Paradise Islands Promote New Luxury Vacations

The people behind the Lux Island Resorts, a series of premium hotels scattered across the Indian Ocean, have worked to create a relaxed, lavish holiday experience or the jet-setter. We asked group CEO Paul Jones to tell us how his hotels have re-invented the concept of luxury holidaying.

Below are edited excerpts of the interview:

You've talked about luxury undergoing a sea change. How?

Not so long ago, luxury was defined by elitist fashion labels, restaurants with waiting lists, marble-clad décor and champagne on tap. However, today it reflects the realities of the new global economic order that frowns on excess and waste. Luxury now centres on offering an experience that is more about time and thought than cash and glitz.

This change can be seen across the board from the growth in demand for artisan produced foods and bespoke design to the revival of traditional craft processes and popularity of quirky boutique hotels. Now 'new luxury' is making its impact on the idyllic setting of the tropical island resort holiday.

When I took over the Naïade Resorts Group in late 2010 -a resort company with properties in Mauritius, the Maldives and Reunion Island -my management team and I recognised that luxury itself was no longer easy to categorise. Rather than opting for a straightforward re-branding strategy - Naïade by a different name- we determined on a radical and total re-conceptualisation of the traditional island resort holiday. In doing so, I posed two questions: What does luxury really mean to holiday makers today? And how do we give them an experience that is as "brighter, lighter"? The result is the LUX* Island Resorts. Intelligent, sophisticated and well-travelled guests are looking for something different when they book a vacation - an experience that reflects their own sense of individuality and discernment.

Why and when did you perceive a need to rebrand the hotels?

First, research among our key feeder markets (Europe and the Far East) revealed that whilst the Naiade name was recognised and well regarded by the travel trade (wholesale tour operators) in France, it was neither known nor understood elsewhere.

Second, the islands on which we operate are characterised by fierce competition, especially in the Maldives and Mauritius where the total inventory of hotel rooms has grown rapidly over the last decade without a corresponding increase in tourist arrivals.
 
Third, we recognized the need to develop a brand with broad appeal to the global consumer market. We will also benefit from increasing numbers of visitors that arrive from the emerging market of Russia, India, China, and Japan. To compete within this global landscape, we require a brand name that is distinctive, memorable and works hard to communicate the unique qualities of our concept to a diverse range of audiences.

Could you tell us how holidaymakers could customise their vacations at a LUX* Island Resort?

I could describe more than 58 ways in which you can customise holidays, since we are implementing these scenes in our LUX* resorts.

Imagine a holiday where you not only feel rejuvenated and reinvigorated, but one where you can take the benefits of total rest, improved fitness and better nutrition home with you. We have made this aim central to our LUX* Me spa and wellbeing concept. It's a new approach to 'Leisure Wellness'.

The 'Me Time' menu allows guests to purchase spa time as opposed to pre-determined spa treatments, so they might, for example, choose a 15 minutes body scrub, a 45 minutes massage, and a 30 minutes facial, depending on their own preference. And then there's LUX* Me fitness programmes which revolve around the idea of functional fitness. Rather than being totally gym-based, a programme might include stretches in the resort gardens or soft-sand jogging on the beach. Programmes are designed to be fun and achievable, and to encourage guests to continue the good work once they get home.