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Mauritius: When the Rodrigues Blend Inspires Hotel Trade
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L'Express (Port Louis)
4 January 2008
Posted to the web 4 January 2008
Port Louis
Typical metal roof buildings, bungalows reminiscent of the "boutique style" with full sea view and a scenic landscape: the Sakoa management hotel project at Pointe-Longue, Rodrigues, wants to thrive on some of the most attractive assets of Rodrigues. Its construction should begin in April. "This is a most welcome project, respectful of the environment and essential in a context of room shortage during peak periods," comments Rodrigues Commissioner Johnson Roussety about this development by promoter Ezra Jhuboo. The local authorities have given their preliminary green light to the project.
Two stages are scheduled: the first will include bedrooms, a restaurant, a bar, a lounge, a reception area and a back garden as well as a fresh water swimming pool. Among other features: a spa and a desalination plant. The second phase will cater for 16 additional rooms and should be completed by 2009.
In fact what should distinguish this new high profile small luxury hotel is its efforts to be environmentally friendly. "Use of natural materials like rock, wood and other local materials will enhance the hotel's low impact on the environment," one can read in the EIA report. For example, the back walled gardens are inspired by the dry walls of basalt stones used to shelter animals and crops along the windy coast.
Another inspiration will come from the local architecture: a warm palette will be used for the hotel's premises. This palette developed from the vibrant pastel colours reflecting the typical Creole taste that distinguish many buildings in Rodrigues. Other details will include central gable roofs with two gentle sloping roofs on each side, front gingerbread lambrequin and timber veranda.
The internal decoration will rest heavily on local materials - vacoas weaving, coconut objects and other items typical of Rodrigues craft industry. By so doing, the promoters will promote local artists, craftsmen, and enter in appropriate ventures with some of them for the hotel decoration.
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The environmental concern will not stop there. This site presently has an arid landscape, rocky outcrops, vacoas groves and "pique-fesse" grass. The soil layer has long since been eroded due to poor land management practices, deforestation and overgrazing. The promoter intends to replant the site with endemic and native species based on the success of the Anse Quitor Project.
In brief, the site will accommodate low water consumption species adapted to this particular type of environment. Lush vegetation pockets with tropical exotic flowering species will be restricted to such areas as the walled gardens of the bedrooms, the spa and the reception courtyard.
In all, a moderate scale but interesting project, where all buildings would be single-storeyed and blend well with the natural environment and a potential inspiration for a harmonious development in this pearl island of Rodrigues.
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