Fourth visit – and the Westin continues to give us reasons to come back
This was our fourth stay at the Westin Turtle Bay and our first for two years. We ended our last review saying that we would be back – and after another fantastic stay, this time with a party of 10, we can confidently say the same again.
This visit was particularly special because several members of our family had never visited Mauritius before or experienced a luxury beach resort holiday. Having spoken so highly of the Westin over the years, there was perhaps a little pressure on our choice! We stayed on an all-inclusive basis and, by the end of the holiday, everyone understood why we keep coming back.
The people are what make this hotel
We've stayed at a number of other resorts in Mauritius over the years and, for us, the greatest strength of the Westin remains its people. You would be hard pushed to find another resort where so many members of staff are so genuinely welcoming, friendly and interested in making sure you have a great holiday.
One of the real pleasures of returning was seeing so many familiar faces still here, including Pradeep, Renoo, Steve, Lovish, Ravi, Rajeev, Nowraj, Soonita and Pamela. There is something very special about coming back after two years and being welcomed by people who remember you.
There are far too many people to thank individually, but some deserve particular recognition.
Pradeep and Renoo remain our "A team". They are the type of employees every luxury hotel needs: hugely experienced, hardworking and professional, but above all kind, attentive and genuinely lovely people.
We're also adding Nass firmly to our list of favourites. His energy is infectious, his professionalism is second to none and he seemed permanently to have a smile on his face.
Javed also deserves particular recognition. He makes outstanding cocktails and takes obvious pride in what he serves. His drinks were consistently excellent and he's another great example of the people who make this hotel what it is.
This time we also benefited from the hotel's butler service. Roshan was exceptional. Nothing ever seemed too much trouble and he quietly made sure our every need was catered for throughout the stay. Travelling as a party of 10 inevitably creates plenty of requests and logistics, and Roshan made the whole experience remarkably seamless. Rozia looked after the housekeeping for our room which was fantastic, every day.
Beach Grill – one of our favourite tables anywhere in the world
Beach Grill deserves a special mention.
It has always been one of our favourite places at the Westin, but both the quality of the food and the service have gone up another level since our previous visit.
Under Pradeep's management, together with some outstanding cooking from the chef, it is now somewhere we actively look forward to eating. It is noticeably busier at lunchtime than it used to be, which perhaps tells its own story, but we never had to wait long for a table and the standards remained excellent.
The food was consistently superb. The team were also kind enough to prepare some of our favourite Mauritian dishes, and an octopus special during our stay was absolutely fantastic.
But Beach Grill is about much more than food.
We've been fortunate enough to eat in some wonderful places around the world and, for us, a table here would comfortably rank among our top three to five places anywhere simply to sit, eat, relax and take everything in.
There may be grander restaurants and more elaborate dining rooms, but there are very few places we'd rather spend a long lunch than sitting at Beach Grill, looking across the water, eating beautifully prepared food and simply enjoying where we are. The scenery, sea, atmosphere, food and people combine to create something genuinely special.
Pool and Mystique – noticeable improvements
There have been some really positive changes since our previous stay.
The main pool is beautifully maintained and the introduction of dedicated pool towels, rather than having to use towels provided in the rooms, is such a simple but excellent improvement.
The pool service was outstanding. Steeven runs a very high-quality team who genuinely seem to enjoy what they do. Drinks were consistently excellent and service was attentive throughout. Huge thanks to Steeven, Lovish, Nass, Javid, Jerome and Nishna for looking after us so well.
Mystique has also improved significantly. The quality of the food is considerably better than we remember, with an extensive menu and some genuinely excellent dishes.
More importantly, the hotel is making much better use of this beautiful part of the resort in the evening. Despite visiting during the Mauritian winter, there was something happening around sunset virtually every night – live music, shows, management cocktails, drinks receptions and other entertainment.
It creates a lovely atmosphere and gives everyone a natural place to gather, have a drink and watch another spectacular Mauritian sunset. There is probably even more that could ultimately be done with such a wonderful space, but the improvement since our previous visit is significant.
Two birthdays – and exceptional care when we needed it
We celebrated two birthdays during our stay, including our daughter's, and this was where the warmth of the Westin team really came through.
The staff went out of their way on both occasions. Tables were beautifully decorated at breakfast and dinner, there were flowers and celebrations, and a birthday cake was arranged for our daughter. They made both birthdays feel genuinely special rather than simply going through the motions.
Unfortunately, our daughter also became unwell during the holiday and needed to see a doctor.
The medical service available through the hotel was outstanding, but what impressed us just as much was the concern shown by the wider Westin team. People went above and beyond to make sure she was comfortable and recovering and continued checking that she was okay.
As parents, that meant an enormous amount to us and is something we won't forget.
Beautiful grounds and surroundings
The grounds deserve more recognition than they sometimes receive.
The Westin has beautiful, mature tropical gardens and the standard of landscaping, maintenance and cleanliness throughout the property is exceptional.
During this trip I walked some distance along the coastline and had the opportunity to see a number of the other resorts along the way. If anything, it reinforced just how impressive the Westin's grounds are. The landscaping and general upkeep really stood out.
There is a sense of space and maturity to the gardens, with wonderful established trees and tropical planting throughout. It feels unmistakably Mauritian rather than like a generic international resort that could be anywhere in the world.
Enhanced security
Another change we noticed since our previous visit was enhanced security around the resort, including additional CCTV cameras in sensible locations throughout the property.
We thought this was a very positive addition. Importantly, it has been done without changing the relaxed atmosphere of the hotel – you don't particularly notice the security presence as a guest, but you do notice that measures have been strengthened.
Travelling as a family, we found that reassuring and it is another example of the hotel continuing to invest in the property and guest experience.
An excellent resort gym
I used the gym every day during our stay. It could become busy at certain times, but it is exceptionally well equipped for a hotel gym.
Having used plenty of hotel gyms over the years, this is one of the better resort gyms I've encountered. There is a very good range of cardio, resistance and free-weight equipment and, despite using it daily, I never had any difficulty completing a proper workout.
A hotel that doesn't need to shout
One thing particularly struck us during this visit.
Back home in the UK, we seem constantly to receive social-media advertising for various luxury resorts in Mauritius, yet we rarely see the Westin Turtle Bay advertised in the same way.
We were told during our stay that the hotel was operating at around 99% occupancy – during Mauritian winter. Perhaps that says something.
The Westin doesn't seem to need to shout particularly loudly about itself. Its greatest advertisement may simply be the number of people who discover it, love it and want to return.
We're certainly among them.
Four visits in, we've watched this hotel evolve and improve while retaining the thing that made us fall in love with it in the first place: its people.
This time we brought family who had never experienced Mauritius before, and watching them fall in love with the island and the Westin too was perhaps the best endorsement we could give it.
Thank you to Roshan, Pradeep, Renoo, Steeven, Nass, Javed, Lovish, Jerome, Nishna, Rajeev, Nowraj, Soonita, Pamela and Rozia and everyone else who looked after our family so wonderfully.
We said it at the end of our last review and, two years and another fantastic holiday later, we're very happy to say it again:
We will definitely be back.
