RECENTLY, Emirates Hotels and Resorts, the hospitality management division of Dubai-based Emirates Airline, has appointed Kris Seeboo project manager for its Seychelles development at Cap Ternay.
Cap Ternay Resort and Spa, the division's third conservation-based property, is now in its detailed design phase. Scheduled to open in 2010 with an investment of US $253 million, it is the largest international investment by Emirates Hotels and Resorts and one of the largest ever in Seychelles.
Mr Seeboo has more than 10 years' experience in the construction industry, and over the past 18 years has been involved in the hospitality sector, both as developer and general manager of several five-star Indian Ocean resorts.
His leadership in tourism development has won him official government recognition as Officer of the Order of the Star and he has also been presented with the Key to the Indian Ocean.
Mr Seeboo holds tertiary qualifications in law, human resource management and business administration, acquired at Penn State University, USA, and the City of London Polytechnic, and holds a French masters degree in law.
He will be remembered by tourism professionals for his work in Seychelles, where he spent five years as managing director for a major resort development, while contributing to the setting-up of a hotel management and training school on Mahe.
Cap Ternay Resort and Spa will be located in a protected area of Mahe and will uphold Emirates' conservation practices and use of ecologically-sensitive designs in resort development, initiated with its flagship property, Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa in Dubai.
It will establish the first wildlife reserve free of feral species, with its 60 acres protecting many species endemic to Seychelles.
The resort will feature two distinct areas spread over 22 acres. The main resort boasts 186 rooms planned for families and budget-conscious travellers, and 230 deluxe rooms designed as semi-detached, cottage-style complexes situated in landscaped beachfront locations.
A private resort area will feature 15 water bungalows, the first of their kind in Seychelles, and 40 two-bedroom villas and a presidential suite, each with a private pool and deck.