Seychelles' opulent resort teeming with stars and an ancient tortoise celebrity
Luxury Resort North Island in the Seychelles Unveils Oversized Mattress for Extraordinary Guest
North Island, a luxury resort located in the Seychelles, has made headlines for a unique feature in one of its villas. The resort, which symbolically calls its conservation program the Noah's Ark Project, has successfully reintroduced endangered wildlife such as sea turtles, Aldabra Tortoises, and hundreds of birds that were once on the verge of extinction.
The resort's deputy general manager, Nicolas Louys, revealed that the oversized mattress in the main suite of Villa 11 was created after a very tall guest found the king-size mattress too small during an earlier visit. On the guest’s second visit, the resort personalized an even larger mattress as a surprise, and it has remained this size ever since. Despite repeated inquiries, Louys did not disclose the guest’s identity, citing guest privacy and non-disclosure agreements; he also dodged speculation about whether the guest was a professional basketball player.
The resort, which is fully financed by the resort's revenue, aims to find a balance between opulence and the great outdoors. Each villa comes equipped with an iPad and iPhone for guests to use to call their personal butler. The 11 villas, with Villa 11 (Villa North) being almost twice as big as the others, are located about 15 minutes away from the Seychelles' main island by helicopter.
Villa 11 is designed for two guests and includes a bedroom, study, private kitchen, plunge pool, and multiple outdoor seating areas. Prices for Villa 11 start at 13,000 euros, or approximately $15,000, a night.
The Seychellois family established a plantation on North Island in 1826 and grew a variety of crops and raised livestock for over 100 years. The plantation's main crop was dried coconut, known as copra, but the industry began to collapse in the 1970s. In 1997, a South African company and private shareholders purchased North Island with the intention of reviving its biodiversity and developing a luxury resort.
The coalition that included the government, non-profit organizations, and private islands worked towards removing invasive species and paving the way for native plants and animals to make a comeback. Similar stories of farms leaving domestic animals running wild echoed across the country, but North Island has made a significant effort to preserve and protect its natural habitat.
Professor Xavier Font, a professor of sustainability marketing, states that high-end properties can benefit the environment if managed correctly, but there are concerns about carbon emissions from flights and displacing local communities. North Island, however, seems to be a shining example of a luxury resort that is making a positive impact on its environment and the wildlife that calls it home.
[1] Source: https://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20190425-the-oversized-mattress-that-made-a-splash-in-seychelles
- The luxury resort, North Island in the Seychelles, also offers a unique travel experience, as one of its villas features an oversized mattress, originally designed for a tall guest.
- In addition to its conservation efforts, such as reintroducing endangered species, North Island offers a lifestyle of opulence and the great outdoors, including personal butler service and various home-and-garden amenities in each villa.
- Despite speculation, the identity of the celebrity or professional basketball player who reportedly enjoys the extra-large mattress in Villa 11 remains undisclosed, respecting guest privacy and non-disclosure agreements.
- As a shining example of environmentally-friendly luxury resorts, North Island continuously works towards preserving its biodiversity and natural habitat, setting a positive example in the realm of pop-culture and travel.
