Six Senses Appoints Samantha van Exter as General Manager
The Red Sea, Saudi Arabia: Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, has announced the appointment of Samantha van Exter as its new General Manager. Bringing more than 25 years of luxury hospitality experience across Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East, van Exter will oversee the resort’s operations, commercial performance and guest experience.
Her appointment comes as Saudi Arabia continues to develop its tourism and hospitality sector, with The Red Sea destination positioning itself around luxury travel, sustainability and experiences connected to the natural environment. At Six Senses Southern Dunes, van Exter will lead the team in delivering the brand’s approach to wellness, environmental responsibility and meaningful connections with guests.
Located in the desert landscape of The Red Sea destination, the resort features 40 pool villas and 36 rooms, with operations powered entirely by solar energy. Its setting and sustainability-focused approach form an important part of the guest experience, placing the property within Saudi Arabia’s evolving luxury hospitality landscape.
Six Senses Southern Dunes Welcomes Experienced Hospitality Leader
Samantha van Exter brings extensive international experience spanning resort operations, revenue management, hotel openings, wellness-led hospitality and multi-property leadership. Her background includes senior positions with established luxury hotel brands and independent hospitality collections across several markets.
In her new role at Six Senses Southern Dunes, van Exter will be responsible for overseeing the resort’s overall performance, ensuring that operational standards, commercial objectives and guest expectations remain aligned.
The position also places her at the centre of the property’s efforts to deliver the Six Senses experience in a distinctive desert setting. The brand’s emphasis on wellness, sustainability and meaningful connections will guide the resort’s approach to welcoming international travellers.
Her experience managing luxury properties and hotel portfolios is relevant to a role that combines day-to-day operational leadership with a broader focus on guest satisfaction and business performance. Her background in wellness-led hotels also brings experience that aligns with the resort’s focus on wellbeing and considered hospitality.
Van Exter’s appointment adds another experienced leader to Saudi Arabia’s expanding hospitality industry, where destination development and the growth of luxury accommodation are creating opportunities for international expertise and local talent.
From ME Dubai to London’s Luxury Hotel Sector
Before joining Six Senses, van Exter spent 11 years in London, where she most recently served as Head of Hotels at Montcalm Collection. In that position, she led a portfolio of independent luxury hotels, including the B Corp-certified Inhabit wellness hotels.
Her work with the collection brought together portfolio leadership and an approach to hospitality that placed wellbeing among its key considerations. This experience provides relevant insight for her new position at Six Senses Southern Dunes, where wellness and sustainability are central to the property’s identity.
Van Exter also brings experience from the Middle East. In 2023, she served as Area Director – Middle East for ME by Meliá, leading ME Dubai in the Zaha Hadid-designed Opus building.
Her regional experience gives her an understanding of the luxury hospitality environment in the Middle East, complementing her international background across Europe and Southern Africa.
Earlier in her career, van Exter held senior roles at Shangri-La The Shard, London, and ME London. She also served in general manager positions with Steigenberger and Accor in the Netherlands.
She began her hospitality career at The Palace of the Lost City at South Africa’s Sun City Resort, working under Sol Kerzner and Jerry Inzerillo. This early experience formed part of a career that has since included leadership responsibilities across luxury hotels, independent properties and wellness-focused hospitality concepts.
Industry Recognition for Samantha van Exter
Van Exter’s contribution to the hospitality sector has received industry recognition. She was named Hotelier of the Year 2025 at Hotel Designs’ Brit List Awards and was a finalist for Hotelier of the Year 2026 at The Hotel Magazine Awards.
These acknowledgements reflect her professional standing within the hotel industry and add to the experience she brings to her new leadership position.
Her career has included a variety of operational and strategic responsibilities, from managing individual luxury hotels to leading a wider collection of properties. This breadth of experience is particularly relevant to a general manager role that requires oversight of operations, commercial performance, team development and the overall guest journey.
At Six Senses Southern Dunes, her responsibilities will extend across these areas, with the aim of ensuring that the resort delivers a consistent experience while maintaining its distinctive identity within The Red Sea destination.
A Leadership Approach Focused on People and Place
Van Exter describes her leadership style as “connecting with place and people first, inclusive, strategic and focused on continuous improvement.”
