The Residence Hotel

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The residence in Mauritius is the most stunning, beautiful place I have ever been to in all the time I have holidayed.
We went in April for 7 nights and flew with Air Mauritius from Heathrow, we also upgraded to business class.
Check in was fantastic, the flight, staff and food on the plane was the best i have experienced. From the moment you have checked in you are not only treat like royalty, you feel like royalty!
I would recommend business class as it was splendid, luxurious and well worth the upgrade fees. A glass of champagne on boarding and then an Air Mauritius pack with face creams, foot creams, socks, blanket, lip balm, eye masks, notepad and pens. Basically the little luxuries you may not have a hand!!!
From getting our cases out of the airport we were greeted and taken by the luxury bmw to our hotel and from that point we didn’t see our cases again until we got to our actual room!
On arriving at the hotel we were appointed our private butler for our stay, check in was quick and a little tour to show us round was great. We were taken to our rooms and my gosh they were fantastic!!! Huge beds, fresh smelling, fresh fruit with mango, pineapples, apples etc laid out, slippers by our beds, sarong for the ladies and little notes on cards that were laid on your pillow!!!
The beach is a wow factor and whilst looking for a place to sit we were greeted by a butler who greets you with a fresh cool towel and an ice cold bottle of water, the towels were laid for us and our water was opened...all we had to do was sit down and relax!
The staff are second to none and are very friendly and polite, anything you require is at your command!!!
We went on a half board basis, the breakfast is self service with the most fantastic buffet with a choice to suit even the funniest of eaters plus any hot food you require is cooked freshly prepared in front of you!
If you have the half board basis you are allowed so much per person for meals at night and the food is the best I have ever had! The allowance covers 2 or 3 courses in the evening and everything again is freshly prepared and mouth-watering.
Light entertainment in the adjoining hotel bar is fantastic for a nice romantic or relaxed night, you have the option to eat at 3 of the restaurants thus widening your choice to eat and enjoy the other restaurants, you can have Chinese, Indian, Mexican, English, traditional...whatever you wish really!
Personally I got addicted to the prawn and chicken noodles at the beachfront restaurant and ate this maybe 5 out of 7 days!! Recommended!!!
The advantages here I found was the choice, I tend not to try foods but here I tried maybe most of the foods I would not normally try!!! Oysters, lobster, crayfish etc.
The facilities at the hotel and spa are wonderful, a crèche for anyone taking children which was set just on the beach so they are never far away, all the watersports are free too!!! We went out to the corals to see the fish, tried waterskiing, you can book snorkelling lessons, paragliding (fee) pedaloes, speedboats the list is endless, the spa has every possible treatment you can ever imagine and there are yoga classes, learn to swim, massages, beauty treatments, gym, tennis, pools, hairdressers and barbers, anything you want is at this hotel and freely available.
The staff are extraordinary. They remember where you like to sit, what you like to drink, and your name which gives that extra special touch and makes it more personal which was wonderful.
My boyfriends birthday was while we were there and what a fantastic night we had too. The manager/head chef in the hotel restaurant became a good friend and I asked if he could ask to house band to maybe sing Happy Birthday...they did one better than that...we were seated at the poolside, under the stars, candles, champagne and the seats were covered in gold to show we were celebrating.
We were told we didn’t have to pick from the menu if we wished not to and we could have whatever we fancied, I chose king prawns to start with a chilli dip and to follow, lamb chops, roast potatoes and vegetables, my partner opted for crayfish to start and to follow, a succulent steak with peppercorn sauce and believe me, a tradition meal in the UK could not compare to the fantastic flavours, presentation and contrast of the meals that we ate there! Perfection in the making!
Once we had finished the house band made their way over and sang accapello, happy birthday which had everyone to there feet and then soon , the manager presented my partner with a freshly prepared and iced cake with a lovely message on top! The night was one I will never forget.
There is fantastic entertainment in the evening where you can relax to the house band or go to a speciality night e.g. Indian with all the cuisine and dancers.
No need to carry cash or cards out with you at anytime as you just charge it to your room and pay when you are ready, the lunches in the day are fantastic choices and value for money with the choice of toasties, canopies, sandwiches, seafood, meats, pastas, rice’s and salads. To be honest though, we didn’t require to eat at lunchtime everyday as the breakfast is enough and plentiful but you might get peckish and the snacks will see you through till your evening meal.
We were amazed how personally attached you can become to people and places and it didn’t end there.. After our nights out and a stroll on the beach we returned to our room to find our bed sheets turned down ready for you to retire to bed, slippers at your bedside, rose petals on the covers, more fresh fruit, lights dimmed, air conditioned set...they only thing we had to do was get in the bed! And yes another meanings card placed on your pillow, the personal touches here are amazing.
The butler came to see if we require a nightcap and asked if he could prepare a bath for us but after our night we were ready for a sleep.
Meals can be eating at the 3 restaurants or requested to your room so you can have a romantic night overlooking the sea and watching the sunset, breakfast can too be taken in your rooms at no extra cost.
Your butler is at your beck and call should you need anything at all, he will unpack and pack your cases, run you a bath, pour you a drink, light your cigarette...anything at all.
The residence is the most exquisite place in the world and I cannot wait to return here.
I highly recommend that you make going here one of the top ten things to do in your life
You will not regret it at all.