Blog, Hotel, Mauritius | 17 April 2025 | 12 MIN READ
Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa: Why It’s Worth Every Penny
1 day ago
I’ll be honest, I picked the Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa because of one thing: I could see a mountain in one of the photos. Otherwise, I would have selected the Sofitel. I’ll tell you why I settled on the Hilton.
Picking a Hotel in Mauritius
Put simply, hotels in Mauritius are expensive. Then comes the question of location. Would you rather be in the North with its beautiful beaches? Get more exposure to water and smaller towns on the Westside? Or prefer to be in the East? Maybe even by the South near Le Morne?
At first, I thought I wanted to stay in Port Louis, but after some quick research many advised against it. And after visiting Port Louis, I’m glad about where I settled.
I originally did not want to pick an American hotel chain and wanted to opt for either a French or local variety. However, I found that would be more challenging than I originally thought.
When I factored in the cost, it led me to focus more on American/Western chains like the InterContinental, Marriott, and Hilton. But both the Marriott (not the JW) and InterContinental are located in Balaclava, Mauritius—where there’s not much life around, except for Trou-aux-Biches, which is within driving distance. The same is true for hotels around Le Morne (JW Marriott), which don’t allow you to easily engage in the local culture and community.
I neglected the East side of the island since it’s further away from Port Louis—a major spot where I wanted to frequent—and the South. The South—especially the South East—was just too close to the airport, and it didn’t make sense to spend a considerable sum of money just to hear airplanes. However, I did settle on a hotel there (Preskil Island Resort) during a 16-hour layover, mainly because of its proximity to the airport—and I did hear airplanes.
So where then? Enter Flic-en-Flac. This town is right on the water on the west coast of the island. This was also a highly recommended area that felt like it would give more of a community feel, if you wanted. And it did.
While it can be touristy, there is still a lot of local life to be explored. That means if you don’t want to make it to Port Louis, you can get some town life here.
That meant there were two hotel options: The Sofitel and The Hilton.
In all honesty, I wanted to spend time at the Sofitel, and it had a rate similar to the Hilton. However, just like the Hilton, it had been around for a while and was apparently weathered in its appearance and was undergoing renovation. Paying to hear construction noise? No thanks!
That left the Hilton. The Hilton had just undergone renovations, which meant that it had a more upscale look and wouldn’t look like it was from the 1960s. While there were a few construction side projects when I was there, it was nothing in terms of major construction covering the span of time I was there.
And, of course, there were a few areas around my room and resort where you could see items that were neglected or overlooked-but for the most part the hotel’s renovation shined.
Once the Sofitel finishes its renovations, I’m sure it will be a nice property worthy of a visit. The bonus? These two properties are right next to each other. But please don’t spend money going to any hotel undergoing major construction—especially if you’re there for your honeymoon, anniversary, or other big event. I was here for a birthday trip—so not so important. However, I still wanted to enjoy an area in peace, especially if I’m spending a considerable sum.
The additional detail that I should add was that after I booked the hotel, I realized that AmEx provides its cardholders with Hilton Honors Gold Elite status. What does that mean for this trip? A free continental breakfast—and “continental” here was very different from what it means elsewhere. See more below.
Getting There (to Flic-en-Flac)
The hotel is 31 miles (50km) from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International airport.
Your options are to rent a taxi or rent a car. I recommend renting a car. Just be careful if you’re coming from the U.S. since they drive on the opposite side. While the drive is straightforward, you’re essentially crossing the entire island.
If you want to fill up on snacks and items like I did, then make a pitstop at Le Valentina Shopping Mall and check out Lolo Hypermarket. The prices here will also be a lot cheaper than other stores on the island. I also needed a car charger for my devices, since the batteries were draining. Just be warned that parking can get crazy, and there will be a crazy line for the ATM.
Then make your way to Flic-en-Flac. You will be a little weirded out at first that the hotel has a gated entrance. Once you identify yourself, they will open up the barrier gate arm to let you through.
From there you can freely park in any of the available parking spots. If there aren’t any spots available (since maybe there was a party), then you can park along the curb and be fine. (Yes! This was recommended by the hotel since all the spots were filled).
But before that, you can drive up to the main entrance.
Gear Used
Check-in & Exploring the Hilton Mauritius
I later found out that the mountain visible from the main entrance is Le Pouce, which means “thumb” in French—it’s the third largest mountain in Mauritius.
After admiring that view, you walk a brief moment until you are greeted by a Gong as you make your way to the check-in counter.
However, before you know it, your bags will be taken care of and you will be whisked away to the couches and offered a welcome drink as you are briefed on the property and its amenities.
The Room
I was lucky to get a room that offered a mid-view of the pool/courtyard, but also the ocean. That meant you could also see if anyone got first dibs on the seats early in the morning. Which surprise—some people would even wake up at 8:00 AM to secure their seats—even though they wouldn’t sit in them until well after breakfast time.
The room came with an uncovered patio on the second floor. I do feel the second floor is better in that it offers maybe a little more privacy and won’t attract littering of leaves and other debris that would collect from wind or foot traffic. It also means that you can dry your items under the sun in peace and not worry about anybody swiping them—not that they would. But if you prefer a covered patio—those are available, too.
