Hotel Review: LUX* Belle Mare Mauritius

We arrived at LUX* Belle Mare a jetlagged and tired after a long journey from London. The drive from the airport took us roughly 45 minutes to an hour. We had rented a car straight off from the airport and took it upon ourselves to drive to our resort. We were welcomed by a friendly concierge and were served some refreshing welcome drinks. After checking in we were escorted to our room in a golf buggy with bags arriving shortly after.

Since it was our honeymoon we had booked the Junior Romantic Suite that was overlooking lush green palm trees with the beach just beyond them.  We were welcomed with some champagne and fresh fruit and some flowers decorated on our bed. Our room was probably larger than most apartments in London. It had a huge king size bed that was so comfortable that the only way I think I can adequately describe it is that while sleeping on it I felt like my body was melting into a complete bliss. We had a nice lounge besides it with a sofa that could be pulled into a sofa bed for families or a group of 4.

View from our room

Our Room

What impressed me the most was that every small detail was taken care off. I guess that is to be expected at 5* resorts however, it makes you wonder how much value for money you receive at destinations like this as compared to similar priced hotels in Europe. We had a walk in closet and a huge bathroom with a shower and bathtub.

We received a call from a woman named Jennifer who was assigned to us to make sure our stay at LUX* was comfortable. Since we had booked the Honeymoon package we were offered a complimentary breakfast on the beach or by their pond, a complimentary dinner at any one of their restaurants with a special menu and a couples cooking class introducing us to Mauritian cuisine. We were unable to take the cooking class because of time constraints on our end however; the breakfast and dinner were amazing.

The breakfast was served to us on the beach with tiny waves brushing against our feet. We were served fresh coconut water directly from the coconut, fresh fruit platters, flavored yogurt and eggs of our choice. Their breakfast spread on a daily basis while having continental options also showcased some of the local cuisine mixed of Indian and Chinese delights as well. From lassi, which is an Indian yogurt drink to dumplings you could find it all in the breakfast spread. During breakfast hours we could also avail their special coffee from their coffee bar. LUX* Belle Mare boasts that it makes the best coffee on the Island. Needless to say the breakfast was definitely our favourite meal of the day and it felt like we were feasting like kings.

Juice Selection in the Breakfast Spread

Live Egg Station at the Breakfast Spread

Fresh Fruit Selection at the Breakfast Spread

Breakfast on the Beach

 For the romantic dinner that was arranged for us we could choose any of their restaurants or for an extra fee we could have a private dinner at the beach or the pond. Since we had already done breakfast on the beach we decided to go dine at one of their restaurants called Beach Rouge that overlooked the beach. The vibe at Beach Rouge was very young, modern and it seemed like a great place to hang out post dinner for some drinks as well.  The food served to us that night was not on their usual menu but it has definitely got to be one of the most scrumptious meals I have ever eaten. I specifically loved my starter and made a special request to eat it once more before we left Mauritius.

My Three Course Meal at Beach Rouge

My Husband's Three Course Meal at Beach Rouge

 There were three restaurant options and one buffet style international dining called MIXE to choose from for our daily dinners. Aside from Beach Rouge, there was a Chinese restaurant named Duck Laundry that soon became my husband’s favourite and an Indian restaurant named Amari owned by Michelin star chef Vineet. In the day time there was a food truck that offered burgers, hotdogs chips etc as well as an ice cream stand as well. While lounging at the beach or pool side during lunch times often you would see staff from the hotel offering small complimentary quick bites as well. The burger from the food cart was absolutely divine and if you read my introduction I am a sucker for good burgers!

Both my husband and I have traveled quite extensively before but what truly made this holiday unique was the personalized service we received. Almost every one knew us by name despite there being hundreds of guests.

The first 4 days we spent exploring Mauritius with our Catamaran cruise, Under Water Sea Walking and Seat Karting however; we left the last 4 days to completely enjoy the resort and all it had to offer. Our daily schedule looked something like this

-       We would wake up get dressed and head over to have breakfast

-       Head to the beach and relax and let our gigantic breakfast digest

-       Sign up for some of the complimentary activities such as snorkeling, glass bottom boating, water skiing, paddle boating, tubing and wind surfing

-       Finish those activities and then grab a bite from the food truck

-       Take a dip in the pool

-       Head over to the spa to spend a couple of hours before going to dinner

While for some this might be monotonous but I have to say after such a stressful year of planning a wedding, moving continents and other things this was definitely the most relaxed I have ever felt!

The spa offered complimentary use of their sauna, jacuzzi and steam room. You could also book massages and other treatments as well. The resort also offered yoga classes and a gym with personal trainers.

My View of the Beach

My View of the Pool

The Spa

The great part about LUX* Belle Mare is that it is ideal for couples and families with one side of the property reserved for couples accommodation hence, giving them privacy and a bit of quiet and the other side for families which had a play area, tennis courts, an entertainment area for pool, snooker and fuse ball as well as a small library. 

We left our honeymoon well rested, relaxed and with a perfect start to the rest of our lives together.