Legends Le Grand Gaube Hotel

We stayed at legends during February 2005. It is quite isolated but otherwise cannot be faulted except for the following. The beach is rubbish. It is in a small cove which is heavily silted. Beyond the waterline it is slimey underfoot. Keep to the swimming pools. The food is well presented but tastless and a lttle suspect. it was NEVER hot. We both ended up with the trots during the first week and that was being very fussy with what we ate. Because of the isolation you are a captive audience and there are very few local places to eat. None that you can walk to. The hotel grounds are 'protected' with barbed wire and infared camera's. I work for a major airline so got a reasonable rate. Had we paid full price I would have been quite upset. The hotel blamed our gastric problems on the tidal wave in the far East..?!? If you must go to Mauritius look elsewhere. Recommended: Bangkok : Shangri-La

I recently spent a week at legends hotel (oct 2005) after spending the previous week in the sister hotel Les Pavillions. On arrival we were welcomed by friendly staff and given a cold towel and glass of sparkling wine, we were then shown to our room which was a 'water element' room. The view was stunning (indian ocean) and the room itself was very modern, huge bath, his and hers sinks, huge bed and satellite TV. We chose the all inclusive option and unlike Les Pavillions it really was all inclusive, the mini bar was included and you could eat Dinner at all four of the restaurants and choice of lunch at three different places. The food really was of the highest quality! you could choose wine from the wine list to the value of 1200 rupees (about 20 quid) per bottle, there was plenty to choose from!There was also a room service menu and although you had to pay about £2 delivery charge they would bring as much food/wine to your room as you ordered!. The gym was of a high quality, probably the best equipped gym I've ever seen at seaside hotel and it was very quiet. All of the facilities (tennis courts/watersports/cinema) were all outstanding quality and although we didnt use the spa facilites it offered a wide range of treatments. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly. There are two beaches at legends both coved, the main beach closest to the reception was very busy and nearly all of the beds were taken, the second beach is further round the back and was a lot quieter, it has it's own beach bar and the food and service there was fantastic! In summary if you are looking for a very quiet, luxurious relaxing holiday with amazing food and service then this is the place for you.

Legends is just as good as it looks in the brochures, if not better. It is just as you would imagine paradise to be. You must pay the extra for the All Inclusive package to really make the most of your time there. You can then take advantage of all the restaurants, cocktails, picnic lunch in a hamper if you go out for the day. The staff are very attentive without being obtrusive. The service is second to none. The main beach is beautiful and I would not class it as packed. There are other smaller beaches with sun beds and free hired towels. There is plenty of room for everyone. It is idilic and we would go back tomorrow. It's a perfect holiday destination.

We had 7nts at Legends hotel in September, it was superb. The hotel has all the facilities you'd expect from a 4-5* and more! The staff were absolutely fantastic, the beach beautiful, the room lovely and the food brilliant - we couldn't fault a thing. I would definitely recommend the all inclusive plan, as it's by far one of the beest I've experienced. Our holiday was so perfect, my other half proposed!

I'll keep it brief as well We thought it was nice and we enjoyed ourselves but it was below our expectations - we wouldn't go back the food was good but not outstanding - you have to go all inclusive really as the half-board restaurant is poor - the other restaurants were nice but limited menus and they got boring over the 10 days we were there service was excellent weather when we were there (19th-29th October) was fantastic - hot and sunny beach was nice - a bit small as the place was packed - towels on most of the beds by 8am watersports - quite good room was nice - we just went for standard and it was fine - nice bottle of champers in the room on arrival bars were disappointing - zero atmosphere and crap music in the evening mini-bar - not much in it

Some of these reviews are so long so I'll keep this brief: We stayed 13 nights on honeymoon at Legends. I'd recommend paying the small bit extra for private car transfer from airport. Staying All-Inclusive is an absolute MUST. The staff and service at the hotel are absolutely superb - best I've ever experienced. The restaurants - Gingko is your only inclusive option if you are only half-board and is only mediocre. Karma is fantastic. Abalone is very good but small menu. The italian place whose name escapes me now is also excellent. Water sports are very good. We stayed in a Deluxe room and for a honeymoon, its worth the upgrade. What is NOT good: The weather in July - we had 6 out of 13 days either cloudy or wet & windy. This meant we could not advance book any trips, especially boat trips, which was annoying. Swimming - the pool is nice to swim in if the sun is beating down, otherwise its cold. The sea is very much NOT conducive to swimming. Not helped by its cloudiness, eels & stories of stonefish.

