Maia luxury resort changes ownership

One of the Seychelles most luxurious and exclusive resorts, the Maia, has confirmed that the Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company has acquired a 50 percent stake in the property. Tsogo Sun Holdings of South Africa will continue to hold the balance of the shares in the company, and there are no changes expected in the management of the resort.

The Maia, now a member of the Leading Small Luxury Hotels of the World, opened in September 2006 and has since then established itself as one of the top holiday destination resorts in the Indian Ocean region, as incidentally witnessed and enjoyed by this correspondent during a stay a few months ago (read the TripAdvisor commentary about the MAIA by this correspondent). Located in the southwest area of Mahe Island, the resort sits on over 30 acres of land along one of the great beaches the archipelago is so well known for and offers 30 top-notch guest villas.

Qatari Diar is already developing another project on the Seychelles and hopes with this acquisition to further establish itself as a key accommodation provider on the islands.

Frederic Vidal, the CEO of the Maia expressed his delight over the now-concluded deal and said: “We are looking forward to our partnership with Qatari Diar to continue to provide a ‘one of a kind,’ intimate, peaceful, and private setting for guests to relax.

Tsogo Sun is a South African incorporated company, in fact, a subsidiary of Southern Sun, and is engaged in the hospitality sector, gaming, and entertainment, and has operations in Africa, the Middle East, and, of course, the Seychelles. Southern Sun operates a portfolio of over 80 hotels and resorts, making it a major player in the hospitality industry.