Ocean’s Creek Beach Hotel, managed by Shanti Hospitality Group, does not view hospitality only through the lens of service. People, society, and community are integral to the way it operates and designs its initiatives. And the hotel’s every action is designed to adapt and utilise resources efficiently, embrace emerging trends in modern hospitality, and create meaningful, resource-driven experiences that not only delight guests but also inspire careers, nurture talent, and strengthen industry connections. Leading this vision is General Manager Vincent Comarmond, whose leadership philosophy centres on authentic leadership, collaboration, and trust.
Since day one, Vincent has reviewed, reshaped, and elevated every process and role at the hotel, ensuring that associates, guests, and partners all feel supported, valued, and inspired. “At Ocean’s Creek Beach Hotel Mauritius,” he says, “we walk the talk. Our purpose is to create tangible, lasting impact across all levels of hospitality, tourism, and retail.”
The hotel’s approach has been consistently recognised internationally. Following its accolade as Beach Hotel of the Year 2025 in English-speaking territories, Vincent himself was honoured as Mauritius’ Most Influential General Manager – Hospitality 2025 in December 2025. Most recently, starting 2026 – Ocean’s Creek was named Best Emerging Family Hotel 2025 – Mauritius, and listed alongside international territories in Asia, European, and African countries. Vincent sees these awards as recognition of their teamwork, partnerships, and trust, a philosophy embedded in every department and relationship the hotel nurtures.
At its core, Ocean’s Creek is more than a hotel. According to Vincent, it is a living example of modern, human-centred hospitality. “Our mission is to ensure every guest, every team member, and every partner feels valued and empowered,” he adds. “That is the true measure of success, and why we continue to set new benchmarks in hospitality both locally and internationally.”
Path Leading to Ocean’s Creek
Vincent views the hospitality industry as his calling. His father, who also worked in the hospitality industry, had a major and early influence on him. “Growing up around him,” Vincent says, “I absorbed both the traditional values of the old hotel world and the evolving vision of modern hospitality.”
At a young age, he found himself curious about discovering “what the hospitality of tomorrow could be”. This led him to learn the industry from the inside out. He began to explore all the departments, from the back office to the front of house. “This journey wasn’t just technical,” he recalls. “It was a personal exploration shaped by passion, patience, and the mentorship I received along the way.”
After Vincent completed his Cambridge Higher School Certificate, he noted the rapid evolution of the tourism sector. He began to feel that the path leading to the hospitality industry was his destiny. His first step was a seven-month Food & Beverage internship at the Park Hotel Bremen in Germany. This internship taught him the critical balance between service excellence and administrative rigour, which strengthened his appreciation for teamwork and operational detail.
When he returned to Mauritius, Vincent continued to learn, guided by his father. He gained hands-on experience at Le Cocobeach Resort Hotel, working in the front office and housekeeping. He also took on responsibilities in laundry, purchasing, and cost control, and at night, he managed the bar. These formative roles, he says, helped him understand how each department contributes uniquely to a hotel’s overall synergy.
Following that, he studied at the prestigious Les Roches Hotel Management School in Switzerland. “This school broadened my vision and deepened my understanding of global tourism culture,” Vincent says. “I studied among the best and took on international internships, including a 6-month placement at President Wilson in Geneva.” During his second year, he also interned with the Les Roches Hotel Management team. In addition to that, he became an acting mentor to new students in the F&B, which allowed him to share, contextualise, and refine his learning journey with them.
In his career spanning more than two decades, Vincent has worked in Switzerland, Jersey Channel Islands, Thailand, and Mauritius. He started as a trainee and worked his way up the career ladder, progressing through roles such as coordinator, assistant, manager, executive assistant manager, and ultimately, General Manager. According to Vincent, after being involved with various departments, he became driven to specialise in Hotel Openings. It led him to dive into modernisation, resource allocation, and innovation. As a result, he began to reimagine guest experiences to ensure both colleagues and guests feel supported and inspired anytime they are around the hotel premises.
