Teddy Susanto Wiryawan Appointed as General Manager of Soneva Jani
Soneva has announced the appointment of Teddy Susanto Wiryawan as General Manager of Soneva Jani in Noonu Atoll with over 25 years of experience in the international hospitality industry in luxury hotels and resorts of Asia, Middle East, Caribbean and Indian Ocean. Wiryawan takes charge of Soneva Jani after working as General Manager of Vakkaru Maldives from November 2024 to October 2026. He spent two years at the Baa Atoll resort working in the areas of commercial excellence, guest service, operations and international positioning of the resort. In a post on LinkedIn announcing his exit from Vakkaru Maldives and his new position at Soneva Jani, Wiryawan talked about his experience at the erstwhile resort and thanked the team with whom he had worked.
"Some decisions are never easy. One of them is to say goodbye to the place that has defined both your professional and personal development. As I conclude a wonderful chapter at Vakkaru Maldives, I cannot help but feel grateful – for the trust, friendship, challenges that made me strong, and outstanding team which enabled all achievements," he added.In regards to the new role, he said, "However, at the same time, I am excited about the next step in my career. I am looking forward to the new opportunities, learning from another great team and continuing my mission of delivering amazing experiences for our guests."Prior to Vakkaru Maldives, Wiryawan worked almost six years with Alila Hotels & Resorts, a brand within Hyatt luxury collection of hotels, occupying positions of General Manager in a few hotels in Southeast Asia.His last job at Alila was at Alila Dalit Bay in Sabah, Malaysia, as the General Manager from April 2023 until July 2024, preparing for the opening. Previously, he worked at Alila Solo in Central Java, Indonesia, as the General Manager from July 2020 until April 2023.
As far as Wiryawan’s assignments for the Alila brand are concerned, he was appointed as General Manager of Alila Villas Koh Russey in Cambodia from October 2019 to July 2020, and of Alila Jakarta in Indonesia from October 2018 to October 2019. In both cases, Wiryawan got some hands-on experience with resort management and property repurposing/management.Prior to working for the Alila brand, he worked as General Manager of Sailrock Resort in the Turks and Caicos Islands. In this role, his key responsibilities included the supervision of pre-opening, opening, and phased development of the resort.
Before joining COMO Hotels and Resorts, Wiryawan had held different positions there, among which there were such titles as Hotel Manager of COMO Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands from May 2013 to May 2016, Executive Assistant Manager of Metropolitan by COMO in Bangkok, and Rooms Division Manager and Front Office Manager of Uma by COMO in Ubud, Bali. Apart from the Turks and Caicos Islands, Wiryawan has gained experience while working with COMO Hotels and Resorts in London and Bhutan.
Wiryawan received his Bachelor of Applied Science in Hotel Administration degree from the Bali Tourism Institute in a period between 1997 and 2001. Wiryawan’s professional development includes leadership in hospitality, revenue management, hotel distribution, digital marketing and performance management.
His appointment as General Manager of Soneva Jani is an indication of his continued presence in the luxury hospitality industry of the Maldives, considering that he served as the GM at Vakkaru Maldives, with experiences from project opening to managing existing resorts and businesses as well as operations.The Soneva Jani is one of the luxury resorts of Soneva in the Maldives, together with the Soneva Fushi in Baa Atoll and the Soneva Secret in Haa Dhaalu Atoll. The Soneva Jani is located on the island of Medhufaru in the Noonu Atoll and is situated within a lagoon with an approximate flight time of 40 minutes by seaplane from the Velana International Airport.The accommodation at the Soneva Jani is made up of overwater and island villas that feature multiple bedrooms to cater for family and group stays.The resort offers a variety of eating places including The Crab Shack, Director’s Cut, Asian Kitchen in the Garden, among others serving international and regional cuisine. In addition to that, there are dining facilities within the resort that offer private dining services, organic food from the island gardens, and complimentary chocolate, ice cream, and cheese rooms.
Wellness facilities at Soneva jani consist of Soneva Soul which blends traditional healing practices with modern wellness programs and personalized wellness programs. Guest activities include snorkeling, diving, water sports, tennis, padel, star gazing, and Cinema Paradiso.For cases when families are staying at the resort, Soneva provides The Den that accommodates children and teenagers covering an area of more than 1,500 square meters offering both indoor and outdoor play areas with slides, a pirate ship, and entertainment facilities.Sustainability and environmental conservation is among Soneva’s operational principles, with the resort implementing marine conservation, waste minimization, sustainable resource management, and environmental education.Wiryawan will join Soneva during a time when the company is growing its luxury hospitality portfolio in the Maldives, with Soneva Jani characterized by personalized service, wellness, family offerings, and its unique lagoon setting.
