Friday newsletters always feature luxury travel contests, tips, or news.
Today: Get complimentary VIP perks at any Soneva Resort
As most of you know, I am a huge fan of luxury hotels (and I assume most of you are as well since you are following my blog). Aman, Mandarin Oriental, Rosewood and Four Seasons rank among my favorite hotel brands. But none comes close to my absolute favorite hotel group in the world: Soneva. What I like so much about the Soneva – and how they discriminate themselves from their high-end competitors – is their pursuit for excellence, the unique design of their resorts, their commitment to inspired living, their very smart take on barefoot luxury, their breathtaking ‘remote but accessible’ natural locations, and their creation of authentic experiences (unlike any other). Soneva has five spectacular resorts so far (with more exciting properties planned to open in the near future):
I am able to offer the readers of my blog complimentary VIP perks at any Soneva resort (for new bookings made before August 2026). These benefits are listed below and come in addition to valuable offers & savings which are found on the official Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani, and Soneva Kiri website:
- A resort credit valued at 10% of the net room revenue (when booking a Best Available Rate) or 5% of the total package revenue when booking one of the Soneva special packages. For example, if you book 7 nights at Soneva Kiri at a best available rate of $1500 USD per night, you will get a resort credit of 7 x $150 USD = $910 USD, which you can use on food, spa, and activities.
- Two personalized Soneva experiences per stay (complimentary) from the Soneva experience brochure (excluding Soneva In Aqua). You have the opportunity to select premium activities such as Sonu’s picnic which is approximately $1050 USD per person. For example, when booking a stay at Soneva Jani, these experiences may also include:
- Private Cinema Paradiso experience with dinner
- Father & son picnic and mother & daughter spa
- Private Dinner at the Starlight Table and a session at the observatory
- Cooking class for children and family
- Sunrise breakfast
- Gourmet dining experience which includes chocolate and wine tasting
This is how it works:
- Step 1: contact me by email before confirming a booking (with mention of you preferred travel dates, the number of people in your travel party, and age of kids if any). I will then introduce you per email to my Soneva contact.
- Step 2: after the introduction, Soneva will offer you the best rates or package for your preferred travel dates, and the Soneva ambassador benefits will be added to your reservation upon confirmation of the booking.
Below you find some extra information about the history of Soneva and the details (+ my reviews) of the group’s stunningly beautiful resorts.
SONEVA JANI, MALDIVES
Located on an uninhabited five-island cluster in the Noonu Atoll, the Maldives’ most exclusive resort is fringed by pristine beaches, blanketed with lush tropical greenery, and surrounded by a 5.6 km (3,4 mi) lagoon of crystal clear waters with uninterrupted Indian Ocean views. Each one of the phenomenal water villas has a private lap pool and opens to its own stretch of lagoon, with some villas featuring slides going directly from the top deck into the lagoon below. The highlight of the villas is the retractable roof in the master bedroom, which slides back at the touch of a button so that guests can lie in bed and stargaze. A few months ago, Soneva Jani added Chapter Two to its portfolio of luxurious water villas, and introduced exciting new dining concepts, an overwater Soneva Wellness Center, and a whole new all-inclusive way to experience the best of the resort with Soneva Unlimited.
SONEVA FUSHI, MALDIVES
Soneva Fushi, the first ‘Robinson Crusoe’ style hideaway in the Maldives, is set on the privately owned tropical island of Kunfunadhoo in Baa Atoll, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The island – which is 1,400 m (4,600 ft) long and 400 m (1300 ft) wide – ranks among the largest islands in the Maldives. Apart from the crystal clear waters, white beaches and tropical climate, the island’s unusually rich vegetation offers a unique natural experience. Massive, multi-bedroom, fairytale-like luxury villas and private residences are hidden among dense tropical foliage. In keeping with the castaway theme, many are built to resemble tree houses. All open to their own private stretch of sugar white sands, and most boast their own private seawater swimming pools. In summer 2020, Soneva Fushi also unveiled eight fabulous water retreats, which are the largest and most luxurious overwater villas in the world.
