Luxury resort developer and operator Soneva has announced that an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners LLC has taken a significant minority stake in the company. The partnership underscores the attractiveness of the Soneva brand, the company said. As part of the agreement, Sailing Capital redeemed an investment it had made in Soneva in 2014.
“With the support of Sailing Capital, Soneva was able to expand its portfolio in the Maldives. This includes the 2016 opening of the award-winning Soneva Jani resort, which firmly re-established Soneva as a leader in the overwater villa market with its stunning design and architecture,” the company said in a press statement.
Tina Yu, a Principal at KSL said: “the more we have gotten to know Soneva, the more excited we are about the opportunities to help Soneva grow. At KSL, we invest solely in travel and leisure, and we recognise the power of the Soneva brand platform in the expanding market for luxury experiential travel.
“Soneva has 25 years of experience operating at the very highest level and have been pioneers in creating rare authentic experiences for their guests. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with Soneva and its management team.”
The partnership with will support the company’s development goals, Soneva said.
“We are immensely grateful to Sailing Capital for the faith it showed in Soneva and our management team. Sailing has been instrumental in our success to date,” said Sonu Shivdasani, CEO of Soneva.
“We are delighted to welcome KSL as our partner in Soneva. We have many exciting plans, and I cannot imagine better partners to help execute the next stage of Soneva’s growth.”
Soneva Currently operates two resorts and a luxury yacht in the Maldives.
“Soneva has been a great investment for Sailing Capital,” said Liang Tsui, CEO of Sailing Capital.
“We have enjoyed a very productive partnership with Soneva and together we have realised the opening of Soneva Jani, a highly acclaimed environmentally sustainable luxury resort, delivered a healthy return on our investment, and are very pleased to see Soneva being ideally positioned for future growth. Whilst our partnership with Soneva is ending, our friendship with the company will continue well into the future.”
Founded in 1995, Soneva is a pioneering family of hospitality properties with Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva in Aqua in the Maldives, and Soneva Kiri in Thailand. Visit www.soneva.com for more information.
KSL Capital Partners, LLC is a private equity firm specialising in travel and leisure enterprises in five primary sectors: hospitality, recreation, clubs, real estate and travel services. KSL’s current portfolio includes some of the premier properties in travel and leisure. Visit
https://www.kslcapital.com for more information.