Creative director of Soneva resorts blends luxury with sustainability
We were the first high-end hotel in the Maldives, which at the time was a "diver's paradise", and the few hotels that were there had very low prices. The first time we went, there was no sweetwater, no AC, sometimes electricity only a few hours a day, and the food was terrible - even the fish was fried super-well-done.
We believed very much in a sustainable, elegant resort - hence our motto: "Intelligent Luxury". Elegance does not have to be marble and gold; it can be a natural environment - sand under the feet, open bathrooms, a beach right outside one's villa, and dining in the open under the stars.
We also pride ourselves in having high ethics when it comes to resort food. We would never serve anything morally irresponsible like caviar, foie gras, turtle or shark's fin soup. We grow our own salads - organically, of course - and make our own water that's cleaner and healthier than any bottled water.
We wanted a yacht that even one couple could rent, so it would be very private. There are big boats like that in the Maldives, but one has to share it with other guests. Our guests can book it for day trips, overnight or longer. Soneva in Aqua is 64 feet. There are two big staterooms for the guests, and it has a crew of five, including a massage therapist.
Hopefully, people are intelligent enough to understand that we cannot treat our world with indifference if we want our grandchildren to live in a sustainable world and not suffer from polluted air and food shortages. For example, if we continue fishing like we do, there will be no fish in the sea in 50 years. We have to think twice about what we do.
We get comments all the time from extremely sophisticated guests that they are so happy to come to our place and not feel guilty about going on holiday somewhere where no one cares about the environment and the animals. Unfortunately, many hotels only think of the revenue and not about what they do to their children's world.
We have all the luxuries needed in a hotel, but some are on request, and all TVs are hidden behind panels or blinds. Many of our guests love the idea that all is there but not "in their face". One man actually turned off his mobile phone for the whole holiday and felt so relieved. He had never done that before, so Soneva Fushi has a very calming effect on our guests. The energy there is very relaxing.
We have actually had the Soneva brand since 1995, when we opened Soneva Fushi. Six Senses came a bit later when we needed a management company. Personally, I only wanted the Sonevas, and I'm so happy to now be back to that.
We talk to Eva Malmström