Review of LUX* Grand Baie Resort & Residences

Located in the north of the country, the resort enjoys an enviable position on a crescent shaped beach surrounding the Grand Baie Lagoon, one of the island’s prettiest beaches. Named for the nearby village of Grand Baie with its cafés, bars and local craft shops just a ten-15-minute walk away, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport is around a 73-kilometre distance away, a transfer of between 60 – 90 minutes. 

Take a catamaran cruise over to neighbouring islets for some quality snorkelling or head to the skies with a seaplane ride to capture the island’s delights from on high. There is also Port Louis, the capital city, with its mix of old and new, Roche Noires Lava Tubes, a set of underground tunnels unearthed, literally, from a volcanic eruption and the SSR Botanical Garden, one of the most popular attractions in the area. Close to these gardens, there is the Château de Labourdonnais, a colonial home dating back to the 1800s and now a museum and the natural springs of Bassin Lavé and Trou Diable.

Each of the 116 suites, villas and residences enjoy a clean-lined, sophisticated feel, the chic neutral palette lending a more residential, designer inspired space – a style which is shared across all the accommodation types. Room features include air-conditioning and smart room controls for shutters, curtains and adjustable mood lighting; luxurious linens; a pillow menu; a chromotherapy shower and stand-alone bathtub in black and white bathrooms; LUX* commissioned toiletries; a fully stocked minibar; a coffee machine and a 1.4 metre LED TV with on demand films. 

The LUX* Junior Suites roomy at 65 square metres of space are located on the ground, first or second floors with outdoor living offered by either a terrace or a balcony. If more space is needed, the LUX* Pool Residences lie across the road from the resort, accessible via a skywalk, accommodating up to four adults with two children comfortably with a total surface area of 180 square metres. Facilities include two ensuite bedrooms; a furnished balcony; a kitchen and dining space and a spacious lounge leading out to the balcony or terrace with a private, heated pool. The more private, two-floor, butler-serviced LUX* Pool Villas offer a similar sized area but are hidden either within the tropical landscape or on the beach with one of the bedrooms located on the ground floor and the other, up above with a terrace. 

The LUX* Penthouse Suites offer the ultimate in top floor designer living with 325 square metres of space, sited behind the resort, just across the road and accessible via the skywalk.  Each offers a private heated pool, a spacious outdoor terrace and an open plan living, kitchen and dining space with three en-suite bedrooms. 

Moving on up the accommodation scale, the premium accommodation offering is the three-bedroom LUX* Grand Beach Pool Villa located in a secluded area at the end of the beach, facing the lagoon. Designed for larger families or groups of friends with three en-suite bedrooms, this butler serviced accommodation can accommodate up to six adults with two children and features a long, sleek outdoor heated private pool with a gazebo BBQ dining area plus a kitchen, dining and living area covering 620 square metres of space.

This intimate hideaway offers a whole slew of resort facilities to tempt even the most avid sun worshipper to creep out from under a parasol. You are really spoilt for choice with four main swimming pools dependent on your mood including the showcase Bisou rooftop infinity pool with sunbeds, umbrellas and cabanas complete with individual sound systems. The rooftop also offers a range of fitness opportunities such as Muscle up on the Roof with two 30 metre Olympic standard running tracks and MyBeast, a functional fitness frame with 12 workout stations. For gym lovers, there is a fully equipped TechnoGym with six types of cardio machines alongside a Group Cycle Studio coming soon for interactive high-energy workouts whilst there are Pilates, yoga, stretch and release classes in the serene Niyama Mind & Body Studio for groups of up to six people. 

For pampering, head to the tiered LUX* ME Spa with its eight high tech treatment rooms including a double spa suite spread out over three stories. There is an entire floor dedicated to water with a hydrothermal bath journey together with a Turkish Hammam, saunas and aromatherapy steam rooms, an outdoor relaxation garden and a pool. For those “feel good” moments, there is LUX* Me hair dressing or Barber by OWay for a new you and for those “must have” moments, a Bastien Gonzalez pedicure in The Reverence Studio. Regarding products, their nourishing oils are sourced from nearby Madagascar whilst a selection of organic oils by Shirley Page are also used alongside their custom brand. 

