t. That is, until LUX* came along, according to its chief executive Paul Jones.

LUX* Island Resorts is the reincarnation of Naiade Resorts and Jones, who spent 30 years at Kerzner International, believes he and his team have broken the mould and created Resort 2.0.

“We have been stuck in a sea of sameness and resorts have never moved beyond version 1.0, something like the MS Dos of old.

“Many are just city hotels planted on the beach. But we threw out the rule book, stripped away layers of complexity.”

The epiphany, he said while unveiling the concept at ILTM, came when he realised that resorts were trying to differentiate by architecture, design and facilities.

“No amount of money spent on fancier hardware will ever change things enough – it is the software that needs updating and that’s what we have done.

“We have dared to zig where others have zagged.”?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

This zigging has created the Island Light concept which essentially turns the resort into a living theatre with more than 50 ‘scenes’ taking place throughout the guests stay.

Example scenes include pop up treats such as ice cream carts, fresh coconut stalls or secret bars; coffee roasted on site (the only hotel group to roast its own coffee according to Jones); a telephone box offering free calls; and impromptu films on the beach.

Five of the groups hotels have gone through the change: LUX* Belle Mare (Beau Rivage), LUX* Le Morne (Les Pavillons) and LUX* Grand Gaube (Legends) in Mauritius and and LUX* Ille de la Reunion (Grand Hotel du Lagon) and LUX* Maldives (Diva) in the Maldives.

Its three other hotels will retain their names and be ‘Produced by LUXE*’

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