Soneva founders Sonu and Eva Shivdasani / Photo: Soneva Jani By Aksham
What was the inspiration behind the new brand – Soneva Soul? It’s the culmination of everything we’ve learned since we launched our spa at Soneva Fushi in 1995 – the very first resort spa in the Maldives. Along Soneva’s journey we’ve gathered knowledge and wisdom from medical science and technology, along with ancient healing practices.
We’re pioneering an approach that combines apparent opposites, to offer our guests a transformative and completely personalised wellbeing experience in inspiring surroundings that reconnects their mind, body and soul.
The concept of ‘wellness’ permeates all we do: our sustainable, barefoot philosophy that reconnects our guests to the earth; life-affirming natural locations; health-focused cuisine; and life-changing guest experiences.
Soneva Soul is located at Soneva Jani on the Island of Medhufaru in the Maldives, and I chose an area on the island’s east coast for the development, high above the mangroves, because it’s such an incredible setting.
Much of the design work for Soneva Soul took place when my wife Eva and I were staying in Istanbul while I was undergoing chemotherapy for stage-four cancer, which is now in remission.
We’ve always been inspired by nature’s majesty, magnitude and mystery. Eva and I feel privileged to be guardians of this area of incredible natural beauty. Nature is awe-inspiring and its beauty is such an important contributor to overall wellbeing.
I believe 60 per cent of healing and wellness comes from the mind. During our stay in Istanbul, I was reading Dr Kelly Turner’s book, Radical Remission – it features nine chapters that talk about a particular action one needs to take in order to achieve radical remission, and six of these focus on mental wellbeing.
How is Soneva Soul different? We offer each guest a personalised pathway, which means no two journeys will look the same.
Each can start at any point – whether an individual is looking to kick-start a healthier lifestyle, heal following an illness or injury, improve physical or mental performance, or simply relax.
Based on outcomes that target guests’ specific needs, the treatment menu at each Soneva Soul unites traditional wellness philosophies, such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbalism and medicinal mushrooms, with innovative treatment methodologies and therapeutic biomodulation, which will include heart rate variability testing, platelet-rich plasma (PRP therapy), nutrient IV therapy, cryotherapy, ozone therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Yoga, Pranayama Breathing and Meditation programmes reinforce the link between mind, body and soul, while an expert-led sleep programme creates a personalised intervention for healthier long-term sleeping habits.
What makes the concept unique? We offer a depth of wellness not typically found in a resort spa, as we include traditional wellness philosophies and practices, combined with cutting edge diagnostic technologies, and pioneering treatment methodologies such as stem cell injections, biomodulation, biophotonic therapy and ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy.
Soneva Soul is guided by the principle of ‘lifestyle evolution’, with experts across a spectrum of wellness disciplines working in partnership with guests on rest, recovery, and regeneration, as well as detoxification, movement, and optimisation, following principles such as balance, mindful living and self-care.
Each Soneva Soul is built in harmony with its surroundings, elevating guests’ experiences far beyond pampering or traditional spa therapies.
Our ‘no news, no shoes’ ethos isn’t just about removing shoes and relaxing with the sand between the toes. It’s about re-grounding – making a connection with the earth’s natural electrical charge which has a profound effect on red blood count and has been found to reduce inflammation, promote healthier organ function and better sleep.
Clocks at all of our resorts are set to ‘Soneva Time’ – an hour ahead of local time. Not only does this enable guests to witness remarkable sunrises and sunsets, it also helps reharmonise their circadian rhythms. Likewise, our remote locations mean we don’t have light pollution, and our evening lighting remains deliberately soft, which enables guests to look up to see the star-filled night skies in all their glory, which can also be enjoyed from our private open-air bathrooms – a signature feature in every Soneva villa.
Who delivers these high-end services? Our experts draw on their knowledge and healing heritage to offer treatments that are unique to them. These include rituals such as the Tok Sen massage by Piyada – an energising, traditional northern Thai massage that uses wooden mallets and pegs to hammer tension away. The rhythmic tapping of the tools uses vibration to work deeply into the fascia while providing a hypnotic relaxation effect. This massage stimulates the circulation, soft tissue and tendons, as well as acupressure points.
