Neil Jacobs is the visionary behind Six Senses, the once-niche hotel group that, over the past 13 years, has become one of the world’s most admired luxury hospitality brands. Under his leadership, the company expanded its portfolio of remote, regenerative resorts from 8 properties to 26—all of them rooted in local culture, sustainability, and guest well-being, often well before the industry caught up. I’ve long admired the way Jacobs has scaled these values into a global brand that walks the walk, supported by an impressive team that includes wellness leader Anna Bjurstam and sustainability head Jeff Smith. Even after the brand’s acquisition by IHG in 2019, Jacobs successfully safeguarded its ethos, ensuring Six Senses stayed true to its mission.
When Jacobs recently announced his departure from his role as CEO after more than a decade of groundbreaking work, he alluded to a new chapter—and I had to know what was next. That chapter is Wild Origins, a new company still taking shape but clearly rooted in his lifelong passions: wellness, sustainability, design, and local culture, all guided by a belief in travel’s power to transform both people and place.
I caught up with Jacobs last weekend while he was traveling through Hanoi. In this wide-ranging conversation, he reflects on his career with Six Senses, the health crisis that changed his outlook, and what today’s guests are really seeking—and what they’ll want next.
You were with IHG for six years after the acquisition of Six Senses—longer than you originally expected. What made this the right moment to move on?
Honestly, when we sold the company, I didn’t think I’d stay very long. It was a clean deal—no earn-out, no golden handcuffs. I could have left with six months’ notice at any point. But I loved the brand, and it kept evolving in exciting ways. Then this January, I brought up the idea of moving on. I was thinking, if I’m going to do one more big thing in my career, I should start it now. I’m not 30 anymore. I’ve probably got another decade of this work in me, and I want to make it count.
It felt like the right time for me and for the group. IHG was already thinking about reorganizing, and instead of replacing me, they’re shifting to a regional structure. My COO, Neil Palmer, who’s fantastic, will now oversee Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with dotted lines to other markets. And they’re creating a dedicated upper-luxury division that will include Six Senses and Regent. I think that’s a smart move.
Guests can enjoy a serene pool at Patina Osaka.
Photo by Georg Roske
When you look back at your time leading Six Senses, what do you feel most proud of?
Well, we went from a relatively unknown niche brand to something that has real presence and respect in the industry. That’s been so gratifying. I think we stayed true to our values—especially around sustainability and wellness—while growing thoughtfully. We’ll hit 50 hotels within the next three years, and we’ve had long conversations about slowing down and being even more strategic. It’s not about growing to 150 hotels. That was never the vision.
We weren’t ever trying to be flashy or formal—we weren’t about marble or crystal chandeliers. We had a strong, values-driven narrative that distinguished us from other luxury brands. That culture—that drive to do good in the world without being too precious about it—is what made Six Senses stand out. And I think it will continue to carry the brand forward.
But what I’m most proud of is the culture we built. It wasn’t just me—it was people like Anna, Jeff, and others across the executive team who were truly passionate. Everyone believed in what we were doing, and that shared sense of purpose shaped our success. IHG is a massive company, and I didn’t expect to find the kind of warmth and support that I did there. The people are genuinely good, and that made the journey feel really human.
Tell me more about Wild Origins, your new advisory collective—how are you thinking about this next chapter in your career?
I’ve just started a new chapter with Wild Origins, and it’s still taking shape, but it might involve brand development, investment, or new concepts in hospitality. As part of that effort, I’ve taken on a senior strategic advisor role with Capella Hotel Group, which is owned by the Kwee family and includes luxury brands Capella Hotels and Resorts and Patina Hotels & Resorts. I’ve known the family for years and always talked about working together—it finally felt like the right time.
There’s incredible quality and design here, and we’re looking at how to articulate a stronger voice around that as well as sustainability and wellness. The Capella team is passionate about finding and offering unusual cultural experiences wherever they are—with Muay Thai in Bangkok, tea experiences in Taipei, and incredible culinary experiences—and I want to help tie all those amazing moments together into a clearer brand narrative.
