Four new properties – one 5-star and three 3-star hotels – have opened their doors on Reunion Island in 2015, giving the bed capacity on the island a ten percent boost.
This comes on the back of not only sustained demand for holidays on the island, but of growing visitor numbers, giving the investors the confidence that they will reach viable occupancies very quickly.
The first of the new resorts is the Akoya Hotel & Spa, located on the beach side of the island from where it overlooks the Water Hole Lagoon. The hotel, which has 104 rooms, including 8 suites, positions itself as a third five-star resort on the island.
As for the three-star properties which opened during the year, three new hotels have entered the market:
• The Beating of Blades, located at the entrance of the city of Saint-Pierre and a few steps from the beach, offering 58 rooms and 2 suites.
• Le Saint Pierre, ideally located in the city center of Saint-Pierre, offering 55 rooms, including 38 suites with its own kitchenette.
• The Dina Morgabine, dominating the seaside resort of the Hermitage on the west coast of the island with 72 rooms including 37 of them furnished with kitchenettes.
These additional offerings have given Reunion Island tourism a boost and provided the capacity increases needed to cater to a rising inflow of tourists.
The lifting of visa requirements via a waiver for South Africans, Chinese and Indian visitors – certain terms and conditions apply – has driven arrivals up sharply, and the prevailing security of this French Indian Ocean island provides a perfect location for adventure and also conventional beach vacations.
