Meeting… Sonu and Eva Pioneers of sustainable luxury, the founders of Soneva discuss waste-to-wealth initiatives and having an impact well beyond their shores. Words: Catherine Martin • Portrait Photography: © Matt Porteous
I
t could be a photograph lifted from the pages of a holiday brochure; a carefree couple strolling barefoot along the beach, the turquoise ocean and pristine sands promoting an idyllic resort in some far-flung paradise. This is the Maldives, and it is indeed paradise. But beyond the shoreline is an island that offers more than good looks,
and pictured are a couple who have created so much more than a resort. Meet Sonu Shivdasani and Eva Malmström Shivdasani, the husband-and-wife team behind Soneva. They need little introduction, having built a solid reputation over 30 years in the hospitality industry, first founding Six Senses, before selling up to focus solely on Soneva under the ‘One Owner, One Operator, One Philosophy, One Brand’ strategy. The portfolio, comprising Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani in the Maldives, and Soneva Kiri in Thailand, in addition to a charter yacht sailing the Indian Ocean, is undeniably luxury, yet the way in which the resorts are developed, designed and operated is unlike anything else. The duo’s journey into hospitality wasn’t exactly textbook either; UK-born Sonu met Swedish model Eva while studying English Literature at Oxford University. At the time, Sonu had little idea of what he wanted to do with his life, but in 1987, a trip to the Maldives with his new girlfriend – who had visited the archipelago for fashion shoots – changed all that, and the pair immediately fell in love with the idea of building a life there. However, the nation’s government granted leases to foreigners only for tourism