How will the concept develop? We’re privileged to have a high return rate, so want to ensure every visit offers guests something new and memorable. One way we achieve this is through our Soneva Stars calendar, which welcomes experts throughout the year: athletes, Michelin-starred chefs, astronomers, artists and authors; as well as Soneva Soul wellness residencies by health and wellbeing specialists across a spectrum of wellness practices, healing modalities, spirituality and fitness.
The design of our resorts encourages guests to move and explore – each villa comes with complimentary bicycles and tricycles, and paths and boardwalks are rarely straight, their curves and bends invite guests to be mindful of every moment.
We offer cross-functional gyms, equipped with the latest fitness technology and our experiential fitness and movement programmes take place within nature, whether morning yoga sessions on the beach or training at the jungle gym.
Our culinary offering across our dining destinations honours Hippocrates: ‘Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine thy food’. Our skilled chefs craft dishes that are healthy and nutritious, while also being sustainable and organic. For example, we’ve asked chefs to vastly reduce the use of red meat, dairy products and refined ingredients such as sugar and white flour. We’ve already reduced beef by 75 per cent, and dairy has been greatly reduced, too – our ultimate goal is to bring the consumption of these two almost to zero.
What’s next for Soneva Soul? We’ve recently opened the Soneva Soul resort wellness centre at Soneva Fushi, and are introducing the concept to Soneva Kiri in Thailand.
In the longer term, we’ll work with like-minded partners to launch one-of-a-kind Soneva Soul wellness destinations across the world.
Over the coming months each Soneva Soul will also establish a full permanent team that includes an Ayurvedic doctor, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and integrative medicine doctor alongside our therapists and wellness specialists.
In addition to the Soneva Soul wellness centres across our resorts, we’re also hosting a series of Soneva Soul wellness events and workshops across destinations in Europe and India to showcase our wellness offerings and introduce our management to our key customers in these markets.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 3
Editor's letter: Salus per natura
Although great buildings lie at the heart of the spa and wellness experience, operators are turning to nature to deliver healing journeys, says Liz Terry
Spa People: Thierry Malleret
We talk to the economist behind Monthly Barometer about key trends emerging in the wellness sector, such as a greater connection with nature
Spa People: Verena Lasvigne
The founder of VLF Spa Consulting shares her learnings from a career running spas on three continents
Spa People: Kim Weller
The wellbeing director of Banyan Tree tells us about the rollout of the company's new brand, Veya – for mind/body wellness
New opening: Loisium Spa
A look at the new luxurious spa situated at the heart of France's celebrated Champagne region
Interview: Neil Jacobs
The CEO of Six Senses talks about creating an eco-system around the brand to deliver hotels, clubs, residential, offices and resorts
Project preview: Next generation wellness
We take our first look at Tulah, the new clinical wellness retreat brand about to make its debut in Kerala, India, and speak to its CEO
ISPA Research: Rate of recovery
Russell Donaldson digs deeper into ISPA's 2022 US Spa Industry Study and considers the industry's resurgence since the end of pandemic lockdowns
Sponsored: Gharieni: Delivering results
Innovation is the hallmark of Gharieni experiences, meeting the rapidly
evolving needs of wellness seekers within the spa and wellness environment
New opening: Lanserhof Sylt
Lisa Starr reports on the industry's eagerly awaited wellness experience – nestled within sand dunes on the German island of Sylt
Healing: Emotional rescue
As people increasingly seek support for their emotional wellbeing, Jane Kitchen talks to the operators who are digging deeper to deliver genuine transformation
Promotion: TechnoAlpin: Powerful contrast
Spa clients can enjoy super-cool relaxation and pain-relief at Sächsische Staatsbäder in Bad Brambach thanks to a TechnoAlpin SnowRoom
Concept: Soneva Soul
The CEO and co-founder of Soneva, Sonu Shivdasani, talks about the philosophy behind the company's new wellness concept, Soneva Soul
Soneva founders Sonu and Eva Shivdasani / Photo: Soneva Jani By Aksham
What was the inspiration behind the new brand – Soneva Soul? It’s the culmination of everything we’ve learned since we launched our spa at Soneva Fushi in 1995 – the very first resort spa in the Maldives. Along Soneva’s journey we’ve gathered knowledge and wisdom from medical science and technology, along with ancient healing practices.
