Worldwide Hospitality Awards

With SALT, It’s time for a travel movement! We recreate the link between travellers and local population, not just the destination.

SALT offers modern explorers in search of cultural experiences an opportunity to really connect with a destination and its local residents; it is an adventure built on authenticity, simplicity and a commitment to sharing the values of eco-responsible, sustainable tourism.

SALT’s first hotel opened in Mauritius last November, bringing to life the brand’s founding values before being joined by further hotels in the Indian Ocean, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The destinations chosen will help create an original collection in which each hotel is fully integrated in its environment, offering a unique setting full of character.

SALT’s hotels are above all designed to offer their guests a truly authentic stay in an elegant and simple location where they can relax, escape from the daily grind and recharge their batteries. The hotels’ designs immerse holidaymakers in the local atmosphere, reinforcing their sense of connection with the culture and population. Beyond the hotel, guests have everything they need to explore the island, venturing off the beaten track and discovering the destination in a new light. Little extras include a bespoke guide written and photographed by the local residents, with illustrated maps, a local SIM card and access to a wide range of transport.

For visitors who wish to get involved in the local community, SALT has created Skill Swap, a platform that enables guests to share their knowledge and talents with the local population. It is an experience guaranteed to broaden minds, allow everyone to understand each other better and create long-lasting friendships.

Conscious of the hectic lives led by people throughout the world, SALT offers guests the chance to let go of their worries and open their hearts and minds to a transformative experience. Every SALT hotel has its own wellbeing programme for both the body - with the SALT EQUILIBRIUM spa and its treatment rooms run by a team of Mauritian aestheticians - and mind - with lots of activities for guests to get to know each other and practice yoga or meditation.

Because SALT is, above all, an ethic, a state of mind – a way of living, working and respecting the environment. The team spent a long time thinking about what really matters to them and has made every effort to re-write the rules. In SALT hotels, everything required for the daily running of the hotels is provided by local resources, from the music to the food, furniture, textiles and even toiletries. At every stage, non-toxic, organic fair trade products are favoured in order to limit as far as possible energy consumption, waste production and greenhouse gas emissions. The compost, animal feed and recycling centres are prime examples of this, alongside the commitment to ban buffets and single-use plastics.

SALT knows just how important it is to protect our planet, and that everything we put on our plate has a direct impact on the environment and humankind’s health, which is why it has joined the Good, Clean and Fair Food project. All of SALT’s cuisine is centred on choosing fresh, local, seasonal products produced on-site with zero waste and simplicity as the guiding theme. All hotels work closely with local representatives of organizations that work to promote high-quality produce, protect the region and unique ecosystems, revive traditional production methods, and safeguard native races and local varieties of vegetable. Our chefs create their menus every day based on the catch of the day and the products available from local farmers. Our breads and pastries are also produced on-site using ingredients from local producers.

Paul Jones, CEO of The Lux Collective and the man behind the SALT philosophy explains, “SALT was created in response to the needs of the modern traveller, who is in search of culture and discovery but driven by very humanist ideals. The explorers of today do not come simply to discover a location; they also want to understand the local residents and how they live. They are a generation of “cultural purists”. Each is driven by the desire to preserve the planet and share the core values of eco-responsible and sustainable tourism. With SALT, we are helping meet the needs of this new approach to travel.”