SALT of Palmar, an adult-only boutique hotel, a member of Design Hotels

This hotel has STUNNING views! The white sand beach is right at your feet. The hotel’s pool, open restaurant, outdoor seating, swings, cabanas, lounge chairs, and decor are unparalleled! Lay out and get some sun (but don’t forget the sunscreen, the sun can be brutal! But, they’ve got plenty at a cute little station if you forget yours in your room!) Take a swim in the warm, crystal waters (everyone back home kept asking if I was in a pool! No, the water is just that pristine!). There’s also a free station with infused waters and teas, if you need a pick me up while relaxing (and the restaurant is open if you want a meal; they’ll even bring it to your lounge chair!). This hotel is all about service and making you feel luxurious! The food is absolutely delicious…5 star, 3 course dinners from amazing, friendly chefs (be aware that food is not included in your hotel stay, so that’s extra and so are drinks, including water with dinner, but it’s absolutely worth the price)! Everything is fresh and farm to table…there is a story about every item you’re eating, which shows how they value the island. Every morning I had fresh jams (the mango was my favorite), with freshly baked pastries, made to order omelettes, and seasonal fruit. Oh, and the juice and tea! Freshly squeezed pineapple juice and mint tea. Not to mention everything was perfectly sweet (no extra sugar needed) and well-seasoned! If you haven’t booked any excursions, you don’t have to leave the hotel to have fun. There are tons of FREE activities every day right at the hotel, including making your own face scrubs, glass bottom boat rides (do it), painting, yoga, and dance parties complete with DJ, to name a few. They even have a library with plenty of good books and space to read…and lots of games you can play! It’s a fun place! The rooms are a nice size & very clean, but minimal in terms of luxury. However, having an ocean view and balcony is worth every penny and the beds…like sleeping on a cloud! They also provide you with free water, beach towels, a yoga mat, and a cute hand-made bag (that you can purchase) to carry your stuff in. A must do is the spa! The spa itself is gorgeous and they pamper you literally head to toe! They even let you pick out the scrubs, masks, oils, etc. that will be used during your treatments…you get to smell and feel them beforehand! I had a foot scrub and leg massage (this is complimentary with any service) to start, followed by a body scrub, body wrap, deep tissue massage, with hot stones, and salt therapy. The outdoor shower outside your room is a real treat and I felt like a new woman when I left! I did the spa on my last day before I went to the airport and there was no better way to end my vacay or make me want to stay! I spent NYE & my birthday (Jan. 2) here and it was time and money well-spent! We had a 5 course dinner, complete with champagne (at midnight) for NYE. There was a DJ and live band that kept us jamming all night long. Then watching fireworks light up the sky and ocean was a great way to bring in 2026! We were even given decorative sunglasses and hats for the event. And there was a cute IG-able photo both set-up! For my birthday dinner there was a cake, candles, and singing from the nightly band. Lastly, the staff is simply AMAZING! Rishi (the manager), Bhool (my breakfast buddy), Dharam, and Ritika (who did my exhilarating spa treatment) will make your stay heavenly! There were others, but I failed to get their names. Either way, whatever you need the staff goes out of their way to provide. I would love to visit again. And I told everyone I love what an amazing place and hotel this is! Thanks for the memories! Read less

This is a personal opinion based on my experience. Others will feel differently. I was fooled by the high recommendation rate here on TripAdvisor, so I wanted to offer a different perspective. The exterior feels like one of those hotels you have seen in the Mediterranean, built by ruthless tycoons in the 80s who only cared about their protit. Someone put some money in and renovated here and there (probably the previous concept did not make it past Corona), but still the age shows. There are e.g. no lifts, so every morning you will be woken by the clack clack clack of people in their flip-flops going down the wooden stairs (the doors do not close properly). The AC units are new, but if you turn off yours during the night, you will hear the ones from the neighbouring rooms. Luckily, I did not have newly-weds next to me. I probably would have heard everything they do in their honeymoon given the walls. They made a big fuss about their Japanese-style toilets, but they neither have a TV in their rooms nor a fridge (which would absolutely make sense given the outside temperatures). The lagoon in front of the hotel is obviously amazing. Only there are constantly speedboats or glassbottom boats from neighbouring resorts passing around you when you are in the water. The beach area is very small. Good luck finding one with those people reserving theirs with a towel and then leave for other things. Food was mixed. Some evenings they have special nights when there are just two options. Naturally, those have been prepared well in advance, so might come out of the kitchen a bit flat. The things on the menu are mostly ok depending on your taste buds. I would doubt that a food critic would go there anyways. But the bread is indeed quite good. So, it is mostly comparable to a typical hotel you will find all over the Mediterranean in the 3-4 star category. Not great, but mostly ok. But for that you would be in the plane for 12 hours or so from Europe and vastly pay more compared to similar offerings in the Med - and you will easily find superior beaches there. The prices are so laughable. I am mindful of the fact that Mauritius is in the middle of the Indian Ocean and most stuff has to be transported there. But honestly, their asking price is 4200 Rupees for a lobster, roughly 80 Euros. Per person! I would very much doubt that they will be imported from New England. Other meal options are also expensive for the quality. They want to charge 60 Euros for an airport transfer that I got for 45 from a reputable company. The weirdest incident was once at 10pm, I heard a noise from my door. The door opened and closed quickly. I caught a brief glimpse of the intruder, someone from the staff (Mr. Rewa) had tried to enter without knocking. He told me that it had been the wrong room, but who would enter a room during the night without even knocking or hearing a consent from inside? So based on my experience, I would not go there again. Read less

This was our 5th stay at what is our favourite hotel in Mauritius. Having already spent 3 nights there at the beginning of our holiday we decided to spoil ourselves and close it with a further 2 nights and to celebrate my birthday there. Outstanding service across all levels starts at the top with Raj Reedoy the GM and filters down to all the incredible staff. This is why we will continue to return again and again. Thank you Salt for a wonderful holiday. Read less