Anahita Golf & Spa Resort

A luxurious haven for well-heeled golfers, families, and couples, Anahita Golf & Spa Resort is filled with leisure travelers (mostly European, some Asian) wallowing by the infinity-edge pools, on the lagoon-facing beaches, or in the privacy of their no-expenses-spared suites or villas. The experience begins in the cozy reception room, whose double-height windows and bubble chandelier contrast with the old lyme kiln, once used in the production of sugar, on the other side of the walkway. New arrivals are greeted with cool ylang-ylang-scented towels and cold sweetened tea, then whisked away in golf carts across the vast property to the large, luxurious villas and suites. Anahita's grounds span 525 acres, and some of the resort's residential areas feel less like a part of a tropical beach resort and more like a swanky neighborhood in the suburbs. Clientele typically stays five to seven nights, with some Europeans staying up to three weeks. Owned by Mauritian-based Ciel Group, Anahita is one of the top luxury options on the island.

Anahita Golf & Spa Resort is located off the coastal road in Beau Champ, on the east coast of Mauritius. Ile aux Cerfs, a large and lovely island known for its golfing and beaches, lies in the lagoon right by Anahita's shoreline. The hotel runs free shuttle boats every 30 minutes for guests to visit its private Ile aux Cerfs golf course and beach, but there's little to do off-site in the surrounding area. This end of the island is isolated from major Mauritian destinations, like Port Louis, Black River Gorges National Park, L'Aventure du Sucre (all around an hour's drive away), Seven Coloured Earth in Chamarel (hour and a half), and Le Morne peninsula (nearly two hours). A rental car, hired driver, or organized excursion is a necessity. Getting to Mahebourg and Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International Airport takes around 45 minutes by car.

All of Anahita's 98 air-conditioned rooms are either a roomy suite or a truly spacious villa. Each unit is equipped with a modern kitchenette (with coffeemakers and microwaves) or full gourmet kitchen, an alarm system, and at least one large furnished patio or balcony. Bedrooms have king-sized beds, walk-in closets, and flat-screen LCD TVs (in addition to the ones in living rooms), while bathrooms feature walk-in rainfall showers, separate soaking tubs, bathrobes, and Anahita bath products.

The entry-level category is the 646-square-foot, one-bedroom Junior Suite. These units are situated near the golf course's first and ninth holes, so they overlook the beautifully groomed green and the "community" pool, but not the lagoon. Junior Suites' color scheme revolves around fresh pale gray and white. There is a subdued spin on coastal motifs -- tall rattan bedside lamps, silk-screened and ikat-printed throw pillows, and dark blue abstract art give a beachy touch.

The one- to three-bedroom Prestige Suites, the next-up room category, have a more traditional look than the Junior Suites. The heavier, darker furnishings come across as slightly dated (especially when compared to Junior Suites), but there are plenty of tradeoffs. The first is that Prestige Suites start at 1,720 square feet (three-bedroom units are nearly 2,500 square feet). All Prestige Suites have more elaborate kitchens than the Junior Suites (stainless-steel full-size refrigerators and ovens versus white mini-fridges and two-eye cooktops), as well as dishwashers, washing machines, and double-size verandas with private infinity-edge plunge pools. Some Prestige Suites have lagoon views.

Two-level Deluxe Villas, with one to three bedrooms, swap the plunge pools of the Prestige Suites for long swimming pools set in private gardens. Like the Junior Suites, villas have a light and airy Mauritian-inspired interior design. Prestige Villas sit at the top of Anahita's room categories. These are available in one- to five-bedroom configurations -- the five-bedrooms with sea views -- and come with butler service. Note that many of the villas are individually owned, and that the resort will rent multi-bedroom villas to couples or smaller groups and lock remaining bedrooms. When we visited in 2017, we were told that the construction of new villas are part of Anahita's three- to four-year plan.

Villas are typically booked on a bed-and-breakfast basis, though half-board plans can be arranged. Suites are half-board. Guests can opt to have their free full breakfast delivered to rooms or taken in the main restaurant. Housekeeping cleans every morning and provides turndown service every night (this schedule can be customized based on guests' preferences). Room service is available 24 hours a day. Wi-Fi is free in the rooms and throughout the resort.

Anahita's pools provide a lovely alternative to its beach scene. Its main pool is really two adjacent infinity-edge pools with a curving waterway at their feet. Together, they form an enormous and tiered oasis right off the beach. The upper section is the best for kids, with a sloping entry in one corner. All around the pools are white-tiled and wood-plank decks. Pairs of shaded sun loungers are set into semi-private little crannies in the stone border wall. Their umbrellas are equipped with bell systems to call for food and drink service. A third pool is located deep in the grounds, by the Junior Suites.

