Pearl boosts portfolio with £22.4m expansion

Taha’a Pearl Beach Resort and Spa: the property will be on an island previously closed to tourism

Pearl boosts portfolio with £22.4m expansion

New resorts

Report by Fiona Robinson

PEARLResorts is spending millions of pounds on boosting its portfolio of properties and increasing its appeal to European visitors.

The company, which runs luxury resorts in the South Pacific, is spending £22.4 million on two new hotels – the Taha’a Pearl Beach Resort and Spa and the Moorea Pearl Resort. The five-star plus Taha’a property is expected to open on June 30 next year on an island previously closed to tourism.

President Laurent Bessou said: “We don’t have a philosophy of growth for growth’s sake and we don’t want to become an international giant. We want to bring development to the islands that need us most.”

Taha’a will be the jewel in the crown for Pearl Resorts and boasts 48 bungalows built over a lagoon and 12 beach suites with views of the 750-metre beach. It will also feature a gourmet restaurant, diving centre and spa offering aromatherapy and Tahitian massages.

The four-star Moorea Pearl Resort is expected to open on June 15 next year. Europe is already Pearl Resorts biggest market, attracting 60% of its visitors. But it aims to attract even more guests from Europe by improving connections. Currently British guests fly mainly with British Airways to Los Angeles before catching an Air Tahiti Nui flight to the South Pacific or with Air New Zealand via Los Angeles.

But Air Tahiti Nui hopes to launch two direct flights a week from Paris to Tahiti next year subject to government approval. The new route will enable Pearl Resorts, a shareholder in Air Tahiti Nui, to have more control over services to its properties.