Eight Continents Hotels & Resorts has strengthened its presence in Africa with the launch of its newest luxury island retreat Signature Collection by Eight Continents, Mafia Island, Tanzania. The resort welcomed guests from 1st December 2025, marking another milestone in the brand’s rapid expansion across Africa’s top leisure destinations.

After its recent growth in Zanzibar, this new opening brings Eight Continents’ blend of nature-led luxury and culturally rooted hospitality to one of East Africa’s most untouched coastal landscapes. Located in Utende, the property allows seamless access to the stunning Mafia Island Marine Park, giving travellers front-row views of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and vibrant marine life.

The company shared that the move to Mafia Island was driven by the island’s ecological purity from pristine beaches to rich biodiversity that makes it one of the region’s most beautiful yet lesser-explored destinations.

Designed as an Ayurveda-led island sanctuary, the resort features Ocean View and Garden View Chalets, each with private verandas offering peaceful tropical or coastal views. Guests can enjoy Ayurvedic therapies, curated marine activities, and wellness-centric experiences that blend Swahili culture with modern comfort.

Food at the resort celebrates sustainability and authenticity. The culinary programme highlights traditional Swahili cuisine, made using fresh, locally grown produce, along with a selection of global dishes crafted for international travellers.

Speaking about the opening, Haninder Sachdeva, CEO, Eight Continents Hotels and Resorts, said, “Mafia Island represents a defining chapter in our Africa journey, one where we are not merely opening a new resort, but expanding the very idea of what purposeful hospitality can be. We believe that destinations with deep ecological and cultural value deserve experiences crafted with equal intention. This property is proof of that philosophy. By merging Ayurvedic wellness with coastal serenity and thoughtful design, we’re offering a retreat where travellers can reconnect with nature and rediscover balance. With every new opening, our commitment stays constant: to shape destinations responsibly, uplift local communities, and build a portfolio ready for the future of global travel.”

The launch of the Mafia Island resort is a key step in the brand’s wider Africa strategy. With tourism in the region growing rapidly, Africa remains central to Eight Continents’ long-term vision. With Mafia Island joining its Signature Collection and a new property planned in Dar es Salaam, the brand continues to focus on thoughtful, experiential, and globally aligned hospitality.

Appu Hotels Ltd. has announced a major milestone with the signing of a long-term 20-year agreement with Marriott International for its flagship properties, Le Royal Méridien Chennai and Le Méridien Coimbatore. The renewed partnership reinforces Marriott’s commitment to both hotels and sets a strong, stable future for the brand in Tamil Nadu.

The agreement was signed by Mr. Avneet Singh Bhutani, Vice President – Asset Management, AP & EC, Marriott International, and Dr. Palani G. Periasamy, Chairman of Appu Hotels Ltd. The ceremony took place at Le Royal Méridien Chennai and included media interaction, a champagne toast, and a reaffirmation of Marriott’s global standards across both properties.

Strategically located between the airport and the city’s business hubs, Le Royal Méridien Chennai features 240 rooms, multiple restaurants and bars, a large banquet area for up to 1,500 guests, an outdoor pool, and a range of modern facilities.

Under the new agreement, the hotel will move into its next phase of upgrades. Planned enhancements include refreshed guest rooms, improved public areas, updated banquet spaces, and elevated service touchpoints to match Marriott’s latest global benchmarks.Le Méridien Coimbatore, A Premium Five-Star Favourite

Situated in Neelambur, Le Méridien Coimbatore offers 254 rooms and suites, contemporary interiors, multiple dining options, a spa, outdoor pool, fitness centre, and business/event facilities.

The hotel already meets Marriott’s updated global standards and continues to be a top choice among travellers. Its strong guest reviews for comfort, service, and convenience make it a preferred stay near Coimbatore Airport and key business districts. The new agreement ensures consistency and long-term stability for the property.