The Katamama Suite at Desa Potato Head features a private garden that faces the sea.
Courtesy of Desa Potato Head
Beyond that, I’ve started advising Desa Potato Head in Bali. They’ve grown from a beach club into something much more—two hotels now, both deeply committed to sustainability and creativity. They’re fortunate enough to have raised more capital recently, so they want to expand internationally, and I’m helping them think through where and how. Japan is high on their list, and I think there are things to do in the Americas. I think this has legs because their product is super cool and high end without being crazy expensive, and they care about the things I care about.
We’ve talked in the past about your health journey and your battle with bladder cancer. First of all—how are you doing now? And how did that experience shape the way you move through the world today?
I’m doing well now—thank you. I do take more care of myself than I used to. I’ve got a trainer three times a week, I lost about 30 pounds, and I try to stay consistent with things like meditation and gym time. So that’s been an important shift.
As for how my health journey shaped me . . . I know some people thought I was traveling too much after what I’d been through. But being out in the world, with people I care about and who care about me, helped me heal.
When I was first diagnosed, I actually went to India. I couldn’t have surgery right away because my bladder needed to heal from the biopsies, so I had a window of about eight weeks. I told the doctors in Singapore and London—both Western doctors—that I was going to India first. One didn’t even know what Ayurveda was. The other just said, “Really?” I said yes, and off I went.
I stayed there for six to eight weeks, undergoing intensive Ayurvedic treatment—10 hours a day, living it. It was a real spiritual awakening. I’d talked about Ayurveda before, but I’d never fully immersed myself in it until then. At the clinic, they checked me out and said, “We think we can help—but since you started with a Western approach, you should go back, follow through with the treatment plan, and then return to us so we can detox whatever they put in you.” And that’s what I did.
Purpose and pleasure aren’t mutually exclusive—we can, and should, do both. To me, that’s what resonates, and I think people want that today.
It’s been nearly 10 years now. The cancer was aggressive, but it hadn’t spread much—I was very lucky. And I really do believe that time in India helped take me through it. Since then, I’ve leaned further into holistic practices whenever I can. I’m not anti-Western medicine—there’s absolutely a place for allopathic care—but if there are ways to avoid invasive procedures through more holistic approaches, I’ll explore them. Ayurveda has been around for 5,000 years. It’s not always easy—I ate congee three times a day for six weeks!—but there’s meaning in all of it.
Ultimately, I believe there are no accidents. That experience opened me up in so many ways. And it reaffirmed a lot about how I want to live, how I want to lead, and what kind of hospitality experiences I want to help create going forward.
As you think about what’s next for travel and hospitality, what would you love to see more of—and less of—in the hotel world today?
I think smaller, more personality-driven hospitality brands are chipping away at the big players—and that’s a good thing. Travelers today, especially at the high end, are looking for experiences with a strong identity and story. You can’t be everything to everyone. That’s when you become vanilla and lose your edge.
What matters now is a strong narrative—what do you stand for? What’s your purpose? That’s what differentiates you. At Six Senses, we had a clear story. At the brands I’m involved in now, I think we do too. But not enough companies get that right.
People aren’t looking for possessions anymore. They want meaning. They want connection. And they want to feel like they’re part of something beautiful, something purposeful. Not in a preachy or religious way—but give them a vehicle to do some good in the world, and they’ll respond.
Great service, great food, a comfortable bed—that’s the baseline now, not the story. Especially with what hotels are charging. You have to offer more. There should be a takeaway from a stay beyond just lying on the beach. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Honestly, I’ve spent my life in luxury, but sometimes I get uncomfortable when it’s just luxury for luxury’s sake. If there’s no deeper contribution, I’m not interested. Purpose and pleasure aren’t mutually exclusive—we can, and should, do both. To me, that’s what resonates, and I think people want that today.
