Paradise Cove Boutique Hotel

The experience found at Paradise Cove is exceptional for Mauritius: It blends a beach resort vibe with an intimate scale, adult-only policy, sophisticated style, and utmost luxury. Other Mauritius properties certainly possess some of these qualities, but not all. For example, 20 Degres Sud Hotel has all the excellence and intimacy of Paradise Cove, and while it does have a small beach, its in-town location means it's not as secluded and faraway feeling as Paradise Cove. TUI Sensimar Lagoon Mauritius' remote lagoon-side location and adult-only policy are similar to Paradise Cove's, but TUI is not as luxurious, and, at 182 rooms, considerably larger. The luxury found at Constance Belle Mare Plage is on par with Paradise Cove, but Constance is kid-friendly and more than four times the size.This hotel is in a class of its own. Plantations and forest sequester the hotel grounds, where a private cove and lagoon peninsula immensely emphasize the sense of privacy. (Switch to Satellite View in Google Maps to really see the property's unique geography.) Colonial-style buildings are enveloped by palms and plants endemic to Mauritius and the tropics -- coral-colored West Indian jasmine, puffy red calliandra flowers, lavender plumbago, bright shrub verbenas, and fiery African tulip trees. The hotel's sheltered location, dignified architecture and decor, and well-cared-for gardens, combined with a pin-drop quiet atmosphere and courteous service, spell out Paradise Cove's singularity. The hotel operated independently for decades before joining the Attitude Hotels umbrella -- it is now the only five-star hotel in the group. Almost all of the guests are honeymooners, couples celebrating an anniversary, or wedding parties (the hotel hosts about five weddings a month), though we did see a few grown-up friend groups, as well. The well-mannered clientele comes mostly from France, Germany, and the U.K.

Paradise Cove Boutique Hotel is located on the northwestern reach of Anse La Raie beach, a beautiful cove -- famous for kitesurfing -- on Mauritius' northern coast. The frenetic tourist center of Grand Baie is just 13 minutes to the east by car, but it might as well be clear across the island, Paradise Cove feels so calm and secluded. The bustling beach town of Trou aux Biches is an additional eight minutes past Grand Baie, while Port Louis is about a 30-minute drive south of the hotel. Le Morne peninsula and Seven Coloured Earth in Chameral are on the opposite side of the island; both are about a 90-minute drive south. The famous Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice de Cap Malheureux -- one of the most photographed sites in Mauritius -- is closer to home, just a one-minute drive (or 12-minute walk) away. The hotel is about a 75-minute drive from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International Airport.

Befitting Paradise Cove's secluded location and adult-only designation, the 67 rooms and suites here are romantic and sophisticated. Spaces follow an elegant nautical color palette, with ceilings and accent walls painted in deep blue, and beds (some four-poster) strung with gauzy white canopies. Wooden furnishings include cushioned daybeds, slatted-wood cupboards, and large cut-out wood-frame mirrors. Seagrass area rugs cover the peachy tile floors and simple framed prints hang on the walls.Every room has a flat-screen TV with DVD player, air-conditioning, and minibar with free tea, coffee, and snacks (beer is free for all-inclusive guests). The bathrooms continue the nautical theme, with blue wood-plank ceilings and white Moroccan-style mirrors over the double sinks. All bathrooms have separate bathtubs, rainfall showers, and toilets, as well as hairdryers and toiletries. Walk-in closets in the bathrooms are stocked with bathrobes, slippers, free-to-use safes, umbrellas, scales, and beach towels. Off of every room is a balcony or terrace furnished with wooden chair, table, beanbag chair, and a view of the hotel's private cove. Deluxe is the starting point of Paradise Cove's four room categories, which proceed onto Deluxe Premium, Club Junior Suite, and Club Senior Suite. Deluxe and Deluxe Premium units are both 540 square feet; Deluxe units are located on the ground floor and Premiums are on the second and third floors. The 18 Junior Suites add about 100 additional square feet of space, as well as espresso machines and sofa beds. Two 970-square-foot Senior Suites come with fitness bikes, two terraces, small kitchenettes, guest bathrooms, and sound systems. Suites come with access to the Club Lounge, a living-room area in the main building with Mac computers, a huge flat-screen, espresso, coffee, sandwiches, olives, wine, and glass-bottle Phoenix and Pepsi. Wi-Fi is free in the rooms, but it is reportedly patchy. Laundry service is available for a fee and turndown service is performed nightly.

