I discovered the following article on Christmas Day today and devoured it with relish! Right outside my window there is currently a whopping 25 centimeters of snow…
Enjoying the sun over Christmas, lying on the beach, leaving the snow and cold behind – that’s what many people want. How do you celebrate Christmas in one of the most exclusive luxury hotels in the Seychelles?
Only a few people can afford a vacation on Frégate Island Private. There you put more money on the table for an overnight stay than a department store cashier in Switzerland earns per month.
“The hotel I run is located on a Seychelles island of around 3 square kilometers,” Marc Aeberhard from the Bernese Oberland told swissinfo.ch on the phone.
With his small management company, he specializes in the management, opening and refurbishment of small and micro hotels in the luxury sector. “In this context, we have had the mandate from Frégate Island Private for almost four years,” he says. He doesn’t want to reveal who owns the tropical island: “The owners don’t want to be named.”
Aeberhard spends between 60 and 70% of his working time in the Seychelles. He is proud of the indigenous flora and fauna on his hotel island, which is now a nature reserve. It is home to animal and plant species that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. “A dozen years ago, 16 villas were built in this nature reserve, which are now available to an exclusive clientele.”
Aeberhard justifies the accommodation prices, which are prohibitive for mere mortals, with the offer. The entire island is reserved for hotel guests. There is no access for day guests.
Furthermore, each of the generously furnished villas promises a high level of privacy, naturally unobstructed sea views, a private pool and/or Jacuzzi.
As far as possible, the food is prepared from produce grown on the island itself.
The Magpie Robin, the seventh rarest bird species in the world, lives only on the vacation island.
What brings people to the remote Frégate Island at Christmas time? “On the one hand, people want to escape the hectic pace that is particularly prevalent at Christmas time,” Aeberhard is convinced.
“We consciously cultivate slow travel and slow food. You can indulge in the leisure of slowness with us. We want your vacation to be a journey of discovery for your own senses.”
On the other hand, many guests simply want to escape the cold and wet and enjoy the tropical sun and beautiful beaches.
Snow and cold no, but Christmas party yes. Will palm trees simply be decorated with candles, Christmas baubles and tinsel?
“I don’t like artificial Advent,” explains Aeberhard. “You either do something right or you don’t do it at all. We don’t do Christmas with decorated palm fronds. We allow ourselves a certain luxury and have a real Christmas tree flown in every year.” Real tree candles and tree decorations from specialist stores in Switzerland are placed on top. The Christmas spirit that is created is also important for the children present.
” We allow ourselves a certain luxury and have a real Christmas tree flown in. “
Marc Aeberhard, Hotel Manager
For this year, Aeberhard has also invited a string quartet from the Symphony Orchestra of Kinshasa.
“They are amateur musicians who have dedicated themselves to classical music with great enthusiasm and passion. We offer them a platform to play in front of an international audience. It remains to be seen how high the quality of the Christmas carols from the Congo will be.”
The hotel also has a gift for its guests. “There’s something for the ladies, something else for the men and something for the children.”
The guests also bring Christmas presents. Sometimes they fall by the wayside when suitcases are misrouted or lost during the journey. “In such a case, we also help out as best we can,” says Aeberhard, explaining the diverse tasks of a hotelier.
As the Seychelles is a Catholic country, the population also celebrates Christmas. “The majority of our employees come from East Africa or the Seychelles itself. Others come from South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.”
The majority of the crew come from a Christian background. For them, it is important that Christmas is celebrated accordingly.
“We organize a party for the employees a few days before Christmas. There’s a nice Christmas dinner and a present for everyone,” says Aeberhard, who is on the tropical island this year without his family.
“For me, Christmas is something very important, very beautiful and I love celebrating it. But this is not always possible in the hotel industry. The focus here is on the guests and employees. I will then celebrate Christmas afterwards, practically orthodox,” says Aeberhard.
It has been living in the tropics and other warm regions for around 11 years. If there’s one thing he misses, it’s the seasons. Especially now during the Christmas season. For him, the cold and snow-covered fir trees are a great feeling and an essential part of the magic of Christmas.
“I haven’t been able to celebrate a white Christmas in recent years. I’m really looking forward to experiencing this again in the coming years.”
Etienne Strebel, swissinfo.ch