Every water villa at Soneva Jani has a private 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. Like all other Soneva properties, the spacious villas feature beautifully designed interiors by Eva Shivdasani, one of Soneva’s co-founders, and are made from the highest quality sustainable materials.
“When we opened Soneva Gili more than 15 years ago, it stood out as a unique and new concept in luxury travel. It is my belief that Soneva Jani is even more revolutionary. There are many small details and improvements. For example, at Soneva Gili, guests would often sleep on the top deck so that they could sleep under the stars; now, at each Soneva Jani Water Retreat or Reserve, the master bedroom roof slides back at the press of a button and closes automatically when it rains,” said Sonu Shivdasani, founder and CEO of Soneva.“We live in an ever more crowded and developed world.
Soneva Jani is one of the lowest density resorts in the world. Just 25 villas are built in an area that stretches over more than three miles. It is not an island resort. It is a lagoon with five private islands where only one of these will have development. When designing and building Soneva Jani, I was very mindful that when we open, the area should seem as natural and beautiful as the first day I laid eyes on it,” he added. “Soneva Jani is one of the most anticipated hotel openings in the Indian Ocean this year. We have already witnessed a huge amount of interest, with the first few weeks fully booked within a few days of opening the booking system to the global travel trade.”
Soneva Jani will include all of Soneva’s popular features, including a spa, dive center, observatory, children’s den, Eco Centro, organic gardens and outdoor Cinema Paradiso. The cinema will be the first “silent cinema” in the Maldives, as guests will be given Bluetooth earphones to watch movies so as not to disturb the nesting wildlife in the area. The resort will also serve global cuisine at five dining outlets, and will feature Soneva’s signature cheese, chocolate, ice cream and charcuterie rooms that are complimentary for all guests. Various destination and specialty dining experiences will also be available.
“Soneva Jani is a place of incredible natural beauty. The waters in the lagoon have the most vibrant shades of blue that I have not seen anywhere else in the Maldives. We have an extensive array of marine life, including turtles, rays and occasionally dolphins, and the lagoon is an excellent place for kayaking, sailing and swimming as it is calm, shallow and extends for miles and miles. The villas are stunning and include all the attention to detail that Soneva is renowned for. Construction is progressing quickly and we are on track for an opening in October 2016,” said Olivia Richli, the Pre-Opening and General Manager of Soneva Jani.Soneva Jani includes 18 units of one-bedroom Water Retreats, four units of two-bedroom Water Retreats, one three-bedroom Water Retreat, one three-bedroom Water Reserve, and one four-bedroom Island Reserve. Environmentally aware of their surroundings, Soneva kept its environmental impact as low as possible during construction. The pools use seawater with UV filtration and the villas have been built over the sandy floors of the lagoon, with no damage to any part of the reef. Furthermore, solar PV will be a significant source of power generation at the resort, all waste-water will be collected and treated on-site, and water will also be produced on-site, including drinking water. Soneva’s Eco Centro Waste-to-Wealth center will ensure that waste is recycled, while the extensive vegetable garden will give local produce for the restaurants based on organic principles.
In addition to Soneva Jani, Soneva owns and operates Soneva Fushi in the Maldives and Soneva Kiri in Thailand. Soneva in Aqua, an ultra-luxurious yacht offering an experiential travel experience, was launched in the Maldives in 2015 and sails out of Soneva Fushi. To plan your escape to Soneva visit www.soneva.com.
