Maradiva Villas Resort & Spa

I've been in many many hotels in Mauritius et even in some parts of the world and this was by far the best service I've had in a very long time. It was almost too much (it's never too much 😄), Ludovic is a great butler, he was accessible at any time and did everything to help us. Many names come to my mind although i don't remember everyone: Sunny to start, great guy, great welcoming, made us feel at home. Lakshana, the best cart driver, Zainab, the best waitress, Chef Mudassir really great guy and cooked our best meal at Haiku. Globally excellent holidays, we really felt like stars coming here. Thank you all and see you next time.

Well where can I start. Right from the minute we arrived (myself, my husband and ten year old daughter), I knew we were in for a really special time. Their website refers to 'A Divine Way of Life' and it really delivers on that. Our luggage was whisked away and we had the warmest and friendliest welcome from the reception team. Onto a buggy and a quick whizz around to see the various areas of the resort with its beautifully manicured gardens and spotlessly clean venues before arriving at our villa to do our check in. It was truly amazing and we all said 'wow' out loud. You enter into an open lounge area which is 'outside' but under cover which has its own sofa and chairs to relax in plus a small round dining table where you can have in villa dining. We were lucky to have breakfast here one morning when we were leaving for an early tour which our fantastic butler Ludovic - or 'Lulu' as he liked to be called - suggested and it was just as special as the delicious breakfast served in Cassine - more about that later. 'Lulu' made our holiday the most special looking after everything we needed, our daughter Holly thought he was the best and he is very good with children! We had our own small pool with two cushioned loungers and swimming towels provided. We then entered into our bedroom and were met with very welcoming air conditioning. A huge king size bed which was so comfortable and separate bed for our daughter, a sofa and table with some welcome treats. There is also a side board with large smart TV, coffee maker, tea making facilities, and a separate chair and desk. Through into a stunning bathroom with stand alone bath, double sinks, rainfall and handheld shower and Bulgari toiletries. I particularly liked that the toilet was separate giving complete privacy. There is an ensuite dressing area with lots of drawers and hanging space, a safe and mini bar. There are several restaurants. Cassine is a big open plan area where you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast is without a doubt worth getting up for. There is a buffet element to it but not your usual type of buffet (which I must admit is not my favourite dining experience) and is laid out in a really stylish way and presented in a bespoke manner. On the whole though it is order from the menu so you know everything is freshly prepared and served piping hot. Great selection of dishes with the usual Eggs Benedict, omelettes, other hot dishes like waffles, crepes and pancakes. Fresh juices including a daily detox juice and a host of pastries, breads and sweet treats. Haiku, a Japanese and Teppanyaki restaurant where we ate on two evenings and indulged in delicious sushi, ramens and Teppanki dishes. It was a privilege to watch the talented Teppanyaki chef cook our meals in front of us, her skills and precision was quite a show and fantastic to see. Cilantro is their Indian restaurant and we must give recognition to a wonderful young chef Modasseer for looking after us so well. He is clearly so talented and incredibly passionate about what he does. We didn't look at the menu and he made a special meal for us. Even when Holly's main was too spicy, it was no trouble and he quickly served up an alternative, delicious dish for her. She now wants to become a chef and go and learn and work alongside Modasseer when she is older, not a bad career aspiration to have. The Beach Grill bar and restaurant is - as the name suggests - right on the beach as and you overlook the sea and the jetty which is lit up with pretty lights - a really nice environment to indulge in some good seafood and meats from the grill. La Lanterna is a really lovely bar area which is next to the stunning pool area but we're not drinkers so really spend time there in the evening, We did however enjoy some lovely lunches and can highly recommend the bagel with cream cheese, salmon with salmon roe plus honey and mustard dressing. They even altered it a little to suit our daughter's taste and replaced the dressing with just lemon juice upon request. They don't scrimp on ingredients and served a very generous salmon portion. In all restaurants we received impeccable service and the team's attention and desire to meet out every need was so impressive - nothing was too much effort. They soon got to know our little quirks and ways such as the fact that I love to have lots of ice in my drinks, whereas my husband not so much and my daughter doesn't like any and it makes you feel very special that they remember this kind of detail. I wish I had written down everyone's names - Dharun was one gentleman who looked after us in Haiku and Cilantro but there was a whole team we give our thanks to. It has an Ayurvedic Spa overseen by an Ayurvedic doctor who I had to pleasure of meeting briefly. I treated myself to a foot massage in their lovely spa. Only a quick treatment but a treat none the less and I know when we go back - which we already planning - I will definitely try more from their very expansive spa menu. Whilst you of course have your private pool there is a stunning pool area. It has a range of comfortable loungers - single and double - all with thick mattresses. Pool towels provided and also parasols. There is waiter service and you can have lunch by your sunbeds. The infinity pool overlooks the beach and from a certain angle it actually looks as though it blends into the sea. Definitely worse ways to spend the day!   A big call out for the Children's Club. Our daughter doesn't tend to partake in these clubs usually, but she was the first to say the quality and quantity of toys to play with well surpassed all others. Plus they have really thought about how to entertain older children in their early to late teens and have invested in a really wonderful games room. It's not just a pokey room or afterthought, it is an impressive space with a range of different seating areas plus has the latest games console and tv, pool table, other games like chess, draughts etc and also table football. A big thumbs up from Holly, which for anyone who has a ten year old going on 15 knows should not be underestimated! We were very happy to meet Olivia, the resident manager, a lovely lady who takes real pride in her team and the experience offered to guests. She and her team are consummate professionals open to feedback and just keen to keep improving and make a holiday at their beautiful hotel the best it can possibly be. As I said we will definitely be going back as we only had the chance to enjoy four nights at the end of our holiday this time and are already planning when we can make it happen - possibly next Easter! How exciting. A big thank you to Lulu, Olivia and all the Maradiva Villas team for a remarkable visit. It was too short this time and we will be sure to be with you for a lot longer in the future.