Six Senses Fiji Sold Following Successful Restructure

Leading restructuring experts Vaughan Strawbridge and David McGrath of FTI Consulting announce completion of the sale of Six Senses Fiji, one of Fiji’s premier five-star luxury resorts. The sale was exclusively managed by JLL Hotels and Hospitality Brokers’ Nick Thompson (New Zealand) and Peter Harper (Australia), following a successful restructure and relaunch led by FTI Consulting.

Six Senses Fiji’s future is secure under its new owner, Sequitur Resorts, and will be operated by predominantly local Fijian staff, employing over 130 people. The resort recommenced its premium customer experience on 1 April with all previous bookings transferred and honoured. 

Vaughan Strawbridge from FTI Consulting said:

“After being closed for more than two years, I am delighted Six Senses Fiji has reopened to guests and reemployed a full team of staff. It was an extraordinary effort by management and staff to reopen the resort after being closed for 2 years, they did an amazing job” 

“The restructuring of Six Senses Fiji is a prime example of how innovative thinking can return a tourism business to full health following this turbulent COVID-19 crisis period. Six Senses Fiji is now completely focused on providing a premium experience to customers and has a bright future, backed by a robust financial structure and an extremely dedicated owner.”

Nick Thompson from JLL said:

“The sale demonstrates the revitalization of tourism investment in the Pacific. The market has responded to a reinvigorated resort business in a first-rate tourism destination. The resort sold unconditionally after just one month on the market.”

“For more than two years now the tourism industry has been in a holding pattern. This major sale shows that businesses willing to adapt can have a strong future. We ran a comprehensive and global campaign but still we were impressed by the sheer amount of interest we received.”

“Optimism around the removal of border restrictions and a return to tourism has started to drive activity and investors don’t want to miss the opportunity. This unwavering demand means sellers of hotel and hospitality assets in Asia Pacific are receiving returns akin to before the pandemic.”

The Six Senses Fiji resort, completed in 2018, is a stunning luxury 24-villa resort located on the western coastline of Malolo Island, within the Mamanuca Islands. Malolo Island is considered one of Fiji’s premier island locations, given the ease of accessibility from Viti Levu, its high-quality land and marine environment, and the precedent that has been set by the existing standard of accommodation facilities.

Fiji is a world-renowned destination enjoying direct flights from many international destinations including Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. Visitor arrivals had shown significant growth from 2000 to 2019, increasing from 300,000 annually to 900,000.

FTI Consulting has established a strong restructuring practice in the region in recent years.