Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs outlines the brand's expansion strategy
by Helen Andrews | 05 Dec 2014
Neil Jacobs, Six Senses CEO, wants American-based bookings to make up 35 per cent of revenues / Egbert Krupp
Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs intends to propel the business into the space he defines as being between destination spas and resorts with spas through the rollout of three hotels and eight spas in 2015.
Jacobs said at The International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) in Cannes that while the company’s product is based on a platform of wellness and sustainability, people are “fed up” hearing about green initiatives. Six Senses is, “really about doing what’s right,” said Jacobs – referring to the group’s strong focus on giving back to the local communities where his businesses operate, according to an article by elitetraveler.com.
The first new opening in 2015 will be the conversion of Aquapura in Portugal’s Douro Valley with a 20,000sq ft (1,858sq m) wellness centre. In mid-2015, Six Senses will open a property in the Seychelles. At the end of the year, the brand’s largest hotel to date will open – Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain.
The brand will continue to operate spas in other operator’s hotels, with new contracts under negotiation in Pune, India; Marbella, Spain; Mykonos, Greece; and Muscat, Oman.
In 2016, five properties in Bhutan are expected to open, in addition to a ski resort in the French Alps and a spa in the Hamptons on Long Island. Projects are also progressing in Nicaragua, Ecuador and Colombia. Six Senses is looking to expand in Utah and the Bahamas too.
Although the company headquarters remain in Bangkok, Jacobs wants the brand to “not be seen as an Asian company, but a global company”. He is therefore continuing to build business by attracting US customers. His goal is for American-based bookings to make up 35 per cent of revenues.
Six Senses will continue to grow its wellness programmes, focused on sleep, nutrition and yoga. Jacobs said he has enlisted 250 visiting practitioners who move between the company’s hotels and spas. Surgeon, television personality and magazine publisher Dr Oz has been signed on as a consultant. Another consultant is Palm Springs physician, doctor and author Steven Gundry.
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Six Senses CEO Neil Jacobs intends to propel the business into the space he defines as being between destination spas and resorts with spas through the rollout of three hotels and eight spas in 2015. Jacobs said at The International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) in Cannes that while the company’s product is based on a platform of wellness and sustainability, people are “fed up” hearing about green initiatives. Six Senses
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