Coin de Mire Attitude

The quiet and laid-back Coin de Mire Attitude occupies a peaceful pocket of northern Mauritius, about 10 minutes outside of the hustle and bustle of Grand Baie. Coin de Mire is across the main coastal road from the pretty Bain Bouef public beach, which offers clear views of the ship-sail-shaped Coin de Mire island for which the resort is named. Sadly, the resort's border wall impedes sea views from parts of the property. 

The entrance gate is right off the main road and the driveway runs down the resort's center. Coin de Mire's reception area and updated Deluxe Rooms are on one side, with most of the resort features (restaurant, bar, spa, pools, kids' club) and older-style Superior Rooms on the other. Off of the open, thatch-roof lobby is a grassy lawn with tall coconut trees, small palms, and lounge seating on a wood platform. Here and elsewhere across the green gardens are lovely spots to watch the sun streaming through palm leaves in the late afternoon. 

The other side -- where the restaurant, bar, and pools are located -- could be considered the heart of the resort. Most guests are out on the beach or discovering the island throughout the day, so the midday vibe is soothing and slow-moving, without animation or racket. Things swing into action at night, when guests pour in for the evening buffet, poolside drinks, and after-dinner drumming. Low-rise, white-washed room buildings with thatched roofs line the backside of the property, cocooning the garden grounds and lending it a beachy Mauritian feel. 

Coin de Mire is one of Mauritius' northernmost hotels, just a one-minute drive (or six-minute walk) from the island's northernmost point. Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice de Cap Malheureux, the famous red-roofed chapel and one of Mauritius' most-photographed sites, is just another two minutes down the road by car. Turn the car the other way from the hotel on B13, and within 10 minutes you'll enter the flurry of Grand Baie -- with its many bars, restaurants, shopping centers, street vendors, and excursion outfitters. Coin de Mire's location is a peaceful antidote to the tourist center of Grand Baie. The village is just a short drive or bus ride away. (There is a bus stop right out front.) But by the hotel, there is little to do besides going to the beach and taking in the views of the Coin de Mire landmass, which is especially romantic during sunrise or sunset. The hotel is a one-hour-and-20-minute drive from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International Airport.

As of this writing, Coin de Mire's rooms are split in terms of decor. The 323-square-foot Superior Rooms are a bit bland, with dated wicker and wood furnishings and basic bathrooms. Artwork is framed prints of traditional village life. Deluxe-level units add more space -- Deluxe Rooms are 378 square feet and Deluxe Family Rooms are 430 square feet -- and a good deal more style. Deluxe Rooms have sleek furniture and a trendy color scheme of turquoise, light gray, and white. The semi-open bathrooms in the Deluxe Rooms have rainfall showers (a step up from the regular showerheads in the Superior Rooms). Segmented photographs of Coin de Mire island are on the walls. Size is the only difference between the two Deluxe categories (Deluxe and Deluxe Family).

Despite the stylistic differences between the Superior and Deluxe Room types, all rooms have essentially the same amenities, such as ceiling fans, air-conditioning, flat-screen TVs, electric kettles, and digital safes. Minibars come stocked with glass-bottled sodas, bottles of water, and juice boxes. Each room has a nicely furnished balcony or terrace; the terraces off of ground-floor units have comfortable built-in benches with cushions. Housekeeping comes by every day.

Note that Coin de Mire will close for a three-month renovation in 2017. During this time, the hotel will renovate Superior Rooms and add 18 new units. 

Most of Coin de Mire's features are clustered on one side of the hotel. One of Coin de Mire's two pools is a large lagoon pool with an enclosed shallow end for kids. This main pool is set in the garden and surrounded by a tile deck with plastic loungers. The hotel's other pool literally hugs its bar, coming right up to the bar's wicker seating. The half-moon-shaped pool encircles the bar area and has a stone terrace of its own, with loungers and tables and chairs. Adjacent to the bar is Coin de Mire's one restaurant, which serves all three meals buffet-style. For a small all-inclusive hotel, the food quality and variety is quite admirable. After lunch, snacks are available at the bar, and there is an afternoon tea time. Four nights a week, dinners usually conclude with live entertainment, like drumming and sega shows.

Past the resort's border wall, across the street, and down about a dozen stone steps is the narrow but beautiful beach with excellent views of Coin de Mire island. The beach is public (as all beaches in Mauritius are), but the hotel has a few dedicated loungers and wooden umbrellas. The beach is full of cockles and the water is peaceful and clear, dotted with anchored motor boats. Guests have free use of pedal boats, snorkeling gear, and kayaks. Glass-bottom boat trips are free, and catamaran trips to Flat Island, Gabriel Island, and Coin de Mire are available for a fee. (Food and drinks are included.)

Spa Attitude has three treatment rooms, one double, one single, and one room with a Vichy shower. The spa uses Thalgo products and local essential oils, scrubs, and creams for its services, which include massages, facials, and waxing. A walled outdoor garden with low wicker seating and a tinkling fountain makes a tranquil little nook for relaxing before or after treatments. Coin de Mire's kids' club, called Ayo de Dodo, is free for ages 3 to 11. It's housed in an open-air palapa hut and has a yard with a seesaw, small slide, swing set, and climbing equipment. Babysitting is available for a fee.

In addition to outdoor ping-pong, petanque, and darts, the resort has a small fitness center and a tennis court. Free racquets are available at reception, and the balls cost a fee. A souvenir boutique by the lobby sells sarongs, dodo figurines, postcards, colorful woven baskets, magnets, and other trinkets. Laundry service is available. Wi-Fi is free in the reception, and there are two computers behind the front desk for guests' use.