The brand new boutique L’Escale Resort Marina & Spa is the first commercial hotel design from London-based Winch Design and is the only resort in Seychelles with its own private superyacht marina for vessels up to 328ft.

Many will know Winch Design as an award-winning multi-disciplinary design studio that specializes in the bespoke design of some of the world’s most iconic superyacht interiors (the likes of which include M/Y Excellence, TIS, Cloud 9 and Here comes The Sun), along with private jets interiors and ultra-luxury homes.

Divided into specific disciplines (Yacht Studio, Aviation Studio, and Architecture Studio), the London-based studio works cohesively to deliver world-class projects for their UHNW client’s who enjoy an unparalleled level of design and detail.

Now for the first time, Winch Design has had the opportunity to design the concept of their first-ever commercial boutique hotel design and share their passion with a new type of client, the holiday guests of their newly finished “Seychelles Boutique Resort” project.

Known as L’Escale Resort Marina & Spa, the boutique luxury resort can be found nestled between the mountains and the water’s edge of Mahé, the largest island of Seychelles, and is the only hotel in the 115 island archipelago with its own private superyacht marina that can moor vessels up to 328ft (100m) in size.

Created as a tranquil tropical retreat, L’Escale Resort consists of 25 luxury villas connected by a network of walkways over a Japanese-inspired water garden, which transforms into an ambient paradise by night courtesy of the underwater lighting softly lighting the gardens and surrounds.

Keen to discover more about the architecture studio of Winch Design and the origin story of their first-ever boutique hotel, I took the opportunity to ask the talented team a few questions.

SOMMER

The “Architecture Studio” at Winch Design was responsible for the concept and interior design of this boutique luxury hotel project. Could you tell us a little more about this arm of the business and some of the projects you’ve created since the beginning of the Architecture Studio in 2009?

WINCH DESIGN

Winch Design was founded in 1986 as a specialist bespoke yacht studio but the architecture studio was founded in 2009, directed by Simon Tomlinson.

The architecture department, based in our dedicated architecture studio, Prospect, has grown to account for more than half of the business activity at Winch Design.

Lead by Simon Tomlinson, a team of 50 creatives including ten chartered architects, work tirelessly to master plan, project manage and raise from the ground, buildings of diverse character and often of extraordinary scale.

Our clients lead our architecture team around the globe, with projects progressing in cities, deserts, forests, mountains and islands.

A conversation leads to an idea, a sketch and to a technical plan, and from here the architects at Winch Design come into their own, generating endlessly creative and ambitious designs and turning stone, wood and glass into structures not only aesthetically faultless, but full of life.

To name a few projects currently in progress; a Brownstone Townhouse in New York City, a 16th century cottage in the Cotswold’s and an incredibly unique home in Los Angeles, California.

“Designing an interior is an intensely personal thing. We create spaces that are expressions of a client’s personality. More than that, we create the space that they’ve always longed for and dreamed of living in.”

– Andrew Winch | Founder & Creative Director

SOMMER

This is the first boutique hotel project Winch Design has been involved in. What was it about this particular project that caught your attention and made you want to get involved?

WINCH DESIGN

The client who commissioned The Seychelles Boutique Resort initially approached Winch Design for a bespoke yacht but then realised that he wanted something more. He was first looking for an ocean side property with the facilities to moor his existing yacht and dive boat alongside.

However, as the conversations progressed, he realised that he, together with Winch Design had the opportunity for not only an exclusive residence that could cater to him and his guests but also a potential commercial opportunity; to open the doors to the touring elite and share his design, a unique and exclusive, boutique hotel.

A hotel project presented a new challenge for the team and allowed us to apply our design expertise in a different way. The team at Winch Design are proud of the studio’s reputation and the work to come from it, but typically the designs are enjoyed by very few.

It has been a joy for the team to create a space to the same exacting standards enjoyed exclusively by the UHNW clients of Winch Design, but one that is more accessible and can be enjoyed by others.

Importantly, the resort is available for exclusive hire which will allow guests complete seclusion and privacy from sunrise to sunset, for as long as they wish.

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are expecting an uptake on exclusive hires as guests look to holiday, safely away from others, with their bubble.

