French general manager joins AVANI Seychelles team |08 August 2015

AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa has welcomed its new general manager of French origin, Thomas Barguil.

The French native, who has nearly 20 years’ experience in upmarket hotels and resorts across the globe, will guide the teams in the resort’s first lead up to high season and beyond.

AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa only opened on the western coast of Mahé in February 2015.

Mr Barguil has a degree in hotel management from Gold Coast Griffith University in Australia, and speaks French, English and Thai. His hospitality career has taken him around the world from Europe to Africa and from South East Asia to the South Pacific, with years spent in France, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Morocco, Thailand and New Caledonia, as well as a few years spent in the India Ocean in Mauritius, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Mr Barguil takes over the helm in Seychelles from Manish Jha, who in his 10 years with the Minor Hotel Group brands has opened many resorts, the latest being AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa. Mr Jha, who first began his career with Minor at Anantara in the Maldives, has changed places with Mr Barguil to take up the reigns at Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa in Thailand.

A dynamic, creative leader, Mr Barguil is a hands-on manager who exudes energy and hospitable professionalism. His quest is to continue to provide guests with the high level of relaxed, customer-centric services for which AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa is fast becoming renowned.

“I am delighted to take over the management of AVANI Seychelles and eager to work with its excellent team with the objectives of providing our guests with truly memorable experiences and to strengthen the positioning of our resort as one of the market leaders,” Mr Barguil said.

AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa boasts 124 rooms and suites offering stunning garden or ocean views. It is a light and breezy contemporary space of beachside resort living, with two restaurants, pool, shisha bar and private dining, as well as the spa. The resort promises a relaxed ambience for romantic couples, as well as a kids club for family-friendly holidays. There is also a wide range of activities for those looking for more than a beach break, with mangrove trails, tennis, snorkelling and diving, as well as yoga, cooking classes and a unique Creole fair.

Married with two young daughters, Mr Barguil embraces the outdoor island lifestyle and in his free time loves to windsurf, scuba dive and spend quality time with his family. He hopes to infuse his management style with a relaxed approach which has a positive effect on associates and guests alike.

The general manager role in Seychelles is not the first AVANI role for Mr Barguil, who previously headed a task force looking after the coastal escape of AVANI Kalutara Resort and the luxury-designed AVANI Bentota Resort & Spa. He was also the general manager in Thailand of Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa, part of the Minor Hotel Group to which AVANI also belongs.

AVANI Hotels & Resorts was launched in 2011 to complement Minor Hotel Group’s five-star Anantara brand. AVANI offers relaxed comfort and contemporary style in city and resort destinations to guests who value the details that matter. The brand currently has 13 properties in operation in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Seychelles, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Zambia, with a pipeline of further openings in Asia and the Indian Ocean. MHG has plans to grow the brand across Asia, India and the Indian Ocean and in the Middle East.

Minor Hotel Group (MHG) is a hotel owner, operator and investor, currently with a portfolio of 126 hotels and resorts in operation under the Anantara, AVANI, Per AQUUM, Oaks, Elewana, Tivoli, Marriott, Four Seasons, St Regis, Radisson Blu and Minor International brands. Today MHG operates in 22 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean. With ambitious plans to grow the hotel group to 150 properties, MHG continues to expand the home grown brand of Anantara and its newest brand, AVANI, plus continues to announce strategic acquisitions.