Soneva appoints Pieter Van Der Hoeven as General Manager of Soneva Fushi

Soneva has appointed Pieter Van Der Hoeven as General Manager of Soneva Fushi, placing an international hospitality executive with experience across Asia and the Indian Ocean at the helm of the resort where the Soneva brand began more than three decades ago.

Announcing the appointment, Soneva said Van Der Hoeven brings decades of experience leading resorts and teams across the region, with an approach centred on people, service and a connection to place.

“What drew him to Soneva is what continues to inspire us today: the belief that hospitality is ultimately about people, a sense of place and the moments that matter most,” the company said.

Van Der Hoeven joins Soneva Fushi after serving as Managing Director of Wafaifo in Vietnam from September 2022 until August 2026. During his four years with the company, he led the development of the Wafaifo brand and the opening of the 118-room Wafaifo Resort Hoi An, which combines accommodation, dining, wellness and family experiences. He also oversaw the development of a longevity and recovery centre in partnership with Verita Life.

Before Wafaifo, Van Der Hoeven held senior positions with Minor Hotels and Anantara. From 2019 to 2022, he served as General Manager of Anantara Hoi An and Regional General Manager for Indochina, overseeing eight Anantara and Avani properties across Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. His tenure included the development and launch of The Vietage luxury train service.

His earlier career includes General Manager roles at Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort and Raffles properties in Cambodia, as well as senior commercial and operational positions with Outrigger in Asia. He also previously served as General Manager with Six Senses at properties in Thailand and Vietnam.

The appointment comes during a period of change for Soneva at both ownership and brand level.

In May 2025, KSL Capital Partners announced that an affiliate had taken a majority interest in Soneva following the conversion of securities, building on KSL’s initial minority investment in the group in November 2019. Neil Gallagher was appointed Chief Executive Officer as part of the transition.

Soneva founders Sonu Shivdasani and Eva Malmström Shivdasani remained minority shareholders following the transaction but stepped away from involvement in running the business. Later in 2025, Soneva established a new global headquarters in Dubai and expanded its senior leadership team, including the appointments of Joanna Flint as Chief Commercial Officer and Chris Whitehouse as Chief Financial Officer.

The group entered another phase of its evolution in June 2026 when it introduced “Bare Luxury”, replacing the “Barefoot Luxury” philosophy that had been associated with Soneva since the opening of Soneva Fushi in 1995.

Rather than positioning the change as a departure from its founding principles, Soneva described Bare Luxury as a distillation of them. The concept centres on removing elements that do not contribute to what the company calls “Just What Matters”, with greater emphasis on nature, presence, connection and purposeful experiences. The brand evolution also introduced a refined Soneva logo and the Soluna monogram, derived from the Latin words for sun and moon.

Van Der Hoeven will lead the property at the centre of that history.

Opened in 1995, Soneva Fushi was Soneva’s first resort and became the foundation for its “No News, No Shoes” approach to island hospitality. Located on Kunfunadhoo in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the resort combines villas set within the island’s vegetation with accommodation extending over the lagoon.

Today, its accommodation includes beach, overwater and signature villas, ranging from retreats for couples and families to large multi-bedroom residences. The resort’s current concept positions Soneva Fushi as the group’s “Soulful Playground”, with experiences spanning gastronomy, marine conservation, astronomy, family activities and wellbeing. Its facilities and programmes include The Den for younger guests, The Observatory, AquaTerra’s marine conservation and coral regeneration work, The Glass Studio and Maker’s Place, alongside more than a dozen dining options.

Soneva currently operates three resorts in the Maldives — Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva Secret — with the group describing environmental stewardship and human connection as continuing foundations of its hospitality model.

For Van Der Hoeven, the Soneva Fushi appointment also marks a return to a hospitality environment shaped by many of the areas that have featured throughout his career, including resort operations, wellness, team development and destination-led guest experiences.

Soneva said it looked forward to “this next chapter under his stewardship, and the vision he will bring to our soulful playground.”