SOMMER

For those that have not been to the island of Mahé, Seychelles, can you describe the feel of the island (local culture/vibe) and was it important to incorporate elements of this into the design of the resort? If so, how did you do this?

WINCH DESIGN

It was very important that the spirit of the resort was laced with the DNA of Mahé. The architects worked with traditional inspiration but were accompanied by a contemporary mindset.

They visualised a structure sympathetic to the traditional Seychellois vernacular; the roof of the main building features traditional ‘double-hip’ detailing, rendering the lines of the resort in keeping with local silhouettes. Much of the design centres around water and spaces flow into one another in an intuitive, tranquil way, much like the element that guided the design.

The interior is inspired by not only an authentic sense of place but by the dual spirits of the ocean and mountains, resulting in an interior which perfectly encapsulates the feeling of barefoot luxury.

The resort is set to a backdrop of the lush green mountains of Mahé; from which textural references are lifted into what has become a unique yet timeless series of interior and exterior spaces.

Sea grass and cork panelling complement stacked pebble walls in light cream and grey tones. Local granite and lava stone were used on the exterior walls, with polished and textured plasters and natural wall coverings in the interior. Woven raffia veneers, drift oak joinery and rope-wrapped columns bring a soft warmth to the spaces and renewable rattan adds delicate textural depth to the areas.

Inspiration from the ocean is seen in turquoise, deep-sea blues, corals and bright yellows that are matched with sustainably sourced teak wood from Indonesia.

The interior feels organic, fresh and alive with the spirit of the island and materials found on land and at sea are crafted into works of art by specially selected artisans. A shoal of hundreds of suspended fish, brought to life by Scabetti, swim around the lighting fixtures in the guest areas and beautifully rare teak, sapele and petrified wood has been showcased in statement artworks in the entrance hall and the restaurant, dining and lounge areas.

A central philosophy underpinning the hotel was the symbiotic relationship between ocean and mountain and this is illustrated perfectly by the architects’ decision to create a clear visual line from the ocean directly through the centre of the resort to the spa area, set to the backdrop of the mountain-scape.

A visual pathway that links both spirits of the resort; right to the ocean and left to the mountains behind.

SOMMER

The new marina at L’Escale Resort Marina & Spa can accommodate superyachts up to 328ft/100m in length and has direct access to the hotel. Can you elaborate a little on what makes this a unique feature?

WINCH DESIGN

The private superyacht marina is an important and unique selling point of the resort as it will enable complete exclusive access to guests arriving. It is capable of mooring superyachts of up to 100m in length, and is the first resort in the world to do so. The marina offers a different level of exclusivity compared to anything else seen on Mahé.

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SOMMER

What was your favorite aspect of being involved in the design of this hotel?

WINCH DESIGN

Not only bringing to life such authentic space and raising the bar for ultra-luxe barefoot design, but also the challenges of the studio’s first major project in such a remote location and in a new part of the world.

Part of our success comes from the network of exceptionally skilled suppliers and artisans that we have hand-selected over the past three decades to work on our projects; for the Seychelles Boutique Hotel project, we needed to seek out, establish and develop new relationships with suppliers.

Time differences, language barriers and a hot and humid climate all provided new challenges for the team, but challenges that we were happy to overcome.

Ensuring the best quality was also of paramount importance – not only at delivery but as the hotel evolves. The team had to think about how selected furniture, fixtures and equipment, materials and finishes would manage under the tropical climate.

SOMMER

How long did it take for the project to progress from initial conversations until the finished product?

WINCH DESIGN

The Boutique Hotel Seychelles was a fast-paced project from the outset, taking four years from concept to completion. The team worked with the original site blueprint and existing building [the old Wharf Hotel and Marina] to space plan, design, and develop the overall look and feel of the resort. They embraced the opportunity to build in a new corner of the world and sourced local artisans from not only the Seychelles but South East Asia to help create this unique resort.

The outcome is a perfectly skilled combination of high-end luxury coupled with a relaxed, barefoot and authentic Seychellois experience.

The resort is the perfect size, full of everything imaginable for a spoiling stay but small enough to feel intimate, and the perfect size for exclusive use by a group of guests.

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For more information on L’Escale Resort & Marina and to speak with the concierge regarding private bookings of the entire resort, visit the website here.