Global hospitality group The Lux Collective has aspirations to move into the safari market under ambitious growth plans to double its portfolio in the next five years. 

The group, which comprises four brands including Lux Resorts & Hotels, Salt, Tamassa and Socio, recently opened Lux Marijani in Zanzibar and is in talks with the property’s owner about the possibility of creating a Socio hotel in Nairobi.

Speaking to Aspire, chief executive Paul Jones said the brand hoped to build on its Africa portfolio further through the group’s “meaningful travel” brand Salt, which currently has one resort - Salt of Palmar, Mauritius.

“We'd very much like to get into the safari activity,” he said.

“The whole of Kenya and Tanzania is so blessed with amazing game experiences. There's a number of outstanding people who are specialised in that business but in the end, it's all about the hospitality and the stay element coupled with the game viewing experience, so we're definitely considering that. 

“Quite a number of our guests [have already] participated in those experiences and then come on to us for the beach part of their vacation, so I think that Salt is a brand that has huge potential. 

“The ethos of the brand is so in tune with the environment that I don't think it will be very long before we're able to expand Salt in different places.”

He added: “I believe that what we do is perfect for Africa, whether it be South Africa, East Africa, even parts of West Africa, so we're going to have a development resource and I believe that they are going to be very, very busy.”

The group currently manages and operates 18 resorts and hotels in Mauritius, the Maldives, Ile De La Reunion, China and Tanzania, with 11 more properties in the development pipeline across Asia and the Middle East.

Next year, the group will open two Lux properties in Sharjah and an urban resort in Guangzhou, China. Overwater resort Luxnam Phu Quoc in Vietnam will follow in 2025.

The group’s Lux Belle Mar in Mauritius is also scheduled to reopen on October 1 following last year’s fire. 

Jones said the group also had its eye firmly on the Middle East as it seeks to significantly grow its portfolio. 

“We relocated our corporate office from Mauritius to Singapore in 2019 because we wanted to chase both the Chinese and southeast Asian markets,” Jones said. 

“We can cover the Indian Ocean from Mauritius, southeast Asia and China from Singapore, and we’re now creating a third office in Dubai because a lot of development is going on there and in neighbouring emirates Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi, plus Oman and of course Saudi Arabia. 

“We’ve set our sights on doubling our portfolio in the next five years.”

Asked if the group would ever move into Europe or the Americas, he said: “Not yet. We really want to be very focused on China, southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean. We think there is massive scope in those territories. There are quite a number of opportunities out there, not only for Lux but the three other brands too.”