Unwind your mind: Why an escape in Mauritius is a tonic for the soul

Island rejuvenation

It’s a fact Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels is well aware of. The hotel brand played a significant role in the early development of tourism in Mauritius – the opening of its first property, The Park Hotel, in 1952 marked the island’s first international-standard resort – and, more than 70 years later, its ability to read the market and cater to demand may well be the secret to its success. Today, the group operates eight resorts on the island (the site of The Park Hotel now serves as the group’s headquarters), and with wellness travel positively trending, Beachcomber is leaning in.

This year, the brand rolled out padel courts at six of its eight resorts to complement its existing bevy of leisure activities. “The introduction of padel at our hotels is a natural step for Beachcomber as we continue to align with global trends and meet the growing expectations of our guests,” said Beachcomber’s chief operations officer, Jean-Louis Pismont. 

The brand’s most upmarket property, Royal Palm Beachcomber Luxury, also recently introduced six carefully curated wellness retreats in collaboration with French micro-nutritionist Valérie Espinasse. Each programme ranges in length from five to seven days and focuses on a specific wellness theme, from restoring energy and toning the body to improving sleep. Far from a strict regimen, Espinasse’s gentle approach combines personalised fitness sessions – think mindfulness meditation and Pilates – with spa treatments and bespoke nutritional plans.

But Royal Palm was already a revered wellness haven for those in the know. Set on the northwest tip of the island, the property – the first in the Indian Ocean to become a member of Leading Hotels of the World and a recipient of Forbes Five Stars – boasts the largest spa in the Beachcomber portfolio (and surely one of the most impressive in the Indian Ocean). 

Set amid tall, sun-dappled trees, palm fronds and fragrant native foliage alive with the sounds and smells of Mauritius, the Royal Palm Spa is the kind that puts you in a trance-like state before you’ve even stepped into your robe. A collection of pavilion-style buildings connected by shaded pathways house 18 treatment rooms themed around different experiences. Some treatments are inspired by the traditional wellness practices of Bali, Thailand and Sweden, while others harness specialised therapies such as Kobido, a traditional manual ‘face-lift’ technique from ancient Japan; Hawaiian massage lomi lomi, said to combine the energies of earth, wind, fire and water; and shirodhara, the Ayurvedic procedure of slowly dripping herbal oil onto the forehead using a specialised copper contraption.

Elsewhere on the menu, guests can book lymphatic drainage, reflexology and hydro-massage; Mauritian-inspired ‘rituals’ tailored to after-sun care and jet lag; and treatments using products from Swiss cellular skincare brand Valmont, with whom Royal Palm enjoys an exclusive partnership. From the spa, guests can also partake in personal training, Reiki, osteopathy, Pilates, hatha and vinyasa yoga, and chakra meditation – and keep up their beauty regime from two salon rooms.

Personal touches

A holistic approach to wellness extends across the property. Like the spa, Royal Palm’s facilities are nothing short of extensive: there’s a fully equipped fitness centre with separate rooms dedicated to cardio, weights and machines. As well as padel, guests can enjoy tennis, squash, bocce ball, volleyball and mountain biking. 

The resort’s calling card is the four-mile sweep of sugar-sand beach that lines its doorstep. Mauritius is known for its dazzlingly clear waters – the destination is ringed by coral reefs and mangroves, which act as natural filters for the water – but the island’s north coast is also protected from trade winds. It makes Royal Palm an excellent location for gentle bathing, with complimentary watersports including waterskiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, snorkelling and stand-up paddleboarding.

Built with affluent guests in mind – alongside three fine-dining restaurants, clients will find a 400-bottle wine cellar and helipad – personalisation is at the resort’s core. Guests are quizzed in advance on their likes and dislikes and will find thoughtful touches on arrival – my suite featured personalised stationery and a menu to customise the scented mist used on pillows during turndown (spicy citrus is delightful). 

Billion-dollar view

If Royal Palm is known for personalisation, Dinarobin Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa – set on a secluded peninsula on the island’s west coast next to family-focused sibling Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa – is all about its setting. Tucked at the foot of the Unesco World Heritage Site of Le Morne Brabant, it has arguably one of the best locations in Mauritius. “You stay at Dinarobin and Paradis for the billion-dollar view of the mountain,” our driver Diaz smiled, as we arrived at the former.

Like Royal Palm, Dinarobin’s wellness offering is growing – and Le Morne Brabant sets the stage. The mountain forms the backdrop to the resort’s three floodlit tennis courts; poses a welcome distraction at the multi-room sports centre; and oversees operations at the serene Asian-inspired spa, where eight treatment rooms are set around a sun-streaked pond and a statue of a thoughtful Buddha.

New additions to Dinarobin’s active programme include ‘sea wading’, an hour-long coastal walking experience that combines “the therapeutic benefits of seawater with light exercise”, as well as an enhanced private coaching concept.

The temperate waters on Dinarobin’s doorstep are also ripe for exploration: alongside Beachcomber’s usual watersports line-up, Le Morne’s lagoon is one of the world’s best locations for kitesurfing. But the real prize here is what lies beneath the waves: the west coast is a playground for bottlenose and spinner dolphins, with pods of up to 20 regularly seen off the coast. Arrange a responsible boat excursion for clients to witness these magical creatures in the wild. 

The beauty of it all is you can do as much or as little as you like. Wellness is a sliding scale – what appeals to some, won’t for others – and the brands getting it right in the space are surely those offering choice and innovation while celebrating their natural surrounds. Is it too bold to say Beachcomber might have found the winning formula?