The Oberoi Beach Resort, Mauritius, is a luxurious 5-star hotel located on the northwest coast of the island. Set on 20 acres of lush subtropical gardens, it borders the pristine shores of Turtle Bay, a protected marine park. The resort offers 600m of oceanfront and a clear, tranquil lagoon.
The resort was recently named the #3 Best Resort in the Indian Ocean in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2025 – a recognition that feels entirely justified.
It is one of those rare places that manages to combine genuine warmth, seamless service, and understated luxury without ever feeling showy or scripted. From the time you arrive on the island until the moment you leave, there’s a quiet precision to everything they do – what the General Manager describes as “unobtrusive service”, and that’s exactly what it is.
The hotel arranged a chauffeur transfer from the airport – a BMW i7, spotless and comfortable, with chilled bottled water and a friendly driver who met us in the arrivals hall. We later learned that he was Mr. Oberoi’s personal driver in Mauritius over twenty years ago, even before the resort opened!
It’s approximately an hour’s drive from the airport to the hotel, and along the way you get a real sense of the island – sugarcane fields, small villages, and finally, the coastline near Turtle Bay where the resort lies.
When we arrived at the hotel, we received a warm welcome along with cold towels scented with ylang-ylang, a small touch that instantly set the tone. We were brought to a traditional thatched-roof pavilion overlooking the resort, offered a virgin mojito and invited to sit back and take in the view.
From there, a buggy took us straight to our villa for the check-in procedure – no waiting around, no paperwork, just easy efficiency.
The overall feel of The Oberoi Mauritius is calm and refined. Opened in 2001, it is comprised of 71 luxury pavilions and villas. The design blends natural materials with traditional architecture – stone pathways, thatched roofs, reflection pools, and lush gardens.
The resort is proud of its heritage and environment. There’s an 18th-century chapel on the grounds, and a 300-year-old banyan tree that has become something of a landmark. Every three years the roofs are re-thatched, which keeps the property always looking fresh. Despite being over twenty years old, it still feels impeccably maintained.
We stayed in the Royal Ocean View Villa – one of the resort’s crown jewels. The villas and pavilions are arranged in five clusters, each defined by traditional thatched roofs and flooded with natural light, offering either ocean or garden views.
Inside, a calming colour palette, handcrafted furniture, natural fabrics, and local artworks create an authentic sense of place. Every detail feels intentional but effortless: the high ceilings, marble floors (meticulously polished by specialists flown in from India), and gardens that ensure complete privacy.
Set within 650sqm of lush tropical gardens, the Royal Villa features an elegantly appointed living room overlooking a 55sqm private pool and the Indian Ocean. The spacious bedroom opens to sweeping sea views, while an open-air pavilion provides the perfect setting for al fresco dining. For larger parties, the Royal Villa can be booked together with two interconnecting Luxury Pavilions. The private pool is temperature controlled to 29°C, perfectly comfortable even in the evenings.
The bedroom featured a central wooden bed, a large desk, and a seating area overlooking the pool. The light-filled bathroom offered two showers, a freestanding bathtub, double sinks positioned on opposite sides, and a dedicated vanity area.
The separate living area included a toilet, a compact kitchenette, and a comfortable lounge with sofas, armchairs, and a television.
A Nespresso machine with pods, a kettle with Kusmi teas, and a well-stocked minibar were neatly arranged for convenience. Bathroom amenities included a dental kit, comb, body lotion, loofah, bath salts, hairdryer, and shower cap, complemented by in-room essentials such as an iron and ironing board. Plush bathrobes, bamboo flip-flops, and a beach bag were provided for guest use.
The toiletries are created exclusively for Oberoi Hotels & Resorts by Forest Essentials, featuring refreshing notes of lime, tulsi, and narangi.
After turndown, we returned each evening to towel animals (a swan one night, a turtle and elephant the next) – a small but personal touch that shows how much effort the staff put into the experience. One evening, housekeeping even surprised us with a rose petal bath!
