Indian Resort & Spa

This is the second time we have stayed at the Indian and though the first time (almost one year prior) was some what of a shock, after spending a previous week at another Mauritian establishment on the other side of the island (The Residence, Belle Mare). I was willing to give the Indian the benefit of the doubt for a second time because its location in comparison to the Kiteboarding we were there to do couldn't be faulted, as its right next to where you rig up to fly. From memory the rooms stank of being stale and there was NEVER hot water. This time round a hot shower or bath was possible, but you had to try for one at 2:00 am/pm, when everyone else was at the beach or asleep! The rooms still stink of staleness and smokers when we asked if we could be moved to a room that didn't stink of smokers we were told that all the rooms are either smoking or non-smoking. When asked to clarify what they mean by this, because we wanted to get away from smoking, we were told we could either smoke or not; the choice was ours to make. They offered to have housekeeping come in to spray the room to re-fresh it, which they did. Though the stink came back every couple of days because it was in everything. Plus you had to close your room up all the time because guests would sit on their balcony's next door and the smoke would waft inside your room, so you had no choice and couldn't get away from it. The garden and restaurant staff were lovely if you took the time to say hello each day, though upper management and the front desk staff could have been more helpful and friendly. It would appear there was quite a divide between the attitude of upper management to the rest of the staff. On the whole management could have learnt from the restaurant staff's attitude towards their guests. The resort is located on the windiest part of the peninsula, so the beach and pools are generally buffeted by wind most of the time. If you want to get away from the wind you can use the Spa pool area which is off limits to children and you have to either have a spa treatment to be eligible or pay for the use of the lounge and pool for the day. In this area there is a Hammam and Dry Sauna which is again at a cost or free if you have a treatment. One thing I found amazing about the Spa enclosure is that they continued to allow people to smoke. For an area dedicated to well being and health I found this absolutely unbelievable because there was absolutely no where at the indian that you could get away from smoking. The buffet food for breakfast and dinner was varied each day a lot. Depending on your standards you could judge it either excellent or average and bad. I heard many guests marveling at the food, which surprised both myself and partner because we eat very good quality fruit and vegetables at home and found the food at the Indian to be not of first quality, and not always fresh. The only thing I can attribute to the other guests comments is that they possibly don't have access to varied and good quality food on a regular basis. I was pregnant at the time and my sense of smell was heightened so I could smell if something was not fresh and attention to freshness of the food was paramount when I was selecting food. In general the Indian food in the buffet was better done than the english or french fare, as the meats were always tough and over cooked. The salads were lovely and fresh, and varied each day. Lunch fare at the Indian was never consistent or hot. You always received cold french fries and cold toasted sandwiches. The prices were definitely expensive and we found the Panini van located just outside the resort on the Le Morne Peninsula where everyone kites and wind surfs to be 1000% better on quality, taste and price. The coffee was even good here, which makes you wonder how such good food can be delivered from a mobile van when a resort with all these facilities and staff at their disposal cant even get a hot meal to you which you're paying good money for. In summary this Resort is becoming run down. The advantages it has over the others on the Le Morne Peninsula is that its the cheapest there and they are from what I understand the largest, so they have availability when the others are booked out. If you don't mind stinky rooms, cold showers, reasonable food and are wind sport orientated then definitely stay there. I personally will do all I can do avoid repeating the experience a third time. The resort next door was undergoing a full refurbishment at the time and we expect to give that a go next time, as its a little further around the point and protected from the wind which makes the beach linked to your resort much more enjoyable for relaxing and swimming. I have travelled quite a lot and I believe that you are paying decent money to stay at the Indian and you should at the very least be guaranteed a hot shower at the end of each day for your money. If you're still researching places to stay, I can with a clear conscious recommend The Residence on the other side of the island, which was unbelievably comparative in price and far exceeded the experience we had both times at The Indian Resort. The food, service, facilities, rooms and location could not be surpassed. We have stayed at 5 star establishments in other countries and our own and I would have to say that the Residence was deserving of closer to 6-7 stars. So if you're not specifically after a windy location check out The Residence in Belle Mare as an alternative.

My husband & I stayed at the Indian Resort in September '07 & had a very enjoyable holiday, although there were a few things which detracted from the overall experience. First though, the positives. The hotel is in a beautiful location & the grounds are lovely. The staff were very friendly & Vijay, the bell boy, deserves a special mention for his warm welcome & the huge smile which he greeted us with whenever he saw us. The food was also very good as part of the AI deal & in the a la carte restaurants, it was exceptional - & we only paid a supplement on one occasion. In terms of trips, the quad biking is a must (not for the faint-hearted!) & it's well worth hiring a car & taking a trip around the island. We also spent a day on a catamaran, doing lots of snorkelling & sunbathing. The crew were fantastic - very hospitable & the drink flowed freely! All of the trips were booked through the hotel. On the not so positive side, service was quite slow at the hotel bar & you still had to sign for everything, even though it was free. This could make getting a drink a lengthy process. And stay away from the local wine unless Blue Nun is your tipple! Our room was large but always felt a bit damp - perhaps due to the humidity, but it somehow never quite felt clean or dry. The shower in the bathroom was unlit & the door & handle were broken, so overall, the room was a disappointment, particularly for a 4* hotel. The biggest disappointment however was the wind. We chose the hotel for it's water sports but could never go water skiing, snorkelling etc. from the hotel beacuse they couldn't take the boat out! It may be better at other times of the year, but the only people benefitting from the strong winds were the professional kite surfers! Overall, we had a fantastic holiday but if we went back to Mauritius, we would opt for a different hotel in another location.

