65 Years Crafting the Art of Beautiful

The pioneer of the Mauritian hospitality industry marks a significant anniversary.

June brings cause for much celebration at Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels, as we mark the 65th anniversary of Mauritius' premier hospitality group!

How far we've come, since those early days in 1952 when our predecessor, Mauritius Hotels,opened a small hotel to accommodate stopover passengers on a new route between Perth and Johannesburg.

It's a fascinating story and one in which Beachcomberwrote the opening pages of the history of tourism inMauritius. Qantas was about to commence flightsbetween Australia and South Africa, with a Mauritiusstopover. To accommodate passengers and crew intransit, Rogers & Co. Ltd, the Australian airline'srepresentative, decided to open the first internationalstandard hotel on the Island through its newly createdsubsidiary, Mauritius Hotels.

The Château Mallac, a beautiful colonial house inCurepipe, was transformed into the 40-room Park Hotel.Back then, with an annual number of visitors ofapproximately 1 800, it was a profound act of faith in a still fledgling industry.

Here's a potted history of the group's growth since:

1962: Two beach hotels, Le Morne Plage and Le Chaland, were opened.

1964: New Mauritius Hotels Ltd (NMH Ltd) was created from the merger of Le Morne Plage Vatel and Mauritius Hotels.

1967: Le Morne Brabant Hotel was built to replace Le Morne Plage. The following year, the hotel hosted guests attending the Island's Independence celebrations.

1971: Trou aux Biches Village Hotel opened.

1972: Dinarobin Pierre Desmarais was developed, attached to Le Morne Brabant.

1976: The iconic Paradis opened on Le Morne Peninsula.

1980: The Beachcomber brand was created.

1985: The Royal Palm in Grand Bay opened as the first grand hotel in Mauritius.

1991: Le Chaland was reconstructed as Shandrani.

1992: The Pullman Hotel in Grand Bay was acquired and became Le Mauricia Hotel.

1994: The Mariya Hotel in Pointe aux Piments was taken over and refashioned into Le Victoria Hotel.

1997: Le Canonnier in Pointe aux Canonniers was acquired.Le Méridien Brabant and Paradis were merged into the Paradis Hotel & Golf Club.

2001: The Beachcomber brand expanded to the Seychelles with the opening of Sainte Anne Resort & Spa.Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa opened its doors on Le Morne Peninsula.

2010: Trou aux Biches Hotel was completely rebuilt, upgraded to a 5-star resort and renamed Trou aux Biches Resort & Spa.

Steeped in Mauritian identity

The history of Beachcomber, however, is more than asuccession of dates. It is the history of some 5 000 artisans whose good-heartedness enhances thenatural beauty of the places that have been entrustedto their care. They are the pillars of the group andhave contributed to shaping the Beachcomber spirit,supporting its key role in the economic developmentof the country with an annual turnover of almost Rs 10 billion. The group proudly claims its Mauritianidentity. ‘Its social responsibility strategies amongstthe island’s youth and small artisans are wellrecognised, and it has been internationally accreditedfor its environmentally conscious practices.’

The beauty of the place inspires the beauty of the heart

Now under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Gilbert Espitalier-Noël, the group headstowards its 65th anniversary well equipped to tackle the challenges of an ever-changing globaltourism industry.

To mark the 65th anniversary, the new logo will carry the signature '65 years crafting the Art of Beautiful'.

'The Art of Beautiful' is the juxtaposition of beauty with good-heartedness. It is the very essenceof Beachcomber, which enhances the beauty of its places and locations with the beauty of the heart.

Beautiful celebration

Available to guests during the anniversary period is a special offer in the form of a 35% discount to all those celebrating their 65th birthday this year who book and travel between now and September30. In addition, customers purchasing items from Beachcomber boutique's range of quality, brandedproducts will receive an 11% discount on purchases in the anniversary month of June.

Furthermore, a host of special touches such as pastries, chocolate and other gifts with thecommemorative logo will mark the anniversary. All hotels will stage an exhibition of photographsdocumenting Beachcomber's historical role in Mauritius.