Mauricia Beachcomber Resort & Spa

Built as a Pullman property in 1990, this vast bay-front resort was purchased by Beachcomber in 1992 and has been operated by the Mauritian hotel group ever since. For most guests here, the hotel's fantastic Grand Baie location and long list of amenities triumph over any lack of freshness. In fact, judging by the large family-reunion groups, wedding parties, sets of middle-aged friends, parents with toddlers and infants, and couples young and old -- all milling about the lobby and grounds and de-stressing by the pools and beach -- the hotel is a slam dunk for all sorts of travelers.

While most Mauritian beach resorts are isolated and require a car for exploration, Mauricia is a short walk from the tourist center of Grand Baie. In about five minutes on foot, guests can reach the town's main strip (B13/Royal Road) -- lined with restaurants, shops, bars, travel agencies, boat rental services, beauty salons, and tattoo parlors. It's rare that a beach resort in Mauritius is within walking distance of this kind of commerce and activity. Other destinations will require a vehicle of some sort (either a rental car, excursion shuttle, taxi, or public bus). Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice de Cap Malheureux, the famous red-roofed church on the sea, is an nine-minute drive up the coastal road from the hotel, and the must-visit Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden and L'Aventure du Sucre, a former sugar factory-turned-museum, are under a 20-minute drive. Mauricia is about an hour-and-fifteen-minute drive from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International Airport.

Room types start with the 105 Standard and 42 Standard Bay View Rooms. Standard rooms are located "inland" within the resort, while Standard Bay Views are closer to the water. Note that all Standard Rooms are located on the second and third floors, and have only walk-in rainfall showers, no bathtubs. The 33 Superior and 24 Superior Bay View Rooms are all located on the ground floor, and have sofa beds and bathrooms with separate tubs (in addition to walk-in rainfall showers) and separate toilet vestibules. Interconnecting rooms are available, and families and groups could also consider the 28 Garden Facing Apartments, which come with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Additionally, Mauricia has a loft room in the main building (bi-level, bay view, no tubs) and a handful of suites (one bedroom, top floor, roof deck with plunge pools and outdoor showers) and villas (two bedrooms, ground floor, garden with private pool).
All rooms have balconies or terraces, flat-screen TVs, and free tea- and coffee-making facilities. The minibar items -- waters, sodas, juice, and chocolate -- are free and replenished daily for all-inclusive guests. Hotel-brand toiletries, hairdryers, and safes all come standard.

Mauricia's two side-by-side pools form the beating heart of the resort. The arc-shaped front pool (closer to the bay and next to the pool bar) is constantly bristling with groups of friends hanging out by the edge, kids floating on pool noodles, and pool-aerobics classes gamely following the perky directives of a fitness instructor on deck. The second pool, set slightly farther back from the bay, closer to the restaurants, is a touch quieter -- but no less immense. In its back corner is an adjacent kids' pool. Guests can grab turquoise pool towels from a kiosk between the two pools.
The hotel's fitness center feels like a proper gym, with multiple rooms of equipment and free weights, and floor-to-ceiling windows letting in tons of natural light. The gym's class schedule includes floor abs and power plate sessions (personal training is available for a fee), and there are free steam rooms and saunas in the locker rooms. In addition to volleyball, ping-pong, and bocce ball, there are three free tennis courts; racquets are free to borrow, but balls must be purchased. Bicycles can be rented for a fee.
A kids' club is free for guests ages 3 to 12. Here, kids play board games, color, and paint. (Off-site kids' club activities include water-skiing.) Outside, there is a large gated yard with a sandy play area, swing set, seesaw, and adorable kid-sized sun loungers. The kids' club bestows its young visitors with backpacks with coloring books and colored pencils. Babysitting is also available, for a fee and with 24-hours notice. The kids' club and kiddie pool aren't Mauricia's only family-friendly features. In the main building, there is a free changing room for guests with babies. The baby care center is stocked with diapers and wipes, as well as snacks and water.
Off the lobby is a game room with billiards (fee to play) and a boutique selling swimsuits, lightweight scarves, flip-flops, T-shirts, straw hats, local gifts, and magazines. There is a meeting room that can accommodate 25 people, and free Wi-Fi throughout.

Les Quais, Mauricia's main restaurant, serves buffet-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. The open-air, poolside space is cavernous, with several live-cooking stations, including cooked-to-order meat and seafood stations, and seemingly endless stretches of tables. Adjacent to Les Quais is Le Nautic, which serves a seafood-centric a la carte menu for lunch and dinner. Many of Nautic's menu items are included in the half-board or all-inclusive rates, though some incur a supplemental charge.
On the opposite side of the pool from Les Quais and Le Nautic is Baywatch Bar, Mauricia's open-air pool bar that serves coffee, beer, sandwiches, and afternoon crepes. Mauricia's house band performs nightly, and the nightclub opens several nights a week. Sega shows are put on once a week.
Guests on Mauricia's all-inclusive plan get meals and drinks (house wine and beer, cocktails, local spirits, and sodas) at both restaurants and the pool bar (but not drinks at the nightclub). The plan also includes picnic baskets, daily-refreshed minibars, and afternoon pancakes at the pool bar. The all-inclusive package is interchangeable between Beachcomber's Mauricia, Canonnier, and Victoria resorts.

Because of Mauricia's position on the bay, its beach is more of a sandy marina shore than the dreamy lagoon beach that many may have in mind when they think of Mauritius. Nonetheless, the resort's beach provides plenty of opportunities to relax and play. Lines of cushioned loungers are set up on the sand and under palm trees and there is a big, roped-off swimming zone with clear, teal water. Because this is a bay, the water is perfectly calm, save for the ripples generated by the many boats zipping by in the distance.
Guests have free use of Mauricia's water-sports equipment, like canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, pedalos, and glass-bottom boats. Water-skiing, wakeboarding, snorkeling, sailing, and windsurfing are all free, as well. Lessons through the PADI-certified diving center cost a fee, as do catamaran and deep-sea fishing trips.

The hotel's lavish Moroccan-inspired spa, Spa Beachcomber, is located away from the beach, restaurants, and pools. A full range of treatments are on offer -- massages, facials, body scrubs, mani/pedis, shirodhara (Ayurvedic oil therapy) -- as well as a private sauna area and steam room with a light-studded arched ceiling. Arranged around a courtyard pool, the 10 treatment rooms (nine single, one double) all feature private open-air rainfall showers.