We have just returned from our honeymoon in Legends Hotel. It was excellent. The hotel is fabulous with lovely sandy beaches and fantastic rooms. Our room had a great view of the beach it was truly amazing to wake up and see the Indian Ocean outside the window! Service was second to none. At dinner or lunch if you reached to pour water into your glass the waiters were there to take the bottle and pour it for you. By the 4th day they even knew what drinks we wanted! Legends gives you a special honeymoon dinner which you can have on a night of your choice in any location in the hotel such as the beach, poolside or bedroom balcony. You even get souvenir menus with your name and date of the dinner on it. When we arrived at our room on the first day there was a bottle of champagne on ice in the room. It was a lovely touch. Staff are very friendly and attentive. I never experienced hotel staff like them. If I was to return to Mauritius I would definitely go back to Legends. It really is paradise on earth!!

As we arrived we were driven down a long sweeping drive with beautiful views of the sea. We were greeted with a smile and scented towels and taken to the Abalone restaurant on the edge of the beach for champagne and cake. After our long journey with BA (no food etc because of the strike) it was lovely to relax in the sunshine with such a beautiful view. After a short wait we were taken to our room - we were amazed to be taken to a Junior Suite (we had booked a Deluxe room) - we weren't told that we had been upgraded, so spent a while convinced that they had shown us to the wrong room. Eventually our luggage arrived and we discovered some Legends headed paper with our names on confirming our room number. Elsa was our Wedding Coordinator - she couldn't have been more helpful - every detail was dealt with efficiently and she was more than happy to go that extra mile for us. Our Wedding Day turned out way beyond our dreams – thanks to all the staff at Legends. Before the wedding can take place in Mauritius you have to visit Port Louis (2 days before the wedding) – we were taken there by a Mauritours driver. When we arrived we were met by Maureen the Mauritours rep. We had to go to three different buildings to complete the formalities – fortunately it didn’t take too long and we were soon on our way back. Before returning to Legends we visited the Civil Officer in Grand Gaube – he ran through the ceremony and showed us the standard words he uses (they are lovely) – we could have made up our own words if we had wanted to but we are not that poetic!!! The officer confirms the date and time of the wedding and posts the bans of marriage in his office. We had a meeting with Elsa and the Food and Beverage Manager (Sanjeev) and were able to come up with our own menu giving our guests three choices for each course. The table arrangements were discussed – even down to table cloth and chair cover colour. I took place settings candles and table confetti out there with me which they presented beautifully along with a gorgeous floral display (photo included). Elsa has an album which you can look through to choose a wedding bouquet – there really was a vast choice – lovely. The staff at Legends offer a complimentary service to steam the Brides dress. We had selected the Spirit Garden outside the Spirit Lounge (it had a beautiful tranquillity about it) but The Presidential Suite was available, so we married there under the gazebo - photo included. As we had our family join us for the wedding (16 of us in all) we decided on the Spirit Lounge for the Wedding meal. The pianist played the baby grand. We had to pay extra for the waiters but it really was worth it. All in all it was a lovely setting for a group. We are thrilled with the photographs and the video; we paid for extra photographs to be taken as we had so many guests and have been given all photos or disk + all negatives. We have the video it was also put to dvd the videographer even offered the dvd in + or - format. We were in two minds whether to bother with the video but are so glad that we did, it is lovely to show others that couldn’t come out for the wedding and also just nice to sit and watch over and over again. The photographer takes you around the grounds of the hotel so you get some stunning shots in the beautiful gardens. I took my bose speaker system that i use with my ipod and had specific music loaded onto that - but they have a cd unit that you can use if you take your own cd's. Otherwise you can choose to have strolling musicians - i didn't see any so can't comment on what they were like. A word of warning for any bride planning to have her hair done – go for a try out before the wedding day and ensure that you allow plenty of time – the hairdresser is very slow and very particular – I was there 3 hours 40 mins having my hair and makeup done. Fortunately my appointment was at 11o’clock and the wedding wasn’t until 4pm, but it was still a rush as my dress and the four bridesmaids had a corset back