Mauritius Island has a large selection of luxe resorts and I was truly spoilt for choice when deciding where to stay. My top choices included St. Regis, Shangri-La, and the Lux Resorts. After lots of deliberation, I decided on the St.Regis.
The St. Regis is located in Le Morne, in the south-west of Mauritius and is a UNESCO Heritage Site. The St. Regis offers an idyllic setting for a stunning beachfront getaway – an ultimate luxury experience.
Let me set the scene, you arrive at the resort met with an infinity waterfall that leads to a blue Indian ocean with a refreshing welcome drink handed to you.
Your 24-hour Butler (yes you read correctly) drives you to your room on a buggy, gives an induction of your room and offers to unpack your suitcase.
The perfect setting for a trip of relaxation and recuperation.
The Room
We stayed in the Ocean Beach Junior Suite on the ground floor as it featured direct access to the beach – honestly, can you think of anything dreamier?
The room had a modern yet warm feel. With a large king-sized bed, sofa and TV with plug-in high tech features.
The bathroom was marble with double vanity sink areas, and a separate spray jet bathtub and walk-in shower. The only negative comment I have is that the shower was a little outdated and the amenities were not of the standard that I would expect from Marriott.
The room also featured a modest walk-in wardrobe dressing area – which was perfect for me as I always unpack my suitcase when on holiday.
Direct access to the beach enhanced my stay, it was lovely to wake up to a sea view and be able to stroll to the beach directly from my room.
Pools & The Beach
The hotel has two pools which I’d normally think isn’t enough for a resort, however coupled with the large private beach, it was perfect.
The main pool was situated in front of the Manor House – it was very large and also very quiet (no doubt due to guests enjoying the beach). The pool was surrounded by large Balinese beds to recline on.
I loved that the poolside butlers were on hand to assist and it was not a struggle to get their attention which can usually happen in larger resorts.
The second pool was a lot smaller and nestled in the centre of the resort, closer to the beach. Like the main pool, there were attentive staff and fresh fruit infused water on tap.
The hotel was situated on the Le Morne Beach with a private stretch for hotel guests only. The beach was so beautiful and tranquil, and was where I spent most of my time.
The Watersports Centre offered a selection of beach activities including boating, swimming with dolphins, scuba diving, kayaking, snorkelling and volleyball.
Restaurants
The food at the St. Regis is up there with the best hotel food I’ve experienced and was better food than any all-inclusive resort that I’ve stayed at. They absolutely outdid themselves in the food department – it was top two and it was not two.
The resort had five restaurants to choose from and in my seven-day stay, I dined four.
Le Manoir Dining Room
Le Manoir was a buffet restaurant which served breakfast, lunch and dinner.
And what a buffet it was! Waffles, pancakes, eggs cooked to your choice, I could go on and on. I sometimes find buffets in chain hotels substandard, but the buffet food quality was top notch.
I didn’t lunch at Le Manoir but the two evenings I had dinner were great. The seafood night was heavenly for a seafood lover. There were multiple choices of catch of the day, prawns, mussels, oysters, scallops… the list goes on. There was an outdoor grill serving grilled tiger prawns and lobster.
The Boathouse Grill
The Boathouse quickly became my favourite place to dine for breakfast and lunch. It offered the best views of the sea, even on the one rainy afternoon it was so serene.
The grill was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast was served al a carte (for Platinum and above Marriott Members only). The A la carte menu was perfect served alongside vintage champagne.
I have to add that the quality of the buffet breakfast was incredible, so choosing between the two was difficult.
Lunch at the Boathouse was mixed cuisine from pasta & pizzas, to king prawns, lobster and steak. The desserts on offer were also delicious. I think overall the Boathouse Grill was my favourite restaurant and was consistent whether you dined there for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Floating Market
Floating Market is a premium dining dinner restaurant serving Thai cuisine. The décor was the best out of all the dinner restaurants at the resort – with marble floors and surrounded by water and koi carp.
I was reluctant to visit as I’m not a big fan of Thai cuisine but this restaurant delivered great food which was not only limited to Thai but also Malay, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Singaporean.
Simply India
Simply India was another fine-dining dinner restaurant which serves Indian cuisine. I visited this restaurant twice and the food was cooked to perfection on both occasions.
There was also a Japanese restaurant called Atsuko which I didn’t get to try and the 1904 bar which is a drinks bar but serves food out of hours.
Spa
The Iridium spa and gym facilities were clean and contemporary which is expected of a five-star hotel. There were several treatments on offer which you could have in the spa or in-room.
Other than treatments there was a large Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna room.
Grounds
The hotel was made so thoughtfully that you genuinely would not have to leave the grounds unless you wanted to.
Every day at breakfast we were handed a card which showed the activities happening on the day.
The beach bar and the beach front were kitted out with comfortable lounge sofas and bean bags overlooking the sea.
There was so much to do including outdoor tennis court, bike riding and table tennis.
The grounds were huge and included a large beautiful library where you could choose from a large selection of books. There was also a games room with a pool table, table tennis and a PlayStation.
One of my favourite things was the onsite private cinema which was big but personal with several film viewings a day. Guests were given complimentary warm popcorn, beverages and other light snacks. The cinema can also be reserved for private event viewings which is a lovely touch if you’re celebrating an event during your stay.
The St. Regis went above and beyond to make our stay perfect; the grounds, room and the food were all top-notch and I would stay there again in a second.
As always, please feel welcome to comment with any questions or suggestions.
Love Roberta
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