Soneva, the world-leading luxury resort operator, has announced a unique partnership with the MICHELIN Guide for 20 dinner events which will be hosted at its resorts in the Maldives and Thailand. The dinners, which run from September 2018 until mid 2019, are part of Soneva's Festival of Colour, a celebration of Soneva's diverse array of visiting experts and designed to offer unique guest experiences.

Throughout the festival, some of the world's most celebrated and decorated chefs, all of whom have come from Michelin starred restaurants, will be hosting highly exclusive dinner events at Soneva properties. This is the first time that the MICHELIN Guide has done any kind of event in the Maldives. The partnership is also designed to appeal to the international foodie scene and cement Soneva's reputation as an epicurean destination.

Many of the dinner events will be held at Soneva Fushi's recently opened Once Upon a Table, the most intimate dining experience available at Soneva. Once Upon a Table offers a private horseshoe-shaped table that seats only eight guests. This intimate setting allows guests to watch the chefs at work creating and serving their dishes, and to also interact with the chefs themselves. Once Upon a Table is completed by a retractable roof, that enables guests to enjoy views of the twinkling night sky as they dine. The floors-to-ceiling windows compliments this further by affording guests sweeping views of the Baa Atoll and Maldivian sunsets.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Soneva and the MICHELIN Guide will be jointly promoting the following chef events, most of which feature chefs from restaurants worldwide with two or three Michelin stars:
1. Gert de Mangeleer, from three starred Belgium restaurant Hertog Jan, who will be cooking at Soneva Fushi from October 7 – 12, 2018
2. Bruno Oger, from two starred French restaurant La Villa Archange, who will be cooking at Soneva Fushi from October 15 – 21, 2018
3. Yoann Conte, from two starred French restaurant Bord du Lac, who will be cooking at Soneva Fushi from November 5 – 12, 2018
4. Pere Planaguma, from two starred Spanish restaurant Les Cols who will be cooking at Soneva Fushi from November 25 – December 02, 2018
5. Tim Raue, from two starred German Restaurant Tim Raue, who will be cooking at Soneva Fushi from December 5 – 14, 2018
6. Ronan Kevarrec, from two starred French restaurant La Table de Plaisance, who will be cooking at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani from December 22 – January 04, 2019
7. Tom Aikens, from two starred UK restaurant Toms Kitchen,who will be cooking at Soneva Fushi from February 14 – 17, 2019
8. Guillaume Bracaval, from two starred French restaurant Michel Troisgros,who will be cooking at Soneva Fushi from March 4 – 9, 2019
9. Maxime Meilleur, from three starred French restaurant La Bouitte,who will be cooking at Soneva Fushi from October 6 – 11, 2019

*The Michelin stars represented above are based upon the respective restaurant's recognition for 2018 edition in their respective cities/ territories.

The remaining chef events will be announced soon.

More than 30 chefs are confirmed to visit Soneva properties in 2018 and 2019, most of which have originated from restaurants that have received Michelin stars.  In addition to the chefs, Soneva will be welcoming explorers, free-divers, astronauts, astronomers, authors, wellness experts, wine producers, sake experts, and other people who will all be offering guest activities.

“This partnership is an extraordinary opportunity for Soneva guests to celebrate culinary excellence in an outstanding environment. This collaboration is totally in line with Michelin's desire to offer travellers unique fine dining experiences all over the world”says Alexandre Taisne, Michelin Group Food & Beverage Director.

“Gastronomy is now one of the most important factors when deciding where to stay, especially in the luxury travel segment when “good food” is no longer enough. We focus on creating rare, lasting experiences for guests and part of this is welcoming these incredible chefs to create their renowned dishes using our organic and locally sourced ingredients.  We hope that our guests will experience a life changing meal when they stay with us, and we are delighted to have this opportunity to partner with the MICHELIN Guide”concluded Sonu Shivdasani, Soneva's CEO and Co-Creative Director.

For more information about Soneva, visit www.soneva.com. For more information about the Festival of Colour, visit www.soneva.com/festivalofcolour

About Soneva
Soneva is a pioneering family of hospitality properties and products, offering holistic encounters in luxurious and inspiring environments – from world class hotels to outstanding natural locations. Combining luxury with a conscientious approach to sustainability and the environment, and proactively changing the nature of hospitality, it delivers intuitive service and meaningful experiences to the guests.

Soneva currently owns and operates Soneva Fushi, Soneva Jani and Soneva in Aqua in the Maldives and Soneva Kiri in Thailand.

About the MICHELIN Guide
The MICHELIN Guide selects the best restaurants and hotels in the 30 countries it covers. Providing a showcase of gourmet dining around the world, it highlights the culinary dynamism of a country, as well as new trends and emerging young chefs. Creating value for restaurants through the distinctions that it attributes each year, the MICHELIN Guide contributes to the prestige of the local gastronomy, thereby making cities and countries more attractive to tourists. Backed by its rigorous selection method and longstanding knowledge of the hospitality industry, the MICHELIN Guide provides customers with unique expertise that enables it to offer them a true quality service.

The different selections are available in both print and digital versions. They are accessible via the Web and on a full range of mobile media that offer navigation capabilities adapted to individual usage as well as an on-line booking service.

With the MICHELIN Guide, the Group continues to support millions of travellers, allowing them to live a unique mobility experience