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Cheaper
Average
Higher
About
5.0
#1 of 9 hotels in Vilanculos
Location
4.9
Cleanliness
4.9
Service
4.7
Value
4.6
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The Bahia Mar Club boutique hotel is located where the azure waters of the Indian Ocean touch the palm fringed beaches of Vilanculos on mainland Mozambique. It is the ultimate destination for visitors wanting to experience colourful local culture as well as the fabulous beauty of the Bazaruto Archipelago.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Boutique
Languages Spoken
English, Portuguese
Location
Bairro 19, Rua De Outubro, Vilanculos 1304 Mozambique
Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel
454 reviews
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This retreat ticks a lot of the boxes and taking into account they are still getting back from Covid I have tried to make feedback balanced. There is a lot to like - location is stunning as are the grounds, pool area and rooms. We stayed in a Seaview Room which was modern, kept spotless and came with a huge balcony with sunbeds. Staff are friendly and attentive although service on a few occassions was a bit poli poli (slowly,slowly) but it is Africa. They are also trying hard on the eco front with a number of good initiatives. We found food a bit of a mixed bag - breakfasts were excellent and whilst there is a fair choice for dinner the dishes were a bit bland and the vegetarian options pretty limited. We were only given a vegetarian menu on the last night and struggled on the other days to see what might be possible so more effort could be given on this front. We had travelled from Nehimba Lodge in Zimbabwe which has one food delivery a week but manages to knock out great vegetarian options. The hotel offers a number of tours and the boat trips out to the islands for diving/snorkelling seemed very popular and got good feedback from guests. Don't bother with the City Tour or inland Canoe trip which we took, as they are very short and poor value for money. Overall a nice place to relax if you want a good room,lovely pool and magnificent beach.
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Date of stay: September 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Seaview Room have great views and large balcony
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel, General Manager at Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel
Responded Oct 6, 2022
Hi Malcolm, It was our great pleasure to welcome you to Bahia Mar and I'm so glad that your experience was generally so good, we appreciate your balanced reviewing.. With it's modern spa and gym facilities Bahia Mar offers popular wellness retreats for those wishing to rejeuvinate, pamper and eat healthy. Accordingly we do have a comprehensive vegetarian menu and I can only apologise that this wasn't made available to you until your last night. I do hope that you will return and we all look forward to welcoming you then. Susana
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Best place to stay in Vilanculos. The staff go above and beyond to keep guests happy. The location is 15 minutes from the airport and feels luxurious in every way. The hotel arranges tours, taxis and whatever else you need. They are reliable and trustworthy. We stayed in a garden view suite for 4 nights and 1 night in an ocean view suite. Both were excellent. I have a soft spot for the garden suite because of the outdoor shower and practical design as well as the extra spacious bathroom. The ocean view suite gives you a balcony to enjoy the view but isn't as spacious as the garden unit and fewer plug points. I recommend the lobster pasta. But ask for the tiny jar of piri-piri if you want a kick in any of your meals. The chicken burger was also lovely. The prawns were good too but again ask for the piri-piri! I also suggest the breakfast wrap with chorizo and scrambled eggs with a lovely foamy cappuccino. For dessert the chocolate volcano was a winner. There is a spa and a gym on site which we unfortunately didn't have the time to try out. The WiFi can be a bit temperamental but you can ask for a dongle at reception.
Just note that the luxury within the walls of the hotel is in stark contrast to the community and surrounding area of the hotel. It's about an hour walk to the Mercado Municipal which is the main local market. It's not for the faint hearted. You can reach this by tuktuk but then make sure you have cash on you. Its cheaper than taking a cab/taxi and takes about 10 to 15 minutes by tuktuk. The hotel is in a good location - close enough to the airport, right on the beach, a short tuk tuk from the supermarket and Mercado Municipal, other beach restaurants and the ocean horse safari if you're keen on that. I wouldn't stay anywhere else in Vilanculos. Stick to this place.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:1. All restaurants in Vilanculos that we visited take forever to prepare meals. Place your order...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel, General Manager at Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel
Responded Aug 11, 2022
Dear LMoodley, many thanks for your visit and for your comments which are much appreciated. Whilst our doors never closed during the Covid years, we are so happy to be able to welcome our valued guests from Europe and the rest of the world once again. We missed you all! Susana
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We stayed 3 nights in the sea view bedroom and 4 other nights in the garden suite. Both rooms were beautiful and super clean. They did the rooms twice a day and they came in the evening to prepare our room for the night. The view from the sea view bedroom was breathtaking! The whole hotel facilities were just amazing. There was so much culture! The food was so delicious and they even had live music every night playing. We were using the hotel gym a lot, there was total privacy as not much of the other guest were using it. The staff was just amazing. They've arranged all our trips we wanted to do (there is so much to see in this beautiful place ) and they were so personal and friendly. Also a huge thank you to the hotel manager Santos! He was super kind and helped us with every issue we had so our stay there was extremely relaxing. We can totally recommend this hotel and will return for sure to this special hotel!
