Eva's Eye: Eva Shivdasani

Eva Shivdasani of Six Senses Resorts & Spas talks to Selina Denman about understated, intelligent design

She’s the Eva in Soneva – one half of one of hospitality’s most dynamic duos. Wife of Sonu Shivdasani and co-creator of the Six Senses Resorts & Spas brand, Eva Shivdasani is part of a fairytale couple best known for transforming a simple dream into one of the most luxurious and highly-regarded hospitality brands in the world.

While Sonu brought the resources and management expertise, Eva had ‘the eye’, the style and the design concepts. Together they developed a unique philosophy of simple sophistication; a blending of luxury and nature that is entirely respectful of its environment.

Six Senses, which operates the Soneva, Hideaway, Latitudes and Evason brands, was essentially created to take luxury back to its most basic forms. And, exacting and inspired, Eva has been responsible for making Six Senses resorts some of the most sensitively designed in the world. Here, she talks exclusively to CID about the Six Senses ethos, her inborn eye for design and how simple female intuition can make a world of difference.

What was the inspiration behind the Six Senses brand?
Ever since I visited the Maldives for the first time, I always loved the untouched beauty and the simple way of life, the white sands, clear water and warm climate.

After I met Sonu, we conceived an intelligent luxury philosophy combining simple sophistication and a different kind of luxury. Together, we wanted to develop a resort that would satisfy our desires to create the dream destination for those that wanted to totally relax. We also had an overwhelming desire to protect the environment.

With this in mind, Soneva Fushi was born in 1995. Sonu and I took responsibility for the design and style concepts. When it comes to a Soneva, Sonu and I are intimately involved with every aspect of the property. We ensure that every resort reflects the style of Six Senses.

We then spent the next decade expanding our concept into the global resort company it is today.  We never compromise on our core beliefs of providing the ultimate experiences in luxury travel accommodation and service, whilst balancing this with a love and respect for the environment.

How do you define luxury? How does this manifest itself in the design of a Six Senses resort?
Intelligent luxury – luxury that is not, of course, so obvious. It does not have to be silver, marble or gold. Intelligent luxury is not what you normally get.

There are many examples. It can be simple things like having sand under your feet in a restaurant. Privacy is also extremely important. It could be picking and eating fresh salad from the resort’s own vegetable gardens. It may be an open-air space, especially in temperate climates, as this is more comfortable than an air-conditioned, marble-floored dining room.

In the Maldives, you don’t even have to pack shoes. On your arrival, your shoes go into a little bag that says ‘no news, no shoes’, and you can walk barefoot for the rest of the stay. All of these examples are part of our intelligent luxury philosophy. You don’t have to worry about anything, as it is private and relaxed.

Do you think that luxury is too often associated with being lavish and excessive? Were your resorts created to counter this?
Yes, of course. At a recent luxury hotel opening in Dubai, I believe $20 million was spent on fireworks. The negative environmental impact that this caused would have been huge. Soon after, the same hotel apparently laid off 500 people as they could not pay their wages.

We wanted to prove that you don’t have to serve caviar and fois gras or any other unethical items. It is important to educate, and provide an opportunity to explain why it is not necessary. You have to be true to your beliefs, and not compromise. Our philosophy for the Six Senses Group and our resorts is SLOW LIFE – Sustainable, Local, Organic, Wholesome, Learning, Inspiring, Fun Experiences.
 
If you could pin down the Six Senses design ethos in only six words or phrases, what would they be?
Fun; relaxing; simple monochrome and calming colours; comfortable – ‘no news, no shoes’, as described earlier; functional – things should work and not only look pretty, this is very important; and ecological.

Good design is often said to being found in the detail – and I understand that you are well known for your attention to the minutiae! What kind of intricate design details set Six Senses resorts apart?
I like to make fun details. I want our guests to laugh, as when one laughs, one relaxes. I like to make things out of unconventional things. For example, a piece of driftwood that was washed onto the island during the tsunami was used to make a table in the wine cellar at Soneva Gili. I inserted glass shelves for the food and the wine.

I try to imagine what the guest would like, and what is practical and useful. I am also fanatical about hygiene. There is no fitted upholstery anywhere, one must be able to be take it off and wash it. There are never any bedspreads, to ensure cleanliness and hygiene.

How do you incorporate sustainability considerations into the design of your various resorts?
We always try to use sustainable products and materials, locally sourced where possible.

We always hunt for the right sustainable woods for construction and furniture. We also use bamboo and local stone – for example, in the construction of the Eco Villa at Soneva Kiri.

The Eco Villa at Soneva Kiri is totally ecological. It is a prototype zero emissions villa built at Soneva Kiri as the pioneering project to the forthcoming zero emissions Six Senses Evolution brand. It showcases a range of environmental technologies incorporated into a bio-climatically designed structure made from locally sourced and non-toxic building materials, creating an entirely new experience for guests.

How often do you have to give up on exciting design ideas because they are not practical – or sustainable?
We always try to not have these kind of designs. We try to use sustainable products as much as possible. The Eco Villa at Soneva Kiri is a good example.

It is actually very difficult to make everything from sustainable and renewable sources. You can’t use plastic and polyester. The mattress is made of natural latex. The big daybed pillows are filled with chopped up natural latex and we used a silk filled duvet. It was a very interesting project trying to find substitutes to what we usually use.

Where does your eye for design come from, do you think? Is this an inherent skill or something that has evolved over the years?
I think I was born with it, whatever it is. I have a visual eye, never forget a face, and always see everything ‘framed’ in a photographic way. I see details everywhere around me. Ever since I was little, I had a thing for details and used to love making things, like my own birthday cards, presents and so on.

What part does female intuition play?
Men sometimes are not so practical. For example, most hotels put the lights above the washbasin in the bathroom. No offense but this must have been a man. I would never put the light from above, as it will create an unflattering light. In our resorts I want women to look and feel great.

This means they will go out and they will look and feel great all night. There are also no lights from above in the restaurants, only indirect lights.

What inspires you?
Life, of course. Everything around me inspires me.

When it comes to the Middle East properties, what kind of innovative design elements can guests expect?
Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay in Oman has unique interiors that use local materials and designs. For example, everything is made with local stones. We strive to source and make everything as local as possible, keeping it low profile and blending it in with the natural surrounds and the local host culture.

What is the most thoughtfully designed, non-Six Senses hotel that you have ever stayed in?
Begawan Giri Estate in Bali. The original owners spent eight years developing it. Under the original owners, it was very ecological and they cared greatly about the environment (I’m not so sure now).

What are the design ‘flaws’ that you come across most often when you are travelling?
There are many examples. When I walked into a luxury resort in Bali recently, I counted more than 20 lights on one switch, which is very un-ecological, and created no atmosphere.

There are some unbelievably enormous rain showers that use so much water. We use showers that are only 9 and 12 litres per minute.

There are often no hooks for towels, or anywhere to hang anything.

There is a lot of use of endangered wood, such as teak grade A or other rainforest woods. Even if they are certified it can be questionable, as this is often untrue.

There is great waste, in general. Hotels are the biggest wasters in the world. They should think more before overusing everything.

I hate it when hotels provide no choice to not wash the sheets and towels. To change sheets every day is a ‘crime’. I also hate it when they give out so many envelopes and messages on paper. Paper use should be minimised, recycled paper should be purchased, and every clean part of the paper should be reused. Messages should be sent in containers, not envelopes. I also really dislike it when hotels mindlessly send newspapers every day (which are mostly not read).

Why can’t they ask the guest at arrival if they want a paper or not?