The forthcoming Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island will feature 50 sea-facing villas and its own runway when it opens in late 2023. Jenny Southan reports
Hilton’s signature luxury brand Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts, is opening a new resort in the Seychelles on Platte Island, just over 130km south of Mahé, in a pristine atoll fringed with palm groves and protected by its own lagoon and coral reef.
Located on a 14km-wide private island with its own runway, the resort will be home to 50 sea-facing villas, each featuring up to five-bedrooms and all with their own private pool and personal concierge. 
The resort will also have six restaurants and bars serving fruit and vegetables grown on Platte Island itself.
As part of the resort’s “Travel with Purpose” commitment, Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island will also use a solar field to create renewable energy across most of its operations.
Meanwhile, an on-site spa will feature six treatment rooms, plus a beauty salon, hammam, spa suite and “serene” outdoor spaces.
Home to native Hawksbill turtles, eagle rays, manta rays and whale sharks, much of Platte Island’s surrounding scenery remains beautifully untouched, making it a compelling place for nature enthusiasts to visit.
Elias Pertoft, general manager, Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, says: “In the two decades I have called remote tropical islands a home, I have never witnessed an island as pristine as Platte Island, nor one so teaming with wildlife, where it is possible to glimpse endangered Hawksbill turtles laying eggs, eagle rays and reef sharks ribboning along the lagoon.
“This combined with the elegant Waldorf Astoria service and personalised guest experiences is a winning combination that will redefine luxury in the Seychelles.”
The opening of Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island will take Hilton’s Seychelles portfolio to five hotels as it further expands its footprint in the destination, joining Mango House Seychelles, LXR Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa, Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa and DoubleTree by Hilton Seychelles -Allamanda Resort and Spa. Hilton also expects to open Canopy by Hilton Mahé soon.