Despite its small size and prized quietness, Paradise Cove offers a good number of activities and services. Idling on the sandy bay beach and swimming in the shallow cove are popular pastimes, but the most coveted activity is posting up for the afternoon in one of the 18 "love nests" -- palapa-covered nooks hidden away along the water's edge -- on the hotel's private peninsula. The neck of land faces the private cove on one side and the lagoon and islands of the north on the other. The peninsula doesn't have a proper beach, but small metal ladders help guests in and out of the sea. Guests who can't find a sunbed in a love nest are usually consoled by the peninsula's hilly open space studded with beanbag beds, or the stunning infinity pool and its adjacent a la carte beach restaurant (open for lunch only) and bar. There is also a larger pool by the main building. Drink service is available by the pools, bay beach, and love nests; orders are taken once an hour.A bit down from the infinity pool is the dock to the boathouse, where guests can use free equipment for windsurfing, kayaking, snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding, sailing, and (for limited hours) water skiing. Daily glass-bottom boat trips are free, and kitesurfing lessons, submarine safaris, scuba diving, and parasailing are all available for a fee. Catamaran cruises to three nearby islands -- Coin de Mire, Gabriel, Flat Island -- are available a few days a week, also for a fee. There are two free tennis courts with free balls and racquets, a fitness center (athletic shoes provided), and yoga on the lawn by the bay beach (free for all-inclusive guests). Trips to Cap Malheureux, a traditional fishing village, and three-hour bike tours to Cap Malheureux, as well as Bain Boeuf or Grand Gaube beaches, and nearby sugar plantations are all free.There is a small conference room, as well as luggage and shower rooms for travelers arriving early or departing late. A boutique near the lobby sells beachwear, jewelry, and postcards. Paradise Cove offers a full range of packages: room-only, bed-and-breakfast, half-board, full-board, and all-inclusive -- the most popular.

Tucked into a garden in the middle of the resort is Cinq Mondes Spa, which has a collection of open thatch-roof treatment rooms huts surrounding a tranquil spa pool. Double massage rooms have outdoor showers or tub for twos. Scrub rooms, as well as some massage rooms, are located indoors. The spa also has relaxation areas, a steam room, and a hair and makeup salon (which use products from Davines and SLA Paris, respectively).

Paradise Cove has three restaurants in addition to the Indigo beach restaurant. The main restaurant, The Dining Room, is open for a la carte breakfast and dinner (buffets on Sundays), and the adjacent XO is an Asian-inspired restaurant that serves dinner only. The most in-demand and romantic of the restaurants is The Cove, a 30-person a la carte seafood restaurant with tables set in thatch-roof pavilions strung between the main pool and the bay beach. Reservations are required at both XO and The Cove. Weekly lobster nights with live music are held at Indigo on the peninsula. Light la carte lunch, afternoon tea, and drinks are available at S.T.A.Y. Bar -- a breezy, classy all-day lounge, where the signature drink (called Yipi Yeay) is a mix of rum, lime and grapefruit juices, and cherry brandy. Live music is performed most nights, but the easy-listening piano and guitar numbers don't disturb the resort's restful vibe.Guests can also stop by the Rum Gallery, a small showcase of Mauritian and international rums, and S'Cellar, a wine cellar in the main restaurant that's open all day and focuses on French wine, like Cotes de Castillon from Bordeaux and Pinot Noir from Burgundy. For a fee, room service is available 24 hours a day.