Our Team | ENVI Lodges

Who We Are

ENVI Lodges is managed by a team of professionals with decades of experience in hospitality and tourism, specialized in luxury, boutique, and outdoor hospitality. We have worked for ultra-luxury brands, managed some of the world's most famous boutique resorts, lodges and tented camp, gained invaluable experience with management companies that pioneered the concept of sustainable hotels, and won multiple awards for both personal and professional achievements.

Bringing together passionate hoteliers and travel and tourism experts who share a love for discovery, responsible tourism and luxury hospitality, our team is as diverse as it is united in its values.

Although our head office is located in Dubai, some of our team members are located in South Africa while others work remotely from the place(s) they call home, including France, Greece, Spain, and Lebanon.

Co-Founder

Chris Nader

Chris was born into a family of hoteliers and he started working at the family-owned Yacht Club very young. While learning the trade hands on, he developed his life-time passion for extreme sports. But it wasn't until his early twenties that Chris experienced the synergy between travel and adventure, embarking on a three-day expedition kayaking with whales in Canada. That immersive experience only reinforced him to push his career in hospitality and after an MBA at the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne in 2008, Chris joined the team that launched Shaza Hotels in Geneva. He eventually moved to Dubai to lead the company's international growth. From 2014 to 2017, he was also the Vice-President of Development for Kempinski Hotels covering Africa and the Middle East.

It was while living in Switzerland that Chris discovered the world of experiential lodging at an eco-luxury camp in the Swiss Alps. 10 years later, he finds himself launching a new eco-lodge brand of his own. ENVI Lodges combines his love for adventure, his passion to create meaningful experiences, and his ambition to promote responsible hospitality.

Co-Founder

Noelle Homsy

Imagining she would one day design her own little hotel and retire on a Greek Island, Noelle studied architecture and ended up building an unconventional career. Starting with architectural design and construction project management, she later handled claims, risk management and arbitration cases for real estate projects in the Middle East. A born multitasker, she also earned a Masters in Engineering Management from the American University of Beirut and a certificate in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution from Harvard University --all the while, Noelle was still looking for a way into the hotel world.

In 2017, Noelle moved to Singapore for her MBA, and travelled all around South East Asia, visiting multiple eco-luxury camps in the region. After graduating from INSEAD, Noelle jumped at the opportunity to enter the hospitality industry, taking on a role in luxury hotel development with a focus on experiential lodging. During that time, she successfully signed 4 lodges in the UAE and moved on to lead the hospitality and tourism practice at Grant Thornton UAE. Her passion for watching hotels come to life combined with her love for responsible tourism finally led her to launch ENVI Lodges.

Operations

Paul Jordaan

Paul grew up in the beautiful winelands of Stellenbosch in South Africa, on a family wine estate where his father taught him to listen to the earth and how to protect it. After a training in winemaking in France, Paul moved to London to work at the Ritz before returning to South Africa to pursue his studies in hospitality.

During this time, he developed a passion for wildlife conservation and a taste for adventure and extreme sports, which led him to experience the best surfing destinations around the globe --a passion that most certainly influenced his career choices, and grew his interest for luxury experiential eco-lodges that promote sustainable tourism. He managed a 5-star lodge in South Africa, then opened Richard Branson's award-winning boutique hotel Mont Rochelle. In 2007, he took on the role of General Manager of Point Grace in Turks & Caicos Islands, a luxury property owned by Aman Resorts' founder Adrian Zecha. He then moved back to Africa to open a lodge in Zanzibar under the Elewana brand, and in 2011 he accepted his former boss' offer to become the multi-property general manager of several Aman resorts in India, Sri-Lanka and Bhutan. But that's not all. Paul eventually operated Six Senses resorts in Vietnam and Oman's Zighy Bay and more recently, general manager of The Slate in Thailand, a Bill Bensley designed resort and member of Design Hotels. Finally, Paul was the Director of Operation of multiple lodges and estates in New Zealand and Thailand.

Sales & Marketing 

Danie Davids

Danie's journey in tourism began with Air Namibia, where an early role sparked a lifelong passion for travel. Over three decades, he has held senior leadership positions with globally respected brands, including Wilderness Safaris, Mantis Collection, Lion Camp, and MAIA Luxury Resort in the Seychelles, gaining deep insight into the needs of high-net-worth travellers.

Known for building genuine, lasting relationships, Danie brings to ENVI Lodges a human-centred leadership style and the ability to craft transformative, bespoke experiences. As Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing, he drives the brand's global growth and positions ENVI at the forefront of conscious, immersive travel.

