Laguna Beach Hotel and Spa

We stayed at Laguna Beach Hotel & Spa for our honeymoon and have just returned home. There were definitely things we really enjoyed, but also quite a few things we wish we'd known before booking. Hopefully this helps anyone considering staying here.

ARRIVAL & CHECK-IN

Be aware that check-in isn't until after 2pm and there seems to be very little flexibility around this.

We had been travelling for almost 24 hours and arrived at around 11am, but had to wait around the bar area until just after 2pm before we could access our room. We also met a German couple who arrived at around 8am following a long-haul journey and told us they had to wait until around 2pm too.

Obviously hotels have check-in times and you can't expect your room to always be ready early, but considering the number of guests arriving in Mauritius after overnight/long-haul flights, better facilities or arrangements for early arrivals would be welcome.

ROOMS

The rooms themselves are a good size and feel spacious, which was definitely a positive.

Unfortunately, our bed and mattress were extremely uncomfortable. The bed also creaked incredibly loudly whenever either of us moved, and I ended up with backache.

We did speak to reception and ask to change rooms. They told us the other rooms were reserved but said they would let us know if another became available, so they were willing to help if availability allowed, sadly they said they couldn't.

NOISE – LIGHT SLEEPERS BE WARNED!

One of our biggest problems was getting a decent night's sleep.

There are roosters kept very close to the accommodation and they are unbelievably loud. On some nights they were still making noise at around 1am and then started again at approximately 5am.

We also had a gentleman staying next door who woke us at around 7am on two consecutive mornings by speaking/shouting very loudly on his phone on the balcony or immediately outside the rooms. Obviously the hotel can't control an individual guest's behaviour, but combined with the roosters and uncomfortable bed, our sleep really suffered.

If you're a light sleeper, I'd definitely pack earplugs!

FOOD – KNOW THE MEAL TIMES

This is probably one of the biggest things I wish we'd understood before booking.

Breakfast is 7:30–10am, followed by lunch later in the day. At around 4pm there is tea/coffee and pancakes, then dinner doesn't begin until 7:30pm.

Outside those times, there really isn't anywhere to grab a snack.

This matters because the hotel is very isolated. There aren't shops, cafés or restaurants within easy walking distance where you can just pop out and buy something. If you're hungry between meals, your options are extremely limited unless you have transport.

The little hotel shop mainly sells a limited selection of souvenirs rather than snacks or essentials, and we found its opening times quite variable.

The buffet food is also fairly limited and predominantly Asian-style. If you enjoy that type of food you'll probably be fine, but fussy eaters or people who prefer plainer/more familiar food may struggle with the selection.

Something else I think is important to mention is that we didn't see allergen information displayed on the food cards. If you have a food allergy or intolerance, I'd therefore recommend speaking directly to staff about what is suitable rather than relying on the buffet labels.

DRINKS & BAR

A definite positive was the all-inclusive cocktails. There is a good selection and they're freshly made when you order rather than being pre-mixed. We really enjoyed them.

The minibar is also restocked daily. Ours contained a Fanta, Sprite, Coke, bottle of water and two beers.

One slightly strange thing is that the bar closes at around 10:30pm even though the entertainment continues until approximately 11pm.

After the bar closes, there isn't anywhere else at the hotel to get a drink, even a soft drink, so if you haven't saved anything from your minibar you're out of options until the following morning.

BAD WEATHER & THINGS TO DO

This is another important consideration.

If the weather is bad, there isn't a huge amount to do at the resort. There is a very small indoor gym and a pool table, plus the spa where you can pay for treatments. Outside there is table tennis and bowls, although obviously those aren't particularly useful when it's raining.

There is only one bar and not a huge amount of seating around it, so if you get several days of poor weather, your options can become quite limited.

Because of the hotel's isolated location, you can't simply walk somewhere else either.

HIRE A CAR – WE WERE SO GLAD WE DID

Hiring a car made a massive difference to our holiday.

I'm not sure what the hotel charges, but we arranged ours independently through a local company and paid just €25 per day with no deposit required.

It meant we could explore Mauritius and get away from the resort when the weather wasn't great. Personally, if you're staying here for any length of time, I'd seriously consider hiring one.

We also noticed that the hotel became noticeably busier with local guests over the weekends, which changed the atmosphere compared with during the week. This wasn't necessarily a problem for us, but it's worth knowing if you're expecting the same quiet resort atmosphere throughout your stay.

LATE CHECKOUT – WORTH IT!

A really useful option if you have a late flight is the hotel's late checkout.

Normal checkout is 11am, but subject to room availability we were able to pay around £35 and keep our room until our airport transfer collected us at 6pm.

For us this was absolutely worth paying for and made our final day much more comfortable.

Just be aware that keeping the room doesn't extend your all-inclusive package. Ours finished at 2:30pm after lunch, so anything you want after that needs to be paid for.

⭐ OUR BEST TIP – FIND KEESHAN!

One of the absolute highlights of our holiday actually came from booking directly with a local boat owner.

Look out along the seafront for a lovely guy called Keeshan, who walks around with a little folder showing the boat trips he offers on his boat which you will see in the water nearby called the "Sail fish".

We paid €200 TOTAL for a private boat for just the two of us and did an amazing five-island tour, including a trip to the waterfall, with a fantastic lunch and drinks included.

It was cash only, so bear that in mind.

Keeshan was incredibly friendly, such a lovely person and a brilliant captain. We had an amazing day with him and would absolutely recommend speaking to him if you see him. It was genuinely one of the highlights of our trip.

OVERALL

There are definitely positives to Laguna Beach. The setting is beautiful, the rooms are spacious, the freshly made cocktails are lovely, and we found some really memorable experiences while we were there.

However, the hotel's isolation is something you really need to understand before booking.

If you're happy spending most of your time at the resort, eating strictly around the scheduled meal times and having relatively quiet evenings, it may suit you perfectly.

If you like being able to wander out of your hotel to shops, cafés, bars and restaurants, grab food whenever you're hungry, have drinks later into the evening or have plenty to do when the weather isn't great, this probably isn't the best location unless you're prepared to hire a car.

For us, the biggest negative was the lack of sleep. Between the uncomfortable bed, extremely noisy roosters and other noise disturbances, we didn't feel as rested as we would have hoped to on our honeymoon.

We still had some fantastic experiences in Mauritius and there are things about the hotel we genuinely liked. I wouldn't tell people not to stay here, but I would definitely recommend doing your research and understanding the location and facilities before booking.

A heartfelt thank you to the entire team at Laguna Beach Hotel for making our stay truly memorable. From the warm welcome to the excellent service, every member of staff was friendly, professional, and attentive.My Anniversary celebration were absolutely outstanding ❤️❤️

A special appreciation to the bar staff, who were absolutely outstanding. Their exceptional service, positive attitude, and attention to detail made every moment at the bar enjoyable. They truly went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and well taken care of.

Thank you to everyone at Laguna Beach Hotel for your hard work and genuine hospitality. You have an amazing team, and we sincerely appreciate everything you did to make our stay special. We look forward to coming back again! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