Grand Gaube and Cap Malheureux: the northern tip, facing the islets

LUX* sits on a peninsula between two coves, with two beaches on a calm lagoon and views of the northern islets. Reworked by designer Kelly Hoppen in a retro-chic style, it has 186 rooms, suites and villas, two pools (one heated) and an adults-only area, The Banyan, at the tip of the peninsula.

There are six restaurants and nine bars, from Bodrum Blue's Turkish food on stilts to INTI's Peruvian cooking, a twelve-room spa for over-16s, and free water sports: waterskiing, paddleboarding, kayaking and a glass-bottom boat. Children have the PLAY club for ages 3 to 11, teenagers Studio 17. Reviews praise attentive staff, the setting and the activities.

In Grand Gaube village, on a very shallow lagoon, this Veranda boutique hotel takes adults only. Renovated in 2024, it reopened at the end of November with refreshed rooms, restaurant and bar, and a bigger spa. All 81 rooms face the sea and the northern islets.

Dinner is at the Isle de France buffet or Le Saint Géran, a beach restaurant under a thatched roof at the end of a jetty, and the Poudre d'Or bar livens up with music in the evening. There are two pools, one of them infinity-edged, the Seven Colours spa, and free kayaking, paddleboarding and snorkelling. Reviews describe a well-kept, quiet hotel with smiling staff.

Opened recently (2024 or 2025, depending on the source) on Calodyne beach, Sea Diamond belongs to the same group as Seapoint in Grand Baie. Its 73 suites, Junior, Senior and Royal, face the north-east islets, and there are two restaurants, a pool bar, a spa, a gym and a library.

Reviews praise brand-new, roomy, spotless rooms, the private beach, free water sports and attentive staff. Children are welcome, with a supplement depending on age, but no kids' club is advertised. The hotel bills itself as a 5-star, but it isn't on the official rating list.

Facing the northern islets, Zilwa takes guests to Gran Zil, a wild islet five minutes away by boat, for a barbecue lunch. Its 214 rooms, redecorated by Mauritian artist Gaël Froget, range from Superior to two-bedroom family apartments, and there are four pools, including one for children and one for adults.

There are seven restaurants, from Manao's Thai and Tadka's Indian food to Kot Nou's modern Mauritian cooking. The kids' club is free for ages 3 to 12, and kayaks, paddleboards, Hobie Cats and the glass-bottom boat cost nothing. On other platforms, hundreds of reviews mention the staff, the food and the sea view.

Opened in 1992 and renovated in 2019, this Small Luxury Hotels of the World member wraps around a private natural cove extended by a peninsula. All 75 rooms and suites face the sea, and only over-18s are allowed.

Out on the peninsula, a heated infinity pool gives a view of nearly 280 degrees, and there are other pools besides. Four restaurants share the evenings: contemporary Mauritian food at The Dining Room, sushi at XO, tapas at Peninsula and seafood at The Cove, with its huts for dinner for two. There's a Cinq Mondes spa on site. Reviews praise the welcome, the calm and the romantic setting.

Facing one of the island's largest lagoons and the northern islets, Lagoon Attitude only takes over-18s. Its 182 rooms run from Couple rooms to suites with a hot tub, and the lagoon is the hotel's big theme: a Marine Discovery Centre, the floating Ekol'O centre and an underwater snorkelling trail.

Five restaurants, including Le Bénitier for the buffet, Lemongrass for Asian food and Coral for seafood, four bars and a Dine Around option from half board. Kayaks, paddleboards, windsurfers and the glass-bottom boat are free, and for kitesurfing, the Anse La Raie spots are next door. Reviews mention very attentive staff, often by name.

At Bain Boeuf, between Pereybère and Cap Malheureux, this Attitude hotel shares its name with the rocky islet it faces, across the road and beyond the public beach. Its 122 rooms look onto the garden; families get dedicated rooms and apartments with a children's bedroom and a kitchenette.

There are two pools, a small POZ spa, a floodlit tennis court and the Ayo le Dodo club, free for ages 3 to 12. Meals are at Le Cap buffet, at Kot Nou a few nights a week or at Taba-J for street food at lunchtime, and the group's all-inclusive deal is available. The hotel's catamaran, at extra cost, stops for a swim below Coin de Mire.