A Picture-Perfect Paradise for Couples
Last week I had the pleasure of dining at the Paradise Cove Boutique Hotel, a sweet little place on the northeast coast of Mauritius, which has recently been redesigned. I had a feeling of complete peace and tranquillity as soon as I walked in, perhaps because as an adults-only hotel, there are no children running around! Set around a pretty man-made golden sand cove, it’s calm and serene throughout, making it a great place for honeymooners and young couples to get away from it all.
What also sets this boutique hotel apart are the fantastic views over Coin de Mire from its clifftop Peninsula. You can now have a nice tapas-style lunch there (dinner gets busy) or soak up the picture-postcard views with Champagne and canapes at sunset, as I did.
The main restaurant (one of four) used to be a row of square tables, but it’s now a more interesting and enjoyable space, with mix and match square, round and oblong tables in different styles, which make it seem bigger than before. I had a delicious Thai dinner at a table on the beach, served from a new cosy thatched cabana next to the main pool.
The new plantation-style décor, is very well done – with a clever use of space and interior design, from the lovely bar area to the 75 rooms, with romantic muslin-draped four poster beds are scattered with petals. The deluxe rooms are fine, if on the small side, so if you can afford it, go for a junior suite, with extra sitting room. The senior suites are fabulous, like a mini flat, and tastefully decorated, with a deep leather sofa, a small antique desk for writing and a corner library. I’d recommend these attractive, bigger rooms for an extended stay.
Also new is a lap pool (one of three), and a beachfront arrival and departure lounge, with a comfortable sitting room with tea, coffee and snacks, and a fridge full of cold drinks, and private cabins with a locker and shower to maximise your swim time. The hotel has loads of cosy areas for couples to sit in, and new seawater jacuzzis in the waterfall tumbling into the cove. The two tennis courts are as good as new and the Hobie Cats and dinghies at the boathouse, are bedded down on a new pontoon at night, so well looked after. Heading out of the cove into the protected Anse La Raie lagoon, you can also get a decent sea swim here, and the chance to spot turtles on snorkelling trips.
Paradise Cove still offers the twice weekly catamaran cruise to Île Plate (Flat Island) which is popular with our guests, the lovely Cinq Mondes Spa and the same warm staff – many who have been here for 25 years. Locals are equally impressed with the new Paradise Cove, mooring their boats here on a Sunday, to have lunch at the Peninsula Restaurant.
This member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World was voted the Indian Ocean’s Leading Boutique Hotel at the World Travel Awards in 2019, and yet the price, still with a 15% re-launch discount, is almost the same as before the renovation. It costs from £1,450 per person including return economy flights for seven nights on a half board basis with return private car transfers.
Call me on 44 (0)1488 668821 to guarantee the most competitive price, and the right package to meet your expectations.
