Maldives-based resort owner and operator, Soneva will start welcoming guests to Soneva Jani from October 28. During his recent visit to Mumbai, Sonu Shivdasani, Chairman and CEO, Soneva, said, “Soneva is sustainable hotel owner and operator, and our guiding principle is ‘intelligent luxury’, because creativity needs to be given a clear structure. Nowadays, the urban rich are spending more on experiences, and that’s why our properties offer privacy and exquisite experiences.”
Soneva Jani has an inventory of 25 villas, 1 on the land and 24 on the water, and 39 bedrooms (ranging from 1 to 4-bedrooms). The property, built over two years, offers a gym, library, spa, 3 food and beverage concepts, private butler, observatory, water slides, etc. Currently, Soneva Jani is targeting high-end families and group travellers, focusing on the cities of Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru in India because of direct flight connections. The property is a 30-minute seaplane ride from the Maldives airport.
Additionally, to promote the property among guests in the Indian market, Shivdasani is in talks with travel agents from to include Soneva Jani in their itineraries. “We are open to welcoming small incentives groups from the Indian market during off season of mid-May till mid-July and the month of September. Besides, we may look at the possibility of organising a FAM trip for travel agents from India during the lean period to showcase our property.”
Currently, the UK is the biggest international source market for Soneva, while they are witnessing good demand in Asia from China and Japan. Although India currently is not among the top 10 global markets for Soneva, the growth from the market is doubling every year. “Once Maldives as a tourist destination matures like its established European counterparts, India will be our top source market because it is the largest short-haul destination,” said Shivdasani.
Besides the soon-to-be-opened property, Soneva operates Soneva Fushi in the Maldives and Soneva Kiri in Thailand. “52% business annually to Soneva Fushi is repeat clientele,” he said. These properties witness an average length of stay by Indians of five nights, with most of the clients being HNIs flying down with their own private jets. Plans are afoot to open two more properties in the Maldives and one in Thailand in the near future.
By Disha Shah Ghosh | Mumbai/ Travel Biz.com
Soneva Jani to open from Oct 28 in Maldives