The Oberoi’s food offering is far more varied than you might expect from this relatively intimate resort. The hotel offers four restaurants and dining venues serving International, Indian and Mauritian cuisines. There are also three bars throughout the resort.
The main restaurant, simply called The Restaurant, is open for breakfast and dinner, with a menu that changes – Monday to Wednesday one set of dishes, and Thursday to Sunday another, keeping things interesting for those with longer stays.
Breakfast (7AM to 10.30AM) was one of the highlights of each of our days. The menu is à la carte, with a wide range of options, complemented by a buffet featuring breads, fruit, yoghurts, cheeses, meats, pastries, and cereals. Everything is homemade, from the jams to the pastries.
Dinner at The Restaurant was equally impressive. The highlights for us included the Parda Chicken Biryani and Tawa Prawns Masala, both were beautifully presented and very flavoursome. By night, the reflection pool is lit by flaming torches, and the lights of Port Louis harbour shimmer across the bay.
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- Image credit: The Oberoi Beach Resort, Mauritius
The Gunpowder Room occupies an 18th-century stone building, originally built to store gunpowder safely in wooden barrels. Carefully preserved, it has been transformed into an intimate, adults-only restaurant. Seating is limited to 12 guests at tables of four, creating a communal dining experience. The set menu features a curated selection of Mauritian Creole main courses, showcasing slow-cooked, richly flavoured dishes made with local ingredients using traditional techniques. A fantastic experience, with exceptional food!
It is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays – advance reservations are required. The setting exudes history, with chandeliers, antique barrels, and thick stone walls providing a unique atmosphere.
The Herb Trail is a weekend-only communal dining experience set in the resort’s herb garden. Dishes are prepared using an underground fire pit and smokehouse, featuring slow-cooked lamb, seafood, and other meats. All of the herbs used – oregano, mint, rosemary, turmeric, and parsley etc – are grown in the garden. This four-course dinner is available only on Saturday and Sunday nights at 7PM (fixed schedule, again advance reservations are required), with a supplement applicable.
On the Rocks is perched on volcanic rocks above the sea, offering lunch and dinner with the soothing sound of waves in the background. Highlights for us included the Asian-style pork shin and grilled prawn yuzu caesar to start, and the mixed meat platter for two as our main course. Standout desserts for us were the coconut sago with guava sorbet and the baked chocolate pudding with salted caramel and whiskey cream.
The Bar is the social hub of the resort in the evenings – open-sided, thatched, breezy, with live music on most nights. It serves a wide range of cocktails, champagne, wines, and Mauritian rums.
What really stood out for us at each meal was the interaction with the chefs. The sous chef or a senior team member would stop by each table after the service to chat. They were genuinely interested in how the guests were enjoying the food. It was clear all the staff took pride in every dish they served.
The Oberoi Spa is set amid lush tropical gardens, featuring open-air couples’ treatment rooms. On arrival, guests are offered a welcome drink infused with lemongrass, cinnamon, and ginger – refreshing, fragrant, and the perfect start to a relaxing experience.
Their Signature Treatment is a 75-minute session using warmed bronze bowls and oils scented with vetiver, katrafay, and omumbiri. These are rooted in ancient Indian healing practises. The therapists use rhythmic and deeper strokes to release tension and improve circulation. It is easily one of the most relaxing treatments I have experienced. The heat from the bowls, the rhythmic strokes, and the gentle chirping of birds in the background make it nearly impossible not to drift off.
Open 9AM to 8PM, the spa combines luxury with a relaxed atmosphere – quiet, professional, and profoundly calming. Lockers, spa robes & slippers are available at the spa.
The fitness centre is open from 6.30AM to 8PM and is fully air-conditioned. Overlooking the gardens, it is well-equipped with both cardio and weight machines. This makes even a quick workout feel refreshing rather than routine. For safety reasons, children under 16 are not permitted.
Two floodlit tennis courts are located beside the spa and are available for use daily from 8AM to 8PM. Tennis racquets and balls are provided.