I am a Mauritian and booked 2 rooms for my sister and cousin, under Mauritian rates. It all started okay, received our free drink, asked to sit in the Lobby, greeted very nicely. On the to our room, we noticed a strong smell, in the corridors, of which I can only describe as a urine smell. Upon arriving to our room, we were greeted with an unmade, messy room. My sister's room was okay apart from again, a very very strong smell of urine. We phoned reception to complain, they sent a concierge, to bring us to some new rooms, which did not smell any better. The explanation of the smell by the concierge was, because of the recycled water they use to irrigate all the plants within the hotel (which happens to be situated near all the hotel rooms). The bed sheets were damp, the showers did not have any lights in them, and the toilet rolls looked cheap and soggy. In order to complain, and change our rooms a second time, we were instructed to walk all the way back to the reception, where we were told that the assistant manager would come out to sort out our accommodation. The Assistant Manager never came out but sent out another concierge to show us to our third room, which yes , you can guess also smelled of urine, damp bedsheets and this time the minibar fridge was not working, which added to the smell. At this point we had become livid, and very disillusioned, and headed back again to reception. Upon arriving back to the reception, we were told that the assistant manager would come out to see us this time, however no manager appeared, and we were left waiting at the reception for some time. This was the final straw, I asked a receptionist to ask the manager to come out to see us, which he finally did, after another 15 minute wait. We were greeted by the manager of the hotel, sporting a very sour look upon his face. He was rude, unapologetic and did not seem to care at all of our mis- treatment. Having wasted one of the last days of my holidays and getting no satisfactory resolution , we were just left with the option of leaving the hotel. The actual response we received from the Manager who said his name was Anwar was "If you don't like the hotel, just leave!" I have never met such a sour and unfriendly hotel employee as this manager in my life! This hotel should not be advertised as 4Star hotel, but rather as a minus 4 Star one.

We flew here because we wanted a change from staying at our house in the Caribbean. I wanted to windsurf and chose the end of August and the first week in September, which are the windier months. My first mistake was not taking my own gear and then trying to hire from Mistral who had all the gear hired out six months ahead, the Mistral staff spoke very little English and I ended up with water-logged boards and baggy sails. Back to the hotel, the Marine room was clean but smelled damp the walls/tiles looked like they had suffered a flood or tidal surge at the time. A large room with king size bed, fridge, sofa, arm chairs, coffee table. The dressing/bathroom had an open wardrobe unit with drawers and a safe the bathroom area was very tired and in need of refurb. The ground floor patio facing the sea, furniture is usually obtained by stealing your neighbours or asking the concierge to supply you with table and chairs. We were on the ground floor about 100 metres from the Mistral centre and 300 metres from the hotel resturants. Most of the other occupants were Italian and French windsurfing/ kitesurfing couples, you can rig your gear up and leave it on the lawn during your stay. Very laid back feel to the place. The beech is safe and clean, sunbeds are provided you can drag the sunbeds to a quiet spot if you want, but beech sellers trawl by all day long the same people asking 2 or 3 times if you wanted to buy something, buy all your t-shirts in the first couple of days and hang them around your spot so the beach sellers can see. Water conditions - temperature that time of year is not suitable for swimming, some days were very rough. You could wind/kitesurf in rash vest and baggies, if you were planning to play in the big waves take a summer wetsuit to protect you from the reefs. We were half board, as we like to explore and be not tied to the hotel, we hired a car and went on our way looking for resturants an supermarkets. The nearest supermarket and chemist is about half an hour drive. You drive on the left all the road signs/signals are same as UK. We drove to Port Lois, the port itself was lovely but the town and outskirts are industrial not worth the time sat in the traffic jams. The island only appears to be supporting hotels and there's not much outside them. We supplimented our food wtih trips to the supermarket. After the first week the restaurant cycle through the same menu again, so we stuck to bread rolls, cheese,ham, crisp and sat on our patio drinking wine from the supermarket.. We did try the other restaurants within the hotel complex, which you have to book and pay for separately, the Indian Restaurant food was great. The island makes a lot of the clothes seen on the high street, and there are plenty of shops selling copies at less than half price well worth the visit. Le Morne is beautiful but you can only appreciate this from the water, so if you don't windsurf or kitesurf take a boat trip and a camera. Oh and they do serve Guiness in the hotel.

