Hello paradise …
A few months ago, we were in the Seychelles, one of my favorite leisure destination, and just before jetting off to gorgeous Bird Island, we checked into the Hilton at Mahé, which left us pleasantly surprised ! You know I normally swear exclusively by boutique hotels 5, luxury ecolodges or other more intimate guest houses, but for the second time in a row (cf Hilton Labriz), I was quite satisfied by the Hilton hotels, which made me rethink my stereotypes surrounding the chain.. The Hilton Mahé is not only the smallest Hilton hotel in the world, with “only” 56 rooms, but it’s also one of the oldest luxury establishments in Mahé, lending it plenty of Creole charm and a nice authentic feel.. And despite the large number of rooms and staff, you really feel at home here. There’s also a great vibe, as well as a beautiful view of the Indian ocean.. In short, this is the perfect spot for a romantic getaway..
Rooms..
These are spread out in the hills ; the suite villas feature a swimming pool with a view, while the hillside villas have a balcony. Whichever you opt for, the views are breathtaking.
- Hillside & balcony // I just loved the hillside rooms, which were old and full of charm. Thanks to their wood decor, they are intimate, cosy and sooo romantic.. The large Jacuzzi bath is ideal for couples and the view from the bedroom is simply incredible.
- Suite & Infinity pool // The suites are larger, and more modern each with a swimming pool which melts into the ocean. The suite huge terrasses are nice for soaking up the Seychelles sun while sipping a cocktail. As for the bedrooms, they are, of course, spacious and comfortable but lacking some charm. They don’t have the “romantic haven” feel of the hillside rooms. So, it’s up to you to choose between the infinity pool or the romantic decor.
Note: this hotel is adults only, so it’s ideal for a honeymoon, romantic trip or holiday with friends.
The beach ..
While Hilton Labriz has a wild and stunning beach, this isn’t the case for the Northolme which has just one small, quite isolated beach between the rocks. While it is definitely very pretty, it has nothing on the gorgeous beaches of the Seychelles. That said, it’s great for a relaxing day in between two excursions. There’s also a shuttle bus to go to the Beauvallon beach. It’s free for guests and leaves in the morning, returning at the end of the day.
The Northolme plays the “pool” card and has a gorgeous view overlooking the ocean and the horizon, whether you are in your private infinity pool (suite) or the main pool located at the entrance of the hotel.
Food ..
The hotel boats a lovely bar with a great view ; it’s an ideal spot to have a drink or a snack at any time of the day. Foodwise, only the restaurant “Les Cocotiers” is worth writing home about – it offers delicious international cuisine with Creole accents. It’s mostly meat, fish and seafood dishes, so if you are veggie, have a word with the chef and he’ll create something specially for you. However, this restaurant isn’t the most wallet friendly, and is considerably more expensive than the alternative venues.
As for the other restaurants, they are nothing special, and even less sophisticated, especially when it comes to the breakfast / buffet which is quite average. The same goes for the buffet dinner, which is even worse. This is disappointing but not surprising in this kind of large hotel chain. This is a contrast to boutique hotels and other, luxurious venues which go to every effort to satisfy out taste buds. A “could try harder’ in terms of food then.
>>It should be noted that I am quite demanding when it comes to restaurants, especially in the 4/5 star venues where I expect a quality of food proportional to the stars, and thus the room prices. This isn’t exactly “complicated” food but simple yet sophisticated, organic and healthy dishes rarely find in a buffet context, especially a self-service all you can eat. However, if you like “Flunch” style dishes like chips and pasta or all you can eat buffets, then this should do the trick.
Activities
As you’ve probably gathered, there isn’t strictly speaking much to do in the hotel itself, apart from chilling out, relaxing, cuddles, or paddle boarding at the hotel beach if you’re feeling particularly sporty. It’s more the sort of hotel where you can spend a few days hanging out, discovering the island and going on excursions, even if you treat Mahé as a base to visit the surrounding islands. That’s actually what we did; the hotel organised a lovely day trip to the island of La Digue, which is just magical ! We loved it so much that we wished we stayed there a bit longer. So if you have the time, definitely stay a few days on this adorable island where you can only get around by bike. This is also in La Digue that you can find “Anse Source d’Argent”, one of the most beautiful and famous beaches of Seychelles.. This place is incredible and really deserve a stop..
In terms of excursions and activities on the island of Mahé and its surroundings, simply pay a visit to the hotel reception. They are great. The tricky part is choosing from their menu as they have a large choice of outings. Another possible option is renting a car (more or less 50 euros a day ), to discover the island and its beaches by yourself, which is really nice too! The hotel really helped us with this as well by booking us a car for the day.
To conclude,
We had a really wonderful stay in this hotel. We loved stopping over in this romantic heaven perched in the hills with a gorgeous view of the Indian ocean. Despite the slight disappointment when it came to food, I would really recommend a break at the Hilton, even if it’s just for the view, the cosy feeling and the Creole charm, which is a real selling point. For me, it’s really the ideal place to go for couples when you reach the Seychelles, to lay down your luggage, recover from the flight and make the most of a relaxing break for a few days, before heading off to explore the other Seychelles islands..
Bon voyage <3
Des bisous..
Infos & prices : Hilton Northolme / Adults only :
- Rates on the hotel’s website : Hillside rooms from 430 euros & Infinity pool villas from 895 euros..
- Other rates : you can also find some cheaper prices on different websites such as Hotels.com or get some special deals and packages such as this one, found on Oovatu.com => 10 days & 7 nights @hotel hilton northolme from 2230 € , including flight + transferts + breakfast.
Photos @peter soubbotnik / Translation @JF beaulieu / Bikini @Lou beachwear
And a huge thanks to the Hilton team for having us <3
