Architecture

Maldives luxury resort visitors will be able to take the stars to bed with them

Maldives luxury resort visitors will be able to take the stars to bed with them
The idea for the retractable roofs came about when it emerged that guests at another Soneva resort were taking pillows out of their villas to sleep under the stars
The idea for the retractable roofs came about when it emerged that guests at another Soneva resort were taking pillows out of their villas to sleep under the stars
View 19 Images
The idea for the retractable roofs came about when it emerged that guests at another Soneva resort were taking pillows out of their villas to sleep under the stars
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The idea for the retractable roofs came about when it emerged that guests at another Soneva resort were taking pillows out of their villas to sleep under the stars
There are three buttons for opening, closing and stopping the movement of the roofs, and sensors built into them so that they close automatically when it rains
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There are three buttons for opening, closing and stopping the movement of the roofs, and sensors built into them so that they close automatically when it rains
Soneva Jani is located on the 150-ac (61-ha) island of Medhufaru
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Soneva Jani is located on the 150-ac (61-ha) island of Medhufaru
Medhufaru is part of an uninhabited five-island archipelago in the Noonu Atoll
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Medhufaru is part of an uninhabited five-island archipelago in the Noonu Atoll
There will be 24 water villas and one island villa when the resort opens, with additional island villas expected to be added next year
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There will be 24 water villas and one island villa when the resort opens, with additional island villas expected to be added next year
Every water villa will have a private pool and will open out onto the lagoon, with some featuring slides from their top deck into the water
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Every water villa will have a private pool and will open out onto the lagoon, with some featuring slides from their top deck into the water
Soneva was founded by Sonu and Eva Shivdasani in 1995
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Soneva was founded by Sonu and Eva Shivdasani in 1995
Soneva aims to offer an environmentally responsible brand of luxury tourism
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Soneva aims to offer an environmentally responsible brand of luxury tourism
Soneva Jani is sheltered in a lagoon, with views out over the Indian Ocean
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Soneva Jani is sheltered in a lagoon, with views out over the Indian Ocean
To minimize any environmental impact elsewhere, its villas have been built only over the sandy floors of the lagoon, avoiding any damage to the surrounding reef
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To minimize any environmental impact elsewhere, its villas have been built only over the sandy floors of the lagoon, avoiding any damage to the surrounding reef
The resort's pools will use UV-filtered seawater, wastewater will be treated on-site and water for use drinking, among other things, will also be produced on-site
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The resort's pools will use UV-filtered seawater, wastewater will be treated on-site and water for use drinking, among other things, will also be produced on-site
Vegetables will be grown on-site, waste recycled and a "significant" amount of electricity to power the resort generated using solar panels
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Vegetables will be grown on-site, waste recycled and a "significant" amount of electricity to power the resort generated using solar panels
Each of the villas offers private space for its guests
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Each of the villas offers private space for its guests
There is space for sitting and relaxing in groups
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There is space for sitting and relaxing in groups
There are also spaces for sitting alone, relaxing or reading
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There are also spaces for sitting alone, relaxing or reading
Villa interiors are designed by Eva Shivdasani
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Villa interiors are designed by Eva Shivdasani
The villas are constructed from high quality sustainable materials
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The villas are constructed from high quality sustainable materials
The resort’s soft opening is planned for this October
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The resort’s soft opening is planned for this October
The resort is expected to be fully open from November
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The resort is expected to be fully open from November
View gallery - 19 images

Resorts in the Maldives like Finolhu Villas and the Hurawalhi Island Resort and Spa aim to offer unforgettable luxury experiences, but the soon-to-open Soneva Jani resort will offer something that no others do. Retractable roofs in the bedrooms of its villas will let guests sleep under the stars.

Soneva was founded by Sonu and Eva Shivdasani in 1995 and aims to offer an environmentally responsible brand of luxury tourism. In addition to the upcoming Soneva Jani, it runs the Soneva Fushi and Soneva Kiri destinations, in the Maldives and Thailand respectively, and the Soneva in Aqua yachting experience.

Soneva Jani is located on the 150-ac (61-ha) island of Medhufaru, which is part of an uninhabited five-island archipelago in the Noonu Atoll. It is sheltered in a lagoon, with views out over the Indian Ocean.

Among the resort's features will be a variety of dining options, a spa, a diving center, an observatory, a children's den, an eco center, organic gardens and an outdoor cinema. Guests at the cinema will be given Bluetooth earphones to listen to the movies they are watching, so as not to disturb wildlife in the area.

There will be 24 water villas and one island villa when the resort opens, with additional island villas expected to be added next year
There will be 24 water villas and one island villa when the resort opens, with additional island villas expected to be added next year

To minimize any environmental impact elsewhere, its villas have been built only over the sandy floors of the lagoon, avoiding any damage to the surrounding reef. The resort's pools will use UV-filtered seawater, wastewater will be treated on-site, and water for drinking use, among other things, will also be produced on-site. Vegetables will be grown, waste recycled and a "significant" amount of electricity to power the resort generated using solar panels.

There will be 24 water villas and one island villa when the resort opens, with additional island villas expected to be added next year. Every water villa will have a private pool and will open out onto the lagoon, with some boasting slides from their top deck into the water.

The coup de grâce, though, will be the retractable roofs in the master bedrooms of the villas. Soneva explains to Gizmag that Sonu and Eva discovered that guests at their Soneva Gili (now Gili Lankanfushi) resort were taking pillows out onto their decks to to sleep under the stars. This prompted them to look into how they could offer the same experience to guests from the comfort of their villas.

There are three buttons for opening, closing and stopping the movement of the roofs, and sensors built into them so that they close automatically when it rains
There are three buttons for opening, closing and stopping the movement of the roofs, and sensors built into them so that they close automatically when it rains

As per Soneva's ethos, sustainable materials were used to construct the roofs where possible. It was also important that the roofs be designed to be robust and be equipped to deal with the Maldives' rainy season.

The roofs measure 4 x 4 m (13 x 13 ft) . They are made from red river gum timber and rest on milled steel parallel tracks, with rack and pinion coupled-synchronized gear motors. There are three buttons for opening, closing and stopping the movement of the roofs, and sensors built into them so that they close automatically when it rains and guests don't get wet while they sleep. The result allows guests to lie on their beds and look up at the stars in the sky.

A soft opening of Soneva Jani is planned for October, with the resort expect to be fully open from November.

Source: Soneva

View gallery - 19 images
2 comments
2 comments
David Antoni
Why is this site promoting a dictatorship? Do you have no moral or takes a stand against oppression?
JimmyDavis
Hate to sound all political or religious , but the Maldives has adopted Sharia Law , and applies it to everyone . Just a Caveat , an important one , as a bathing suit or something you may feel to be innocuous can get you into big trouble .