Ophir Sternberg, Founding Partner and CEO of Lionheart Capital LLC, announced a partnership with Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas to exclusively develop Six Senses resorts, spas and residences in Nicaragua. The Six Senses properties in Nicaragua will be owned by Lionheart and operated by Six Senses.

Six Senses currently manages 36 luxury properties across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, and plans to double in size over the next three years.

“Nicaragua recently has emerged as a thriving tourism destination, with tourist arrivals up more than 8.2 per cent annually for the past five years, and I am proud that Lionheart will be the first to establish a celebrated international luxury resort brand in the country,” said Sternberg. “Six Senses is known for offering authentic vacation experiences in sustainably developed luxury resorts, spas and residences properties set in ‘far-flung locations of exceptional beauty,’ so the brand is a perfect match for Nicaragua.”

Lionheart Nica and Six Senses’ first co-venture in Nicaragua will be the conversion of Aqua Wellness Resort into Six Senses Nicaragua. Aqua Wellness Resort, a “barefoot-luxury” property on Nicaragua’s Pacific “Emerald Coast,” opened in 2010 and was acquired by Lionheart Nica in 2014. The largest boutique beach resort in Nicaragua, Aqua features a white-sand beach, 50 unique tree-house villas, and dining, spa and yoga facilities.

In the next several years, Lionheart Nica will invest between $20 million and $40 million to enhance and enlarge Aqua over 100 acres and rebrand it as Six Senses Nicaragua. This will include adding 40 tree-house villas, swimming pools, a new spa and restaurant, and a select number of for-sale private Six Senses Residences. The conversion of Aqua into Six Senses Nicaragua will generate between 100 and 200 temporary jobs and between 300 and 500 permanent jobs for Nicaraguans.

The new one-, two- and three-bedroom Six Senses Residences built at Six Senses Nicaragua will offer expansive indoor/outdoor living space, swimming pools, and Pacific Ocean and tropical forest views. The Six Senses Residences will be available for sale for full ownership and will be priced on average around US$2,000,000. Owners can opt to enter their residences into the Six Senses Nicaragua rental pool. A limited number of Six Senses Residences are currently available for pre-sale at preferred founders pricing.

Six Senses Hotels & Resorts, www.sixsenses.com