If a 6-star grading exists for accommodation establishments in the Seychelles, that would be my rating for this superb resort. From the friendly and efficient attention of staff on check-in to the luxurious room amenities, wide ranging facilities and ample activities, this resort has it all. By Des Langkilde.
Located on the exclusive south end of Mahé directly on the famous Baie Lazare Beach, the Kempinski Seychelles Resort is close to the airport and 40 minutes from the capital Victoria.
Travel Agents and Event Organisers seeking a venue that offers guests discernible luxury with all amenities onsite will find no better than that provided by this exquisite resort.
Dining
Excellent cuisine is served at four unique venues; including the signature L’Indochine restaurant, inspired by the cuisine of the Indian Ocean rim, the casual Windsong poolside bar, which offers an eclectic selection of carefully crafted cocktails and snacks, and Café Lazare − the resort’s buffet-style dining venue where breakfasts and themed dinners are a gastronomic delight. The Planter’s Bar and Lounge is located just off the lobby area, where a delectable selection of snacks and a special medley of cocktails can be enjoyed.
Rooms
I stayed in room 420, on the second floor – a short walk from the main lobby of the hotel. Every room has a balcony overlooking the lawns leading onto the beach and a view of the Indian Ocean. Little touches like personalized messages on the rooms plasma TV screen, daily letters from management and newspaper snippets in the language of your choice, a complimentary bottle of wine and fruit tray on arrival and a fully stocked bar fridge, which you only pay to have restocked, are all part of the service.
Room amenities include his and hers bathrobes and slippers, monogrammed suit bag and shoe shine implements in the dressing room cupboards and the widest range of bathroom amenities that I’ve ever come across.
Activities
In true resort style, the hotel caters for families with a supervised Kids Club. The club is open 7 days a week from 9:00 to 18:00 hours and children from 4-12 years old are cared for free of charge. A daily activities roster keeps guests active, while sport equipment from the Watersports Pavillion kiosk on the beach can be used at any time of the day. The Tidal Lounge has an extensive library for both books and DVD’s. It also serves as the games room, where guests can practice their skills on the piano or at the snooker table. An ultra-modern gym located adjacent to the pool caters for cardiovascular and power training sessions, while the athletically inclined can train at two tennis courts.
Business Facilities
Meetings and events are catered for through three indoor venues, of which the Salon Quincy is one of the largest in the Seychelles, catering for 200 theatre style seats.
Special Occasions
Weddings and honeymoons are specialised events that the resort caters to and I can think of few venues that are better staffed and equipped to cater for these memorable moments of a lifetime.
And then there’s The Spa…
Spa and Wellness
Up to now, I’ve considered people who enjoy being massaged to have masochistic tendencies, but after a full body ‘Classic’ massage at the powerful hands of masseur Brayan, I’m a convertee!
For more information visit: www.kempinski.com
Little Known Facts About Seychelles − Did you know that:
• The fabulous treasure of the notorious Pirate Olivier le Vasseur, (La Buse) today valued at $US 160,000,000, probably still lies buried somewhere at Bel Ombre in North Mahé.
• Aldabra is the world’s largest raised coral atoll and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is so vast that the whole of Mahé could fit inside its lagoon. Aldabra is also home to the only flightless bird in the Indian Ocean, the White-Throated Rail as well as to 273 species of plants and ferns and home to the largest population of Giant Tortoises in the world; 150,000 in total.
• Seychelles is home to one of the tiniest frogs (1 cm at maturity)
• Seychelles is home to the world’s heaviest land tortoise living in the wild. This is Esmeralda (304 kg) on Bird Island.
• Aride Island is an important breeding site for 10 species of seabird and the world’s largest population of lesser noddies. It is known as the seabird citadel of the Indian Ocean.
• Seychelles is home to some of the rarest endemic birds (Seychelles bush warbler, paradise fly-catcher, bare-legged scops owl) to be found anywhere on earth.
• Mahé’s rarest bird, the Bare-legged Scops Owl is so rare that it was once thought to have become extinct before being re-discovered in 1959.
Seychelles is scattered over an area of 1.4 million km² of ocean.
• Victoria is one of the tiniest capitals in the world and can easily be explored on foot in less than a day.
• Seychelles’ granitic islands are the oldest oceanic islands on earth.
• The mountainous granite isles of the Seychelles are the only islands in the middle of any ocean that are not of volcanic origin.
• Seychelles’ waters once teemed with crocodiles and ‘aligartes’. The largest ever recorded was found on La Digue and was said to be 13 feet long and a girth of 8 feet.
