The Cheval Blanc Seychelles is an oasis that demands you forget your troubles somewhere near the entrance.
Blame it on the ghastly cast of characters in The White Lotus, but we can’t help feeling that we need more elegance in our vacations. Enter, Cheval Blanc Seychelles. Part of LVMH’s flagship hotel brand that has been gently expanding over a 20-year stretch, focusing on locations that any Parisian would consider comme il faut: St Barts, Courchevel, Saint-Tropez and the Maldives. Indeed, the first urban Maison (as it likes to call its hotels) is quite literally in the centre of Paris, perched by the Seine’s Pont Neuf.
Now, LVMH has brought l’art de recevoir to Mahé in the Seychelles, an island so verdant you feel like you’re landing on Jurassic Park’s Isla Nublar. The winding 30-minute chauffeur drive from airport to resort bursts with astonishing flora, including coco de mer and banyan trees, yet the mangrove forest at the entrance to the resort still takes you aback. Filled with the song of passerine birds, the Maison’s eleven hectares form a lush haven from shoreline to granite crags, watched over by a vast wrought-iron Prune Nourry sculpture depicting the divine feminine, which rises out of a mirror-like pool at the hotel’s entrance.
Across the property, the elevated interiors by Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston speak to his 40 years at the vanguard of hospitality design. Drawing inspiration from the wide verandas and steep roofs of the island’s traditional Creole homes, the Maison is a dazzling display of white panelled elevations, any potential hardness offset by recurring circular motifs and curvilinear furniture. Fabrics have been used judiciously, from grey felt panels hugging the bedroom walls to squishy white linen sofas from which to take in the views. Each of the 52 villas also features a unique textile artwork by Joël Andrianomearisoa, inspired by the landscape.
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Resting along the shoreline or nestled among granite boulders, the villas embrace their surroundings. Vast floor-to-ceiling glass doors retract, creating a seamless flow from living room to patio to blue-tiled infinity lap pool. Tucked to the side are outdoor dining pavilions (perfect for breakfast with the sunrise); in the shoreline villas, a short walk to the ocean takes you past your sun loungers onto the pristine sand. Hillside villas have dramatic views of the hills that surround Anse Intendance, the curved cove that’s home to the Maison; with its crashing waves and fortress-like rocks, this is far from a sedate atoll in the Maldives, and all the more exhilarating for it.
For more energetic guests, there are tennis and padel courts, an upscale gym and a 25-metre pool, all seamlessly woven into the landscape. The yoga and meditation pavilion overlooks a lagoon where only the herons can disturb your practice. Wending your way back to your villa along waterside pathways is also a Zen-like exercise, as dragonflies swoop over lily pads in the frangipani-scented air.
The walk will take you past Mizumi, an accomplished Japanese restaurant in an original Creole house. Perched on the edge of the lagoon, its decor mirrors the culinary offering, and the favoured tables are on the candlelit veranda. Inevitably, despite the beautiful interiors of all the restaurants, outdoor dining is a highlight, whether enjoying chilli-spiked ceviche under the palm trees at beach restaurant Sula, or the á la carte breakfast served on Le White’s shoreline terrace. If all that is a little too public, in-villa kitchens and the Maison’s signature Carte Blanche room service mean your majordome can deliver what you want, when you want.
Bespoke Guerlain spa treatments focus on rejuvenation and wellness. A gentle walk from the welcome pavilion takes you to the treatment rooms, some of which rest in the treetops, while others are cleverly carved into the sloping granite. Staff are meticulous, and there is a true serenity to the experience. As in the rest of the Maison, the air is scented with Thierry Wasser’s bespoke scent Jungle Chic, which, frankly, is the perfect two-word summary of Cheval Blanc Seychelles. All we can say is, vive l’élégance! chevalblanc.com
