Sonu Shivdasani, founder of Six Senses and Soneva, now brings his disruptive approach to a new project: Sosei.
Soneva
“Why are luxury hotels so stiff?” Sonu Shivdasani wondered when he arrived in the Maldives in the early 1990s.
People paid thousands of dollars to visit the islands. “But then had to wear long pants and closed-toed shoes at dinner,” he tells me during our call.
“Why weren’t they allowed to dine with their toes dipped in the sand?”
Shivdasani and his wife Eva set out to change that. They created luxury hotel brands that gave high-end travelers something they didn’t yet know they wanted.
Guests at Six Senses suddenly enjoyed freedom: shoes weren’t necessary, neither at breakfast nor dinner. Villas had open-air bathrooms with a chance to shower under the stars. Bike trails through nature turned the way to the spa, restaurant or next activity into an immersive and memorable experience.
Sonu Shivdasani’s Barefoot Luxury
Long before the terms longevity, sustainability and immersive experiences became today’s travel buzzwords, Six Senses had entered the scene with a strong focus on personal freedom, well-being and environmental friendliness.
“No shoes, no news,” became the Six Senses motto: Guests were given the rare chance to leave their daily lives (and shoes) at home.
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Shivdasani’s foresight brought about some of the most pivotal changes in luxury hospitality within the last three decades, says Gabriel Donida, CEO of the travel advisory firm Atelier Voyage. “He is one of the few real innovators in this industry. His work has inspired many copycats and wannabes.”
In 2012, private equity group Pegasus purchased Six Senses and subsequently sold it to IHG in 2019 for a reported US$300m.
From Six Senses To Ultra-Luxurious Soneva
After Six Senses, Shivdasani turned his attention to his other venture, the ultra-luxury brand Soneva.
With its much higher price point—Soneva Secret was among the most expensive resorts in the Maldives when it opened in early 2024—the group appeared to operate with far fewer budget constraints than most competitors.
All properties kept the no-shoes ethos, the focus on well-being and the sustainability agenda, but took everything up a notch. Where other resorts in the Maldives introduced small coral propagation projects, Soneva opened a full-scale marine biology center to breed heat resilient super corals. It’s part of the brand’s core infrastructure rather than just an activity for guests.
Sonu Shivdasani’s Soneva brought a new and relaxed high-end version of luxury to the Maldives.
Soneva
Earlier this year KSL Capital Partners increased its initial 2019 investment to become Soneva’s majority owner. Shivdasani and his wife remain significant minority shareholders, but they’ve agreed to step down from running the business.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
Not being involved in day-to-day operations gives Shivdasani the space to launch his next venture, Sosei, which means “rebirth” in Japanese.
The name is deliberate: He was diagnosed with lymphoma in January last year and surviving the cancer, to him, felt like a reset. Alongside conventional oncology, he pursued alternative approaches like psychotherapy, which sharpened his view of how the mind can influence physical health.
“When you control your mind, you heal your body,” he said in a recent interview.
Sosei Will Focus On Mental Health and Wellness
This idea is now a core pillar of Sosei. The brand’s concept focuses on mental health, well-being, and inner renewal, drawing on Japanese precision and mindfulness. The properties will be designed as restorative sanctuaries, with wellness embedded in their architecture, programming and daily operations.
Omotenashi, the Japanese philosophy of hospitality rooted in intuition and the anticipation of guests’ needs, serves as the base of all things.
“Listening isn’t just the opposite of talking,” Shivdasani tells me. “It’s being able to silence one’s mind.” That’s why, at Soneva, he already encouraged his team to meditate regularly. It helped them enhance their self-reflection and anticipate guests’ needs, he says. “That sensitivity—that is service.”
Shivdasani’s Soneva introduced eco-friendly high-end luxury to the Maldives.
Soneva
No Private Equity Investors This Time
Sosei will move away from Shivdasani’s usual beach resort style and welcome travelers in remote as well as urban locations. First up, according to reports, are properties in the Arctic Circle, the European Alps, South Africa and Japan.
Shivdasani won’t be in charge of the day-to-day operations, but CEO of the holding company. This gives him more time than he had in his previous roles. And instead of private equity firms as investors, he chose friends and long-term partners, to reduce pressure to meet targets and timelines.
When hospitality iconoclasts get the chance to “roam free”, with complete creative and financial freedom, the industry, of course, takes note. ”We’re all watching this very closely,” says Gabriel Donida. ”We’re curious to see what ideas Shivdasani has up his sleeve with Sosei.”
