CEO of Six Senses Hotels, Resorts & Spas and sustainability pioneer Neil Jacobs leads us on a journey to Oman, Israel, Brazil, India, and beyond, as he explores some of his company’s off-the-beaten-path properties—and how each is making sustainable tourism fun in its own unique way. 

Neil, who speaks six different languages, is an ideal guide for a global journey. He speaks with Bruce about how his ability to communicate in locations worldwide opens up new experiences and often leads to his most cherished travel moments.  

He believes that a visit to a Six Senses property should leave people in a better place than when they arrived—and that the company’s hotels should have an equally positive impact on their local communities and environments. Six Senses’ Earth Lab is a progressive initiative that includes everything from onsite water bars (the company produces all of its drinking water at the hotels and doesn’t use any plastic bottles) to farms where guests can interact with the properties’ chickens, cows, ducks, goats, and even camels. 

Six Senses also offers a range of adventurous activities at its hotels and resorts—including a check-in by hang glider at Zighy Bay Resort on the Musandam Peninsula in Oman. From the Six Senses Shaharut in Israel, guests can set off on desert excursions, while India’s Ranthambore National Park is a venue for adventure at Fort Barwara, a 14th-century fort in Rajasthan that recently opened as a Six Senses resort. Six Senses also opened Six Senses Botanique in Brazil, in an area Neil refers to as “the Hamptons of Sao Paulo.” For a spiritual twist on Spain, travelers can take refuge at the Six Senses Ibiza, set in an area of northern Ibiza popular with shamans and healers.

Future locations for Six Senses include a remote corner of Iceland, home to waterfalls, ravines, mountains, and even an elf playground! A new hotel in Rome, a short walk away from the Trevi Fountain, is opening this year. Neil also talks about Six Senses’ upcoming projects in the Galapagos and Saudi Arabia, the latter of which he concedes is a controversial topic in the travel industry. 

Stick around to hear Bruce’s take on Saudi Arabia in the Wallin Wrap-Up, where he invites you to share your opinion on the subject on his Instagram page (@brucewallintravel) or via email, [email protected]. 

LEARN MORE:

Six Senses Group

Six Senses Ibiza in Spain

Six Senses Zighy Bay in Oman

Six Senses Shaharut in Israel

Six Senses Botanique in Brazil

Six Senses Fort Barwara in India

Bruce on Instagram

-----------------------------------

Learn more about the podcast: https://www.curtco.com/travelthatmatters

Hosted by: Bruce Wallin

Produced by: AJ Moseley

Music by: Joey Salvia

A CurtCo Media Production

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.