theceomagazine.com | 115Island hideaway
SONEVA JANI VILLA
OWNERSHIP, MALDIVES
Investment: from US$3 million to US$15 million
For some, there’s only one type of relaxing holiday: crystal-
clear waters, sand between the toes, a good book, and (insert
cocktail of choice here). Couple that with a bespoke luxury
villa, private butler service and sustainability credentials
lauded around the world, and you’ve got the Maldives’ Soneva
Jani – the perfect place to invest in an island holiday home.
The latest resort in the Soneva Group, the 25-villa Soneva
Jani opened in 2016 and sits within a 5.6-kilometre lagoon
with an uninterrupted, 360-degree view of the Indian Ocean.
“Soneva Jani is one of the lowest density resorts in the
world,” says owner Sonu Shivdasani, who opened his first
resort, Soneva Fushi, with his wife Eva in 1995. “It’s not an
island resort. It’s a lagoon with five private islands where only
one will ever have development. When designing and building
Soneva Jani, I was very mindful that the area should remain
as natural and beautiful as the first day I laid eyes on it.”
The Maldives is an ideal vacation destination, with
balmy temperatures around 28°C during the day. There’s
an abundance of coral reef and marine life – great for
snorkelling and diving – and the white, powdery sand and
turquoise waters of the beaches draw more than a million
tourists every year.
Meanwhile, Soneva Jani resident owners can spend their
days sliding down a water slide from the roof of their private
villa into the lagoon below. That’s right – personal water slides.
Anything you wish
To get to Soneva, the first company to offer luxury resort real
estate to foreigners in the Maldives, you take a 40-minute
seaplane flight from the international airport in Malé, the
country’s capital, to the property’s overwater villas. And once
you arrive, you’ll likely find it difficult to leave.
The villa features six food and beverage outlets, including
the Gastrodome, which houses chocolate, ice-cream, cheese,
and charcuterie rooms, and the Tasting Table, which delivers
exceptional cuisine prepared with organic fruit and vegetables
grown on the island.
There is also an onsite library, wine cellar, observatory, and
the Maldives first overwater silent cinema, Cinema Paradiso,
where guests use Bluetooth headphones while watching films
so as not to disturb the nesting wildlife in the area. And, if all
that isn’t enough, villa owners also benefit from the services
of Mr or Ms Friday private butlers.Privacy and seclusion
Shivdasani and his wife have a vision for all of their properties
that marries luxury and an environmentally responsible
lifestyle. Eighty-five per cent of all waste from the resort is
recycled, and the private villas at Soneva Jani are made using
sustainable materials.
Each property is entirely bespoke and uniquely designed
to meet owner requirements. Shivdasani confirms that no
wish is too great. “One villa owner asked that the design of
their villa have no sharp edges – only curves,” he says. “This
villa also has a ‘King’s Tower’ on its upper level that offers
incredible 360-degree views of the island’s surrounds, and it’s
the first villa to have its own chocolate and ice-cream room.”
Construction can take anywhere from 12 to 18 months,
depending on customisation, and owners receive a 20 per
cent discount at restaurants and bars, flight transfers and
leisure services such as sailing, windsurfing, and kayaking.
Owners may use their villas for as much or as little time as
they like, but they can take advantage of the villa rental
program, which allows for a return on investment.
But when it comes down to it, if you are considering
investing in any of these prestigious properties, it’s less
about rental yields and more about how you want to spend
your precious downtime. Plus, who doesn’t want their own
ice-cream room?A piece of paradise | INVEST