that was time consuming. Whilst we were there we booked a Black River Catamaran trip from the boathouse – it was excellent - albeit an early start. The rum flows – the crew want to put it in everything!! We were lucky enough to see Dolphins – unfortunately we didn’t take our best camera so didn’t get any good pics of them but caught them well on the Video camera. We went underwater walking in Grand Baie – that was amazing and not too expensive. Well worth a try. I can’t snorkel so for me it was a real experience. When the family arrived we went on the Southern Tour – we were on a coach with other English speaking tourists – there were a lot of stops, so if you are travelling alone it is probably far nicer to go by taxi. The sights were lovely and I am glad we saw so much - Seven coloured sands, waterfalls, Colonial House, Boat factory, Temple etc. Lunch is taken at a restaurant - buffet style (would have rather gone hungry to be honest - lots of flies)!! We took a trip to the Water Park in Belle Mare, not the best day weather wise. It was quite a bumpy journey, and the children thought it was ok – wouldn’t go again!! We visited the Pampelmousse gardens, I love flowers so had a great time photographing them. You can be taken around by a Guide who speaks your language – you pay him about 100 rupees per person – although the Guide will be keen to point out that you can pay him more!! My parents went but I must say they didn’t see as much as we did – so I guess it is luck of the draw with the Guide you are allocated. We then went into Port Louis, to the Waterfront and Market – be very careful in the Market they rip you off – best just to go and look – they sell everything they sell there elsewhere and at a fraction of the cost!! The children wanted to shop – the money they had in their purses just had to be spent!! – Dhaman (A Legends Taxi driver) arranged for another two taxis to take us to Super U (a shopping complex) and then onto Grand Baie – nice place to walk around and great places to eat (not overpriced). At Super U they have a Shibani money exchange. We did very well there – we got 52 rupees to GBP (only got between 46 and 47 in England). I would like to point out to anyone taking Children to Legends, that they will cook anything you request for the Children – just mention it to someone at Breakfast. Jack from the Banyan Restaurant (far pool beyond the deluxe rooms) was excellent and really helped us out with our fussy bunch!! At the Banyan you will meet Luc at lunch time – ex West Ham - he is lovely. The evening entertainment is centred around the Grand Beau Bar next to the main pool – they have two sets of musicians per night - occasionally the guests get up to dance!! We booked all inclusive and are very pleased we did - it cost us £30 per adult extra per day (£15 per child/Teenager) - but it was well worth it. The drinks in the hotel are very expensive and everyone we met that hadn't booked ai were very sorry that they hadn't. They ended up not worrying about it and just enjoying the holiday but had really hefty bills at the end of their stay. We were able to drink Gordons gin and certain Brandy without any extra cost. The only drink that we were charged for during our stay was a Champagne Cocktail that my Husband chose – but in fairness the Waiter did point out that it would be chargeable, giving him the opportunity to change his order. The other bonus to being ai is that you can eat in any restaurant day or night for nothing extra. The main Gingko restaurant is the only restaurant those staying on half board can eat without extra cost each night. My in-laws chose not to go ai and thought that they would eat out regularly - there really aren't any restaurants close by. But they were pleasantly surprised by the hotel restaurants. You would have to go to Grand Baie which is about 20 mins away. Lots of people think that they will hire a car before they get there – (as we did) but once you see the lack of signposts and no lighting, it can soon put you off. The hotel has a taxi rank just outside the gate that you can get the concierge to call and they will drive you anywhere - wait with you and bring you back again. It really does work out reasonable up against the hire car costs. The beach was nice - probably not the best beach on the island. The sea and pool were very cold (apparently August is the coolest month in Mauritius). But we all came home with beautiful suntans. We did see a few spots of rain and the odd shower. It often rained of an evening. Into our second week it became very windy (anti cyclone) but the hotel sheltered you from the wind so you could still lay out on the sunbeds and catch the sun. They say that the sand is the only thing stopping the Legends being a 5* hotel. It was lovely to lay there in the sun with the beautiful view and a barman would wander along and take your drinks order - paradise. Well to everyone with their Legends experience yet to come – Good Luck and enjoy. You have a wonderful experience ahead of you.

