Keith Candau

Review of LeMuria Resort, Seychelles

My wife and I went to the Seychelles for some rela...

My wife and I went to the Seychelles for some relaxation after a 2 week safari.

There were many positives about the Constance. The property is stunning. It is well manicured and lush, and the backdrop of the hills spotted with foliage and granite is beautiful. The beaches are pristine. Petit Anse Kerlan is probably the best private beach a hotel could have. There was plenty of beach loungers when we were there. If you don t get an umbrella, there is quite a bit of natural cover with the trees. Anse Georgette is a 15 minute walk (although the hills make it more challenging) or a 5 minute shuttle. The beach is not private but is so secluded that it doesn t matter. This may have been our favorite beach on Praslin, even better than Anse Lazio. The pool is tri-level with amazing views over the ocean. They also have a lagoon area with giant tortoises, and a couple resident peacocks.

The rooms were very comfortable, modern, and spacious. They are also only 10-15 meters from the Anse Kerlan beach. We had a junior suite. They were approximately 5 minutes from the Petit Anse Kerlan. Our room had a private balcony, but we couldn t see the Ocean due to the thick trees. Housekeeping was efficient and consistent every day.

The food and wine selection were top notch. We were there for a Lobster night at the Nest and also got a bbq under the stars where they probably gave us 10 pounds of various types of meats, including Lamb Chops, Prawns, Steak, etc. The meat was cooked perfectly but it was just too much! Diva restaurant was also very high class with an amazing wine list from around the world. The breakfast buffet had a large variety and also mimosas!

The areas where the Constance can improve relate to the service aspect. Overall, the staff was friendly. There were some issues though. First, we arrived at dinner time and our bags did not make it. We wanted to go to one of the restaurants for dinner but couldn t because of their strict dress code. The reception knew of our dilemma and we asked for an exception to policy. Instead of allowing us to grab dinner (even at the buffet), they wanted my waist size and were going to give me pants from the laundry. I am not sure whose pants they were, probably just extra staff pants. I didn t feel comfortable with that and we were forced to order room service. That was not appreciated after a pretty long day of traveling from mainland Africa. Honestly, the guests are there for a relaxing beach vacation and the dress code could be modified.

The service at the beach was non-existent. While they were good about the cleanliness and turning around loungers after people left them, there was no drink service. That would be nice. However, we did have good service at the pool and the swim up bar.

They should provide more than just 2 bottles of water for the room. Also, they should provide more free water at the beach. They had a jug of iced water around the beach, but it wasn t filled very frequently. I ended up paying for some bottles of water.

Other notes:
- The meals and drinks are very expensive. That is not impacting my rating, but keep that in mind. If you rent a car, you can easily go to grocery stores for beer, liquor, snacks, etc. which will save you a bunch. You also can then drive around the island to see the other beaches and the Vallee de Mai.
- Dress code strictly enforced (see above)
- Hotel on the flight patch to PRI. The planes are small and the frequency is once per hour. This was not an issue for me.