Lux Belle Mare is the quintessence of Mauritian hospitality: Incredible natural beauty, quiet luxury, thoughtful service, culinary delights and world-class professionalism
Set on a stunningly picturesque beach, with a lagoon so shallow that you can walk out for several metres with little fishes swimming between your feet, Lux BM is nothing short of paradise – and the perfect backdrop for many a wedding.
As five-star luxury goes, this hotel is among the best of them. But what transforms this into our home-away-from-home is its Soul: The staff here genuinely care, and they go above and beyond, working tirelessly to ensure our every comfort and convenience – and this is what keeps us returning for our 10th visit in as many years.
The warmth was palpable as soon as we stepped into reception, lit up by the smiles of their welcome team Elvis, Hema and Anielle.
The rooms – all junior suites -- are spacious, perfectly-appointed and kept clean and immaculate twice daily by our housekeeping team Jeven and Joelle, led by Hurrish and Mustaqeem. The ocean-view suites are worth the upgrade for uninterrupted views of the sea and waking up to sound of ocean waves.
Start your day at Maison Lux where Bilal, Yashveer and Kishan make the best coffee – and always with a friendly smile!
Foodies will be totally spoiled at Lux BM. The main restaurant Mondo has one of the most extensive breakfast spread on the island. Kiddies have their very own corner. Chef Purran makes the best dhosas in the world; you can taste the love in his food, while Chef Marie-Ange and Marie-Claude at the eggs station are true professionals.
In the evenings, Mondo offers a round-the-world tour of top cuisines. Under Executive Chef Nancy, the quality of the buffet here rivals that of fine-dining at top restaurants: Cantonese roast duck, Mauritian fish curry, lamb sheekh kebab, the freshest roast Capitaine fish – all delectable and authentic – and there is no end to the variety, well-worth coming on Half-board or All-inclusive. The highlight for me this year was Chef Nassif’s shish touk and his Lebanese delights -- out of this world! Thanks to an exceptional service team – Joyce, Rati, Delores, Rohan, Rotsy, Ashika, Yaj Na, Flora, Jean Paul, Chica, Dave, Rekha, Vashish and Sanjay – every meal was just superb!
Those fancying a midday snack by the beach should visit the spruced-up Rolls Royce food truck, aptly christened Royce Street for an authentic mouth-watering tour of Southeast Asia. Try their pork buns, katsu burger and satay. The Malaysian laksa has my vote! Thank you, Chef Mimi!
Sea-front restaurant Beach Rouge not only offers some of the best Mediterranean cuisine, pizzas and Josper-grilled meats and seafood but does so with a cool jazzy DJ-led vibe. Kris, Doorga, Amit, Harish, Pravesh and Divya saw to it that we lacked nothing and importantly, noted our food intolerances.
At the plush opulent setting of Duck Laundry, Chefs Benson and Sam take Chinese haute-cuisine to a class of its own. The signature Beijing duck – with the theatre of it being expertly carved at your table - is a must. Dishes were faultless and, in my opinion, the most elegant Cantonese cuisine in all Mauritius. With impeccable service from Kishan, Shaad, Rikesh, and sommelier Amar whose recommendations are astonishingly spot-on, every dining experience at Duck Laundry was nothing short of sublime.
A meal at Indian restaurant Amari by Vineet is always a privilege and something of a home-coming. Under Chef Subi and his incredible team Ravi, Kunal and Sanjiv, you can taste the generosity and love in every morsel of their food. But what never fails to bring me to tears is my personal favourite, the black-spiced chicken – now no longer on the menu but specially prepared whenever I visit. This year we celebrated two family reunions at Amari – thank you Chef Subi for your generous hospitality and the care we received from front-of-house Roupesh, Vishal, Mannish, sommelier Hitesh and Oliver at the cocktails. We felt like royalty – better yet, family.
Whether at Sandy Toes or the Mixologist bar, bartender Vinns created the most incredible cocktails. Excellent service by Girish, Swamy, Rishi and Vishal at both the villa and couples beaches and Nitin and Bahwoo at the lounge made us feel exceptionally well-cared for. In the evenings, some of the best life-music kept us singing and dancing till late – especially with Nigel’s and Lil’s band.
When the need to work off excesses arose, Patrick, Johan and Jean-Pierre at the Gym were on hand to offer personalised tips and suggestions on training. This team is truly dedicated to your wellness and, if you let them, will share helpful advice on how to achieve your personal best injury-free. Regular yoga classes by the gazebo, aquarobics by Jean-Pierre at the pool – there's something for everyone.
Water-sport fanatics will be thrilled! Gerald and his superb team at the Boat House ensures that everything runs like clockwork and everyone has a good, importantly safe, experience out at sea – especially with fast-changing weather conditions. A special shout out to my Gerald whose expert tutelage saw me get up – and stay up – on mono-skis for the first time since I started learning with them 10years ago. Some of the island’s best water sport teachers are found in Dylan, Wesley and Damien who have been my teachers all these years. Chris, Alvinio, Lorino, Jeni and Celio were also tremendously helpful.
When we needed to unwind, the Spa with its adjoining tea house was the calmest corner in the resort. Thanks to Asha and her superb team, we managed to book massage sessions even when the hotel was at peak occupancy and the spa was highly popular.
An island of natural beauty, Mauritius has so much to offer. Thankfully, concierge Mr Gopee of Les Clefs d’Or expertise can help you plan – anything from transfers to all-day excursions – all with attention to detail.
Ultimately, the faultless running of this ship is down to the Captain and crew: We cannot thank you enough Sheila for your calm, unflappable efficiency. We know how well you have steered this ship through storms over the years and Lux Belle Mare now reflects your signature cool. Thank you, Jennifer, Ravin and Umesh for your warm fellowship all these years and for looking after us so well.