SONEVA SECRET
The first resort in the Haa Dhaalu Atoll, Soneva Secret features 14 overwater and island villas, including the Maldives’ only floating villa. Designed to offer the ultimate in Soneva hospitality and exemplary service standards, each villa features a dedicated team of three, which includes a Barefoot Guardian, Barefoot Assistant and dedicated chef, to ensure every stay is wholly personalised. Thirty years in the making, the Soneva Secret resort concept builds upon Soneva’s experience at the forefront of exceptional hospitality, and sets a new, unmatched standard in intuitive, personalized service, exquisite private villas and unspoiled settings, surrounded by nature. In its press release, Soneva calls the new property its “first” Soneva Secret Resort, which goes by the official name Soneva Secret 2024, hinting there might be more to come in the next years.
SONEVA KIRI, THAILAND
Remote yet accessible by a 70 minute flight from Bangkok on the resort’s private plane, Soneva Kiri sits on Thailand’s 4th largest but least populated island, Koh Kood, in the Gulf of Siam. One of the most exclusive beach resorts in the world, Soneva Kiri offers an unrivalled combination of luxury, environmentally friendly design and unforgettable, authentic Thai experiences. The 35 resort villas (including 11 private residences) are amongst the largest in the world. Located on the idyllic beach or sunny slopes in the rainforest, all have stunning infinity pools, impossibly chic furnishings, personal electric buggies, and impeccable service courtesy of private butlers. Highlights include the open air cinema Paradiso, Benz’ mangrove restaurant, the chocolate & ice cream parlour, the children’s den, and the spectacular Treetop dining pod.
- Hotel website: Soneva Kiri
- Top 10 accolades: Soneva Kiri features in my top 10 lists of the most insanely beautiful hotels in Thailand, the world’s most amazing beach resorts, the world’s most outrageous hotel experiences, the best private plunge pools in the world, the world’s most beautiful hotel beaches, the world’s best luxury hotels, the world’s best family hotels, the world’s most remote hotels, the most astonishing beach retreats in Asia, and luxury hotels with private airports.
- Tip: get complimentary VIP perks when booking Soneva Jani via Virtuoso (e.g. villa upgrade, breakfast, early check-in , late check-out, and $100 USD resort credit).
- Review: read my review of Soneva Kiri here.
SONEVA IN AQUA, MALDIVES
Soneva in Aqua is the first floating villa in the Maldives and every honeymooner’s dream. The pioneering new boat villa concept of the ultra luxe Soneva hotel group combines all the benefits of the group’s iconic resort’s services and amenities with the freedom and exclusivity associated with booking a private boat charter. The two-cabin boat features a spacious main cabin with a glass bottom spa and shower facilities, as well as a second room with a king-sized bed and en-suite facilities. Other features include an external raised sun and dining deck, a lower level bar and dining area plus daybeds, lounge seating and a jacuzzi.
HISTORY OF THE SONEVA HOTEL GROUP
In 1995, Sonu Shivdasani, an Indian-British hotelier, launched the now world-famous Soneva Fushi resort on the deserted Maldivian island of Kunfunadhoo. He 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. But that’s exactly what happened. Soneva Fushi was the first ‘castaway’ resort in the Maldives, pioneering a trend for back-to-nature luxury holidays. And it still tops my list of the top 10 best luxury resorts in the Maldives. In 2009, the Soneva Hotel group built a second, even more spectacular hotel – Soneva Kiri – on the unspoilt Thai island of Koh. Last year, the group launched the first floating villa in the Maldives, SonevaIn Aqua. And this autumn, it opens Soneva Jani, a spectacular resort that will set new standards in this destination that is already known for its world-class hotel standards.
The success of the Soneva brand also paved the way for Sonu and Eva’s other hotel group, the Six Senses Resorts & Spas, across South East Asia and Europe. In 2006, Soneva Fushi made a revenue of approximately US$ 20 million and by 2011, Six Senses was a $150–175 million international luxury spa and resort chain with 26 resorts and 41 spas. Under Eva’s and Sonu’s direction the Six Senses brand gained global fame before being sold in 2012.
Today, Sonu and Eva focus on their Soneva resorts with private residences, as part of the “One Owner, One Operator, One Philosophy, One Brand” strategy. And while the Sonevas may have many imitators, they have no equals. Both Soneva Resorts impress on a wide range of levels. Breathtaking ‘remote but accessible’ natural locations, effortlessly chic accommodation, incredible food, truly memorable activities, an inspiring ethos of sustainability and service that is uncannily intuitive.
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