We stayed in a Junior Suite in early December 2012. This was our sixth stay in five years.
We travel to Mauritius very often and still return to St Geran (our favourite hotel) at least once a year. The hotel structure itself and the rooms are somewhat dated and the hotel is certainly long overdue for a revamp. That being said there is no resort on the island that provides you with the location and experience that Le St Geran can. Every time we go to the hotel we bump into repeat guests who likewise have a soft spot for the hotel. The gardens are amazing and the setting beautiful and it has a good atmosphere which many upmarket establishments seem to lack.
The somewhat outdated rooms are all suites and incredibly confortable with every convenience you could desire.(great Bose iPod players, DVD players, sattelite television and nespresso machines) What distinguishes the hotel from any other on the island is the location, the atmosphere and the great staff and management with their "can do" attitude.
The water sports at the hotel are unsurpassed due to the extensive operating hours, facilities and attitude of the boat house staff. No other resort gives you the freedom to water-ski, wakeboard and sail to your hearts content the way Le St Geran does. All other hotels seem to pay lip service to the concept of complimenary water sports whereas at St Geran they lead the way. The boat house does not close over some arbitrary lunch hour or due to low tide because of the deep lagoon and guests are permitted to sail (under the careful, subtle and distant watch of the safety boat) to the full extent of the ocean in front of the hotel. The resort also offers great snorkelling at many connevient times.
It is not a hotel that you ever feel pressured into spending more money at, inter alia by virtue of the fact that unlimited bottled drinking water and fruit are always on hand free of charge which makes for a refreshing change from other resorts. Even the use of bicycles is free of charge and it makes for a wonderful environment. it is also worth mentioning that cuppucino's at dinner and breakfast are all comlimentary which is fantastic.
That being said some aspects are not ideal and need addressing:
1) On our last visit the quantity of staff and level of service at dinner and breakfast was somewhat diminshed which left us a bit dissapointed as in the past you could not move an inch without people running around you, which did create a very special atmosphere which is now lost.The service is now somewhat slow but acceptable and the staff are very pleasant.
2) The diving opportunities from the hotel are not prime but the dive centre can arrange dives off the small islands in the North which is unbeleivable. The Blues Dive centre which is on site actually operates from the neighbouring hotel and it lacks punctuality and organisation and its use as a contractor should be reviewed
3) The all inclusive dinners have been moved from an extensive buffet in conjunction with an al a carte arrangement to now being a very limited provision of buffet hors d ouvres and full al a carte which leads to dinner being a very long drawn out slow service affair as you have to wait quite a while for items to be brought from the kitchen. I would urge management to reconsider this as the full buffet and al a carte worked very well as one could pick and choose the best elements of both making for a great and much quicker meal. That being said the chef's al a carte food quality is superb.
4) The prices at Prime and Rasoi restaurants should be more subsidised in the evenings when electing not to eat the complimantary dinner at the main restaurant.
5) Breakfast could be somewhat improved and like the One and Only in Cape Town an a la carte selection of hot food choices should be available to compliment the buffet. The Buffet is, however, still great.
6) The harness riggings of all the Hobie Cats have been removed (allegedly for safety reasons) - this seems totally at odds with the balance of the appraoch of water sports centre. When we stay at Paradis in the South we use the harnesses on their Hobie cats without any concern. perhaps guests should be given the option and not have the removal imposed on them.
7) The gym only has one upright exercise bike which is very unusual for a hotel of this nature, especially considering that a large portion of the clientelle is very active and sporting.In contradistiction the One and Only in cape Town has a massive gym with all the equipment the heart could desire. In the event of a renovation I urge management to considering expanding the gym which is a bit small. That being said the gym has state of the art technogym products and is great to use.
We have used the hotel once a year for 5 years in a row and really love the place despite its few shortcomings. We met the new manager on our last visit and he took a keen interest in our suggestions, was very approachable, and we wait with great anticipation to see what the future will hold.
The gardens and bird life at the hotel are amazing and I hope the same will not be lost when it is revamped in time to come.
I highly recommend the hotel for an unbelievable and very special holiday.
- Also Known As:
- One&Only Le Saint Geran Hotel
- One And Only Le Saint Geran
- One&Only Le Saint Geran Hotel Belle Mare
- One Only Le Saint Geran
- Le Saint Geran
- One&Only Le Saint Geran Mauritius/Belle Mare
Phone Number:
Region:
Mauritius >
Flacq District >
Belle Mare
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge
Beach
Business Center
Fitness Center
Free Breakfast
Free High-Speed Internet
Free Parking
Kids Activities
Restaurant
Room Service
Suites
Swimming Pool
Wheelchair access
#1 Romantic Hotels in Belle Mare
#3 On the Beach Hotels in Belle Mare
#3 Top resorts Hotels in Belle Mare
#4 Family Hotels in Belle Mare
#4 Luxury Hotels in Belle Mare
Price Range:
$$$$
Hotel Class:5 star (5*)
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
-
One&Only Le Saint Geran nestles peacefully in its own private peninsula on the coast of Mauritius, fringed by over a mile of white sand beaches. Terraced and balconied rooms all face out privately to the Indian Ocean. Under the calm sway of countless coconut palms, 60 acres of grounds take in tropical gardens, poolside and ocean dining.Enjoy our complimentary green fees for the Gary Player 9 Holes Golf Course or re-energise with complimentary water sports and water skiing.Children from 3 to 11 years old are more than welcome in our KidsOnly Club, with amazing daily activities.
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