Stayed in Legends for 12 nights from 12th September on honeymoon. To be perfectly honest it was the most disappointing experience of our lives. We had been sold on Mauritius & Legends by both our travel agent ( who had stayed there on honeymoon herself) & also by the glowing reviews on sites like this. As a result we were eagerly anticipating our stay. Upon arrival in Mauritius after a smooth flight with Air France we were greeted by rain! After an hour and thirty minutes of travel (including a tour along the bumpy narrow backroads of the northwest which made irish backroads look like motorways ! ) we arrived at the front of the hotel at about 7.30am. We were greeted with scented cold towels (no cocktails or champagne ) and brought into the reception where we were seated and promptly forgotten for over half an hour. Tired and getting a little annoyed we were then invited to take breakfast, which we did despite not being particularly hungry at that stage. Eventually, after breakfast we were sorted out with a room which we finally were shown to more than an hour after arriving. To be fair the room was lovely ( standard superior room ), with a huge bed & bathtub and a roomy shower. The balcony faced down onto the beach. At that stage it was cloudy and cold so we retired for a sleep. The weather that day veered between cloud and rain, a pattern we were to get used to for the next 12 days. That night was gala dinner night in Ginko which we were obliged to take as we hadn't booked anywhere else. To say it was disappointing is an understatement, I would go so far as to say it was the worst meal I ever had, tiny artistically presented portions of lukewarm, tasteless food, some of which we had no idea of what they were supposed to be ! Terrible. We avoided gala night for the rest of our stay ! I should also point out that we were not offered the honeymoon dinner at any time during our stay which all the other couples got and which was supposed to be part of the package. To cut a very long boring story short, it basically was cloudy and raining for 9 of the 12 days we were there. Admittedly on the 3 sunny days it did a good impression of paradise with the beautiful (cold) turquoise water and blue skies, palm tree's etc, but for us travelling a 12,000 mile roundtrip to experience weather basically worse than what was at home was a major disappointment. If it wasn't so depressing it would have actually been quite funny to see people lying on sunbeds one minute and then huddled under the tree's wrapped in the bright pink towels the next, sheltering from the latest downpour..... In the evening the only place to go was Le Grande Bleu bar, which was pleasant enough but got boring very quickly. The piano bar was too quiet by far. The standard of musical entertainment was good, but again got repetitive after the first week. One point I would make here is that we were on the "all inclusive" package, which I understood allowed us to drink all but Champagne/Brandy/Whiskey. In practice most spirits were not included on this ( vodka / gin etc ) so we ended up just drinking the local beer ( Phoenix ) or cocktails. This was not what we had expected or been led to believe. We noted quite a few little traps like this where food and drink were not included on the AI package, which could catch out the unwary. to us it seemed like a cheap way of trying to get people to spend a little more money on top of the AI package. The wine list was extensive and very good, but again we could have any wine up to 1200 rupees ( as many bottles as we wanted....) but anything over this was full price ( even if it was 1250 rupees ). This just doesn't make sense. Foodwise there are 5 different restaurants to chose from, although Banyon is little more than a barbecue style outdoor grill/bar which only opens for lunch, though we did enjoy the food there. I would rate them as follows : - GINKO ; Terrible, gala night I've already mentioned. The buffet's were mediocre at best. Both my wife & I experienced delhi belly after eating some sort of crab based starter here one night. Breakfast was ok, but one of my serious dislikes was the birds flying around the tables and scavenging around the food at this time, which is seriously unhygenic and not to be expected from such a high quality hotel. KARMA ; Mediocre starters, good main courses, good desserts ( the Ginger & Grand Marnier souffle was excellent ). Nice ambience. Best restaurant in Legends although could do with more choice. ABALONE ; Very limited menu, e.g. choice of 4 main courses, one of which is Lobster ( full price). Fish main course are nice. On the last night we tried the Lobster starters which were not worth the money. BASTIDE ; Mediterranean style open restaurant, open lunchtime & evening, although with the same menu. Good food and lovely pizza's,but not pleasant to eat in most of the nights we were there due to coldness/wind/rain. What did we like about Legends.., the watersports are excellent. The staff in the boathouse are so friendly and helpful. In actual fact all the staff are lovely and did their very best to help, often to the extent of being too helpful ! We had bottles of wine/water taken out of our hands more than once when we tried to pour ourselves. When the sun shines and you are lying on the beach admiring the lovely surroundings cocktail in hand, it was lovely. Outside the hotel the local area is pretty grim. There really is nowhere else worth going, even Grande Baie is not really worth a trip to. We did undertake a trip down the island to visit relations, and that was nice. It also hammered home to us how expensive it was in the hotel. A full meal for 5 adults & 1 child in a local chinese resturant in Quatre Bornes came to the princely sum of 1650 rupees ! Lunch for two was more expensive than that in Legends ! I really cannot advise people who go there enough to make sure they are all inclusive.... Overall, we were so disappointed with our stay that the usual sadness at the end of a holiday about going home was replaced by relief at getting away. I hate to sound so negative , but we can only tell it as we found it. From talking to other couples who stayed there at the same time, we weren't the only ones thinking this way. For the amount of money we paid and the distance we travelled it simply wasn't worth it. Sadly I would have to conclude that both Legends and Mauritius itself are overated. Would we return......no, emphatically !

Best Hotel I've ever been to.Everything is 'Feng Shui'. Wonderful food,watersports for the energetic,fantastic birds (feathered!) flying about, snorkelling,lovely staff, amazing rooms, yoga and t'ai chi at sunset. Absolutely unmissable. Don't hesitate-go! (Outside this lovely bubble, you'll find the local area is very poor. We went outside on our bikes and it's a huge contrast to inside. Everyone very friendly and waves though!)