An extensive five-year rolling refurbishment programme has transformed La Lucia Sands Resort into a modern oasis. The resort’s forty apartments have been completely overhauled and now feature a modern contemporary interior, with unique and stylish décor inspired by the beauty of the surrounding coastal and natural habitat of the idyllic uMhlanga Promenade.
As the property hadn’t undergone a significant refurbishment, there was a need to bring the resort in line with the expectations of today’s modern timeshare owner. The exciting and collaborative project began in October 2017 and was rolled out over the five years that followed.
Before getting any construction underway, the ideas and concepts were presented in a mock-up apartment. The owners who either stayed in the apartment or viewed it, had the opportunity to share their compliments and constructive criticism. Based on the feedback, certain areas were improved before the full project commenced in early 2019.
“Creating a mock-up apartment gave our owners the opportunity to provide valuable feedback to ensure we met our goal to improve the holiday experience,” explains Tristan Spink, Resort GM.
After getting underway with the first twelve units in 2019, the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020 led to the roll-out being adjusted to take full advantage of the units being unoccupied during the national lockdown. First impressions count, so in addition to the apartment revamp, the resort exterior and reception also received a modern facelift. The entire building was re-painted to compliment the fresh interiors, and new wooden paneling and paving throughout the resort added the finishing touches to the “wow” factor.
Out With The Old In With The New
The overhaul was thorough. All forty apartments under-went a complete gutting, providing a blank canvas to create the new revitalised space. The list of work entailed re-tiling all the floors and applicable walls, a completely new look for the bathrooms, an open plan kitchen with new appliances, new curtains with a dropped ceiling, re-tiling of the balconies and the addition of new umbrellas and patio furniture.
Top of mind was creating a warm and welcoming experience that brings a smile and a “pause moment” to what timeshare owners value most: their home-away-from home. Falconer Design was entrusted with bringing the vision of the resort rooms to life. The challenge to this project was phasing the rollout of the upgrades over three years while tying the changes each phase brought to the existing components so that it felt seamless to the guests. Every last detail has been designed with a sense of home. The soft refurbishment of the curtains, scatter cushions and throws follow a harmonious fresh colour palette, which is warmed by stylish wooden finishes.
“The changes have been a long time coming. We are thrilled about the transformation, but especially delighted to see how excited our owners are about returning again and again,” concludes Tristan.