Six Senses Southern Dunes appoints new director of wellness

Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea has appointed Lisa Markl as its new director of wellness.

Markl has joined the Saudi Arabian resort to lead and evolve the spa and wellness vision in line with Six Senses’ approach to wellbeing.

Bringing over a decade of experience in the sector, Markl most recently managed the spa at Four Seasons Bahrain Bay in Bahrain. Before that, she was spa manager at Naturhotel Forsthofgut in Austria.

Markl’s career began with Six Senses. Since 2015, she has worked at Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives and Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain in China, as well as Six Senses Yao Noi and Six Senses Spa at Soneva Kiri, both in Thailand.

She returns to the brand to focus on integrated wellness and spa excellence, and guide the continued evolution of the spa offering in Saudi Arabia.

“My priority is to further strengthen the team at Southern Dunes and refine our wellness offerings so they continue to deliver consistent, intuitive and impactful guest experiences,” continues Markl.

“By nurturing talent, encouraging collaboration and aligning our programmes with the overarching Six Senses’ philosophy, my goal is to reinforce Southern Dunes’ wellness positioning as a meaningful sanctuary within the Red Sea Global destination.”

In her new role, Markl will oversee all aspects of spa operations, wellness experiences and team development.

She has been tasked with fostering a culture of care and excellence, while elevating the guest experience through intentional, personalised wellness pathways.

Spaces to reconnect and restore

“Welcoming Lisa back to Six Senses truly feels like a homecoming,” says Benjamin Kreuz, general manager at Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea.

“Her understanding of spa operations goes far beyond management; it’s about creating spaces where guests can reconnect, restore and thrive. Lisa leads with heart, purpose and clarity.”

Speaking exclusively to European Spa, Markl adds: “Six Senses has already established a strong foundation of holistic and preventative wellness programmes at Southern Dunes. My focus will be on thoughtfully adapting these to resonate with our location, market and guest profiles.

“This includes integrating locally-inspired treatments that reflect our desert surroundings, while continuing to elevate our Holistic Anti-Aging Center, biohacking tools and Wellness Screening System.

“Sleep with Six Senses and Female Wellness will also play an increasingly important role, allowing us to further personalise journeys and support long-term wellbeing.”

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