Five new hotels are scheduled for completion by 2016.It also announced a project in Bhutan and the opening of Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain, China, at the end of 2013.

　　Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas has renewed energy and leadership after being acquired last April by U.S.-based private equity fund manager Pegasus Capital Advisors.

　　Earlier this week, the Bangkok-based company with nine managed hotels under the Six Senses and Evason brands announced significant expansion plans, including its first resorts in the Caribbean and South America. It also announced the appointment of two long-time Four Seasons executives Neil Jacobs as CEO and Wolf Hengst as executive chairman. With their vast experience and contacts, Jacobs and Henst hope to grow the brand to 40 hotels within five years, as well as integrate the company’s spa business, which manages 29 assets around the world.

　　Five new hotels are scheduled for completion by 2016. The additions will include the brand’s Western Hemisphere debut, with properties under development in St. Lucia, Dominican Republic and Colombia. It also announced a project in Bhutan and the opening of Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain, China, at the end of 2013.

Neil Jacobs ,CEO Of Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas

　　HOTELS spoke with Jacobs this week to learn more about the new team’s plans for expansion and tweaks to the concepts.

　　HOTELS: What role will Pegasus play in the expansion?

　　Neil Jacobs: It is a tremendous group and a different type of private equity firm that hasn’t done a lot of real estate deals. It is very intrigued by the wellness industry and very focused on sustainability, which is what attracted them to Six Senses. It was an investor and on the board for a few years prior to buying company and now it brings the ability for us, although primarily a management company, to take a greater position in a deal. We also may create another financial vehicle to run along side Six Senses.

　　HOTELS: Will you grow strictly through management?

　　Jacobs: Yes and no. We are able to have more skin in the game compared to most companies our size, which gives us a bit of an advantage when talking to developers.

　　HOTELS: How aggressively will Six Senses expand?

　　Jacobs: Very aggressively. Our timing is good. We don"t owe any money and have capital, so we are in a position to springboard. The company grew up in Asia, but I don"t see it as an Asian company because the hotels don"t look particularly Asian, and a huge goal is to take it out of Asia. The Caribbean, Central America and South America are huge opportunities. We are looking in Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador, as well. Asia continues to be on our radar, as does China, but we want to go everywhere. We have also talked a lot about the urban execution of the brand. We would love New York City, London and Shanghai.

　　Part of the program in Dominican Republic includes doing a destination spa, and that is part of our ongoing agenda. It can work in certain places and we have the bandwidth and people to accomplish this.

　　HOTELS: How much will be new development?

　　Jacobs: It will be a combination of new development and conversion. I would love to find a few existing properties. Having a strong sustainability piece, the greatest move is not to knock down a building and convert it, but it is not so easy and if we are in a city we need space, gardens, rooftops and space to do a decent size spa. So it is not a no brainer, but opportunities do exist. We just have to find them.