A prime Seychelles hotel, the Le Meridien Fishermen’s Cove Hotel, was saved from last Thursday’s night blaze and is already back in business, operating on a very high occupancy level and receiving bookings as normal.
Analyzing the minor damages caused by the fire, Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture, had re-assured tour operators not to panic from this incident and to be assured that the hotel “survived the fire, suffering only minor damage to a restaurant.”
Minister Alain St.Ange said that it is “of utmost importance for Seychelles to echo the message that it had saved one of its top hotels, and a prime property situated on the island’s golden mile of Beau Vallon.”
According to the General Manager of Le Meridien Fishermen’s Cove, Mr. Mathieu De Tonnac, on the night of the fire the hotel was running on a high occupancy level, and that according to him, the fire was caused by an electrical fault.
“None of our hotel guests, associates, or other persons were injured. The affected restaurant, Le Cardinal, is temporarily closed for business. Arrangements have been made to relocate the restaurant in the hotel’s main lobby which commands a panoramic view of Beau Vallon Bay. The souvenir shops affected by the fire will continue to remain closed for a few weeks, while Le Bougeois restaurant and all other food and beverages outlets remain operational,” said Mr. Mathieu de Tonnac.
On the night of the fire, 58 out of the 68 rooms were occupied. Mr. Mathieu de Tonnac said that “Ten out of the guests from the 58 occupied rooms preferred to be relocated for the night of the fire, but most of them came back the following day when they had realized that everything was under control.”
Minister St.Ange advocated the sense of solidarity and team work of the staff who volunteered and rallied with the fire fighters to help save one of the countries’ prime properties.
“The fire should not discourage builders from using thatch for roofs, because using local materials give our hotels their Seychellois Creole authenticity,” said Minister St.Ange.
Minister St.Ange was accompanied on the visit by Mr. Dan Frichot, the Ministry Community Development Official; Mrs. Farisianne Lucas, the District Administrator for Bel Ombre; Ambassador Barry Faure, the Chairman of Seychelles Tourism Board; Mrs. Raymonde Onezime, the Special Advisor to the Minister; Mrs. Sandra Sabury, the Disaster Project Superintendent for Environment and Emergency Unit; and Mrs. Jennifer Sinon, the Director for Administration and Human Resource at the Seychelles Tourism Board who was replacing the Chief Executive of Seychelles Tourism Board, Mrs. Elsia Grandcourt.
Seychelles is a founding member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP).
PHOTOS (Top): Minister Alain St. Ange and top level delegations taking stock of damages of the fire at Le Meridien Fishermen’s Cove hotel; (Bottom): Left to right – General Manager of Le Meridien Fishermen’s Cove hotel Mathieu de Tonnac and Minister Alain St.Ange being interviewed by local press
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- Mathieu De Tonnac, on the night of the fire the hotel was running on a high occupancy level, and that according to him, the fire was caused by an electrical fault.
- Mathieu de Tonnac said that “Ten out of the guests from the 58 occupied rooms preferred to be relocated for the night of the fire, but most of them came back the following day when they had realized that everything was under control.
- Ange, the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture, had re-assured tour operators not to panic from this incident and to be assured that the hotel “survived the fire, suffering only minor damage to a restaurant.
