High glamour and laid-back luxury at two of Mauritius' loveliest resorts

Ringed with glorious beaches and blessed with a warm and sultry climate, the Indian Ocean nation of Mauritius is as close as it gets to the perfect tropical island. As one of the first winter sun destinations to open up last autumn, Mauritius is currently enjoying a well-deserved boom in tourism, as visitors from Europe and beyond surge back to the resorts that cluster along the island's coast. But how to choose from this bewildering array of hotels, which offer every level and kind of luxury imaginable? 

A good first port of call is The Lux Collective, which runs six hotels on the island. In December, the group added a glamorous new hotel to their portfolio, LUX* Grand Baie on the north-west coast of the island, in addition to their other LUX* Resorts at Le Morne, on the south-western tip of Mauritius, Grand Gaube, Belle Mare, adults-only SALT of Palmar and the all-inclusive hotel Tamassa. We visited two, Grand Baie and Le Morne, each of which offer a very different kind of luxury and style of holiday, while maintaining a unified ethos of smart, stylish comfort and friendly service. 

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The new hotel at Grand Baie has been designed as a showstopper of a building, quite unlike the low-slung, whitewashed buildings that predominate elsewhere on the island. The French-Mauritian architect Jean-François Adam, who grew up on the beaches around Grand Baie, has taken inspiration from the sailboats he watched in the harbour as a child, and created an imposing structure of wood and metal that curves along the length of the site. Concrete corridors meander along the back of the building, conveying visitors from the grand atrium at one end of the building to the rooms, which are all of one standard, looking out onto the beach from striking glass balconies. There is also a selection of villas at the hotel for larger parties (and a crop of residences being built across the road). The Kelly-Hoppen-designed interiors are strikingly contemporary, taking a cue from the sailboat theme with plenty of linen and rough canvas textures, but also filled with contemporary notes of matte black metal and terrazzo flooring. The spa is a particular triumph of Hoppen's sleek modern style, with simple fittings, organic shapes, and soaring ceilings.

All this is a beautiful setting for the young, glamorous, Instagram-literate crowd the hotel will surely attract. The main restaurant Beach Rouge opens onto a pool surrounded by eye-catching red and white loungers, the ideal place to see and be seen, while the rooftop is home to an adults-only bar, Bisou, where you'll find a beautiful infinity pool that overlooks the sea. The third restaurant, Ai Kisu, has a more urban, sophisticated feel; the dark and dramatic space serves up world-class sushi and a spectacular warayaki grill, with a nightclub next door to play host to endless evenings.

The hotel certainly takes food seriously; a French pastry chef is in charge of the beautiful patisserie served throughout the day at the cafe/bar Maison Lux, as well as the delicious, inventive ice creams served at the pool bar.  The team has even launched a ‘Food Lab’ where small groups of guests can enjoy a tasting menu specially prepared in front of them by the LUX* group's executive chef, Dave Minten. With wine pairings presented by the hotel's sommelier, this is a real highlight, and sure to be highly sought after by guests. At Beach Rouge, there are also plans to launch an evening each week dedicated to Mauritian food, a rarity in the island's resorts, which tend not to celebrate the island's rich Indian and African culinary heritage.