Aug 31: Inside the walls of Six Senses Fort Barwara, history, wellness and hospitality have been having a rather interesting conversation for centuries. Now, there are two new voices joining in.The resort welcomes Apoorv Jawa as Director of Operations and Sumit Kedia as Executive Chef, bringing fresh perspectives, plenty of experience and, importantly, their own personalities to two of the most important parts of the guest journey — how guests are looked after and what happens when they sit down to eat.
Meet Apoorv: Making the Magic Look Easy
With over a decade in luxury hospitality, Apoorv Jawa has pretty much seen it all — from concierge and guest services to front office and rooms operations, from city hotels to resorts in far-flung corners of the world.
His superpower? Making complicated things look remarkably simple.
For Apoorv, great operations are not about guests noticing how well everything works. Quite the opposite. The best compliment is when they don’t notice at all. It is about anticipating needs, creating seamless experiences, keeping teams engaged and making sure that all those tiny details guests may never see are quietly doing their job.
He believes great hospitality is as much about people as it is about processes. Strong teams, genuine connections and just enough room for spontaneity can turn a perfectly well-run stay into one that people actually remember.
A passionate mentor and people developer, Apoorv enjoys building teams that are as curious about hospitality as they are good at delivering it.
And when he is not keeping a 700-year-old fort running smoothly, he can usually be found travelling, discovering a new culture or following the scent of a good local meal. Because, in his view, the best way to learn how to welcome people into the world is to keep exploring it yourself.
Meet Sumit: Because Good Food Should Come With a Story
Then there is Sumit Kedia, our new Executive Chef, who brings years of culinary adventures to Fort Barwara, including time at Six Senses Laamu and other renowned international hotel groups.
His kitchen passport is impressively well stamped, with experience spanning Contemporary European, Southeast Asian and Modern Indian cuisine. But despite all those influences, Sumit keeps his culinary philosophy beautifully uncomplicated:
Respect the produce. Celebrate the destination. And, wherever possible, let the ingredients do the talking.
At Fort Barwara, that means bringing a little more Rajasthan to the table — its flavours, traditions, ingredients and stories — while adding contemporary techniques and a mindful Six Senses approach to wellness, sustainability and authenticity. Expect familiar flavours to occasionally take an unexpected turn. Seasonal produce to have its moment. And the region’s culinary heritage to be explored with curiosity rather than treated like a history lesson. For Sumit, inspiration rarely follows a recipe. It can come from travelling somewhere new, discovering a tiny local eatery, finding the nearest beach or simply sitting around a table with family and friends. When the chef’s jacket comes off, the adventure continues. Because for Sumit, the best kitchens are not just about what lands on the plate. They are about the people, places and stories that make you want to come back for another bite.
“Fort Barwara has a personality of its own, and the best people are those who know how to bring that personality to life rather than simply follow a script. Apoorv and Sumit bring years of experience, a genuine curiosity to keep learning and, importantly, their own point of view. We’re very happy to welcome them to the team and excited to see the thoughtful, personal and occasionally unexpected touches they bring to the experiences we create for our guests,” said Burkhard Wolter, General Manager, Six Senses Fort Barwara.
Together, Apoorv and Sumit bring new energy to two very different — but equally important — sides of the Fort Barwara experience.
One will make sure everything behind the scenes works beautifully.
The other will make sure what happens on the plate is worth talking about.
And somewhere between the two, a 700-year-old fort gets to write its next chapter.
We think it is going to be a good one.