Seychelles, Platte Island
°52’09.9 5”S 55°23’07.5”E
Waldorf Astoria asked us to give a new island resort its story, while it was still rising from the sand.
Platte Island sits far south of Mahé, a low-lying sand cay ringed by reef. Our brief was to define what a Waldorf Astoria should be in a place this remote, and to set the positioning, the dining and the guest experience the rest of the resort could be built around.
The story comes first
Positioning is the work that comes first. It settles what a place stands for, who it is for, and the story every later decision answers to. For a resort carrying one of the most recognised names in luxury hospitality, on an island most people will never have heard of, that story has to do a lot of work.
We shaped the proposition, a quiet balance of true luxury and a light footprint, then carried it through the things guests actually meet. The sense of place. The restaurants and bars, named and given a reason to exist. The experiences that fill a day. All of it gathered into a single document the client could hand to architects, operators and creative teams, so everyone built from the same story.
An island worth protecting
Everything started with the island itself. A remote cay south of the Seychelles bank, three metres above the sea, with seagrass meadows and a reef that shelters turtles, rays and reef sharks. The positioning made conservation part of the luxury rather than a footnote to it, a place guests help look after while they are there.
Six places to eat and drink
We named and shaped a collection of six venues, each with its own character and a reason to exist on the island. The names lean on Creole and on the brand's own history, so the dining tells part of the story too.
Pastries, teas and island-roasted coffee through the day. A quiet nod to the Waldorf's original Peacock Alley.
An open kitchen built around the day's local catch, from Spain to Turkey, with the cooking on full show.
The evening star. Inventive cocktails and sparkling wine, open until the last guest leaves.
A cookery school by day that becomes an intimate, plant-forward table at nightfall, led by the chef.
Live fire and family-style service, with one of the largest selections of rum and tequila in the Seychelles.
Bento boxes, fresh sushi and a slow afternoon, with cabanas and sunbeds set out in the water.
On the table
A day, filled
Beyond the rooms and the restaurants, we built a programme of experiences around the island and its water. A few of the signatures:
Catch and Cook
Head out with the crew, land your own fish, then cook and eat it back on the island.
Castaway Utopia
A table for two set out on the reef, far from shore. Arrive by boat, stay for the afternoon.
Vanilla Island Rum
A private tasting through the rums of the Vanilla Islands, poured in your own villa.
Coral Creators
Plant coral alongside the resort's marine biologists and help restore the reef.
Dawn for Breakfast
A picnic breakfast on the island's eastern tip, set for first light.
Alfresco Cinema
After dark, the airstrip becomes an open-air cinema under the stars.
The wider programme reached across wellness and the spa, fly fishing and water sports, beach games and stargazing, plus two clubs of their own: Sea Scouts for children and Marine Mavericks for teens.
On the island
Strategy
- Brand positioning
- Luxury and sustainability proposition
- Sense of place
- Audience and intent
Story and naming
- Narrative framework
- Restaurant and bar concepts
- Venue naming
- Tone and language
Guest world
- Experience programme
- Spa and wellness
- Kids and teens clubs
- Positioning document
Signed NDA
Can't say more.
Get the story right first, and everything built on it has somewhere to stand.
