Six Senses is to completely rebrand all the existing spas and resorts in its portfolio, introduce a new spa concept and open five new properties during 2008.

The significant rebranding decision was made following extensive market surveys of the ‘Six Senses’ brand.

The group’s flagship brand, Soneva Resorts, will now be known as Soneva by Six Senses; Evason Hideaways are to be renamed Six Senses Hideaways and the Evason Resorts will become Six Senses Latitude. Six Senses Spas will remain the same while the first property under the new Six Senses Destination Spa brand will open in the middle of this year, off the coast of Phuket in Thailand.

The property will have 61 pool villas and a 32,291sq ft (3,000sq m) spa with four themes: Chinese, Indonesian/Balinese, Indian and Thai.

Elsewhere within the group, other 2008 openings include the Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay on Oman’s Musandam Peninsula and two Six Senses Latitude sites – one in Jafre, Spain, and the other in the Laamu Atoll in the Maldives. There will also be a Soneva Kiri opening on the Thai island of Kood later this year.