Le Suffren Hotel and Marina

I arrived at Le Suffren on Sunday evening, and unfortunately, the experience was disappointing almost from the moment I checked in.

Upon entering my room, I was immediately hit by a strong smell of cigarette smoke. I reported this to reception and, after being asked to wait, was eventually moved to another room.

The rooms themselves are incredibly dark. Even with every light switched on, the lighting is poor, making the room feel gloomy and rather uninviting. It takes some getting used to.

The bed was uncomfortable and came with just two small pillows. I called reception to request additional pillows and a top sheet, as the duvet was far too warm. Neither arrived. The following morning, I asked housekeeping again, but still nothing. I eventually had to ask yet again that evening. To make matters worse, housekeeping would remove the top sheet every day without replacing it, meaning I had to repeatedly request one throughout my stay. This is a basic housekeeping requirement that should not need constant follow-up.

The electrical sockets were another frustration. I requested an adapter because I couldn't plug in my UK plug. I was initially told to unplug the room telephone and use that socket instead. Eventually, an adapter was sent up, but astonishingly, the hotel's own adapter didn't fit any of the sockets in the room!

The shower has excellent water pressure, but the temperature fluctuates constantly between hot and cold in waves, making it extremely unpleasant to shower. The quality of the shower gels and toiletries was also poor.

On the positive side, the air conditioning worked extremely well. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi speeds were inadequate, particularly for business travellers. I struggled to conduct Microsoft Teams meetings, which is simply unacceptable for a hotel catering to business guests.

Breakfast was another disappointment. It is advertised as starting at 6:30 a.m., so I went down at that time, expecting to have breakfast before my 7:00 a.m. meetings. However, staff were still setting up, even as it approached 7:00 a.m. If a hotel advertises breakfast from 6:30 a.m., everything should be ready at 6:30 a.m., not half an hour later.

The overall hotel environment and communal areas also felt rather underwhelming and lacked the atmosphere and comfort I would expect.

There were, however, a couple of positives. The water taxi service across to Caudan Waterfront is extremely convenient and a real advantage of staying at this property. I also had an à la carte dinner one evening, choosing fish with salad, and the meal was absolutely delicious. Credit where it is due to the kitchen.

I fully appreciate that Mauritius was experiencing civil unrest during my stay, which may have placed additional pressure on hotel operations and staff. However, many of the issues I experienced were basic matters of housekeeping, room maintenance, comfort and service consistency that should be addressed regardless.

Overall, Le Suffren needs to seriously up its game. There is potential here, particularly given its location, waterfront access and good food, but the accommodation and service standards fell well short of expectations.

For a hotel that caters to business travellers, reliable Wi-Fi, comfortable beds, functional showers, adequate lighting, punctual breakfast service and responsive housekeeping should be absolute basics. Unfortunately, too many of these were missing during my stay.

The Location was great. I Love the little boat ride and I love the fact that it was close to the market. The Service delivery was very great. Uyksha and Yukta were very friendly and helpful. They really made me feel comfortable in the hotel and I would really love to come back when next I visit Mauritius.

Kawthar was an absolute professional, caring and considerate waiter. Makes the experience worth at The Suffren