Friday newsletters always feature luxury travel contests, tips, series or news.
Today (March 6, 2020): Win a 9 night $100,000 holiday to Thailand & the Maldives!
To celebrate 25 years of barefoot luxury, Soneva – my favorite hotel brand in the world – is giving away the ultimate dream vacation package for two lucky people to visit all three of the Soneva resorts in the Maldives and Thailand. The grand prize includes:
- 4 nights at Soneva Fushi, the Maldives’ original hideaway
- 2 nights at Soneva Jani, the Maldives’ most exclusive resort
- 3 nights at Soneva Kiri, the most exclusive resort in Thailand
- Full room and board included
- Sunset Dolphin Cruise at Soneva Fushi (Maldives)
- Treepod Dining at Soneva Kiri (Thailand)
- 2 complimentary glasses of beer or house wine per day
- Round trip international airfare and domestic transfers included
Entering the Instagram competition takes only 30 seconds:
- Follow Soneva’s Instagram page at @discoversoneva
- Like this post on the Soneva Instagram page (cf below)
- Save this post on the Soneva Instagram page (cd below)
- Tag at least five friends in the comments below this post. Every tag should be a separate comment.
Getting more additional entries is straightforward:
- Unlimited entries: tag as many friends as you want in the comments. Every tag should be a separate comment. Each friend tagged is an additional entry. No limits to tagging! (ex: 20 friends tagged = 20 additional entries).
- Unlimited entries: share the Soneva Instagram competition post with your friends (via little airplane button). Sends Soneva screenshots via DM of your message history to verify. No limits on sharing! Each share is an additional entry (ex: 10 DM shares = 10 additional entries)
- 20 additional entries: share the Soneva Instagram competition post on your story and tag @discoversoneva in it so Soneva sees it.
Winners will be chosen on April 5th via Soneva’s Instagram story. Winners are expected to showcase their experience and do a daily Instagram post and at least 5 daily Instagram stories. Must be 21 or older to enter. Open to all international participants. Blackout dates apply. Giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or affiliated with Instagram.
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
Soneva Jani is the ultimate Maldives’ luxury resort (and simply outclasses all of its competitors in the archipelago). It comprises 24 water villas and one island villa, with additional island villas planned at a later stage. Inspired by a word that means wisdom in Sanskrit, Soneva Jani is located on the island of Medhufaru, which is part of an uninhabited five-island cluster in the Noonu Atoll. The highlight of the resort is its location within a 5.6 kilometer lagoon of crystal clear waters with uninterrupted 360° views of the Indian Ocean. The main island is fringed by pristine beaches and blanketed with lush tropical greenery. Every water villa 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.
- Hotel website: Soneva Jani
- Top 10 accolades: Soneva Jani features in my top 10 lists of the most insanely beautiful resorts in the Maldives, the most fabulous overwater villas in the Maldives, the most astonishing beach retreats in Asia, and my favorite hotels in the world.
- Review: read my review of Soneva Jani here.
SONEVA FUSHI, MALDIVES
Soneva Fushi, the Maldives’ original desert island hideaway, is located in the stunnnig Baa Atoll island archipelago, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Massive, Robinson Crusoe-style, multi-bedroom 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. Intuitive service is provided by Mr./Ms. Friday butlers who know what you want before you want it.
- Hotel website: Soneva Fushi
- Top 10 accolades: Soneva Fushi features in my top 10 lists of the best luxury resorts in the Maldives, the most astonishing beach retreats in Asia, the best family hotels in the world, the world’s most insanely beautiful hotel beaches, and the best resorts in the Maldives for snorkeling.
- Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. villa upgrade, breakfast, early check-in , late check-out, welcome Champagne with Maldivian tapas on arrival, one lunch for two, original handcrafted arrival and departure mementos, shoreline beach dinner, private sunset sailing by Dhoni at Baa Atoll, and a cooking class for two).
- Review: read my review of Soneva Fushi here.
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: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. villa upgrade, breakfast, early check-in , late check-out, welcome Champagne with Thai tapas on arrival, and a 30 minute spa treatment for two).
- 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 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.
- Hotel website: Soneva in Aqua
- Top 10 accolades: Soneva In Aqua features in my lists of the 40 hottest luxury hotel openings of 2015 and the top 10 best honeymoon resorts in the world.
- Review: read my review of Soneva In Aqua here.
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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