DENVER, CO -- November 22, 2019: Soneva, one of the world’s leading luxury resort developers and operators, announced today that an affiliate of KSL Capital Partners, LLC has taken a significant minority stake in the company. Soneva operates a collection of luxury resorts in the Maldives and Thailand. The partnership with KSL underscores the attractiveness of the Soneva brand and will support the company’s short- and long-term development goals.

As part of KSL’s investment, Sailing Capital, which had invested in Soneva in 2014, redeemed its investment in Soneva. 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.

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 recognize 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.”

Soneva was founded in 1995 by Sonu Shivdasani and Eva Malmström Shivdasani.

"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 Mr. Shivdasani.  “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 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, and delivered a healthy return on our investment. We 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."

For more information about Soneva, visit www.soneva.com

About Soneva

Soneva is a pioneering family of hospitality properties, offering holistic encounters in luxurious and inspiring environments – from world class resorts to outstanding natural locations.  Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva in Aqua in the Maldives, and Soneva Kiri in Thailand rebuke the traditional concept of luxury and instead promise the luxury of time, purity and solitude. Every day, guests are encouraged to discover sandy feet, inspired minds and full hearts. Combining luxury with a conscientious approach to sustainability and the environment, and proactively changing the nature of hospitality, it delivers intuitive service and meaningful experiences to the guests.    

About KSL Capital Partners‍

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 has offices in Denver, Colorado; Stamford, Connecticut; London, England and Singapore. Since 2005, KSL has raised approximately USD 12 billion of capital across both debt and equity funds. KSL's current portfolio includes some of the premier properties in travel and leisure. In line with Soneva’s philosophy, KSL has a Responsible Investment (RI) policy, the purpose of which is to define their approach to integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities into investments made through its private equity funds. They believe that effective management of ESG issues is critical to preserving and creating long-term value for investors, operators, employees, guests and communities. For more information, please visit www.kslcapital.com.

Media Contacts:
For Soneva: Carissa Nimah, Chief Marketing Officer, Soneva
carissa@soneva.com
D: +66 2631 9624 | Skype: carissa.crowley | www.soneva.com
Bangkok, Thailand

For KSL: Maureen Richardson, River Communications
mrichardson@riverinc.com
Office: + 1 914-686-5599
Mobile: + 1 914-434-6033
New York, USA