We stayed in one of the chalets for 1 week, as part of our honeymoon. Unless you're on a VERY tight budget and plan to spend very little time in your hotel room, I would pay the extra for a chalet. The main block looks like depressing budget student accommodation built in the 60's, but the garden chalets are not bad at all, and have verandas. If you're getting married at the resort, they'll decorate your chalet with fresh flowers and if you're there on your honeymoon you'll get complimentary champagne (and T-shirts for some reason).
Our room wasn't huge, but adequate. It could have done with more storage space for clothes, such as a set of drawers. The air con worked perfectly and there was a small fridge (they call it a 'mini bar' but it's just a fridge), a small safe and a TV with a good range of channels. The fridge is great, as it means that you can get drinks and snacks from the local shops which are much cheaper than the hotel (you need local currency for this). The bathroom was of a good size and clean. We got fresh towels every day and often fresh flowers laid out on the bed.
The hotel is quite big and has several restaurants, which are good (espc. the Chinese). There is also a bar and a shop selling toiletries and touristy things like shells and trinkets. There are car hire desks in the lobby, a diving centre, and water sports. The pool is good and you can get fresh beach towels every day, free of charge. The beach is just a few meters away from the main hotel area, and very nice. There are a few men walking around offering tours and car hire, but they leave you alone once you've made it clear that you're not interested. The hotel has a free shuttle bus to Victoria (advance booking necessary) and events such as bbqs and walks.
We expected this area to be busier and more 'touristy', as it is the main beach on Mahe, but there are hardly any bars and not that many restaurants either. If you walk along the beach, you'll get to a good beach front restaurant (only takes Euros) and a pizza place (quite basic, but good food and they take local currency). We also ate at the hotel quite a bit. The menus at the hotel are in the local currency, but you will get billed in Euros - which is quite annoying as you have to keep converting the prices in your head.
The breakfast buffet is excellent with lots of choice and the staff are very efficient. The earlier you turn up the better, as everything is fully stocked and it's less crowded. If you turn up late, you may have to wait a few minutes for food to be re-stocked.
The staff at the hotel are mostly very friendly and efficient. We rented a car for a couple of days, since there isn't that much to do in the local area, apart from sun bathing.
Summary: one step up from the real budget hotels with polite staff and good facilities.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
most likely
I recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Older travelers, Families with young children, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
An amazing honeymoon
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Beach / Sun