(Seychelles News Agency) - Six Senses Hotels, Resorts and Spas is planning to open its first resort in the Seychelles next year, announced the Bangkok-based hotel chain in a statement issued today.

The resort to be named ‘Six Senses Zil Pasyon’ will be built on the private island of Félicité, situated some 55km from the main island of Mahé.

The resort will occupy the north side of the island and will take up less than one-third of the total land. With 28 one-bedroom villas, 2 two-bedroom villas and 17 private residences, all with private pools, the resort will include two restaurants, a bar, retail outlets, a recreation centre and Six Senses Spa in addition to a gym and swimming pool. It will also provide facilities for board meetings, weddings and special celebrations.

“It is a great honour for Six Senses to be selected as the resort operator by Félicité Island Development Limited,” said Bernhard Bohnenberger, president of Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. “The island of Félicité is absolutely gorgeous and we eagerly look forward to creating a rich Six Senses experience for our guests on this pristine private island.”

“The development of Six Senses Zil Pasyon on Félicité island is the result of visionary ambition of the shareholders and the Zil Pasyon team resulting in this rare luxurious and ecologically sensitive development offering,” said Francis Savy, director of Félicité Island Development Limited. “It will expose Six Senses values across all touch-points with a genuine unified message - delivering on the promise.”

A heavily-forested granitic island boasting huge granite boulders along the shoreline that creates an idyllic atmosphere of tranquillity and privacy, the island of Félicité can be reached by helicopter from the Seychelles’ International Airport or a short boat ride from the second and third most inhabited islands of Praslin and La Digue.

Over half of the islands in Seychelles are protected natural reserves, and very few islands are open for development. Félicité is one such island, and the resort development is meant to be carried out with conservation of the natural environment uppermost in mind.

Six Senses Hotels, Resorts and Spas is a hotel and spa management company which boasts nine resorts and 28 spas.