Sunlife

Sugar Beach

Ambre, A Sunlife Resort

Ambre is an adults-only all-inclusive on the east coast of Mauritius, for couples who want a good beach, a friendly hotel and a fair price. It is not a top-tier room and does not pretend to be. It sits on the Flacq coast, the windward side of the island, on a lagoon that guests rate above the beaches of several dearer resorts, and it is a four-star product in a country where five stars is the norm at the top of the market, priced accordingly. What guests praise is the beach and lagoon, the warmth of the staff, the adults-only calm and the value of the plan. The complaints are consistent and worth taking seriously: rooms that read as basic or due a refresh, an east-coast wind that can take the edge off a beach day, and a drinks and dining list that runs short of variety over a long stay. The thing people wish they had known is that Ambre is strong value for adults-only Mauritius and not a luxury room product, and that the wind matters more in some seasons than others. The plan covers meals across the three restaurants and the standard drinks list, with the premium-label boundaries unconfirmed; the spa, the excursions, the golf across the water and the transfer are extra, and the included water sports list is worth asking for before you arrive. Book a sea-view category, because the beach is the reason to be here and the room will not be. Anyone who wants a new, design-led room should compare the higher-priced resorts on the island.

Long Beach Mauritius

Long Beach is a large modern resort on Mauritius's east coast at Belle Mare, for families who want big rooms and a long beach. All-inclusive is one plan among several. It is about 60 minutes from the airport, a five-star with 255 rooms, five restaurants, two bars and four pools, and a kids' club and teens' club. The rooms and the beach are its strongest cards; the plan's fine print is the thing to read. Guests praise the Belle Mare beach, the size of the rooms and the family layouts, the activities and water sports, and the staff. The complaints are all-inclusive exclusions that surprise people, friction over restaurant bookings, service that varies, and food repetition over a long stay, plus the east coast's wind in some seasons. The thing people wish they had known is that all-inclusive does not cover every restaurant or every menu, and that half board can be enough for guests who tour by day. The all-inclusive plan covers Le Marche, Sapori, Tides and Chopsticks with access varying by meal, selected wines, local beers and selected spirits, and a minibar of soft drinks and beer; Hasu, the Japanese restaurant, carries a supplement, room service has a tray charge, and the spa and the airport transfer, at roughly 45 to 60 euros per car each way, are extra. The Junior Suite Beachfront is the room to choose if the beach is the reason, and the Family Suite sleeps two adults and three children. Anyone who wants a small, quiet resort should look to the island's other coasts.