LUX* Belle Mare Hotel – From Reconstruction to Reservations

Project Overview

The LUX* Belle Mare hotel in Belle Mare, Mauritius, suffered a devastating fire in July 2022. The fire destroyed the hotel’s public areas, including the reception, main kitchen and bar and completely or partially damaged 131 rooms and 12 villas. This project focused on reconstructing and restoring this 5-star resort comprising 174 suites and 12 villas including refurbishment to the undamaged rooms.

Design

The new interior design to the rooms is timeless, with a minimalist design that remains true to the spirit of this well-loved east-coast resort. The July 2022 fire started in the thatched roof of the hotel lobby , so one of the key features of the new design was to replace all thatch roofs with timber shingles on boarding with the incorporation of some steelwork and polycarbonate sheeting. The public areas were completely redesigned, including the Aperitivo Bar and five exclusive restaurants offering Indian, Chinese, Mediterranean and International cuisine, one of which is Amari by Vineet, where guests will find a fusion of India and Mauritius cuisines from the first Indian Michelin-starred chef, Vineet Bhatia.

Challenges

This project involved overcoming several challenges. One of the most unique was working with the loss adjustors, Sedgewick, from the initial fire damage assessment to attending the regular meetings to demarcate the insurance scope of work from the enhancement scope based on new designs. Early procurement of certain long lead items also presented some cash flow challenges upfront. Multiple contractors had to be appointed and managed separately.

Results
The new LUX* Belle Mare reopened for guests on 1 October 2023, just over one year since the concepts were approved, which is significant as the insurance policy only covered loss of profit for one year. The final accounts were closed two months after project completion, and the insurance claim has been settled in record time.

This project is a great example of how exemplary teamwork and collaboration between the client, concept designers, architect, interior designers, loss adjustors, insurers, and contractors, all working together to ensure the hotel reopened on time.