The room was pretty spacious and came with a table to work and the usual amenities. The bathroom was also decent and had many of the items you needed.
You are also welcomed with sunhats to protect you from the sun.
The only downside to the room was the cleanliness around the nightstands. If you looked behind the “charging station” that’s attached to the nightstand, you could see there’s a collection of dust and other dirt around cables behind the back.
Given that the room and housekeeping were spectacular, it was kind of a letdown to know that a mound of dust from years of accumulation was just lurking there. Nevertheless, housekeeping was amazing and folded clothes and made the room better than I left it.
Location
The Hilton’s location is perfect—you get a mix of the town and food options as well as a chance to explore the rest of the Flic-en-Flac beach outside of the resort.
I felt that the hotel’s location was central, and you didn’t feel too isolated. When driving to Le Morne, there was an eerie sense of loneliness and lack of availability of food options compared to Flic-en-Flac.
When you ventured out into Flic-en-Flac, even at night there was always nightlife from locals to tourists. I even befriended a few locals who gave a litany of options and which places to try and were certain to make sure we had the appropriate spots to visit. That meant they even provided a list that they typed out themselves. That’s hospitality. And I doubt that the same experience with the food stalls on the beach just a few minutes from the resort would be available around Le Morne and Balaclava.
It’s for this reason that I would most likely select the Hilton again when visiting Mauritius. The other icing on the cake is that there’s a nearby shopping mall, Cascavelle, in case you feel the need to stock up on souvenirs, forgot to pack an item, or want to mail something. They even have a Subway.
Amenities
In full disclosure, I did not take advantage of the many amenities offered by the hotel aside from towel service and the Spa.
The towel service was prompt and efficient. You hand your towel card in a centrally located towel area near the pools and then you briefly walk to your chair either in one of the many pools or the beach. I actually didn’t think anything of this until trying a different resort and realized the towel service process can be more convoluted than necessary.
I did take a visit to the Spa, which has an attached gym. I did not use the gym but just checked it out, and it seemed to have some items necessary for maintaining your physique despite its small size.
I did, however, elect to try their Spa. I will be upfront and say the entire experience and service was amazing and 100% professional and can definitely help with your relaxation process at the resort. However, despite the cost, I will have to say the massage wasn’t the best in terms of “massage price to pass out ratio.” Not an official scale, but just how rested I feel to the point of passing out or near passing out. I would still say the best one I felt for the price and actually passing out was O Hui & Whoo Spa in Seoul, Korea.
The Beach
The Hilton and other properties like the Sofitel sit right on the Flic-en-Flac beach. This is a public beach, meaning that people can walk by the resorts and some may even solicit a dolphin tour or ask to purchase trinkets and other tourist items. But, it’s nothing overwhelming compared to, say, Bali, Indonesia. I mean there are stray dogs here, in Mauritius, but again it’s to a lesser degree than Bali.
Having gone in the offseason, the beach was actually fairly tranquil, and there were not a lot of tourists on the beach either, so it still gave a private feeling.
You get a beautiful view of Le Morne in the far distance, and when it gets cloudy, you feel like you’re maybe in a Monet painting.
The water remains fairly warm and more than comfortable to spend a considerable amount of time in. However, given that there’s coral around the area, it can be very sharp. I saw older couples buckling under the pain of some of the coral underneath and had to be supported by their partners. Which is probably why I saw a few European tourists wearing what I’d call underwater foot slippers, but in reality are “reef shoes.”
However, without a doubt, some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve seen across the island were at this beach.
Food
The food was actually very delicious across both the breakfast buffet and one of the restaurants I tried called Les Coquillages, which is situated right on the beach. And by “on the beach,” that means that you can physically plant your feet in the sand if you want to.
The breakfast had a wide range of Mauritian and Western cuisine, so it definitely allows for an opportunity to try the local cuisine. And here there was no shortage of different menu items on a day-to-day basis, as well as amazing service. From the fresh juices and the delicious sausages and their red piment sauce—I always found myself getting a second plate.
I did not try the Thai restaurant or others on the property, but from the ones I tried, I’d have to say the food quality and taste was definitely way better than the offerings put forth by Preskil Island Resort.
Service
The service here was just amazing and one of the best I’ve experienced across hotels and resorts, on par with the The Ritz-Carlton in Budapest, Hungary, and Loews in Chicago, and Hyatt Regency Waikiki in Honolulu, HI. This includes JW Marriott in Lima, Peru, and Grand Hyatt in Taipei, Taiwan.
Everyone was willing to help and also did so with a smile, and if they didn’t have an answer, then they would seek to find the answer for you. They’d also do so with a hand across their chest (see more cultural etiquette in Mauritius). This same level of hospitality was not as consistent at Preskil.
Tips, Tricks, and Logistics
Conclusion
All in all, I would have to say the resort would probably get a 4.5/5 and definitely punched above its weight.
You have plenty of options to stay in Mauritius, but it’s hard to find one that delivers in price without compromising on food quality, service, and comfort. And this is where I felt the Hilton delivered.
While I’m sure the experience is probably even more exceptional at the JW Marriott and Beachcomber hotel properties that are double or triple the price of the Hilton (I mean, you even have hotels that are several thousand a night), I felt the cost-per-experience at the Hilton makes it a wonderful destination for coming to visit again and again.