LUX* Le Morne

If you are thinking of Mauritius for your next vacation or getaway and you are seeking relaxed ambiance, luxury comfort and fine cuisine without the razzmatazz of pumping music, bustling pool decks and screaming teenagers then LUX Le Morne has to be your first destination of choice. ituated on the South- West coast side of the island at the foot of the iconic Le Morne Brabant peninsula it is one of the most scenic and secluded parts of the island. It’s only about 60km from the airport but on winding Mauritian roads and the locals very own unique style of very special chaotic driving one must just settle back and enjoy the scenery. As you exit the taxi the welcoming quartet of smiling staff is on hand to usher you in. Soothing cocktail drink in hand one feels a renewed energy as the stresses of life dissipate like a mountain mist on the first morning rays. A guest knows that they’ve made the correct choice when check in after a long flight is as professional and courteous as it is seamless. A quick tour of the various culinary destinations and bars and it was off to view our room where our luggage was already patiently waiting. We had treated ourselves to a luxury ground floor villa and it didn’t disappoint. Spacious comfort comes to mind. A bed that easily accommodated my partner’s restless tossing and turning with me and my 118kg body with enough space to easily cuddle up behind. A cleverly designed open plan bathroom felt like even more space was created and made communication to the bedroom much easier. This could easily be closed off with a user friendly shutter system. The villa came with a large sized bath and shower. A more rustic affair of an outside shower with lots of space to accommodate both of our toiletries and towels. I loved the fact that the hot water was instantaneous and flowed at temperature for a long and soothing shower. Soaps and lotions were of a good quality and placed in both areas. Towels were soft, plentiful and replaced often. Outside the room was a sun bed and a really comfy chaise de lounge which made relaxing after the beach in the late afternoon the perfect spot to relax, read a book or take a power nap. On our first morning we did face a big challenge with our room. For some lapse in design we found that guests on higher levels could see directly into our bathroom. This really was distressing and our first big problem. After a little confusion and a few phone calls the maintenance team were called in and a couple of hours later an aesthetically pleasing palm style structure was in place to ensure our privacy. I always judge a business not on mistakes made (anybody makes mistakes) but rather on how the mistakes are solved. In this case the solution was flawless and happiness prevailed. The beach area had an ample amount of sun beds which were placed underneath a little shaded area of thatch. Towels were placed every morning and were easily replaceable. I enjoyed the little buzzer system that alerted the beach attendants that it was time to order a beverage. If I have to be critical then I would have preferred one or two more hands to speed up the service a little. I like to cool off in the pool on occasion and this one was spotlessly clean, maintained at a refreshing temperature and spacious enough to avoid bumping into romantically inclined couples. There are also other similar pool areas which we didn’t make use of. We can now talk about my own personal highlight of the holiday. As a chef involved in hospitality for the past 30 years food was clearly always going to be my favourite part. The food and beverage department didn’t disappoint. We took most of our meals at the Kitchen. This is the hotels anchor restaurant which caters to the majority of daily covers. Unless you order room service (we never) which is available with only a small tray charge then this would be your breakfast destination. It is a huge appealing buffet style restaurant which serves up a vast cosmopolitan buffet style menu. The seating and dress code is casual with lots of shade and areas seating on the deck with beautiful views of the bay that becomes a virtual marina of colourful vessels bobbing up and down on calm waters. As you make your way through the entrance you will pass through two glass Vitrines (glass display cabinets) showcasing a selection of world class freshly baked breads, brioche, traditional French breakfast pastries and an assortment of petits pains. Your choice of daintily wrapped salted or unsalted butter, confiture and a first for me - the Nutella and pistachio syrup dispenser. Also on the continental side French toast, waffles, flapjacks and pancakes served hot of the griddle. Little cups of various yoghurts with berries, chai seeds and other exotics are beautifully arranged in the deli fridge. A selection of fine charcuterie, breakfast cheeses, tropical fruit, fresh squeeze of the day completes the cold section. The hot food section is a typical affair of an all American live egg station with a variety of beef and pork / bacon, chicken, beef & pork sausages along with all the other hot buffet suspects. For dietary requirements there is a a variety of items free of gluten, lactose and other allergens. A dedicated vegan section is also a first for me to see. I believe there was also an Asian station which I didn’t really visit. Coffees are bought to the table. Cappuccino, Americano etc and our favourite the spiced Chai tea latte are all available. Lunch in the kitchen is a la carte but we didn’t take our meal here. Dinner is again a buffet with the highlight being a variety of fresh line fish du jour. The theme changes from night to night so boredom doesn’t have a chance to kick in. We chose the Beach restaurant for most of our lunches. The menu is made up of fairly light a la carte dishes incorporating different full meal salads, pizza, pasta, fish & chips (the red snapper was awesome) and the burgers juicy and delicious. This is all about lazy vibes with good view and a stunning ocean view. The service staff in this restaurant were unbelievably friendly. We were on an all inclusive package. Restaurants and bars do have clearly marked off package items but these are few and far between and you won’t feel short changed with what is on offer. Dessert is offered but we saved it for the walk back. ICI is a bar style in house ice cream parlour with a huge selection of decadent flavours. This one is definitely not o be missed. East is an Asian restaurant open for dinner only. I tried dithering lamb shank Massaman. A surprisingly decent portion of lamb presented in a steaming bowl of aromatic Thai style coconut gravy. My partner tried one of the stir fries which was delicious. I bumped into the Executive Sous Chef one morning and mentioned that I’m a chef from South Africa. This seemed to flip some sort of culinary switch. That night a seafood platter with the most succulent lobster, grilled line fish and calamari arrived at our table. A complimentary gift from Chef Vishal we were told. The next day the food and beverage manager arrived at our breakfast table. When Winsley popped past on his morning rounds he called me CHEF and we had a lovely chat about the hotel industry. Going around the tables greeting guests unobtrusively is just part of his daily chores and this happy demeanour is as welcoming as it is passionate. At La Morne word travels fast. The next day another unexpected arrival at our table. This time it was Chef Saurabh - The hotels Executive Chef. We did the usual chef chit chat and it became clear to me that this was a guy who could “walk the talk”. A CV including 5 star dining in India to the Mandarin hotel (Malaysia I think) and onto these island shores. We then received a wonderful offer which would turn out to be the highlight of my cooking career. Dinner for two - at the Beach restaurant- cooked by no other- than the maestro himself. My partner began with the Millionaire’s salad - simplicity mixed with luxury- Basically a chopped salad of fresh palm hearts, shaved truffle, dehydrated pear and rocket leaves. I had that timeless of classics - Foie gras - This creamy, buttery, chilled goose liver pate topped with citrus marmalade - served with pear mousse and bruschetta toast. For mains the young lady had the Chefs choice - The Oso fish is organically farmed and imported from France. It was served whole, seared and cooked on Chef Saurabh’s Josper grill (off Spanish design it’s an artisanal coal fired grill and oven combo). Exquisitely textured and buttery the flesh just peeled off the bones. For me - A 30 day aged Australian Wagu steak. Perfectly cooked to medium rare - exquisitely juicy and maybe just to repeat - sliced through like butter. The truffle mash potato was just something you don’t taste every day. A simple dessert of tiramisu finished off the greatest culinary experience of my life. At Hotel Lux beach vendors are limited to a few. Great personalities who are not constantly creating pressure to buy. We certainly did purchase a few memento’s. For deep see fishing Dan is certainly your man. We took the option of enjoying the catch of the day on the barbecue with some lobster, prawns and plucked oysters, freshly plucked off the rocks by Dans crew. On another day we chose to view the dolphins. Schools of these gentle unassuming mammals made for stunning viewing. Turtles swimming right underneath us had bursts of speed and agility that was just totally unexpected.- Memories forever. In conclusion the Lux Morne experience met all of our expectations. If it’s relaxation you’re looking for then you’ve chosen the right hotel. This was definitely a vacation to be remembered. We can’t wait to experience other Lux hotels around the world. So thank you to all management and staff who together pulled all the right strings to conduct our experience and make memories perfectly. Chef Howie