A United Vision for Tamilnadu: The 20-year deal signals a clear long-term strategy for both hotels. Guests can expect reliable service, upgraded amenities, and a consistent international experience across Chennai and Coimbatore. Together, the properties strengthen Appu Hotels’ position as a leading player in Tamil Nadu’s luxury hospitality landscape — catering to business travellers, leisure guests, weddings, and large-scale events.

Quotes from Leadership, Dr. Palani G. Periasamy, Chairman, Appu Hotels Ltd., said, “This 20-year agreement with Marriott International reaffirms our faith in the global standards of hospitality. With Le Méridien Coimbatore already operating as a premium facility and Le Royal Méridien Chennai entering its next phase of upgrades, we are committed to offering world-class experiences while honouring our legacy in Tamil Nadu’s hotel industry.”

Avneet Singh Bhutani, Vice President – Asset Management, AP & EC, Marriott International, added, “Our continued partnership reflects Marriott’s confidence in the vision and legacy of Appu Hotels. We look forward to delivering consistent, high-quality hospitality across both Le Méridien properties in Chennai and Coimbatore, enhancing guest experiences, and strengthening Marriott’s footprint in South India.”

About the Properties

Le Royal Méridien Chennai and Le Méridien Coimbatore, owned by Appu Hotels Ltd., operate under Marriott International’s Le Méridien brand. Both hotels blend international hospitality with regional warmth, offering luxury stays, modern amenities, business and event facilities, and dependable guest service.

South Palms Resort & Spa Panglao – MGallery Collection has taken a major step toward elevating guest experiences by choosing Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise to power its digital backbone. The resort, which spans 6 hectares of pristine beachfront in Panglao and features 188 rooms and suites blending tropical charm with modern style, needed a reliable, scalable and seamless technology setup to match its luxury standards.

To meet these needs, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise delivered a complete turnkey solution built to support smooth guest services and efficient operations. The resort selected ALE for its ability to provide strong, high-speed connectivity throughout its varied spaces from indoor lounges and dining areas to beaches, gardens and pools. Working closely with the property owner, a local partner and technology consultant Pertlink, ALE helped shape a network design that is future-ready and easy to manage.

The solution includes the Alcatel-Lucent OmniSwitch® 6360 Stackable Gigabit Ethernet Switch, ALE’s Hospitality Hybrid Passive Optical LAN, and OmniAccess® Stellar Access Point WLAN products designed to handle both indoor and outdoor conditions. A unified management system brings everything together, allowing the resort to run its entire network and telephony infrastructure under a single brand.

With this setup, the resort now has secure, uninterrupted connectivity across guest areas and back-of-house operations. The digital foundation supports high data usage, strengthens operational efficiency and helps reduce long-term costs, contributing to the resort’s sustainability goals.

Sharing the impact of this collaboration, Dirk Dumortier, Director of Strategic Partnership, APAC, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, said, “To meet the scale and luxury demands of South Palms Panglao MGallery, we knew the solution had to be more than just technology, it had to be a unified ecosystem. Working closely with our trusted partner and the strategic guidance of consultant Pertlink, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise delivered a future-ready, single-brand Hybrid POL/WLAN infrastructure that guarantees both a seamless guest experience and long-term TCO reduction. Partnership was the true foundation of this digital transformation.”

Terence Ronson, Founder and Managing Director of Pertlink, added, “From the very start, the project's horizontal layout made it clear that HPOL was the optimal solution. After extensive due diligence, we identified ALE as the ideal technology partner — not only for their robust solutions but also for their exceptional pre- and post-sales support. Together with their delivery partner NERA, ALE demonstrated a seamless, professional approach throughout the entire process. Combined with ALE's Wi-Fi infrastructure, we've created an outstanding, connected guest experience.”

The collaboration between ALE, the resort team and Pertlink has laid a strong digital base for South Palms Panglao – MGallery Collection. The resort is now equipped to serve guests with reliable connectivity, personalised services and smooth operations designed to match the expectations of modern luxury travellers.