INTERVIEW: CRAIG COGUT
Another strategy under consideration is the development of Six Senses hotels in urban locations
for Four Seasons in Asia, as CEO; Bernard Bohnenberger, previously the group’s managing director, as president; and Anna Bjurstam, the former owner and CEO of Raison d’Etre Spas, as vice president of spas. Bjurstam, who is still a managing partner of Raison d’Etre, divides her time between the two businesses. Cogut says: “Neil is a visionary; he’s got
tonnes of experience and he knows how to get stuff done. The people he’s brought in around him, and some of people we had before, are really superb.” He adds that now the focus is firmly
on refining the product and global expansion. “When we bought the business it was largely based [in south-east Asia]… but if you believe in doing things environmentally right, with tremendous service and an emphasis on wellness, that’s not geographically confined. Clearly part of our investment thesis was to expand geographically: Africa, South America, and selectively in North America
and Europe, and we’re starting to do that.” According to Cogut,
The first crucial step was to get the right people on board, including well- known spa figures Anna Bjurstam and Neil Jacobs
Six Senses has “a very, very big development pipeline,” and while there’s a lot he can’t talk about, there are 15 resort openings confirmed for the next three years, including five in Bhutan, three in China and one each in Bali, Taiwan, France, Portugal, the Seychelles (its first African resort), Tunisia and St Lucia. The group also has seven spas in other properties in the pipeline: one each in Oman, Qatar, Greece, Spain and the US, and two in India.
Growth strategy In such pristine rural settings, getting the architecture and design of
the properties right is “absolutely crucial” says Cogut. In a previous interview with Spa Business in 2013 (see SB13/2 p30), Neil Jacobs said the Six Senses design philosophy would be evolving somewhat, “to lose a bit of the Robinson Crusoe feel and add some modernity.” Cogut confirms this, but stresses that the change will only involve a subtle shift of emphasis in a few select properties rather than a complete overhaul. Another strategy under consideration
is the development of Six Senses hotels in urban locations, both to help build the brand and to cater for the needs of its city-dwelling and visiting customer base. “I often look for an urban retreat and they’re hard to find,” says Cogut. “I think there’s a certain segment of guests who would welcome that – I think that’s incredibly appealing in the world we live in, where we’re so disconnected from nature, from our sixth sense.” The company is also looking at
investing in Six Senses-branded real estate. “We’re looking at owning or investing in certain properties through a number of structures,” he says. A more immediate focus for Six
The spas still have their rustic appeal, but design now has a more contemporary edge
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spabusiness.com issue 3 2015 ©CYBERTREK 2015
Senses is to refine and expand its spa and wellness offering under Jacobs and Bjurstam’s leadership. “Neil and Anna can talk better about it than I can, but we’re trying to aggressively position the spa business to offer many new
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