The fitness center is a good size and well lit, with floor-to-ceiling windows providing views of tropical foliage and the golf course. Inside, there are four treadmills, a rowing machine, two ellipticals, two cycling machines, and a variety of weight trainers, as well as two full sets of free weights, medicine balls, and exercise mats set up with balls and abdominal crunch machines. The gym's locker rooms provide real incentive to go work out. They're spa-like, serenely lit, and clad in marble, with personal lockers and shower stalls with full-length windows looking on a walled-in garden. Guests who want to take advantage of Anahita's three free tennis courts can borrow tennis racquets and balls from the fitness center without a charge. Guests can also borrow bikes from the fitness center. Group activities, like Zumba and aqua fitness, are available.

OurSpace is Anahita's kids' club free for children from 4 to 13 years old. (Babies at least 8 months old can be supervised for a fee; parents and nannies with children under the age of 4 can use the kids' club space for free, as long as they stay with the kids.) The 2,500-square-foot facility has thought of everything: there's a grassy central courtyard surrounded by several play areas and rooms for different activities, including a nursery with mini-cribs and stuffed animals that's stocked with diapers and other changing needs. OurSpace supervisors oversee activities at the club, like scavenger hunts and cookie-, cupcake-, and pizza-making classes, and also take kids on outings like nature walks, butterfly and crab hunting, tennis sessions, kayaking, water-skiing, trips to Ile aux Cerfs, and glass-bottom boat snorkeling excursions. 

Older kids (ages 13 through 18) have Escape Club at their disposal. This teen's club is more of a meeting place for group activities, like ping pong, card games, pizza and movie nights, and adventures on Ile aux Cerfs.

Wi-Fi is free throughout the resort, including the multi-function room by the water. Airport transfers are available for a fee.

Follow the grove of badamire trees past the pools to reach Anahita's photo-ready expanse of white sand, calm turquoise water, and padded lounge chairs beneath canvas umbrellas. Beach service is available, and guests have free use of the equipment at the water-sports center: kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards, Hobie cats, pedal boats (including ones for kids), sail boats, and water skis. Free glass-bottom boat trips and snorkel gear are available for exploring the off-shore coral reef, and a free boat shuttle to Ile aux Cerfs -- where Anahita maintains a second exclusive beach -- takes off every 30 minutes. Beginning or advanced courses are available at the on-site PADI Diving Centre, for a fee.

There are five full restaurants at Anahita. The main one is Origine, near the beach. Origine is open for buffet-style breakfast (free for all guests) and dinner, while the beach restaurant, Bliss, serves Mediterranean and Mauritian food for lunch daily, and dinner on certain nights of the week. Adjacent to Origene, the fine-dining restaurant Signature (reservations required) seats 24 guests and prepares global takes on Mauritian cuisine. Overlooking the lagoon, Signature features midcentury-style seating and vintage-inspired tropical-print wallpaper by Christian Lacroix. By the 18th hole, Il Forno is an Italian restaurant where half-board guests are entitled to dinner. The hotel also runs the off-site Domaine De L'Etoile Restaurant, a Mauritian lunch spot.

Sugar is Anahita's on-site coffee shop, where guests can pick up caffeinated beverages, baked goods, or savory bites. There is also a high-end deli, Savour, which sells Mauritian goods like vanilla and spices. 

Anahita's beach bar, Vu Bar, is open from breakfast time to midnight. It offers nightly happy hours, plus second late-night specials a few nights of the week. Some nights live musicians and DJs perform.

Partnering with French beauty brand Themae, Anahita's nine-room spa is a Japanese-inspired wellness facility centered around the concept of tea. The nine treatment rooms (including one double) are arranged around a central reflecting pool, and each room is named after a famous tea-producing area, like Ceylon. All treatment rooms have a small private garden and an indoor or outdoor shower. After their treatments -- which include holistic massages, reflexology, hydrating facials, and full-body rituals -- guests are treated to a tea ceremony on a veranda by the pool. The spa has separate changing rooms for men and women, both with a steam room (swimsuits required). Manicures and pedicures are administered in a separate room by reception. Spa treatments specifically designed for children are available for those age 5 through 17. In-room treatments come at an additional surcharge. 

Guests can golf for free on either of Anahita's two championship 18-hole courses. This includes free green fees, 55 practice balls, and a one-hour initiation, and golf carts can be rented for a fee. Most guests bring their own clubs, but those who do not can rent them for a fee.

The on-site course is a formidable Ernie Els-designed, par-72 championship course built in accordance to USGA guidelines. The 22,500-feet course features sizable fairways and six holes right by the stunning lagoon.

Golfers get the same advantages at the Ile aux Cerfs course (accessible via the free five-minute boat shuttle that departs every 30 minutes). Designed by Bernhard Langer, the Ile aux Cerfs course incorporates the island's natural features -- lakes, ravines, and volcanic rock formations. The par-72 course's 18 holes all have ocean views. 

Both courses have golf academies with instructors and facilities (like computer analysis of your swing) to improve guests' games.