The hotel is beautifully located. The beach is long and sandy, the water of the lagoon - warm and crystal clear. It is a perfect spot for the beginners and for advanced water sports enthusiasts. A proximity of Club Mistral and a variety of services offered by them can turn your holidays in to an unforgettable adventure. And if you don't feel up to it - you may bask in the sun or go on one of organised trips. The hotel itself offers spacious and clean rooms. Our room had a balcony, a very comfortable bed, air conditionning and a big bathroom, which (unfortunately) seemed to be in a need of a general makeover. The rooms were cleaned daily. There are several restaurants within the hotel grounds and, if you are not prepared to make a trip to a nearby village, La Gaulette (which is a 10 km ride), you are pretty much forced to eat whatever is available on the spot. We tried two a la carte restaurants (Italian and "international") and they were both rather disappointing and a bit expensive. The buffet offered by the main restaurant was much better.

day 1 we were a group of 25 persons, when we reached there we were informed you have only 5 rooms instead of 10 , after a lot of foght and after spoiling our holiday mood we did get accomodation at 5 pm (full 3 hrs late). day 2 at the dinner table while my mom and aunt were eating, they were shifted twice sayin that this table is reserved for another group, without anything being written on the table. after that while they were eating there waiters, stewards and even there F & B manager came to there table with the 0.0 bill (as we were half borad) , which meant you have had your dinner. I have'nt seen this in any part of the world. After that asstt. manager came to us and talked to us in a proper manner and did pacify us. bad service, foreigners are given chairs and tables at first sight , all in all a very bad experience in this hotel.

I have just returned from a very enjoyable holiday at the Indian Resort. I was concerned about some of the negative reviews posted but found most of the criticisms unfounded. The staff were really friendly and the level of service first class. My only negatives are the Main Buffet Restaurant which when busy the staff could not cope with the volume and crockery, utensils and the beverage machine ran out on a regular basis. The Restaurants however were excellent. The Hotel is also very isolated with no alternatives for eating or drinking to the Hotel anyware near.

We have just returned from our two weeks stay at the Indian Resort. My husband is a passionate windsurfer and kite-surfer and thats the reason why we came back to this hotel for the second time. the location is absolutely fantastic for watersports but not for sunbathing or little kids. The hotel has a lovely architecture, the grounds are huge and the pools look nice (but are quite cold). The rooms on the contrary look quite cheap and worn down. the showers are covered with mould and grime and the shower door was falling apart. The bedlinen and towels were dirty at times and also the rooms were not quite clean. The food was o.k. but it felt like eating in a canteen. There is little variation of the choices presented both for breakfast and dinner. The staff was generally not very helpfull (with a few exceptions). I would recomend this hotel - which realistically should be viewed as three star level - for wind- and kitesurfers who don't care too much about accomodation and food. If you can get a good deal, price value is okay to good.

I just wanted to leave a message for everyone who is about to go to this resort. I read some of the reviews before leaving and was seriously concerned about what we would find when we arrived. We need not have worried - the staff were warm, welcoming and very helpful. Our luggage did not arrive until 2 days later, and the staff did everything they could to help us. . The hotel was very clean and spacious, and despite being fully booked it never felt crowded. The rooms were spacious and clean, and whilst it is true the bathrooms could do with an upgrade, on a holiday like this, you only use your bedrooms for sleeping so no worries. The food was amazing, plentiful and fresh. Plenty of choice, lots of variety and all restaurants of high quality. The all inclusive option provided as much food and drink as any of us could manage and I would recommend it for those of you who have two teenage sons as we do!! The pools and beach were beautiful, and whilst the pools were not heated this is not necessary, a cool dip was always welcome during the heat of the day. Whilst it is true there was a brisk wind at one end of the resort, there is plenty of shelter around the resort, and it is not difficult to get out of the wind if you are not a keen watersports fan. There are plenty of activities to keep even the most restless teenager occupied. We had a lovely time, the hotel has character - we spent some time at a family wedding at the Heritage, which, although newer and smarter, felt impersonal and corporate. We much preferred the family atmosphere here and would not hesitate to return if we have the chance.

The Facilities This hotel is in dire need of up dating. Decent size bedroom but it smelt musty probably because the bathroom needed painting and re-tiling There are parts of this resort especially by some of the bedrooms which smell strongly of sewage. The quality of the food is more 3 star than 4 star The pools are not heated and the water is freezing in 2 days I only saw one person brave a swim. The Beach Do not expect white sand and warm tropical sea. The location of this hotel makes it perfect for wind surfers.Be warned it is seriously windy and cold. The sea is rough and freezing because of the cold wind The sand on the beach is crushed coral so is quite hard on the feet. The staff are quite pleasant and helpful. After 2 days at the Indian Resort we complained to , the manager , Mr Singh . He was extremely helpful and immediately moved us to their sister hotel La Plantation which is about an hour away by cab in the North West of the Island . He organised and paid for the transfers and even instructed the driver to show us some of the island on the way there. La Plantation has just been opened after renovation and is a beautiful hotel with 4 star plus facilities and ultra modern bedrooms. It is also a lot warmer in this part of the island This is truly a 4star de luxe hotel.