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Date of stay: November 2019
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel, General Manager at Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel
Responded Sep 15, 2020
Hi Leonie. This is such a beautiful review. Thank you so much for your kind words. It was so great to have you with us! Come back again! Warm regards Susana
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Where to even begin? What a glorious, exceptional place this was. I initially booked my stay at Bahia Mar for just a week but a month later I was still there, soaking up the beautiful sunrises, watching the tides come in and out and sipping on the occasional coconut by the magnificent views offered right next to the pool. It so effortlessly became home.
"Home" was an exquisite beach suite which was approximately 5 metres from the beach. It was large enough and spacious enough to never feel claustrophobic (given how long I stayed), with its separate lounge and kitchen area and wrap around porch, while never once losing that touch of luxury. It offered complete privacy and private access to the beach. The suite even has its own plunge pool for you to cool off at the end of yet another hot day, or sipping on a cocktail that the bar will happily send down to your suite while you relax and take in the ocean views. There is also a gym to keep you busy, which comes with a trainer and a full set of classes you can pick and choose from. Right behind it is the heavenly spa, where the ladies work their magic on you when your body also craves the revival your spirit and mind will no doubt already be feeling after a few days in this beautiful place.
I tried food from all over Vilanculos, but I kept coming back to the Bahia Mar restaurant because the (sea)food is just amazing. Some days I'd show up and just ask the chef to "surprise me", and it was always an orgasmic trip for my tastebuds.
More than anything, it is the people I met there that made it a truly memorable experience. All of the staff at Bahia Mar are incredibly friendly, warm and welcoming, and it truly felt like I was embedded in a small community of wonderful people while I was there. Not only the staff, but even the locals, who would frequent the restaurant for a coffee or lunch, or come in for a yoga class and share a laugh and some stories before heading off to their homes.
I would (and very likely will) come back to this place time and time again.
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Date of stay: February 2021
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:The beach suites are unparalleled
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel, General Manager at Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel
Responded May 24, 2021
Oh how special this review is! Many thanks for the information that you have supplied which we know will be of benefit to everyone reading this. It was our great pleasure to host you ... again and again is how often we expect to see you here. Susana
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i have been around on this planet, been in a lot of nice hotels. bahia mar in vilanculos mozambik tries to be one of the hot, stylish outfits, but fails in the first moment. their website looks fine but when you arrive there, they all over sudden want to charge you 400 USD for a shady beach side double room. the people who work there are very nice, but the food is merely average, it all takes for ever and then the dishes are so small. much better places in mozambique -it seems the manager just wants to make up for corona-induces losses as quick as he can.
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Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel, General Manager at Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel
Responded Dec 3, 2021
Hello 513amh, I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your review of our hotel. Indeed, you were charged US$400, but you failed to mention this was for two people for three nights stay in a Seaview Room - a free upgrade which we offered you from the Garden Suite that you originally booked. US$66.66 per person, per night, including a full breakfast could be considered by many a bargain and far from an attempt by management to recoup Covid losses! We are indeed sorry that you were disappointed with your meals, our kitchen team endeavour always to please. Complaints are taken seriously, they are investigated and, where necessary, adjustments made.
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I stayed at Bahia Mar for a full month. I had only intended to be there for a week to relax, but extended my trip multiple times, even flying my girlfriend and family out to the Mozambique as well to come enjoy this unique place. Bahia Mar is by far the best resort in Vilanculos as far as I could tell. Having spent many years travelling for work, I can safely say that this resort is on par with international 5 star standards.
The food is of a high quality. The location, pool and views are amazing. There is a fully equipped gym, which I used every day, and a spa. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful and look for ways to make your stay more enjoyable.
Thank you to Nelson and Daniel in the gym for all their help and advice. Paulo, Manuel and all the other waiters who made sure to make me a protein smoothie every day and cater to any need I had in terms of food. Santos, Helder and the other front office staff also went out of their way to help with anything, even driving me to other restaurants and to the shops to buy anything I needed. Thanks to Elizabeth and the spa staff for the brilliant massages.
Totally polished and well run team. Could not have been happier with my stay. If I'm ever back in Vilanculos, Bahia Mar would be my only choice.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel, General Manager at Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel
Responded Jun 9, 2020
Hello Dean, Greetings from the team here at Bahia Mar. We all missed you when you left and want to say thank you for being such an amazing guest. You were patient during the refurbishment of our reception and restaurant, always amicable, indeed great to have around! Your lovely review makes me very proud. Susana
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We absolutely loved our family holiday at Bahia Mar. The place is beautiful, but what makes it really special is the people. The management and staff are friendly and very organized. The place is well maintained and peaceful. The rooms and grounds are immaculate. We enjoyed the outdoor shower at our garden room. We really liked all the meals at the restaurant. Our favorite meal was the breakfast, which is included in the price and gave us good healthy food to start our days off. They offer very good variety of activities and the Bazaruto island day trip with lunch and snorkeling was great experience. I tried aerial yoga for the first time at their yoga studio and loved it. The spa is also very nice and me and my husband enjoyed our coconut massages. Bahia Mar exceeded our expectations and I would love to return soon.