We’re pioneering an approach that combines apparent opposites, to offer our guests a transformative and completely personalised wellbeing experience in inspiring surroundings that reconnects their mind, body and soul.
The concept of ‘wellness’ permeates all we do: our sustainable, barefoot philosophy that reconnects our guests to the earth; life-affirming natural locations; health-focused cuisine; and life-changing guest experiences.
Soneva Soul is located at Soneva Jani on the Island of Medhufaru in the Maldives, and I chose an area on the island’s east coast for the development, high above the mangroves, because it’s such an incredible setting.
Much of the design work for Soneva Soul took place when my wife Eva and I were staying in Istanbul while I was undergoing chemotherapy for stage-four cancer, which is now in remission.
We’ve always been inspired by nature’s majesty, magnitude and mystery. Eva and I feel privileged to be guardians of this area of incredible natural beauty. Nature is awe-inspiring and its beauty is such an important contributor to overall wellbeing.
I believe 60 per cent of healing and wellness comes from the mind. During our stay in Istanbul, I was reading Dr Kelly Turner’s book, Radical Remission – it features nine chapters that talk about a particular action one needs to take in order to achieve radical remission, and six of these focus on mental wellbeing.
How is Soneva Soul different? We offer each guest a personalised pathway, which means no two journeys will look the same.
Each can start at any point – whether an individual is looking to kick-start a healthier lifestyle, heal following an illness or injury, improve physical or mental performance, or simply relax.
Based on outcomes that target guests’ specific needs, the treatment menu at each Soneva Soul unites traditional wellness philosophies, such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbalism and medicinal mushrooms, with innovative treatment methodologies and therapeutic biomodulation, which will include heart rate variability testing, platelet-rich plasma (PRP therapy), nutrient IV therapy, cryotherapy, ozone therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Yoga, Pranayama Breathing and Meditation programmes reinforce the link between mind, body and soul, while an expert-led sleep programme creates a personalised intervention for healthier long-term sleeping habits.
What makes the concept unique? We offer a depth of wellness not typically found in a resort spa, as we include traditional wellness philosophies and practices, combined with cutting edge diagnostic technologies, and pioneering treatment methodologies such as stem cell injections, biomodulation, biophotonic therapy and ultraviolet blood irradiation therapy.
Soneva Soul is guided by the principle of ‘lifestyle evolution’, with experts across a spectrum of wellness disciplines working in partnership with guests on rest, recovery, and regeneration, as well as detoxification, movement, and optimisation, following principles such as balance, mindful living and self-care.
Each Soneva Soul is built in harmony with its surroundings, elevating guests’ experiences far beyond pampering or traditional spa therapies.
Our ‘no news, no shoes’ ethos isn’t just about removing shoes and relaxing with the sand between the toes. It’s about re-grounding – making a connection with the earth’s natural electrical charge which has a profound effect on red blood count and has been found to reduce inflammation, promote healthier organ function and better sleep.
Clocks at all of our resorts are set to ‘Soneva Time’ – an hour ahead of local time. Not only does this enable guests to witness remarkable sunrises and sunsets, it also helps reharmonise their circadian rhythms. Likewise, our remote locations mean we don’t have light pollution, and our evening lighting remains deliberately soft, which enables guests to look up to see the star-filled night skies in all their glory, which can also be enjoyed from our private open-air bathrooms – a signature feature in every Soneva villa.
Who delivers these high-end services? Our experts draw on their knowledge and healing heritage to offer treatments that are unique to them. These include rituals such as the Tok Sen massage by Piyada – an energising, traditional northern Thai massage that uses wooden mallets and pegs to hammer tension away. The rhythmic tapping of the tools uses vibration to work deeply into the fascia while providing a hypnotic relaxation effect. This massage stimulates the circulation, soft tissue and tendons, as well as acupressure points.
