last year. The number of tourists reached one million on July 16, 2023.
Maldives expects to reach 2 million tourists this year.
Chongqing Airlines on Monday began its inaugural flights to Maldives.
The Chongqing-Male route, scheduled three times a week, is expected to strengthen the bonds between China and the Maldives, opening up exciting new opportunities for tourism and cultural exchange.
The inaugural flight was welcomed upon its arrival at Velana International Airport (VIA) in Maldives, where local officials and tourism representatives expressed their enthusiasm for this new development.
“We warmly welcome our friends from China to our beautiful islands. This new connection strengthens our bonds and opens up new opportunities for tourism,” the tourism ministry said on X.
Maldives currently welcomes four airlines from China, including China Eastern, Beijing Capital Airlines, Xiamen Airlines.
In January, Maldives government urged tourism stakeholders in both Maldives and China to ramp up efforts to restore China’s position as the primary source market for Maldives tourism, a status held before the onset of Covid-19.
China, being the largest source market for Maldives tourism before the pandemic, saw a resumption of tourist arrivals from January 2023 after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. In 2023, the Maldives welcomed 187,118 Chinese tourists, marking a significant recovery in numbers. This year, the Maldives has welcomed the most number of tourists from China, with over 107,940 or 11.5 percent of total arrivals by June 12.
CROSSROADS Maldives has introduced WeChat Pay, widely known as Weixin Pay in China, across its world-class resorts, SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, and Hard Rock Hotel Maldives. This payment option is made available to enhance the convenience and overall experience for guests from China, making their stay in the Maldives more enjoyable and hassle-free.
Understanding the needs of the diverse guests, CROSSROADS Maldives has integrated WeChat Pay into operations, allowing guests from China to easily and securely conduct transactions using a payment method familiar to them. The introduction of WeChat Pay is a testament to CROSSROADS Maldives’ dedication to enhancing guest satisfaction by offering exceptional experiences at every turn. What is also expected through this initiative is that the guests could benefit from better foreign exchange rates, translating to better savings on their expenditures during their stay.
The option is available for guests in-house conveniently at both resorts as well as across the Marina at CROSSROADS Maldives where a wider variety of unparalleled dining and retail experiences are available for all guests. The day visitors from China will also therefore equally benefit from this new introduction at the Maldives’ premier multi-island integrated leisure destination.
SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, is a vibrant tropical escape that offers unique and locally inspired experiences. The resort features spacious rooms and villas, a variety of dining options, and an array of recreational activities designed to cater to the desires of modern travellers. Guests can escape to the island’s SAiisational natural beauty, enjoy water sports, and indulge in spa treatments, all while relishing the personalised service that defines Hilton’s Curio Collection.
Hard Rock Hotel Maldives brings the iconic Hard Rock spirit to the tranquil shores of the Maldives. This family-friendly resort offers a perfect blend of relaxation and entertainment, featuring music-inspired experiences, live performances, and the brand’s signature amenities. With luxurious accommodations, diverse dining options, and a plethora of activities for all ages, Hard Rock Hotel Maldives ensures an unforgettable holiday experience for every guest.
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