NEWS
When Mauritius opened its borders, it made the joy of many!
For some, the news felt like a relief after a long wait while for others, it was almost like a passport as it means vacation days are back!
If you are among those who are curious about the reopening or how a stay at the hotel feels during a pandemic, read on as we catch up with Romain - one of our 1st guests who flew to Mauritius after the reopening.
Who is Romain?
"Born in the south of France, in Marseille more precisely, Romain is fond of luxury travelling. Through his Instagram account @rmn_kmiel he shares his passion and invites his audience to travel as well."
Why did you choose Constance Prince Maurice? Was it your 1st time in Mauritius?
"No, it was not my first time in Mauritius, I had already come twice with my family and friends of theirs to five other luxury resorts but it was the first time that I came along with my girlfriend. I decided to choose Prince Maurice because since my very young age I have heard only good things about this place from all the people I knew who have stayed here. Then it is still one of the mythical hotels of the island where heads of state like Chirac have stayed. So I decided to explore the possibility of spending my vacation there. The photos I found on social media and the activities offered by the hotel convinced me to book this resort."
You came for a special occasion, please tell us about it
"I came to celebrate the 25 years of my girlfriend with whom I have been for more than 2 years, her birthday being at the end of June, with the current health situation I could not at that time find a destination that would allow me to go far from home while maintaining a minimum of freedom during our trip.
When I saw on July 15th that Mauritius was reopening its borders for vaccinated adults, I saw it as a sign of fate and I knew immediately that this is where we would go to celebrate her birthday."
Was the celebration to your expectation?
"Absolutely, I could not have asked for better, the place is idyllic, the hotel is so quiet, and everything is designed to make the client feel at home after a 12-hour flight. The welcome gifts and the exceptional chocolate cake concocted by the chef to celebrate this happy event are memories that will remain etched in us forever."
Tell us about the sanitary protocols at the hotel
"The hotel seemed to have managed the implementation of the sanitary protocol perfectly. To ensure the safety of both its customers and its employees without neglecting the quality necessary. The temperature of customers is taken at each restaurant and at the spa, hydro-alcoholic gels are available everywhere in the complex and the wearing of a mask is mandatory in the closed common areas except when you are sitting at the table. I did many trips during the health crisis and this is one of the first where being on covid does not affect service at all.
The most striking fact: the exceptional breakfast served at the table and not as a buffet still allows you to order absolutely anything you want and cooking by the minute, something that 90% of hotels during the pandemic does not offer."
You came for just 6 days - please tell us how it went.
Tell us about the PCR tests
"Having booked because of the health crisis at the last moment and having to come back to my work in the vaccination center at the beginning of August I was only able to make a stay of 6 days and 5 nights in this hotel, I thought it was madness to leave on a 12-hour flight from home for such a short time, but in the end, this was not the case at all. From the moment you arrive you feel right at home, the staff with their legendary kindness and helpfulness literally bend over backward to ensure your stay is flawless. The hotel has many activities such as tennis, water sports, golf ... this means you will never be bored throughout your stay. The only downside is that motorized nautical activities are not currently authorized by the Mauritian government, but it was an only small detail that we quickly end up forgetting as everything else is so enchanting."
How's travelling to Mauritius at the moment?
"To come to Mauritius right now, you must have finished your vaccination course for more than 15 days and perform a PCR test between 5 to 7 days before departure. Upon landing on the island, private laboratories are set up at the airport where each passenger is retested. The results are then transmitted within 12 hours maximum to the reception of the hotel, during this time we must stay in our room in order to avoid potentially contaminating the staff and the other customers. This pseudo-isolation within Prince Maurice took place without our even noticing it, on our arrival a table was set on our terrace in front of the sea where we were able to order what we wanted à la carte, after that, the suite with access to the beach with private deckchairs allowed us to expose ourselves to the sun like any other guest in front of our room. The results finally arrived 6 hours later and we were able to resume a completely normal life without any constraints.
Finally, the day before departure, the hotel brings in a laboratory to wait for us in the hotel's private lounges where a final PCR test necessary to return home is carried out."
Tell us your most favourite part of this 5-night holiday at Constance Prince Maurice
"My favorite moment will be my arrival when we finally get out of the taxi after so many hours of flight and we see this huge reception with this central fountain covered with flower petals open on all sides on this infinity pool overlooking a white sand beach dotted with coconut palms and while we wait patiently for the keys to our suite with a refreshing cocktail, we immediately forget all this long journey and feel the immense joy of actually being on vacation."
Name 5things from the hotel that you wished you could take back home
"1. The staff’s perfection
2. The bedding that allowed me to spend the best nights of my life out of my own bed
3. Drinking fresh coconut water with a straw
4. The gym with machines equaling the best professional gyms
5. Pains au chocolat and pineapple juice to die for, for breakfast"
How was your spa treatment(s)?
"The spa is idyllic, we chose a couple’s massage in the main cabin overlooking the pool and having the sound of the waves crashing on the sand as a background, preferring dynamic massages I opted for a sport’s one and my girlfriend for a relaxant, the masseuses were at the top, having made us fill out a form beforehand in order to know which areas we would prefer to treat in particular or on the contrary if some were to be avoided, the treatments were carried out perfectly.
Special mention for the romantic decoration with candles, flowers and hearts waiting for us in the cabin to sublimate this already very romantic moment."
How did you find the Suite?
"The suite was perfect!
In my life, I have rarely seen such a spacious bathroom, with this bathtub overlooking the sea and its natural cucumber products, everything was made for lounging. The bed is huge and the exceptional bedding makes you fall asleep very quickly, the high ceilings give this place a grandiose side sublimated by the neo-colonial decoration blending perfectly with the style of the Island and the hotel. Direct access to the beach as well as the privatized deckchairs for each room are a significant plus in the appreciation of this amazing place.
Special mention for the gigantic television connected to an Apple Tv which allows everyone to connect to Netflix or to google directly from their bed."
Anything on the quality of food & drinks?
"The hotel has 3 restaurants: First of all the most magical one is Le Barachois, a floating restaurant in a bountiful Barachois nearing the lagoon. We ate absolutely delicious seafood specialties there. The second restaurant is Asian Restaurant - one where we feasted on divine sushi and dim sum, special mention for the pad thai that I have rarely found so well done except in Thailand.
Finally, the last restaurant is the one where we have breakfast and where we dine à la carte of more European dishes – Archipel.
I would just like to highlight the excellence of the breakfast, absolutely everything is perfect, the pastries, the cakes of the day, the pancakes, the freshly squeezed juices ...Obviously all of the dishes are sublimated by the excellence and kindness of the waiters who will always say yes whatever your particular requests."
What was your #MyConstanceMoment?
"Shh, it's a secret but… one late afternoon when the floating bar of the Barachois wasn’t open, we ordered champagne and freshly cut coconuts.
We sat alone in front of the immensity of this lagoon where the sun was setting. This is one of my favorite moments of all my life, the calm and beauty of this floating bar make it beyond measure a place second to none on earth. We sipped our cocktails in silence, patiently waiting for the sun to finish setting on the horizon. The colours emanating from this place during golden hour are unbelievable.
Special mention for Johnny the shark living in this lagoon who comes to greet the luckiest customers every evening…."
