Two new small hotels open their doors
24.12.2009
Two Seychellois-owned small hotels opened their doors last week in the presence of Vice-President Joseph Belmont, who is also the minister responsible for tourism.
The Hanneman Holiday Residence (left) and the Pieds dans L’Eau
The Hanneman Holiday Residence at Nouvelle Vallee, Beau Vallon, is owned by long-time Seychelles hotelier Manfred Heinkelein and his partner Hannelore Harutunian.
Mr Heinkelein is well known for the many years he spent as general manager of the Coral Strand Hotel, among the various hotels and resorts he has managed during his working career here.
The Hanneman residence has seven apartments with a total of 12 bedrooms.
The other new property is Pieds dans L’Eau, situated right on the beach at Anse Royale and owned by Mr and Mrs France Frichot. It has six bedrooms.
The Frichot family, too, are no strangers to the local tourism scene, having successfully managed the Bougainville Hotel at Bougainville shortly after the industry started up in Seychelles.
Mr Belmont congratulated the new investors on their achievements and said both hotels show the confidence that Seychellois have in their country’s tourism industry.
Alain St Ange, director of tourism marketing, said such small Seychellois-owned hotels reinforce the Affordable Seychelles campaign which he and Mr Belmont launched in Berlin earlier this year.
“Seychelles needs today to continue to have such new establishments because it reinforces to the world that Seychelles offers a range of accommodation, from the small six-star private resorts to the big five-star properties and also the small Seychellois-owned and managed hotels,” he said.
He added that the confidence in our tourism industry is evident with the opening of such new hotels, and the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association has also said it welcomes these additions to our accommodation network.
Peter Moncherry, the Seychelles Tourism Board’s general manager for tourism development, also welcomed the new hotels and said they fit in well with the Seychelles Secrets portfolio. He said he is sure they will do well as they showcase Seychellois hospitality and culture.