Samantha van Exter brings more than 25 years of luxury hospitality experience across Southern Africa, Europe and the Middle East, spanning resort operations, revenue management, hotel openings, wellness-led hotels and multi-property leadership.
As resort manager, she will oversee operations, commercial performance and guest experience at Six Senses’ Red Sea resort, which features 40 pool villas and 36 rooms powered entirely by solar energy.
Van Exter previously served as Area Director – Middle East for ME by Meliá in 2023, leading ME Dubai in the Zaha Hadid-designed Opus building. She then spent 11 years in London, most recently as Head of Hotels at Montcalm Collection, overseeing a portfolio of independent luxury hotels, including the B Corp-certified Inhabit wellness hotels.
Her previous roles include senior positions at Shangri-La The Shard, London, and ME London, as well as general manager roles with Steigenberger and Accor in the Netherlands. She began her career at The Palace of the Lost City at South Africa’s Sun City Resort, under Sol Kerzner and Jerry Inzerillo.
Describing her leadership style as “connecting with place and people first, inclusive, strategic and focused on continuous improvement,” van Exter places people at the heart of the guest experience. She believes that “making work fun enables us to carry that positivity over to our guests’ experience.”
Commenting on her appointment, Samantha van Exter 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.”
She added: “Hospitality is woven into Saudi culture, from the first cup of Saudi coffee offered to a guesto 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.”