InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort

The InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort is surrounded by acres of gardens highlighting local flora and backgrounded by mountains, creating a secluded, intimate feel for guests seeking an escape. A long beach stretches out before it, although post-cyclone, it’s currently more rocky than sandy, though loungers and a bar still provide opportunities to relax. The hotel building itself is expansive and sweeping, with an emphasis on contemporary, versus traditional island, decor – expect a swish modern style that may feel a bit generic to some. While the property’s array of kid- and adult-friendly features are excellent, the occasional maintenance issue and lack of an impressive beach are notable downsides. On the plus side, all-inclusive packages add value to this luxury resort.

The InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort is located along the beach fronting Balaclava Bay, a secluded area looking out toward the Indian Ocean on the northwest coast of Mauritius. It’s located an hour’s drive from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, and a 20-minute drive from the capital of Port Louis, Mauritius’ capital. Like Port Louis, Grand Baie (about a 25-minute drive away) offers markets, restaurants, clubs, beaches, bars, and cafes scattered along the sand. However, most who come tend to stay put on the resort: The hotel isn’t on a bus route, and taxis to get around can quickly add up.

The hotel’s 210 rooms come in a variety of configurations and views, but all are ocean-facing and have a private furnished balcony or terrace. All have a similar sophisticated design that’s modern, if a bit generic. Rooms come with dark-wood furniture, beige tiling, and a mix of textiles and accents in soft earth tones. Island-inspired artwork hangs on the walls, but overall, there’s little in terms of unique decor. Standard amenities consist of laptop-sized safes, flat-screen TVs with international satellite channels, bathrobes and slippers, minibars, and ironing equipment. The spa-like bathrooms all feature separate (and huge) stone bathtubs and walk-in rain showers. Toiletries and hairdryers are provided.
The 100 entry-level Deluxe Ocean Facing Rooms have some ground-floor units that open directly to the gardens. Forty family-style rooms are available, which sleep two adults and two kids in separate bedrooms, as well as 40 Prestige Ocean View Rooms, which have a direct view over the ocean and Nespresso machines (four capsules per day are included). The 20 honeymoon rooms come with an outdoor bathtub on the private terrace, and 10 two-story, 3,229-square-foot Presidential Suites feature two private terraces (one with a whirlpool bath), kitchen, two 53-inch TVs.

The InterContinental’s all-inclusive package is the most comprehensive out of the resort’s meal plan offerings, which also includes a half-board option. The all-inclusive package is often the best value for money if you plan to stay on the property (restaurants are very pricey otherwise). It includes breakfast at Senso or Segala (two- or three-course menus at the latter); lunch at Senso, Sugar Cane, or Segala; dinner at Senso or three-course meals at Noble House, Veda, or Segala. Drinks, including South African wines, cocktails with local spirits, mineral water, and soft drinks, are also available; however, it doesn’t include stocked minibars in the rooms. The package begins at dinner day of arrival and ends at lunchtime on departure day.

The InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort has a few restaurants on-site, and the hotel is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint by using locally grown produce (including some from the hotel’s own organic garden), as well as fresh-caught seafood sourced from local fishermen. The resort also plans to be plastic-free by the second half of 2020.
In general, food is excellent at the resort across the board. Guests can choose from three-course menus at the beachfront Thai-Vietnamese Noble House or the contemporary Indian fine-dining restaurant Veda, which boasts eight chefs, each with a different specialty. There’s also the Mediterranean restaurant Segala, which features Italian-, Spanish-, Greek-, and Turkish-inspired dishes. Segala serves food for all three meals, while Veda and Noble House are only open for dinner.
Senso, the resort’s international buffet with breakfast and daily themed dinners, features a wide range of breakfast options; the evening buffet has live cooking stations with changing cuisine themes. Room service, as well as private dining on one’s terrace or on Sugar Island, is also available.
Reservations are highly recommended for all restaurants except Senso.
Sugar Cane is the hotel’s open-air poolside beach bar with views of the ocean; it serves light meals and snacks.

The hotel’s private Ville Valio beach on Balaclava Bay is a little rocky -- after a recent cyclone, there’s not much sand left -- making it difficult to play and swim in. There’s also coral, which makes it dangerous for children and sometimes not swimmable. However, there are plenty of comfortable loungers across the beach for guests to use, and a nearby beach bar. Guests can also borrow kayaking, sailing, surfing, and snorkeling equipment, or make use of the beach volleyball and soccer areas.

The hotel has two large heated infinity pools, each with panoramic views of the bay and surrounded by loungers. Both are heated during the winter. The main pool is the centerpiece of the resort, and it has a smaller kids’ pool and the Sugar Cane Bar right next to it. The southern pool, which is a little more serene, is next to Segala, with views going out to Port Louis.

In addition to the beach and pools, the hotel offers a range of activities for children and adults. For activity-minded guests, options include tennis, kayaks, snorkeling, diving, water skiing, sailing tours, deep-sea fishing, hiking, and excursions that bring guests through the national marine park that surrounds the resort. Fishing (from jigging to big-game), glass-bottom boat adventures, and dolphin cruise tours are all available to guests. Catamaran cruises, ranging from sunset cruises and full-day tours to two-day, one-night adventures, are also available.
Unusually, this resort also has Sugar Island, its own private island. Guests can arrange to have a private dinner there.
Evening entertainment is generally well-regarded, consisting of traditional dance performances and live music.
The hotel spa’s sauna, steam room, and hot tub are free for guests to use; treatments may be booked separately in one of eight treatment rooms. A modern fitness center is on-site, with treadmills that face the ocean, as well as a jogging track in the garden. Fitness classes like aqua gym are also available.
There are four meeting rooms, as well as the ballroom, available for business travelers and groups.
Wi-Fi is free and available throughout the hotel.

The hotel can arrange for weddings to be performed on-site, though it’s up to guests to do the research. The InterContinental can help guests choose a bespoke wedding package, including ceremonies on the beach, find a wedding planner, and provide hairstyling. Up to 500 banquet-style guests can be accommodated in the hotel’s large Hibiscus Ballroom, the biggest on the island, and smaller numbers in the hotel’s other venues. There’s other wedding-specific activities for couples, too, like a wedding cruise on the catamaran.
Although there’s no formal InterContinental Mauritius honeymoon package, there are perks available to couples spending at least four nights of their post-nuptial break at the resort: Those who can provide a copy of their wedding certificate get a free four-course dinner on the beach, couples’ massage (and a discount on other spa treatments), turndown service with a cake, flowers, fruit basket, and bottle of sparkling wine.

Kids ages 4 to 12 have free access to the resort’s Planet Trekkers Kids Club, which is split into two groups: those ages 4 to 7 and kids ages 8 to 12. Crafts, games, excursions, beach activities, and ways to learn about island culture are all part of the schedule, with activities like traditional dancing, sandcastle-building, sea life education, garden treasure hunts, and Creole classes. Unstructured time is also available, with indoor and outdoor play spaces. Babysitting is also available for a separate charge.
Family rooms are available here for up to two adults and two kids, and baby cribs are free; an extra bed per room is available for an additional fee.