In 1995, Sonu Shivdasani, an Indian-British hotelier, launched the now world-famous Soneva Fushi resort on the deserted Maldivian island of Kunfunadhoo as a resort brand under the company Six Senses BVI, pioneering a trend for back-to-nature luxury holidays.
Soneva introduced the idea of Barefoot Butlers, a bespoke one-on-one butler service for every villa.
The brand felt the need to create a personalised service from the start, and it was the connections between the team and the guests that further solidified Soneva as a brand that was making waves.
Shivdasani also built his house there, together with his wife Eva Malmstrom, a Swedish fashion model, who developed the design and furnishing of the unique resort. They had no idea that their intensely personal vision of a locally crafted villa and environmentally responsible lifestyle would form the basis of a successful collection of world-class hotels, resorts and spas.
In 2009, the Soneva Hotel group built a second, even more spectacular hotel, Soneva Kiri, on the unspoilt Thai island of Koh.
In 2012, the Six Senses and Evason branded resort and spa management contracts, and related intellectual property rights, were sold to Pegasus Capital Advisors.
The Shivdasanis also sold Soneva Gili (now known as Gili Lankanfushi) and concentrate on resorts with residences, as part of the "One Owner, One Operator, One Philosophy, One Brand" strategy under Soneva.
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. A 4 bedroom villa at Soneva Fushi was the first leasehold residential property to be sold in the Maldives in March 2011.
Soneva in Aqua, launched in 2015, was a 23- metre luxury yacht with the experience of a villa at sea, first of its kind.
The next Soneva resort opened in the Maldives: Soneva Jani, which was a 5.6 km private lagoon with overwater villas, complete with signature waterslides, and island villas with endless views of sparkling turquoise. It was the most spectacular hotel in the Maldives, if not the world.
Founded on shared passions and masters of innovation, Soneva is a thriving community working hand in hand with the environment to craft beautiful, beyond bespoke experiences where discovery is a way of life.
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