Favourite hotels: Africa
IT’s said that the key to perfection is in the detail. If this is the case, Royal Palm might just be the perfect hotel. To be frank, the staff here have such an awe-inspiring setting that they almost needn’t bother with the nitty gritty. Referred to as ‘the most prestigious address in Mauritius’, the 69 rooms—mine, with its calming neutral palette and carved-wood screens, included—are only yards away from the gleaming white sand of the beach and some of the best sea swimming the island has to offer. This, however, is a world in which nothing is left to chance.
On the private beach, a lounger will be allocated to you for the duration of your stay, preventing the awkward hunt for the best spot—although, ultimately, there are no bad spots here. Each time you arrive, you’ll find a perfect palm-leaf symbol printed in the sand beside your sunbed.
The dress code for guests is ‘elegant’ and they obey, with full-length cocktail dresses gracing the weekly soirées that manager Gregory Coquet gives for his clientele. He introduced these, as well as a relaxed dinner on the beach each Thursday, when he arrived in 2017, in an effort to bring everyone together and create more of a‘maison’ feel. Talking to one guest, who was staying for the 47th time in 27 years and can thus speak with authority, he has clearly succeeded. One couple who come to stay regularly leave their personal effects behind each time. They’re cleared away, then laid back out precisely, according to photographs, before their return.
The room-service menu changes daily, in order to offer the same level of service as the star of the three restaurants, La Goélette. Here, the offerings of highly decorated executive chef Michel de Mattéis are exquisite, with signatures such as the exceedingly Mauritian (and delicious) smoked-marlin shavings and palm-heart salad. Yet, somehow, it’s the zing of tuna tartare accompanied by a frosted glass of rosé at Le Bar Plage upon arrival, as I basked in the midday sun and got lost in the ocean view, that I won’t forget.
Royal Palm goes as far as keeping dossiers on its guests’ likes and dislikes, I’m informed. To test the theory, I order the fruit salad for breakfast one morning and sit on my terrace, carefully eating only my favourites and leaving a bowl of apple chunks, grapes and orange slivers. The following morning, I order it again. Removing the cover, I can’t help but laugh at the selection of kiwi, melon, strawberries and pineapple before me—there isn’t a piece of apple or orange to be seen. I suspect they might have been tipped off, but I’m choosing to believe that it was attention to detail. VM Enjoy seven nights at Royal Palm from £5,500 per couple, half-board, travelling between May 13 and September 28, 2019, including economy flights, taxes and transfers. For bookings or a tailored quote, contact bespoke-travel specialist Susie Freeman (01488 668821; www. susiefreemantravel.com)