Royal Palm Beachcomber Luxury

It seems unlikely that it could really be so, but at the Royal Palm Beachcomber Luxury, the sand somehow looks a little more talcum-white, the turquoise-blue water a touch glassier and, strangest of all, the palm trees a bit denser with perfect shade-making fronds than everywhere else on Mauritius. It’s particularly hard to believe given that Mauritius is practically the Platonic form of a tropical island, the hotels here the things that winter workday fantasies are made of. Yet the Royal Palm’s location on the sheltered northwest coast of the island, and its eighty-two spacious, richly appointed suites, truly are the crème of the already rather rich Mauritian crème.

Every suite here is sea-facing, and given how spectacular this stretch of sea is, that’s an especially good thing. Even the modestly named junior suite has, on top of the beach views, a walk-in closet, an oversized bathroom with a big tub and separate shower, and a sunny lounge that opens out onto a private terrace. The tropical and palm suites, starting at about 750 square feet, are positively enormous, and they only get bigger from there. By the time you get to the penthouse suite, still a couple notches below the top-tier, you’ve got a skylight-lit bathroom, a terrace with its own dining and sunbathing areas, and wide-angle views over the ocean and gardens.

The three restaurants run the gamut from acclaimed Mauritian cuisine at the romantic La Goélete terrace-restaurant, to Mediterranean and Asian dishes at the beachside Natureaty, to light healthful meals at the tree-shaded Le Bar Plage. There’s also a tranquil spa that is, appropriately enough for an island paradise, brimming with gurgling water features and shingle-roofed treatment cabins, most of which have big bay windows to let the sunlight in. There’s a sports center with more activities than your gym teacher ever dreamed of — circuit training, pilates, squash, and tennis of both the table and court varieties, to name a few. A private excursion on the hotel’s speedboat is yet another way to get your heart racing. When your only other plans are spa treatments and leisurely meals between hours of wading in that warm water and lounging in the sun, it might not be so bad to raise your blood pressure a bit.

How to get there:
Royal Palm Beachcomber Luxury is located 75 kilometers (90 minutes) from the Sir Seewoosagar Ramgoolam International Airport. The hotel offers several transportation options.