Throughout his journey, Vincent has been guided by mentors such as Chris Newman, Grégory de Clerck, and Jan Bundgaard. He says that Chris Newman, in particular, shaped his vision through his strategic mindset, modern entrepreneurial spirit, and forward-thinking leadership during his time at Starwood.
“Every step, from early curiosity to global exposure and dedicated mentorship, has shaped the leader I’m today and continues to inspire how I serve Ocean’s Creek Beach Hotel Mauritius, its people, and its guests,” Vincent points out.
The Turning Point
A major turning point in Vincent’s career came when he realised that modern management often drifts away from the fundamental roots of what leadership once was, and what it still has the potential to be.
“I found it almost sad that the essentials were being forgotten,” he says. “That moment pushed me to redefine my own approach to leadership.” He began to ground his philosophy in the principles of Maslow’s Hierarchy.
Vincent believes that the secret ingredient fuelling every individual’s move forward is “togetherness.” This concept involves managing stages of need, growth, and fulfilment, in addition to acting with purpose and seeking lasting impacts. Once he gained this understanding, he knew what was expected from him as a leader. “I’ve to connect, support, and help people progress meaningfully at each step of their career journey,” he says.
This shift shaped his belief in a collective management approach, which empowers everyone to recognise their uniqueness, value, and purpose. Thanks to the shift, Vincent began to associate authentic leadership with humanity and purpose, not hierarchy. Authentic leadership, he says, is also about creating an environment where every person can leave each day feeling like a hero in their own story.
“My return to the roots of meaningful, human-centred leadership defined the path I continue to follow in business today,” Vincent says.
Dealing with Challenge
In the hospitality industry, every individual arrives with a unique personality, charisma, and career path. In such an environment, Vincent finds it challenging to maintain a balance between guiding a diverse team and nurturing meaningful emotional connections.
He points out that this challenge was amplified by the shifting macro-economic landscape and the rapid transformation of the tourism sector in Mauritius, particularly in the post-COVID world. Across the industry, many leaders were questioning: “What comes next for hospitality?” and “How do we evolve when AI and robotic services are reshaping operations across the world?”
Over time, Vincent realised that the real challenge isn’t technology. “It’s people,” he says. “It’s what we can provide them and make a lasting memory. It’s not about a once WOW effect.”
He also notes that today, employees look for more than a salary. They seek purpose, belonging, and respect. While traditional strategic tools like SWOT or PESTEL can guide decisions, they fail to capture the emotional and behavioural complexity of managing multiple generations, each with distinct expectations and motivations. “The true leadership test lies in adapting to these expectations while adopting management styles that genuinely honour human needs,” Vincent says.
When Vincent arrived at Ocean’s Creek Beach Hotel, this challenge became even more significant. He not only had to build the team from scratch during the project phase but also achieve full operations within two years. Along with strong systems, this demanded emotional intelligence. Vincent points out that he had to imagine, review, and build every role, department, and process, and then align them with a new leadership era in the 21st Century.
“What allowed us to overcome this was a people-first approach,” he adds. Instead of focusing only on filling positions, his team shaped a culture centred on empathy, development, and shared vision. They treated each associate, from line staff to top management, as a crucial pillar of the hotel’s success. “By recognising individual strengths, supporting emotional well-being, and aligning personal growth with organisational goals, we cultivated one of the strongest labour retention and performance rates on the island,” Vincent says.
Accomplishment: True Balance in Leadership
Vincent has achieved a true balance in leadership. His success is shared equally between strategic guidance and empowering people to contribute their strengths. This, for him, is one of the defining highlights of his career.
At Ocean’s Creek Beach Hotel, Vincent enables each Head of Department to achieve realistic, profitable objectives, aligned with their Mauritian hospitality values, without depleting resources or compromising their brand.
Another accomplishment that Vincent talks about with pride is leading Ocean’s Creek Beach Hotel through the post-COVID recovery and the microeconomic challenges of the Mauritian hospitality industry. And, over two years, he has succeeded in creating a workplace that engages nearly 99.9% of the local labour market. This achievement, Vincent says, is particularly significant given the generational challenges among Millennials and Gen Z in pursuing stable careers in hospitality.