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:We found the management to be very helpful, so I would suggest to speak with them in case you...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel, General Manager at Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel
Responded Aug 29, 2022
Greetings from Bahia Mar Miroslava and thank you for this informative review which will, I'm sure, benefit those researching where to stay in this wonderful part of the world. We know that we are privileged to live here and we love to share our facilities and the amazing natural world that surrounds us and really appreciate your comments. The door's always open pending your return! Susana
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Brilliant stay as part of our wider African adventure. The staff couldnt have been anymore helpful. Celebrated my birthday here and we were so well looked after. We had an excellent spacious room with an outside plung pool. The cleaning was impeccable and we felt so pampered. Before our travel across the hotel provided excellent information about obtaining a visa on entry (as the UK embassy were unable to deliver to us on time) which took away any anxiety we had before arrival. The hotel helped to organise trips - the Dhow snd Seahorse experience was fab! We had to unfortunately cut our stsy short in order to get back to the UK before entry requirements changed for the Omicron Covid variant - without the help from Susana Vidal we would have been stuck, she was so helpful with organising land transfers and early covid test results. We recomment this hotel to anyone wanting a luxurious stay in Mozambique!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: November 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel, General Manager at Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel
Responded Feb 3, 2022
Oh Ginnette, we missed you after you left! Many thanks for this fabulous review and for being such a pleasure to host. Your next visit will, hopefully, be uneventful. Greetings from us all. Susana
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The hotel is absolutely beautiful. We stayed in Beach Villa 1, and it was AMAZING! We have 3 young children, and they had set up 3 bunk beds, all with mosquito nets, and put a fun activity book and crayons on each bed. The bath was more like a small swimming pool, which the kids and parents alike, enjoyed daily. From the decor, to the amenities of the room, we all wanted to move in permanently. It was loaded with everything you would have at an AirBnB, but also had the convenience of the hotel amenities as well. It had it's own small plunge pool (very cold though), own big backyard, and private entrance to the beach. We booked a boat tour to the islands thru the hotel, and that was probably our favorite day. The hotel also arranged a vehicle to take us into town to eat, and then we enjoyed walking back, stopping at every local bar and market on the way home. It is not only extremely beautiful location, but also very safe. While the hotel had wonderful customer service and was amazing to accommodate our young family, it was more of a relaxing quiet hotel for couples. There wasn't a whole lot of "activities" for the kids to do, but it was a wonderful relaxing, slow pace trip that everyone enjoyed. I gave a lower review for "sleep quality," as there were blackout shades for the kids room/living room, and there were blackout shades in the primary bedroom, however the primary room is open to the bathroom where there are no shades and the sunlight came in very early.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: October 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel, General Manager at Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel
Responded Oct 31, 2023
Oh what a lovely review - thank you for letting us host you here at Bahia Mar, it was our great pleasure to meet you all. We are delighted that you were so happy here. Our kids club runs only during the school holidays of April, August and December. It was a pity that your children didn't have the chance to participate. We very much hope that you will return and look forward to welcoming you again then.
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We stayed in two of the garden units. Newly built, spacious with a nice outdoor area. Beautiful hotel grounds with gorgeous views on the Vilanculos beach. The food is good and the staff very friendly. The hotel has a nice gym as well. The spa was new, nicely appointed. I thought the spa services needed a bit of work but still a pleasant experience.
The beach in front of the hotel does require going down many stairs, but it is well worth it as the beach is gorgeous, clean and with tons of space. I would definitely go there again!
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Date of stay: September 2019Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel, General Manager at Bahia Mar Boutique Hotel
Responded Sep 15, 2020
Thank you so much for your lovely words. Our brand news SPA makes us very proud. Using only organic and natural ingredients and incorporating local products in most of the treatments. There is always room for improvement for such new services. Thanks again for your help. Warm regards from sunny Vilankulo. Susana
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Hello, apologies for our late reply. We suggest 2 sea view bedrooms next to each other. You have access to each others terrace. Lovely bedrooms with wonderful views over the Bazaruto islands.
Hello,
Thanks for getting in touch.
In this case I would suggest a Beach suite (triple bedroom) for the couple and the youngest child and a Sea view bedroom (for the older children).
Which dates are you planning to come?
Regards from sunny Vilankulo
Susana
Hello,
There is an international airport in Vilankulo - Vilanculos with daily flights from Johannesburg with SAA. The we are located 10min from the airport and our rates include airport transfers.
Let me know if you need any additional information.
Warm regards
Susana
London, United Kingdom61 contributions52 helpful votes
Don’t know about weather as we went in Late May. This is not a place for kids. The pools are not heated and there is nothing for kids to do at all. There’s only about 12 rooms, so about 24 people and most are adults so you will feel embarrassed and also challenged if you’ve got small kids around regardless of how well-behaved they are, especially with no kiddy amenities. Go somewhere more developed and wait til they are 16+ before going to this sort of place.
There are more places to choose from in the Vilanculos area.
PRICE RANGE
$284 - $391 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
MozambiqueInhambane ProvinceVilanculos
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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