Treasure Cove new addition to small home-grown hotels |02 November 2013

The MacGregor and Laporte families have this week opened a new hotel accommodation establishment at Bel Ombre, Mahé, adjacent to the La Buse treasure site.

The property was declared officially open by Tourism and Culture Minister Alain St Ange in the presence of Land Use and Housing Minister Christian Lionnet, former minister Patrick Pillay, tourism principal secretary Anne Lafortune, member of the National Assembly for Bel Ombre Galen Bresson, Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association (SHTA) chairman John Stravens, members of the local tourism trade, business partners and members of the MacGregor and Laporte families.

When she welcomed everyone to the ceremony at the swimming pool deck of the hotel, Marie-France MacGregor, the main driver behind the project, thanked her husband Francis MacGregor, the president of the Seychelles Court of Appeal, for his support and encouragement that helped her and her project partner.

Mrs MacGregor also requested Minister St Ange to convey to President James Michel her appreciation for the time he took to visit her establishment when he toured tourism establishments in the northern part of Mahé.

She also thanked her family for all their support, Minister Alain St Ange for his personal encouragement and advice, and her many friends present for all their continued support.

Minister Pierre Laporte, who is the brother and partner of Marie-France MacGregor, took the opportunity to introduce his brother Alain Laporte who had just migrated back to Seychelles with his family after more than 23 years in Canada.  

Alain Laporte, a chef by profession, has taken over the catering responsibilities of the new Treasure Cove Hotel.

When he took to the podium to officially open the latest addition to the long list of Seychelles’ home-grown tourism establishments, Minister St Ange congratulated the MacGregor and Laporte families for opening a great small hotel.


"We are proud of you for what you have succeeded in doing. I have seen your bedrooms and know that the spectacular and uninterrupted views over the turquoise blue seas will be appreciated by all visitors who will be lucky to select your property," Minister St Ange said.

The minister went on to appeal to more Seychellois to join the country’s tourism industry.
"When we said that Seychelles needed to claim back its tourism industry, it was an appeal to get the Seychellois business community to do like the MacGregor and Laporte families have done. We need Seychellois onboard to help our country consolidate its tourism industry for the long term. When Seychellois are involved they will defend and they will protect our tourism industry, the industry that remains the pillar of our country's economy," Minister St Ange added.

He also assured the developers of the new Treasure Cove Hotel of his ministry's support and that of the Seychelles Tourism Board.