Aanari Hotel & Spa

Built in 2009, Aanari Hotel & Spa is a sweet boutique-like hotel -- with just a touch of scruff -- for travelers in need of a welcoming home base. This isn't a leisure resort for all-inclusive eating, drinking, and hanging out all day, but rather a jumping-off point for exploring Mauritius's west coast, and a place to dine, maybe dance, and crash at night between daily excursions. On this note, most Aanari guests -- Russian, Chinese, and Indian in the low season, European and Australian in the high season -- opt for half-board or bed-and-breakfast packages. The property appeals to a broad array of travelers: Family Club Rooms with PlayStation-equipped mini bedrooms are great for those with kids in tow, while an open-concept rooftop spa plays well with couples (Aanari will often use the rooftop spa garden for private honeymoon dinners). 

Aanari Hotel & Spa is ideally set in the middle of Flic en Flac, directly across the street from both the public beach and a police station. The hotel is attached to shopping center with a large supermarket, duty-free shop, bakery/coffee shop, and beauty salon. There are restaurants and bars (nightlife picks up on the weekends) all around the hotel, and ATMs right outside. A bus station is right in front of the hotel, and independent water-sports outfitters can be found along the beach and throughout town. Casela World of Adventures -- popular for quad-biking, zip-lining, and walking with lions -- is an eight-minute drive to the east, and the mountain village of Chameral (and its rum distillery) and Le Morne Peninsula (popular for hiking and kitesurfing) are both about a 40-minute drive to the south. Driving to Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International Airport takes about 50 minutes to reach from the hotel. 

Aanari's rooms are split just about evenly between two hotel wings. The same style -- peachy-yellow color scheme, traditional Indian throws, rather impressive teak furnishings (including caned chairs) -- can be found in all rooms. Amenities are the same throughout, as well: all rooms have an empty mini-fridge, flat-screen LED TV, air-conditioning, and tea- and coffee-making facilities. Rooms only differ when it comes to square footage and views. Entry-level rooms (called Superior Rooms) are the smallest options, and don't have a balcony. These rooms overlook Aanari's courtyard or swimming pool. Next up are Deluxe Rooms, which offer more inside space, plus mountain-view balconies. Club Rooms, size-wise, are similar to Deluxe, but their balconies have sea views. There are two Family Rooms; these have a separate mini bedroom with a pint-sized bed, desk, and flat-screen TV with PlayStation. Most of the rooms (including Family Rooms) have separate bathtubs and walk-in showers, and basic toiletries are provided. An in-bathroom wardrobe is stocked with a hairdryer and free digital safe. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, including in the rooms. Extra beds and cots are available for most rooms.Insects and critters are an issue at all Mauritius hotels -- even five-pearl resorts -- but we'd like to mention that during our one-night stay at the Aanari, we had to not only knock out a large fly in the bathroom, but also block out an aggressive cockroach by stuffing towels under the door. 

Even though Aanari isn't a full-blown resort, it still has a good number of features, the most noteworthy of which is the open-concept spa on the rooftop. Amrita Spa has a tinkling fountains, pockets of greenery, and two treatment rooms -- both memorable. One is an indoor double room in a large gazebo-like space, and one is a single room in an outdoor kiosk surrounded by a shallow pond. Beyond the treatment rooms are a sea-view solarium, two whirlpools (both with tepid water, though), and an outdoor sauna and steam room. The hotel can arrange private honeymoon dinners in Amrita's garden.Aanari's pool is located on a second-floor terrace, where there are a few sun loungers and umbrellas set up. The tiny gym overlooks the pool. It only has one bike, one treadmill, one elliptical, and a rack of free weights, but its floor-to-ceiling windows and views of the pool and surrounding village distract from its small size and limited offerings. The hotel's back building has a second-floor relaxation courtyard and outdoor ping pong. Sun loungers for hotel guests are placed on the beach across the road during the weekdays. Back on the ground floor is of the main building is Aanari's buffet restaurant, Colonial Gardens, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner outside. The hotel also has an a la carte Chinese restaurant, Mei Yan, which is open for lunch and dinner (and located inside). An outdoor bar offers daily happy hours, and nightly entertainment aligns with dinner's buffet theme (for example, the hotel will pair the Mauritian buffet with sega dancing). When we visited in 2017, the manager pointed out the hotel's fledgling rooftop garden, where it is growing chili, mint, and other herbs to be used to in the kitchens and behind the bar.Laundry service is available for a fee, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.