There are two main swimming pools: the Turtle Bay Pool (adults-only, 20m) and the On the Rocks Pool (family-friendly, 25m). Both are temperature controlled to 29°C, offering a sea view and feature a beachfront area. The pools are open daily from 8AM to 7PM.
The Oberoi offers a mix of leisure and cultural experiences that make the most of its surroundings. A range of complimentary activities is available throughout the week, including breathing exercises, body-toning workouts, Hatha yoga, T’ai Chi, stretching, morning jogs, meditation, star gazing and nature or evening walks.
Guests can also enjoy creative and cultural experiences including cooking, sculpture, henna painting, star gazing, visits to a bespoke silversmith, and wine and rum tasting sessions.
The resort’s private boathouse offers guests a range of complimentary water activities, including glass-bottom boat rides, hobie cat sailing, kayaking, water skiing, windsurfing, pedalo boating, and snorkelling trips. These are all supervised by trained professionals.
We enjoyed a snorkelling trip to Trou-aux-Biches, which was very well organised, with high-quality equipment and knowledgeable staff. The dolphin-watching experience, which we booked directly through the hotel, was another unforgettable highlight of our stay.
The complimentary cooking demonstration was a real treat – a chef takes the guests through a Mauritian recipe. In our case, this was a perfectly pan-fried red drum with champagne butter sauce and roasted pumpkin. Private one-hour sessions are also available at no additional cost. A memorable and highly enjoyable experience!
For families, the resort offers a comprehensive children’s programme. The ‘Young Hotelier’ initiative caters to kids aged 4 to 12 (9AM to 4PM) and offers more than just babysitting, teaching towel art and mocktail-making.
Daily activities range from feeding the koi fish to glass-bottom boat rides, snorkelling, banana boating, supervised visits to the aquarium at Point aux Piments, star gazing, and henna tattoos. Weekly cooking lessons and daily movie mornings are also offered.
The Hub provides supervised games and activities, while onsite facilities include a heated children’s pool, indoor table football, table tennis, Wii, PlayStation, and board games. They also have an outdoor play area with a mini bowling alley, slides, swings, and a treehouse.
Housekeeping provide a full range of baby and children’s amenities, including toiletries, blankets, bottles, cribs, infant bathtubs, sterilisers, and soothers.
We also learned some interesting facts during our stay: there are 250 varieties of palm trees on the island, 45 of which are found within the resort grounds. The nearby Loro Piana factory can take guests measurements for cashmere garments and deliver them to the hotel within a few days.
The Oberoi Mauritius is also unique in that it does not permit external day guests or outside spa visitors. This keeps the atmosphere exclusive and tranquil, making a big difference.
The service here is the thread that ties everything together. It’s polished but not formal, attentive but never intrusive. The staff take genuine pride in what they do – whether it’s housekeeping leaving towel animals or a waiter explaining the herbs used in a dish.
Impressively, almost 20% of the staff have been there since day one. Out of 280 employees, 55 were part of the opening team. That longevity shows – the staff know the place inside out and speak about it with real affection.
Several of the staff members took the time to share stories about the hotel’s history and how the property has evolved over its 24 years. You get the feeling that they all really care about maintaining the Oberoi’s reputation.
Every interaction felt natural – no scripts, no unnecessary flourishes. It’s the kind of service that anticipates what you need before you even ask for it, and that’s what makes it so memorable.
The Oberoi Mauritius isn’t a place that tries to impress you with grand gestures. Instead, it wins you over with consistency, authenticity, and a quiet attention to detail. Whether it’s the scent of ylang-ylang on a towel, the sound of waves at On the Rocks, or the warmth of a staff member remembering your name, everything feels effortless.
It’s easy to see why so many guests return – it’s one of those hotels that leaves a lasting impression. You arrive as a visitor and leave feeling like you’ve been part of something special, even if only for a few days.
If you’re looking for a resort that combines privacy, world-class dining, thoughtful service, and a deep sense of place, The Oberoi Beach Resort, Mauritius delivers all of that – quietly and beautifully.
For more information, you can visit https://www.oberoihotels.com/hotels-in-mauritius/.
