In the world of luxury hospitality, few have charted as impressive a course as Elias Pertoft. With over 16 years of experience steering prestigious resorts across Asia and the Caribbean, Elias has now embarked on an extraordinary new chapter as the General Manager of Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island. This ambitious project brings together his passions for high-end hospitality, environmental conservation, and marine adventure in a pristine, uninhabited paradise.
Under Elias’s leadership, the resort aims to redefine luxury by seamlessly blending world-class service with a steadfast commitment to protecting the island’s unique ecosystem. In this exclusive interview with The Executive Magazine, we delve into Elias’s journey, the innovative approaches shaping his latest venture, and his vision for the future of luxury travel and sustainability.
You’ve had a remarkable journey in luxury hospitality, leading prestigious properties across Asia and the Caribbean. What inspired you to take on the challenge of opening the Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, and how has your past experience shaped your approach to this unique project?
“I was truly excited when I heard of this opportunity, it feels like a culmination of my career in luxury hospitality, conservation and watersports come together in a very unique way. Platte Island sits 130km from Mahe and there are no other islands in between, the ocean depth is over 3km on the side of this extinct volcano which is 14km wide and its 14km wide crater is the largest nursery in Seychelles for Hawksbill turtles, reef sharks and a large variety of rays including eagle rays and manta rays.
“For me this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a resort which allows rare access for guests to this pristine ecosystem in the comfort of Waldorf Astoria’s iconic service with amazing wellness, dining and your own personal concierge at hand.”
The hospitality industry, particularly in luxury segments, is highly competitive and constantly evolving. What do you believe are the key trends shaping the future of luxury resorts, and how is Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island positioned to meet these demands?
“Todays luxury is about personal experiences, its about learning something new, to truly connect with the team; here on Platte Island we have a star team of over 40 nationalities that create moments with guests throughout their stay. For example our barista Dennis who grew up on a coffee plantation invites you to roast your own coffee, our marine biologist Athina takes you on a reef walk to learn about the unique marine life that calls the atoll home. These are true connections that guests will remember forever.”
Building and managing a luxury resort on an uninhabited island like Platte Island presents unique challenges, especially in terms of sustainability and environmental conservation. Could you share some of the most significant challenges you’ve faced, and how you’ve overcome them while maintaining a commitment to luxury and ecological balance?
“A lot of thought has gone into how we can be a net positive impact on Platte Island; the island is home to the largest population of Hawksbill Turtles in Seychelles, we therefore put all the villas and building back 30-50m from the beach creating lush gardens for each villa but more importantly removing light pollution that could disturb the turtles when they hatch. We are 90% solar powered and are working to become 100%, large battery farms to store power and the largest solar farm in the Indian Ocean covers our team member village roofs. We have invested in compost machines to turn the kitchens to zero waste, any food waste is turned into compost that is fuelling our vegetable gardens. No plastic bottles and we are making our own water through desalination, not taking water from wells so the nature on the island gets all the rain water that comes in.
“Lastly we have Island Conservation Society on the island, an NGO that performs research and conservation programs on our marine life and the flora and fauna on land.”
Sustainability is increasingly becoming a priority for both travellers and hotel operators. How have you integrated sustainable practices into the design and operations of Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, and how do these practices enhance the overall guest experience?
“Sustainability goes into everything that we do, we believe guests enjoy learning about the solutions we’ve found to leave a minimal impact on our surroundings. One other project to mention is that we are working with Bio gents to make the island mosquito free through carbon traps, it has been almost a year now and we are close to our goal.”
Platte Island was previously uninhabited, home to pristine wildlife and vulnerable species such as hawksbill and green turtles. How did you ensure the protection of this delicate ecosystem during the construction and development of the resort, and what ongoing measures are in place to preserve the island’s natural beauty?
“The whole design and architecture of the resort has been carefully planned to make sure that the lagoon and its marine and birdlife is protected. I personally believe that by having a presence here as a resort together with Island Conservation Society we can protect against the encroachment of the tuna industry which at times can be very destructive especially in uninhabited islands because of their remoteness where bad fishing practices can occur.”
In your role as General Manager, you’ve had to collaborate with local NGOs and neighbouring communities to protect the marine and wildlife environments in the outer islands of Seychelles. Can you elaborate on the importance of these partnerships and how they contribute to the long-term sustainability of the region?
“Seychelles is a young nation and before we set up our resort on Platte Island there was very little known about this very remote atoll, it is its own eco system and has an incredible amount of unique marine and bird life that call the island home. We are excited to partner with Island Conservation Society & Manta Trust to start researching this atoll and find out the species that come here. We have already seen that Humpback whales come close with their calfs and that the lagoon is a unique breeding ground to lemon sharks and manta rays; both of them are uncommon in the inner islands of the Seychelles. The most exciting part for me is that we are the first out here to start this research so it’s like opening up a treasure chest full of discoveries and as a guest diving with us you are very much part of this exploration.”
The hospitality sector is known for its challenges, from economic fluctuations to evolving consumer preferences. What advice would you offer to aspiring leaders in this industry who seek to navigate these complexities and succeed in luxury hospitality?
“The luxury traveller is changing, especially with younger generations valuing experiences above all, I believe it’s about being genuine and being a master of your destination; giving guests access to your advice on how to best experience every day on our island.”
Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island aims to set a new benchmark for luxury in the Indian Ocean. What differentiates this resort from other high-end properties in the region, and how do you plan to continually innovate to maintain a competitive edge?
“We aim to be a place where you can be as active as you want, learn something new; we are the only five star resort offering blue water fly fishing, we do wellness screenings and let you pick your lunch in our garden, our team are passionate specialists to learn more about coffee, tequila, rum, wine through dedicated masterclasses. We invite you to play a role in conservation programs. This will keep evolving and I think our competitive edge is our team and how passionate and engaged we are in our own almost geeky specialist fields so you as a guest can learn something new and be amazed.”
As you look to the future, what are your long-term visions for Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island? How do you see the resort evolving over the next decade, and what role do you envision it playing in the broader context of luxury travel and conservation?
“I believe we are setting a new benchmark which for many years have been led by independent small one off resorts and showing that it can be done even better under a recognised brand. We stand for luxury and personalised service, with Platte Island we prove that this can be combined with conservation and putting nature first.”
Finally, with your extensive experience and successful track record, what future endeavours do you foresee for yourself? Are there other areas within the hospitality or sustainability sectors that you are eager to explore or develop?
“I am just getting started, truly blessed to work in luxury hospitality and I see myself keep exploring different corners of the globe with my passion for nature conservation and creating personal and unique guest experiences.”
