Luxury experiential travel company andBeyond has given its Mozambican island retreat, andBeyond Benguerra Island, a brand new look. The lodge has undergone a comprehensive refurbishment and has reopened on 1 June 2015 with an elegant new interior design that reflects Mozambique’s Portuguese heritage.
Generously sized guest rooms have been reconfigured to ensure that the king-sized beds open out directly onto views of the wide, sandy beach directly in front of the lodge. Peeping out from among the boughs of a tropical forest, both the lodge’s guest areas and the accommodation are carefully positioned to make the most of the natural shade while allowing convenient access to the beach and the ocean.
A new entrance ensures that guests arriving at the lodge will be immediately enveloped in the warm local hospitality. Decorated in the lodge’s fresh new island feel, this area has been redesigned to open out onto breathtaking beach views. Expansive decks encourage guests to relax while looking out onto the ocean.
Down on the beach, the Dhow Bar, a Benguerra icon, has received a brand new look that focuses on both comfort and style. Restyled to function as much more than just a bar, this area is for guests to relax or enjoy delicious meals on the beach throughout the day. The lodge’s refurbished rim flow swimming pool is situated nearby and is surrounded by cleverly created patches of shade, which invite guests to while the hours away on comfortable loungers while drinking in the ocean views.
Boasting a light and airy colour scheme with a dash of bright island style, the lodge’s casinhas and cabanas combine tropical chic with a distinct nod to both Africa and the Mozambican coastline’s Portuguese heritage. Both types of accommodation have been extensively revamped, while the cabanas have also been widened and beds repositioned to face the ocean views.
All the bedrooms boast brand new furniture, complete with four-poster beds topped with white linen mosquito net canopies and day beds. Elegant tiled floors have being installed, while overhead fans and air conditioning ensure that guests can enjoy a cool refuge from the African sun. The bathrooms feature generous tubs big enough for two, while the outdoor showers are decorated with hand-painted tiles. Glazed doors and windows allow for magnificent ocean views, while shutter-style wooden windows let in the cooling breezes for those who prefer natural air flow.
The decks outside the rooms and the guest areas have been redesigned to better accommodate the private pools and romantic hanging beach beds. The private pools have been replaced with larger rim flow versions that look out onto the ocean. Revamped beach bandas feature comfortable new furniture ideal for lounging within sight of the ocean.
The lodge’s private villa has been reborn as the Casa de Familia, a three-bedroom suite ideal for families or groups travelling together.
In line with andBeyond’s commitment to sustainable luxury, the electricity, water and sewage systems at the lodge have all been revamped to use the latest technology.
www.andBeyond.com
Photo: andBeyond.com