The Royal Palm Mauritius

The Royal Palm Hotel “The most prestigious address in Mauritius”

Date of visit: We’ve visited a few times, but the last was in March 2015

Well what can one say? ..I know Christina’s father would recite one of his coined phrases ‘you can go to heaven if you want to, I’d rather stay here’! The Royal Palm is the epitome of boutique luxury, and an absolute foodies heaven.

Helicopter

We flew with British Airways, club class, which was good, but they could take a few pointers from Emirates! On arrival we were whisked through security by a representative for Beachcomber hotels, and taken to the helicopter terminal for our flight to the Royal Palm Hotel, and what a flight! We departed from the main airport, tracked through the centre of the Island and over the highest point, which was breath taking, and then followed the azure coast all the way to the Royal Palm, what a way to travel. The pilot was really friendly and informative, pointing out various points of interest and hotels along the route. After touching down smoothly in the grounds of the hotel, we were met by the GM and the bell boys. This really was movie star territory. We had arrived!

Room check in

After an effortless in room check in, and the obligatory welcome drink of your choice (the most delicious Mojito we have ever tasted), we quickly unpacked then headed straight for the beach. The beach.. pure white sand and milky blue waters, stunning thatched parasols over sumptuous sunbeds adorned with luxurious mattresses and pillows, beach attendants in white gloves brandishing oversized fabulous beach towels…the setting, just perfect! The beach at the property is comprised of two coves with a little rocky promontory in the middle. The beaches in Mauritius are public, and now and again people wander along the shoreline, but it still felt very private, and the beach is only shared by the hotel and a few incredible luxury villas. 

The Royal Palm only has 69 suites, and they are all ocean facing. The attention to detail is superb, and the grounds are immaculate. Recently changes were made to the property, which included enlarging the suites to reduce the numbers, plus the addition of a new infinity pool. It really is the epitome of luxury. The gym is first class too, and there’s always someone on hand to advise you etc, that’s if you fancy the exertion!

Infinity pool

Now to the food… Michele de Matteis, the French Executive Michelin-awarded chef, leads a huge team. We were lucky to be given a tour of his enormous lair, and it really is mind blowing. Different sections for pastry, desserts, meats, fish, all incredibly impressive. The delights that are presented from the La Goulette restaurant are mouth-watering. Everything is cooked to perfection, and the selection is amazing. We’ve decided it’s one of our favourite restaurants in the World, fabulous views, first class service, delicious food, what more could one ask for? At night they have standard low lights in the open restaurant giving it a wonderful feel, and with the gentle warm breeze floating through it really is magical. Michele is so accommodating, if there’s something that’s not on the menu that you fancy he will do his best to arrange it for you. We really have sampled some spectacular dishes at La Goulette, creative & delicious.

The Royal Palm Mauritius

Lunch was equally as divine at Bar Le Plage, we enjoyed sitting under the 100 year old Badamier tree, while gazing out at the impossibly blue and turquoise ocean. Offering lighter fare, fresh fish, and beautiful salads, there was always something to choose from on the menu. Of course whatever we chose had to be washed down with a glass of wine from the extensive wine list. It really was a serene and exquisite experience. After lunch we would amble back to those sumptuous sunbeds, and drift off with the sound of the waves trickling up the beach…pure heaven.

The hotel is situated in Grand Baie, and we used to walk the 5 minutes into town occasionally, to browse the various shops and see what was being offered at the small fish market as ‘catch of the day’. There is a small harbour there too, and the lucky deep sea anglers who manage to pull in the famed Blue Marlin have their photo taken with their catch. If you see a fishing boat approaching with a black flag flying then you know they have one on-board. I decided to give it a go one day, and came back with a couple of Bonito (small Tuna like fish) after 8 long hours!! I do remember leaning over the side of the boat on a few occasions too..groan. Never one to give up I went again and was lucky to pull in a colourful Mahi-Mahi fish, which Michele at the hotel turned into one of his culinary masterpieces. I do remember on that occasion hanging over the side again, so I decided that was my last foray into deep sea fishing!! Very annoyingly there was a ‘movie star looking’ Russian couple who left the beach at the Royal Palm in their boat, only to return within about 3 hours with a huge Marlin in tow!! Grrrrr. They probably sailed round to Port Louis and bought it!

The Royal Palm Mauritius

If you fancy a day out out of cosseted luxury, then there are a number of excursions you can arrange. We visited the Sugar Cane factory, which gave a history of the Island including how the slave trade affected the Island, and the demise of the dodo. It was fascinating, with reconstructions of the machinery that was used, old photographs and illustrations, and various presentations. Well worth a visit, and of course there’s the obligatory rum tasting at the end! If you have a chance to go then try the Vanilla rum, delicious. The botanical gardens are a must too, we took our own taxi and on arrival paid for a private guide to explain the different plants, and guide us through the area. It was beautifully kept, and once again fascinating. Our guides’ personal dream was to see Kew Gardens in London, we wish we could have taken her home with us to fulfil it. We also took the hotel’s private speedboat to Flat Island, part of a collection of islands approximately an hour away, and visible from the north coast of Mauiritius. The Royal Palm kindly packed us up a fabulous picnic hamper full of delicacies, a couple of bottles of Domain Ott rose wine, and a heap of towels. We moored up at the Island and we were lucky to have it all to ourselves. There were little picnic tables under shelters for anyone to use, and we spent the day snorkelling, swimming and just relaxing, it was wonderful.

To sum it up, the hotel is amazing and truly 5*, the Island is interesting and we always felt very safe, the beaches are stunning and the ocean is warm. Yes it’s a bit of a trek from London, approximately 12 hours direct on British Airways, but it’s definitely worth the journey. This holiday gave us unabashed luxury and we loved every minute of it! 

Further Information :

Transfer by road to the hotel approximately one hour

Transfer by helicopter approximately 20 minutes flight

The hotel have their own luxury cars for transfers including a Rolls Royce and a BMW X5

Walking distance into town approximately 5-10 minutes

Flying time from the UK – approximately 12 hours direct on B.A. or Air Mauritius. Emirates also fly via Dubai.

Currency : Mauritian Rupee

Time zone : GMT + 4 hours

Places to visit :

  • Botanical gardens in Pamplemousses
  • Sugar Museum & Factory
  • Port Louis the Capital for shopping etc
  • Helicopter flights over the island
  • Royal Palm boat trips and deep sea fishing Excursions
  • Chamarel 7 Coloured Earth
  • Ile aux Cerfs Island, on the east coast of Mauritius for a fabulous beach day