Hotel Missoni, the luxury lifestyle brand of the Rezidor Hotel Group, is set to open in Mauritius, marking the 66th country in which Residor is present. Overlooking the village of Baie du Cap, Hotel Missoni Mauritius will boast 80 luxury suites with unobstructed views of the ocean and the islands unrivalled beaches. It is scheduled to welcome the first guests in 2014. “Combining Missoni’s iconic design with the local culture influenced by Europe, Africa and Asia, the hotel will be truly unique in Mauritius”, said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor. “Having been passionate about Mauritius, an island of beauty and charm, its colourful culture and its wonderful population for over 30 years now, I am delighted to partner with Rezidor to bring a new kind of luxury hotel in Mauritius under the prestigious Missoni brand, which will surely be a great success and a new flagship premium quality hotel of the tourism industry in Mauritius”, added Gilles Bouigue, Executive Chairman of Bouigue Développement, owner of the property. Mauritius is an exclusive and exotic year round destination featuring beautiful palm-fringed beaches and dramatic volcanic landscapes. Each suite of the new hotel will feature Missoni’s signature patterns and fabrics, and will have a large covered outdoor living area, known in Mauritius as a “Varangue”. Food & beverage outlets will include Hotel Missoni’s signature restaurant “Cucina” with an authentic seasonal Italian menu; “Choco Café”, an intensely flavoured sip of classic Italian café society; a further all day dining restaurant, a lounge bar and a beach/pool bar. Leisure facilities will comprise direct access to a 650 meter sandy beach, outdoor pools, a fitness area including gym and tennis court, a kids club and a 900 square meter spa. Sunbathing, water sports, deep sea fishing, hiking, cycling and golf are just some of the leisure options available in the vicinity. Business travellers will benefit from 235 square metres of dividable meeting space with the latest AV technology. Hotel Missoni Mauritius is located just 40 minutes from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport and 50 minutes from the islands capital Port Louis. Mauritius was an important sugar producer until the 1980s when tourism developed as a major economic sector, followed by textile and garment manufacturing and by an expanding service sector with off shore banking, free trade activities, IT and outsourcing. The number of tourist arrivals reached 935,000 visitors in 2010 - the government plans to further increase arrivals (a new airport terminal is currently under construction, and new airlines and routes are under negotiation) and to focus on high quality tourism products such as 4- and 5-star hotels.