Hotel L’Archipel Glynn Burridge
I
s there an accurate geographical term to describe a place that forms part of a larger entity yet remains wonderfully separate from it? In the context of Seychelles, certainly, such a term would describe the beautiful Hotel L'Archipel,
snug in its glorious niche in the north-east corner of Praslin Island and with an imperious view over almost the entire shimmering, silver strand of Côte d'or, one of Seychelles most exquisite beaches. In this secluded corner of Praslin, L’Archipel, with its splendid history and pedigree as one of the island's finest hotels, has continued to weave its spell over successive generations of travellers for over 30 years. The name L’Archipel - which is French for Archipelago - geographically describes a string of islands , the Seychelles Archipelago , some of whose island names have been adopted by the hotel to christen its impressive suite of accommodation options, each one blending discreetly with the surrounding tropical gardens and commanding a sweeping panorama of the sapphire ocean gently lapping at its front door. L'Archipel was inspired by the vision of its late departed owner, Louis d'Offay, one of the pioneers of Seychelles' hospitality industry and a tourism icon, who together with his wife Cecile commenced the construction of the hotel in 1985 with just 9 rooms, with the latter even helping in the kitchen when necessary. Powered by an energetic marketing campaign in France and with the help of two French chefs, they conscientiously built the foundations of the successful enterprise that L’Archipel is today.
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