Luxury hotelier says he has plans to announce a new venture that feels like a “return to my own wild origins” and make hospitality “a force for good.”
SINGAPORE – Luxury hospitality leader Neil Jacobs announced his departure on Monday from Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas after 13
years with the brand.
In a LinkedIn post, Jacobs said he will soon be announcing a
new venture, “one that feels like a return to my own wild origins. A chance to
explore fresh ideas, challenge assumptions, and collaborate with kindred
spirits who believe, as I do, that hospitality can be a force for good.”
Jacobs added, “It is a moment filled with many emotions — pride in what we’ve
built, gratitude for those I’ve worked alongside, and excitement for what’s
ahead.”
A chance to explore fresh ideas, challenge assumptions, and collaborate with kindred spirits who believe, as I do, that hospitality can be a force for good.
Neil Jacobs
Jacobs joined Six Senses as CEO in late 2012 when Pegasus
Capital Advisors bought the Thai-based brand.
In early 2019, IHG acquired Six Senses for $300 million,
significantly expanding its luxury portfolio. The deal included Six Senses’
brands and operating companies but not the real estate assets. Six Senses,
known for its focus on wellness and sustainability, currently manages 27 hotels
and resorts, with 38 more in the pipeline, as well as 12 residential
developments in the works, according to IHG. The brand’s first social wellness
club, Six Senses Place, is due to open at Six Senses London later this year.
Just today, Six Senses announced it signed a management
agreement with Narai Hospitality Group to introduce the 100-room Six Senses
Bangkok as part of Hatai, a mixed-use development on the site of the iconic
Narai Hotel in the heart of Silom.
In a statement about Jacobs' departure IHG said, “For the last 13 years Neil Jacobs has been at the heart of
the growth and success of Six Senses, with his passion and vision helping
elevate the brand to a world-renowned reputation for wonderful properties,
sustainable practice and deep wellbeing. Neil has built a lasting legacy, and
with our sincerest gratitude and respect he has left the business to pursue new
challenges outside of IHG Hotels & Resorts.”
IHG did not comment when asked about potential replacements for Jacobs.
Prior to Six Senses, Jacobs spent four years as president of
Starwood Capital Group’s hotel group and before that 14 years with Four Seasons
Hotels and Resorts.
“Leading Six Senses has been one of the greatest privileges of my career,”
Jacobs continued. “From the start, we set out to create something different: a
brand rooted in purpose and guided by the belief that hospitality can be both
deeply meaningful and genuinely regenerative. We didn’t just build hotels, we
built a culture where sustainability, wellness, design, and experience were
always in service of something greater…
“I am incredibly proud of how far we have come. But what
matters most to me are the people: my colleagues, partners, and mentors who
brought this vision to life with passion, creativity, and courage. You’ve
shaped me in ways I’ll carry forward always, and made this chapter not just
memorable, but truly transformative.”