(PREGAS) Paul van Frank specializes in luxury resorts and is now Managing Director of the Seychelles island of Frégate Island Private. The Belgian-born manager will take over from Ian Barbour, who has been managing the luxury resort on an interim basis for nine months. Van Frank was previously General Manager of Shanti Maurice in Mauritius for two years, which he successfully established as a lifestyle resort with an excellent spa. The Belgian has 25 years of experience in the international luxury hotel industry and has already worked in the Caribbean, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Belgium, Turkey and Mauritius before moving to Frégate Island. Further information about the island is available by telephone on +49 69 86 00 42 980 or online at www.fregate.com.
Paul van Frank: “First of all, on behalf of the whole team at Frégate Island Private, I would like to thank Ian Barbour for his hard work, commitment and dedication. We greatly appreciate his work. It is an honor to be given this great opportunity to capture the essence of such a unique, ecological and exclusive island that is rightly considered a destination in its own right.” He then adds: “I am delighted to have been invited to manage this ultra-luxurious island resort and bring its full potential to life for the most discerning luxury travelers”.
Frégate Island Private is a multi-award-winning, ecological luxury resort and a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and Virtuoso marketing associations. Last year, it was selected as one of the last three finalists in the “Conservation” category at the “Tourism for Tomorrow” Awards and was included in Condé Nast Traveler’s ‘Gold List 2011’.
The unique and luxurious eco hideaway Frégate Island Private is part of the Seychelles and is located in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Sustainable conservation of the unique plant and animal species is just as important here as the absolute privacy of the guests and excellent service standards. A wealth of fresh produce from the resort’s own plantation forms the basis of the culinary and spa concept, while ecologists coordinate the ongoing work to implement a seamless integration of the resort’s environmental work.
Paul van Frank studied law and also graduated with honors in business economics and public relations. He began his career in the hotel industry on the Caribbean island of Antigua, West Indies, before moving to St. Lucia. The Belgian took up his first position as General Manager at the Fort Young Hotel on Dominica in the Eastern Caribbean. This was followed by a move to the Renaissance Resort on Aruba, where he stayed for three years and was responsible for the opening. Then van Frank went back to Antigua until 1995 and left the West Indies for good after a total of eleven years to go to Istanbul for four years. He started there as General Manager before working as Managing Director for the renowned Kemer Golf & Country Club. From there he moved to the Begawan Giri Estate on Bali, which under his leadership was awarded the ‘Best of the Best’ award by the readers of the British travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler. Van Frank’s next job was in Thailand. There he spent three years as Chief Operating Officer of the Rayavadee Resort in Krabi and its sister resort Tamarind Village in Chiang Mai. The Rayavadee was included in the Condé Nast Traveler ‘Gold List 2005’ during his tenure. In 2008, he was appointed General Manager of Ananda in the Himalayas, which was also included in Condé Nast Traveler’s ‘Gold List 2009’ and was also awarded ‘The World’s 100 Best Spas’ by the same publisher. A year later, van Frank was lured to the position of General Manager at Shanti Maurice in Mauritius, which was listed among the ‘101 Best Spas in the World’ in the 2011 Spa Guide of the English Tatler magazine and among the ‘Top Ten Resorts in the World’ in Quintessentially magazine.
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