COMO expands private island portfolio with ‘island within an island’
https://hoteldesigns.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/cropMain-Pool_v1.jpg 730 565 Pauline Brettell Pauline Brettell https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/833c1cfbd655350b0651452613f24bdd?s=96&d=mm&r=gCOMO Laucala Island, an exclusive retreat in the South Pacific, is the brands newest addition to its private island collection, and shelters an exclusive 25 standalone residences, all surrounded by turquoise-blue sea, white sandy beaches, and the ultimate luxury of space…
COMO Laucala Island offers guests the perfect island escape in a unique and carefully protected ecosystem, and is as much about the signature COMO design as it is about the location and lifestyle on offer. This is a resort where space is luxury: 25 residences, each with their own COMO butler, spread out on private beaches, above lagoons, atop hills and mountains. With a private airstrip, this exclusive sanctuary has been designed to unparalleled levels of luxury living on the northern shore of the island.
Image credit: COMO Hotels and Resorts / Trey Ratcliff
The sympathetically designed spaces have kept the location central to design, both with the emphasis on views as well as the use of materials, and the construction has been carefully considered using local materials where possible. The Residences, all featuring private pools and ranging in size from 3,000 to 4,000 square metres, are built in a South Pacific style, which is blended seamlessly with COMO’s unmistakable contemporary flair. Interiors are softly curved and full of free-flowing shapes, allowing the space to flow freely between indoors and outdoors. Thatched roofs are made from the leaves of sago palms, floors are laid with local timber, and the spaces also feature ‘balabala’ fern stems and a traditional coconut husk weave known as ‘magimagi’.
Image credit: COMO Hotels and Resorts
A first for COMO, the island features a tropical 18-hole David McLay Kidd designed golf-course, along with a wide range of land and water activities, from a fleet of jet-skis, sailing and game fishing boats to horse-riding, mountain biking, nature hikes and tennis. The emphasis throughout is about the heart of the island, its tropical rainforests, volcanic mountains, blue lagoons, mangroves and coconut groves, all fostering a unique habitat that is waiting to be explored by the guests.
COMO Shambhala Retreat, the island’s wellness centre, is the embodiment of COMO’s philosophy for holistic, healthy living. At this nurturing retreat, guests can expect physical fitness classes, yoga, and a fitness centre. Treatments make use of COMO Shambhala’s signature products, as well as the island’s herbs, spices, flowers, and fruits. COMO Shambhala’s signature Asian-inspired massages and body treatments using the island’s river stones, mineral crystals and rich volcanic soils are also provided.
Image credit: COMO Hotels and Resorts
To minimise its impact on the environment and in line with COMO’s farm-to-table philosophy, the island’s five dining options receive fresh produce from the resort’s 240-acre farm, cultivating a wide range of organic crops and livestock. Fresh seafood supplies are sourced exclusively from local fishermen, contributing to the island’s commitment to sustainability.
COMO Laucala Island joins resorts like COMO Parrot Cay and COMO Maalifushi as the brand continues to expand its signature design and luxury ethos that keeps, at its core, a focus on sustainability and wellness.
Main image credit: COMO Hotels and Resorts