How will the concept develop? We’re privileged to have a high return rate, so want to ensure every visit offers guests something new and memorable. One way we achieve this is through our Soneva Stars calendar, which welcomes experts throughout the year: athletes, Michelin-starred chefs, astronomers, artists and authors; as well as Soneva Soul wellness residencies by health and wellbeing specialists across a spectrum of wellness practices, healing modalities, spirituality and fitness.
The design of our resorts encourages guests to move and explore – each villa comes with complimentary bicycles and tricycles, and paths and boardwalks are rarely straight, their curves and bends invite guests to be mindful of every moment.
We offer cross-functional gyms, equipped with the latest fitness technology and our experiential fitness and movement programmes take place within nature, whether morning yoga sessions on the beach or training at the jungle gym.
Our culinary offering across our dining destinations honours Hippocrates: ‘Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine thy food’. Our skilled chefs craft dishes that are healthy and nutritious, while also being sustainable and organic. For example, we’ve asked chefs to vastly reduce the use of red meat, dairy products and refined ingredients such as sugar and white flour. We’ve already reduced beef by 75 per cent, and dairy has been greatly reduced, too – our ultimate goal is to bring the consumption of these two almost to zero.
What’s next for Soneva Soul? We’ve recently opened the Soneva Soul resort wellness centre at Soneva Fushi, and are introducing the concept to Soneva Kiri in Thailand.
In the longer term, we’ll work with like-minded partners to launch one-of-a-kind Soneva Soul wellness destinations across the world.
Over the coming months each Soneva Soul will also establish a full permanent team that includes an Ayurvedic doctor, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and integrative medicine doctor alongside our therapists and wellness specialists.
In addition to the Soneva Soul wellness centres across our resorts, we’re also hosting a series of Soneva Soul wellness events and workshops across destinations in Europe and India to showcase our wellness offerings and introduce our management to our key customers in these markets.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 3
Editor's letter: Salus per natura
Although great buildings lie at the heart of the spa and wellness experience, operators are turning to nature to deliver healing journeys, says Liz Terry
Spa People: Thierry Malleret
We talk to the economist behind Monthly Barometer about key trends emerging in the wellness sector, such as a greater connection with nature
Spa People: Verena Lasvigne
The founder of VLF Spa Consulting shares her learnings from a career running spas on three continents
Spa People: Kim Weller
The wellbeing director of Banyan Tree tells us about the rollout of the company's new brand, Veya – for mind/body wellness
New opening: Loisium Spa
A look at the new luxurious spa situated at the heart of France's celebrated Champagne region
Interview: Neil Jacobs
The CEO of Six Senses talks about creating an eco-system around the brand to deliver hotels, clubs, residential, offices and resorts
Project preview: Next generation wellness
We take our first look at Tulah, the new clinical wellness retreat brand about to make its debut in Kerala, India, and speak to its CEO
ISPA Research: Rate of recovery
Russell Donaldson digs deeper into ISPA's 2022 US Spa Industry Study and considers the industry's resurgence since the end of pandemic lockdowns
Sponsored: Gharieni: Delivering results
Innovation is the hallmark of Gharieni experiences, meeting the rapidly
evolving needs of wellness seekers within the spa and wellness environment
New opening: Lanserhof Sylt
Lisa Starr reports on the industry's eagerly awaited wellness experience – nestled within sand dunes on the German island of Sylt
Healing: Emotional rescue
As people increasingly seek support for their emotional wellbeing, Jane Kitchen talks to the operators who are digging deeper to deliver genuine transformation
Promotion: TechnoAlpin: Powerful contrast
Spa clients can enjoy super-cool relaxation and pain-relief at Sächsische Staatsbäder in Bad Brambach thanks to a TechnoAlpin SnowRoom
Concept: Soneva Soul
The CEO and co-founder of Soneva, Sonu Shivdasani, talks about the philosophy behind the company's new wellness concept, Soneva Soul
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
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IDEATTACK IDEATTACK is a full-service planning and
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