Incredible hotel with excellent service Peaceful place The best in the area

We had a wonderful holiday at lux le Morne. The moment we arrived we received a very warm welcome and felt immediately relaxed. We arrived after a 12 hour flight and hour and a half taxi journey at around 10am knowing that check in wasn’t until 2pm. We were able to use the beautiful facilities to freshen up, have a drink and were even offered breakfast. Our room was ready at 11.30 which we were very grateful for. We had a short tour and explanation of the restaurant times etc and taken to our room. The room was ideally position fairly close the main restaurant, almost on the beach with a sea view and near one of the three swimming pools. The room was spacious, bright and clean. We had both an indoor and outdoor shower, bath, separate toilet and a well stocked mini bar which was replenished daily. We were struck by the beauty of the hotel gardens, pools and beach. All the staff that we met were kind and attentive and couldn’t do enough for us. We enjoyed food in the main restaurant and beach bar during our stay. The drinks too were to our taste which isn’t always the case at an all inclusive hotel. We stayed in three different hotels during our time in Mauritius and this was definitely our favourite. We will certainly return to Mauritius and we would stay here again. This is quite unusual for us as we feel there is so much of the world left to visit. This a true gem.

Chris our bar Manager is wonderful and so profesional. Very nice hotel with wonderful people namely Satish , Joe and Hans at the Bar Vijay. Thank you guys for your excellent and professional skills . Keep it up

We, family of 6 in 3 junior Suites Sunset had actually a tremendous Stay through Eastern and Birthday our granddaughter, but unfortunately also with many negative experiences. Reservations were very problematic, with issues in honoring commitments and a clear lack of empathy from staff—especially in reservations and reception. There was a tendency to charge for services that were supposed to be included. Check-in and check-out were very long and overly bureaucratic. There was persistent pressure to purchase drinks in the evening or upgrade to the all-inclusive package (several reminder emails were sent). Charging for water at dinner is not acceptable given the price paid. The minibar cabinet was poorly designed—it wouldn’t close properly and was too small to accommodate a kettle and coffee machine. The snorkeling trip offered by boat was completely uninteresting—nothing to see, dead coral. Snorkeling directly from the beach is much better. Other water activities, however, are good. I had to book three Junior Sunset Suites for my family over the Easter holidays and for our granddaughter’s birthday through three different platforms (as a LUX* member, via Booking.com, and StayforLong), well in advance, in order to secure identical rooms for everyone. However, coordinating with LUX* afterward was difficult and frustrating. The resort’s location is exceptional, the meals and breakfast are excellent, and the staff in the restaurant and outdoor areas are very warm and welcoming. The pools and beaches are superb. The complimentary coffee capsules were appreciated. It’s a shame that all the negative points impacted our stay.