“What makes this accomplishment truly meaningful is the combination of trust and alignment with the owners and C-suite of Shanti Hospitality Group, with whom I work and collaborate to ensure the island’s newest hotel development runs efficiently and with the clarity and conviction needed to make it a place for everyone,” he says. “By fostering an inclusive culture and ensuring that our management team instinctively follows the vision and concept of Ocean’s Creek, we’ve created a sustainable model where people, performance, and purpose are fully aligned.”
For Vincent, this milestone symbolises modern asset management grounded in partnership, respect, and a shared belief in what can be achieved together. It also shows his ability to deliver leadership that empowers teams, bridges generational gaps, and drives a hotel’s success in a challenging and evolving industry.
What Is Success?
Vincent does not proclaim success on the basis of revenue figures, profit margins, or expansion plans. For him, true success lies in the responsible allocation of resources, the ability to sustain operations ethically, and the commitment to delivering what is best for the organisation and the people who bring it to life every day.
“It’s about creating an environment where colleagues feel valued, inspired, and connected,” he points out. “This is because a people-oriented culture is not limited to guest experience; it starts within the team.”
And Vincent views success through the lens of three Ps: Process, Purpose, and People. He explains that growth happens in the everyday interactions, the shared challenges, and the meaningful moments. “Success is watching my associates evolve, cheering them on through highs and lows, and witnessing their personal and professional development,” he says, adding that when their journey becomes meaningful, their work transcends basic achievements. It then becomes a legacy, which is reflected in the voices of those he has mentored.
Role of General Manager
As General Manager, Vincent has taken his responsibilities to an entirely new dimension. He balances the quality and quantity of resources, from people to finance. In addition to that, he ensures strategic market positioning, continuous research and development, and innovation that is aligned with a fast-evolving tourism landscape.
One of his foremost responsibilities is to ensure that the hotel continues to support the local economy. Vincent points out that Mauritians make up 99.9% of their team. “This goes beyond staffing,” he adds. “It drives inspiration, positive socio-cultural impacts, and a national hospitality identity.”
Vincent’s leadership style is democratic and transactional. He involves his team in decision-making, encourages the expression of ideas, and trusts individuals with autonomy. According to him, this empowers every associate, including line staff and senior leaders, to contribute their best, innovate, and take ownership of their roles.
Additionally, Vincent focuses on shaping a work culture where people feel valued, accepted, and aligned with the business purpose. He says that they live by the belief and tagline of “You are exactly where you are meant to be.” Under his leadership, family values are not just a cliché to encourage connection and work life balance. Associates actually feel and live the reality of this brand philosophy.
“In essence, my role is to create the conditions where people thrive, innovation is constant, operations run with clarity and compassion, and the hotel remains a dynamic sustainable contributor to both the tourism industry and the Mauritian workforce,” Vincent says.
Advice for Aspiring Professionals
“Start by being unapologetically authentic,” Vincent advises aspiring professionals in business management and leadership. “Your career is not meant to make you blend in,” he says. “It’s meant to let you stand out.”
He points out that every individual carries a unique signature: a distinct way of thinking, delivering, connecting, and inspiring. “Never dilute that” he says.
“In hospitality and business, people are not meant to feel common,” Vincent adds. “They are meant to feel guided, supported and seen.” Additionally, he encourages them to read a lot, listen more, learn from the past to navigate the future, trust their capacity to contribute, and collaborate.
“And anchor your leadership in balance and humanity,” Vincent says. “At Ocean’s Creek, we truly believe that this harmony transforms aspiring talents into the leaders and managers of tomorrow.”
A Shout-out to Wife
Vincent credits his wife as a central force behind his success. “The greatest lesson that has shaped who I am today is the trust, patience, and unwavering support of my wife, with whom I’ve been married for 15 years,” he says.
“My achievements are not solely the result of my own efforts,” Vincent adds. “They are also a reflection of the blessing and partnership I’ve received from my wife.”
