Sun Siyam has picked up two International Property Awards Asia Pacific wins, marking a notable moment for the Maldivian hospitality group’s design ambitions across the Indian Ocean.
The honours recognise interiors at Sun Siyam Pasikudah in Sri Lanka and the newly reimagined Deluxe Water Villa at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi in the Maldives, both shaped in partnership with London-based Studio Sixty7.
It’s a strong endorsement of a design language that favours craft, restraint and a close reading of place over imported resort theatre.
At a glance
- Sun Siyam and Studio Sixty7 have won two International Property Awards Asia Pacific design honours.
- The awards recognise hotel interiors at Sun Siyam Pasikudah and suite interiors at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi.
- The projects highlight locally grounded design across Sri Lanka’s northeast coast and the Maldives’ Noonu Atoll.
Two island properties recognised in Bangkok
The awards were presented in Bangkok, Thailand, with Sun Siyam receiving the Hotel Interiors award for Sri Lanka and the Hotel Suite Interiors award for the Maldives.
The International Property Awards Asia Pacific are assessed by an independent panel of more than 80 industry specialists and are widely regarded as a serious measure of design and architectural quality in the region.
For Sun Siyam, the double win is especially meaningful because it spans two very different hospitality settings.
One is a boutique coastal retreat on Sri Lanka’s northeast shore, while the other is a flagship Maldivian resort where overwater living is central to the guest experience.
The lagoon-led calm of Sun Siyam Iru Fushi
At Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, the award focuses on the Deluxe Water Villa, the first completed chapter in a wider design transformation led by Studio Sixty7.
The resort sits on a private island in Noonu Atoll and is part of Sun Siyam’s Luxury Collection, with 15 dining and bar venues, an award-winning spa offering more than 165 treatments and the largest diving centre in the region.
The redesigned villa interiors use muted tones, natural textures and softly sculpted forms to create a quieter, more tactile version of Maldivian luxury.
Gently imperfect plastered walls, breathable linen and layered finishes give the spaces a relaxed polish without making them feel overly styled.
The villa is arranged as a frame for the ocean, with an open-plan flow and a bathroom positioned to look directly toward the lagoon.
Private decks, suspended hammocks and soft green accents extend the sense of stillness outside.
In the Horizon Water Villas, the experience expands with a 22 sq m private pool and sunken seating designed for slow mornings and unhurried afternoons by the water.
Pasikudah’s craft-led coastal renewal
Sun Siyam Pasikudah received the award for Hotel Interiors in Sri Lanka following an extensive transformation that saw the resort reopen in November 2023.
The property sits along a pristine stretch of Sri Lanka’s northeast coastline and is part of the Privé Collection under The House of Siyam.
Its 34 contemporary pavilions were reworked with new colour concepts, fittings, furnishings and guest offerings, while retaining the original structure that gives the resort its architectural identity.
Local craftsmanship sits at the heart of the renovation.
Studio Sixty7 worked with Sri Lankan artisans and community woodworkers on bespoke furniture, handmade chandeliers and joinery pieces created specifically for the property.
The result is an interior scheme that feels connected to the island’s material culture rather than simply decorated with regional cues.
That local connection extends beyond the rooms, with nearly 90 percent of the resort’s team drawn from surrounding communities.
A design partnership rooted in place
Studio Sixty7 was founded by Jose Rivero and Lee McNichol, whose work across both projects reflects an interest in materiality, atmosphere and context.
For Sun Siyam, that approach suits a hospitality portfolio where the setting does much of the emotional work.
The most effective resort interiors don’t compete with the landscape.
They tune the pace of a room to its surroundings, whether that means the filtered light of a Sri Lankan pavilion or the open blue horizon of a Maldivian water villa.
Rivero and McNichol described the projects as deeply rooted in their environments, adding that luxury and respect for place needn’t be opposing ideas.
That thinking is what gives these awards their real weight.
For travellers, the appeal is not simply that two resorts have been decorated well, but that both properties are being refined with a clearer sense of where they are and how guests should feel once they arrive.