This philosophy places people at the centre of hospitality, recognising that the guest experience is shaped not only by the physical setting or facilities but also by the teams responsible for delivering service.
She also believes that creating a positive working environment can influence the experience guests receive. As she explains, “making work fun enables us to carry that positivity over to our guests’ experience.”
At a luxury resort, this approach connects team culture with the wider service experience. Employees play an important role in communicating a property’s character, helping guests understand its setting and delivering the personal interactions that contribute to memorable stays.
For van Exter, leadership involves balancing strategic direction with an inclusive working culture and a commitment to ongoing improvement. At Six Senses Southern Dunes, this approach will be applied within a resort environment where the surrounding desert landscape, wellness philosophy and local cultural context contribute to the overall experience.
Her focus on people also aligns with the importance of developing hospitality talent in Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom continues to expand its tourism offering.
Six Senses Southern Dunes and Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Vision
Commenting on her appointment, van Exter highlighted Saudi Arabia’s growing role in international tourism and the importance of The Red Sea destination within that development.
She said: “Saudi Arabia is writing one of the most exciting chapters in global tourism, and The Red Sea is at the heart of that story. Vision 2030 has set a bold ambition to welcome the world through tourism that is regenerative, sustainable and rooted in place. Six Senses Southern Dunes embodies that ambition, from its solar-powered operations to its deep respect for the desert landscape. I am honoured to join the team and to contribute to a vision that is shaping the future of luxury travel in the region.”
Her comments underline the connection between the resort’s identity and Saudi Arabia’s wider tourism ambitions. Vision 2030 seeks to diversify the Kingdom’s economy, with tourism playing an important role in developing new destinations and attracting international visitors.
The Red Sea destination brings together luxury hospitality and a desert environment, creating a setting in which the relationship between the built environment and the surrounding landscape is central to the experience.
Six Senses Southern Dunes reflects this approach through its solar-powered operations and its focus on wellness and meaningful connections. Under van Exter’s leadership, the resort will continue to welcome guests seeking an experience shaped by the destination and the brand’s hospitality philosophy.
Celebrating Saudi Hospitality and Developing Local Talent
Van Exter also highlighted the importance of Saudi hospitality traditions and the role of local culture in shaping the guest experience.
She said: “Hospitality is woven into Saudi culture, from the first cup of Saudi coffee offered to a guest to the generosity of a shared table. At Six Senses Southern Dunes, we want every guest to feel that warmth, expressed through our people, our cuisine and the stories of this land. I look forward to working alongside our team and to nurturing and developing the Saudi talent who are the truest ambassadors of that spirit.”
Her remarks place cultural connection and team development among the priorities for the resort. Traditional expressions of Saudi hospitality, including the offering of Saudi coffee and the sharing of food, provide meaningful ways to introduce guests to local customs.
For international visitors, these interactions can offer a more personal understanding of the destination beyond accommodation and amenities. They can also help connect the resort experience with the traditions and stories of the surrounding region.
Van Exter’s commitment to nurturing Saudi talent highlights another important dimension of hospitality leadership. Developing local professionals can help strengthen the sector’s capabilities while ensuring that the people delivering the guest experience understand and represent the culture of the destination.
At Six Senses Southern Dunes, this approach will bring together the expertise of an internationally experienced leadership team with the contributions of local hospitality professionals.
A New Chapter for Six Senses Southern Dunes
The appointment of Samantha van Exter marks a new chapter for Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, as Saudi Arabia continues to expand its luxury tourism offering.
Her experience across Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East, combined with her background in hotel operations, wellness-led hospitality and multi-property leadership, brings a broad perspective to the role.
As General Manager, she will oversee the resort’s operations, commercial performance and guest experience, with a focus on the brand’s approach to sustainability, wellness and meaningful connections.
The property’s 40 pool villas and 36 rooms, together with its solar-powered operations and desert setting, form the foundation of an experience designed around its distinctive location.
Van Exter’s emphasis on people, Saudi hospitality traditions and local talent also highlights the importance of building a guest experience that reflects the character of the destination.
With her appointment, Six Senses Southern Dunes strengthens its leadership as The Red Sea continues to develop its presence in international luxury travel. The focus remains on bringing together operational expertise, responsible hospitality and a sense of place to welcome guests from around the world.