Host Relations & Culture 

Patsy Kruger

Patsy has built a career on sincerity, humility, and a passion for people. With over 15 years of international leadership experience across hospitality, conservation, tourism, education, NGOs, and the private sector, she specializes in people management and learning and development.

At ENVI Lodges, Patsy fosters strong, motivated teams through coaching, mentoring, and talent development. She combines strategic vision with a love for culture, diversity, and nature, ensuring the human side of hospitality thrives across all properties.

Wellness & Guest Experience 

Christina Koerbs

Christina brings over 20 years of international experience in hospitality, spa, wellness, and luxury lodge development, having worked across the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific with brands including Aman and Six Senses.

At ENVI Lodges, she leads wellness strategy and operations, ensuring each property delivers high-quality guest experiences rooted in wellbeing and environmental consciousness. Passionate about longevity science and nature-based healing, Christina blends innovation with simplicity to bring the brand's regenerative and wellness-forward vision to life.

Operations

Kevin Haddad

Kevin's hospitality journey began at Geneva's Le Richemond in 2011, where he discovered a passion for delivering exceptional service.

After a brief entrepreneurial chapter in Lisbon, he returned to hotel operations and built leadership experience in Dubai, taking on key roles at Raffles and Sofitel in Dubai, where he honed his skills in both luxury service and pre-opening projects.

In 2021, Kevin joined 25hours Hotel to help launch the brand's first property in the Middle East. He leverages his expertise in opening and managing world-class luxury and lifestyle hotels to bring our ENVI Lodges to life.

Brand & Communications

Yasmina Hatem Cabrera

Yasmina's storytelling career began with a Master's in Journalism from Columbia University in 2007 and has since taken her across New York, Beirut, Dubai, and London, working as a reporter, producer, writer, and communications specialist. She also spent seven years connected to the travel industry through Whywander, while producing documentaries for Business Insider that spotlighted sustainability and eco-innovation.

Since ENVI Lodges' inception in 2021, Yasmina has shaped the brand's identity and communications, ensuring every message reflects ENVI's vision for immersive, responsible travel. Passionate about meaningful storytelling, she brings the company's values to life for mindful explorers around the world.

Sustainability Lead

Tina Hedi Zakonjšek

Tina has dedicated her career to guiding tourism toward a more sustainable future. Based in Ljubljana, she co-founded GoodPlace - Factory of Sustainable Tourism, a nonprofit promoting environmental and community-positive outcomes. She also serves as Strategic Certification and Assurance Advisor for the Green Destinations Foundation.

With extensive experience conducting sustainability audits across hotels, tour operators, travel agencies, and destinations, Tina helps organizations translate responsible tourism principles into practice. Her work with ENVI Lodges ensures meaningful, mindful operations, rooted in sustainability.

Development Director Africa 

Luc Escoute

Luc's passion for Africa-its people, culture, and wildlife-was sparked while growing up in Morocco, Niger, and Malawi. After 15 years leading African subsidiaries for a multinational company, he and his wife acquired a pristine nature reserve in South Africa's Eastern Cape in 2014, establishing a boutique lodge offering active and holistic safaris.

With ENVI Lodges, Luc combines his deep knowledge of the continent with personal lodge ownership experience, creating transformative experiences for discerning travellers while looking for new opportunities to expand the brand portfolio.

Design Services 

François du Toit

François began his career with leading architecture firm WAT&G in the UK, contributing to hospitality projects across the Mediterranean before returning to South Africa to work with smaller practices and gain hands-on site experience. He later transitioned into hospitality technical services, supporting major international hotel groups on projects across Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.

In 2021, François founded PentaTech LLC, a consultancy providing tailored technical services to hotel operators. Through his collaboration with ENVI Lodges, he has overseen luxury lodge projects in the Middle East and Africa, ensuring every development combines operational excellence with a deep respect for its natural setting.

Experience Curator, Saudi Arabia (KSA) 

Reem Shaath

With a passion for meaningful travel and a deep understanding of Saudi Arabia's fast-evolving market, Reem curates experiences that connect guests with the Kingdom's landscapes, heritage, and culture in authentic and memorable ways. Having explored destinations worldwide and built a career in bespoke travel design, she brings a unique ability to craft journeys that balance luxury with discovery, storytelling, and a strong sense of place.

As ENVI Lodges' Experience Curator in Saudi Arabia, Reem draws on her insider knowledge of the country's hospitality and tourism landscape to create programs that resonate with both international travellers and local explorers. In addition to founding Whywander, a boutique travel agency, she has established herself as a trusted voice in experiential travel, ensuring that every ENVI guest experience in Saudi Arabia is thoughtful, immersive, and rooted in sustainability.