Apart from the range of water sports on offer together with deep sea fishing, dolphin cruises, turtle excursions and more, LUX* Grand Baie also has a partnership with the nearby Mont Choisy Le Golf too. 

Families are well catered for with a raft of amenities include Play, a kids’ club for mini travellers aged from three to eleven whilst for teens, Studio 17 caters from twelve- to 17-year-olds with a pool table, vintage arcade games, water sports and PS5 gaming consoles. There are also spa treatments for kiddies, family activities and kids’ menus available.

Determinedly contemporary, island living at its best, LUX* Grand Baie is one of the most stylish of beachfront resorts. Offering sustainable luxury with an eco-friendly ethos, guests here are invited to take life at a slower pace, relaxing into an island lifestyle where quality of life trumps the frantic pace of modern urban living. 

Everything has been clearly thought out here from the architecture complementing the natural land and seascape to the chic pared back interior design, the curated range of facilities and the innovative nature of the food offerings – whatever your tastes, interests or palate may desire, you will probably find it here. Although it might appear that this is more of a resort for couples only, families are warmly welcomed with a kiddie and a teens club to keep more junior travellers entertained all day long. 

This is a designer holiday resort in a league of its own, recently opened and undoubtedly the flagship of the LUX* group - and oceans away in style from the more traditional Mauritian resorts.

There is a wide range of wining and dining options available at LUX* Grand Baie – so much so in fact that you will probably never need to eat off site. Inventive cuisine with plant-based menus on offer, guests are spoilt for choice with the all-day dining and crimson coloured Beach Rouge Beach Club & Restaurant with an Italian Kitchen, Mozzarella Bar, Bakery, The Deli and three poolside and beach front bars. Bisou, offering Indian and Arabian influenced menus, offers 1,190 square metres of rooftop splendour with its 30-metre-long infinity pool, restaurant and bar set out on a landscaped deck overlooking the Grand Baie lagoon. A DJ plays easy listening during the day until the sunset when the decks turn it up a notch or two. Maison LUX* has more of a contemporary Milanese café thing going on with baristas during the day and bartenders when the sun goes under the horizon. Enjoy anything from pastries, to coffees, teas to gelato, cakes and cocktails. Ai KISU, with its Japanese art and open theatre kitchen, is a gastronomic Asian restaurant & bar, with stunningly presented cuisine and sunken views of a reflection pool for that showstopper moment. 

The Food Lab is a culinary development space inside the main restaurant where the chefs can cook up ever more innovative cuisines for the restaurants. It comprises of an ingredient library, a fermentation space, a patisserie-orientated zone and a photography and video studio. There is space for foodie guests to sit at the Chef’s Table and see what the future holds, gastronomically speaking. 

Club Ai KISU, a nightclub for adults only open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays is the place to be when you want to relax and let go. Alternatively, for cooling down, there is even an ice cream parlour – ICI - ready to quench daytime thirsts with gelato, ice cream and sorbets. 

Finally, for the optimum private dining experience, head to one of the seven dining cocoons next to the beach for a custom evening. 

Half and full board options are available.

With such a forward-thinking resort, it will come as no surprise that eco-tourism is at the top of their agenda with initiatives such as Keen on Green with all the restaurants offering plant-based, vegan, vegetarian and raw dishes. They have also partnered with local NGO Foodwise to raise awareness about food waste whilst donating 20 meals each week to the local schools. 

Even the kid’s activities include a Little Green Fingers element around gardening in the Play Garden with seed planting, composting and designing mini-Aquaponics systems. The boutique includes locally made econyl fabrics by Alicia Swim and stocks Robb & Lulu and Nuala Clothing which is made from certified organic cotton and fabrics using recycled plastics. They also feature a range of locally made jewellery to support the local economy and only stock reef-friendly sunscreen. 

LUX* resorts also help stay at home and unemployed women with cooking workshops and the opportunity for full and part time employment. Should a guest wish to make their stay carbon neutral, LUX* offers a small contribution towards UNFCCC registered projects in Africa and Asia. They also partner with eco partners such as Ile Aux Aigrettes, Ebony Forest and Blue Bay Marine Park. 

For efficient energy usage, the resort uses LED lighting with a Smart Switching Energy Management System optimising energy usage. They also use a Nordaq Water System for water filtration, cooled and served in Nordaq’s own glass bottles.