Radisson Blu Poste Lafayette Resort & Spa, Mauritius

With its mix of modernist concrete-and-wood architecture and contemporary design, Radisson Blu Poste Lafayette Resort & Spa has a look that's a departure from the typical tropical plantation style of many beach resorts (though there is a requisite large thatch roof). Poste Lafayette's guests are mostly couples celebrating honeymoons, wedding anniversaries, or birthdays -- most can be found napping under a grove of trees on the beach, quietly taking in the lagoon views by the pool, or walking hand-in-hand in the surf. There is some entertainment throughout the day, but it mostly consists of low-key activities like henna tattooing, bike rides, and bamboo fishing. Poste Lafayette's position on the outskirts of a tiny coastal village, combined with its soothing and low-energy atmosphere, might make some travelers feel a bit isolated, but nearly all guests report feeling perfectly content and at peace here.

Radisson Blu Poste Lafayette is located right off of the main coastal road in Poste Lafayette, a quiet village in northeastern Mauritius. The village is small and the hotel is on its outskirts (about a three-minute drive or 30-minute walk from the center), so there really is very little around besides a handful of villa properties, sapphire water, and endless green fields and farms. It's incredibly peaceful, but some travelers might feel a bit restless and will appreciate that there is a bus stop right outside of the hotel. Bras D’Eau National Park is a seven-minute drive south (a little past the town of Poste Lafayette), and the popular tourist town of Grand Baie is about a 35-minute drive to the northwest. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International Airport is about a 75-minute drive south.

Guest rooms here display the property's fresh, airy, and modern style. They're predominately white, with accents of blue, teal, and light wood. Abstract blue-and-green paintings hang over the minimalist wood-base beds, and turquoise throw pillows rest on white wicker chairs and modern four-poster sofa beds.The 100 rooms come in two main categories: Standard and Superior. Standard units are on the far side of the road, offering 355 square feet of space and mountain views, but no balconies or terraces. Superior-level units are broken into Superior Garden Rooms, Superior Ocean Rooms, and Superior Beachfront Rooms. Superior units are located on the lagoon side, and all have balconies or terraces, but only Superior Ocean Rooms and Superior Beachfront Rooms come with guaranteed views of the water. Note that Superior Garden Rooms and Superior Ocean Rooms range from 290 to 355 square feet, which means that some Superior units are actually smaller than the Standard Rooms. Superior Beachfront Rooms offer the best views of the lagoon, and those on the ground floor give direct beach access.All rooms feature coffee- and tea-making facilities, satellite flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. Minibars come with glass-bottle sodas, juices, peanuts, and chocolate bars. Peek-a-boo bathrooms are simple and contemporary; they come with rainfall showers (there are no bathtubs or separate toilet vestibules here), as well as toiletries and hairdryers. Bathrobes, slippers, and safes are provided. There is individual air-conditioning and a ceiling fan in every room. Housekeeping visits daily.

Radisson Blu's tile-floored pool wraps around the main restaurant seating area, and on its far side a wood deck extends toward the ocean. The pool deck has two rows of loungers and fabric umbrellas and a small glass divider; the terrace overlooks a grove of low-lying trees, with the sand and lagoon beyond. The pool is heated in the winter months, and free aquagym classes are held daily.For other forms of exercise, there is a free fitness center with treadmills, bikes, and free weights, plus bocce ball and beach volleyball are set up on the hotel grounds. Regularly scheduled activities like bike excursions along the coast, sunrise yoga on the beach, cocktail tastings, massage demos, and cooking classes are also free. Additionally, Poste Lafayette guests have free access to the free activities (like tennis, sailing, and windsurfing) at Radisson Blu Azuri, the sister property about a nine-minute drive north along the coastal road. (Note that guests at the family-friendly Radisson Blu Azuri are not allowed free access to the adults-only Poste Lafayette.) Transfers to Radisson Blu Azuri are free.There is a small boutique off of the lobby selling woven hats and bags, swimsuits, and postcards. A game room features foosball and computers for guest use, and Wi-Fi is free throughout.

Massages are the main offering at Radisson Blu's spa -- there are over a dozen options, including deep tissue, anti-cellulite, hot stone, and traditional Thai. There are three double treatment rooms for couples wanting to get massages together. Ayurvedic treatments include Marma Abhyanga (full-body massage using warm oil), shirobhyanga (scalp massage), and shirodhara (massage and with warm oil poured over the third eye), and there are also Themae facials, mud wraps, waxing, and nail services. Guests must pay a fee to access the spa's hammam, sauna, and whirlpool, but some packages, like the two-hour Discovery Package, include private hammam time (the Discovery Package also includes a body scrub, Themae facial, and aromatherapy massage). All treatments at Radisson Blu's spa begin with a foot ritual, and guest can bookend their spa experience in the relaxation room overlooking the pool and lagoon.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served buffet-style at Cafe Nautilus, Radisson Blu's main restaurant with an enormous domed thatch roof. Adjacent to Cafe Nautilus is the upscale and contemporary Phi Restaurant, which is decked out in primary colors and serves a la carte Mauritian dinners. Closer to the water, Aqua Beach Restaurant serves a la carte lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. Wooden tables are well spread out across Aqua Beach Restaurant's concrete floor, and wide-open walls look straight out to the sandy outdoor seating area (with tables, chairs, pallet seats, and hammocks), low vegetation, and the water. Right across the way is Aqua Beach Bar. Unlike most resort beach bars, which are rustic and thatch-roofed, Aqua Beach Bar is a modernist space built underneath the concrete overhanging of the pool deck above. Aqua Beach Bar is open from early in the morning until late at night, and serves coffee, frozen fruit drinks, pineapple-garnished tropical cocktails, and a la carte snacks. Performances, like sega shows, are staged by the bar at night.The hotel can also arrange candlelit dinners on the beach, for a fee. Poste Lafayette guests also have access to the restaurants at Radisson Blu Azuri.

Radisson Blu's beachfront stretches along the blue-and-teal lagoon. The amount of seaweed in the water may not be ideal for swimming, and the sand feels a little rough under bare feet (due to small rocks and ground-up coral), but that is pretty common in Mauritius. Also, the beach can get quite windy at times. The hotel has set up along the sand clusters of plastic loungers, palapa umbrellas, and cushion pallet seats, all with L-shaped wooden enclosures for a little bit of privacy. Many guests prefer to claim a lounger in the grove of low-lying trees that separate the pool area from the beach. The bar staff will deliver drinks to guests hanging out on the beach, too.Radisson Blu's free water sports are a bit limited when compared to other resorts. It offers free kayaks, pedalos, snorkel gear, and glass-bottom boat trips, but no free water skis, Hobie cats, laser boats, and wakeboards, like at Constance Belle Mare Plage. But remember that guests are entitled to use the free water-sports equipment (stand-up paddleboards, sailboats) up the road at Radisson Blu Azuri. Plus, Poste Lafayette offers fishing in the lagoon with bamboo rods -- the kitchen will even prepare catches for dinner. Scuba-diving is available for an extra fee.