Mauritius had long been on my bucket list, and so when planning a recent trip to South Africa, we decided to add a 5 day stopover on our way down. As my first visit to Mauritius, it was quite tricky to know where to start in terms of deciding on a resort.
In the end, we decided on SALT of Palmar on the island’s east coast. Here’s my honest review of SALT of Palmar’s hotel experience, which will hopefully help you decide if this property is for you. Read on to find out more!
Why We Chose Salt
- We wanted a bit of a fly and flop break, before heading onto South Africa. So we wanted pure beach relaxation, with no pressure to sight see or fill our day with activities. We also wanted an area of Mauritius that was low key and not too built up, so Salt suited us perfectly.
- I’d also seen plenty of beautiful photos across social media and the hotel had great reviews. An adults-only stay also appealed as we knew the rest of our South Africa trip would be with lots of kids.
Location
- SALT of Palmar is located on the east coast of the island, in the small town of Palmar, near to Belle Mare. It was around a one-hour journey by taxi from the airport to the hotel. Turns out, most drives from any A to B points across the island are one hour maximum.
- The property is set on Palmar Beach. The beach area directly in front of the hotel is pretty rocky (but not unswimmable). Just to the left of the property is the most stunning swimming lagoon. It was an absolutely beautiful place to bask in the sun and enjoy the shallow waters. Further along the beach to the right are other hotels, but the beach stretch in front didn’t seem to be so nice.
- In the immediate vicinity of the hotel is just the one hotel, called Ambre, and a small supermarket. There is little else within walking distance, so it is recommended to have a hire car or plan to use taxis/a driver for nearby exploration.
Cost
We actually booked this through Mr & Mrs Smith. Their prices start from £175 per night for a Garden Room on a room-only basis, and they offer a ‘Smith Extra’ of a welcome drink each. However, booking.com have a Garden Room available for a far more affordable £136 per night on a room-only basis, or £158, inclusive of breakfast.
Or you can book for £366 per night, all inclusive.
So I’d highly recommend booking SALT of Palmar on booking.com. Check rates here.
Review of SALT of Palmar
First Impressions
Our taxi dropped us right by the most huge wooden doors, which led straight into the property’s entrance hall. We arrived at around 9.30am after our flight from London Gatwick. Our initial impressions were actually of confusion as we weren’t greeted by anyone and just popped ourselves down on a seat until someone could come. Strangely, the property doesn’t have a check-in desk or any kind of reception desk, but instead they work from a computer tucked away behind the gift shop.
After a few minutes we were greeted and began to complete check-in on an iPad. Unfortunately, the check-in was a bizarrely rushed experience, with our cool towels and welcome drink coming just as we stood up for a hotel tour. Despite holding our various hand luggage pieces etc, we were whisked off on the tour whilst also trying to clutch the drink and the towel. We were then led off on a speed tour around the property. The rushing around seemed kind of comical at the time, but we wish now we had been firmer and asked him to stop and wait, so we could have sorted ourselves. That’s what jet lag does to you, I suppose!
Things actually got worse as we were suddenly told mid-tour by a manager that our room was ready! And we were hurried off with our bags to go in our room. And what a stunning room it was, with a ‘Bang on the Beach’ stunning sea view. A few minutes later, after placing my items in the safe and on the bed, the staff member returned to inform us that it wasn’t our room. The couple whose room it was, we were waiting outside and ready to come in. How embarrassing for everyone. Honestly, never had that before.
Turns out, and as expected, our room wasn’t available until later in the day. We stored our big bags again, and headed to breakfast. Except, we had just missed breakfast closing and there was some confusion with the staff explaining to us the options. Eventually, we understood that we could have coffee and pastries, and so we were happy and set.
Anyway, aside from this unusual first impression, the hotel is really stunning. It truly is for lovers of design, with bold colours and designs, all meant to reflect Mauritius’ soulful style.
The Rooms
By 1pm, so an hour earlier than expected, our room was ready. We had a seaview room (#303) on the top floor, in the central part of the building overlooking the pool and the ocean. We paid a little more for an upgrade the day before as we were originally booked for a garden view.
The room was a pretty decent size, although, no good if you’re friends or not a couple, as the shower was completely open and not-private. The shower was however very powerful and we always had hot water. The toilet was in a small separate room, perhaps too small, but not a huge problem for us. The rest of the bathroom area had a really good amount of shelf and storage space. The wardrobe was also huge, and there was a very convenient suitcase nook, with a spotlight too.
The bed was incredibly comfortable and we had some brilliant long sleeps. The lighting was done really nicely too and there was a small sound system with a Salt radio station playing some tunes. On the bookshelves were some thoughtful books, including the Salt locals guide (which it turns out is slightly out-of-date).
Note there is no TV. But the internet was always pretty good if you feel like streaming anything in the evenings.
Food and Drink
SALT really prides itself on its cuisine, and rightly so. We had some truly delicious meals. But the cost was expensive and our bill for just 3 days of food and drink was pretty steep by the end. We didn’t even have many alcoholic drinks!
We had a room-only rate, which meant we paid for all and anything we consumed. Others were on a bed and breakfast rate, and some were on an all-inclusive rate. We couldn’t really tell which guests were on what rate, but we did spot the menu had * next to quite a few drinks that weren’t included in the AI rate.
The pastries we had on the first morning were delicious and warm, with a lovely array of homemade fruit jams. There was even a peanut butter station to make your own smooth PB!
Coffees were all really strong, but it was mostly hot coffees. I would have loved a well-made iced latte so see me through some toasty afternoons!
The lunch and dinner menus were both really extensive, with lots of creative dishes and variety. However portion sizes could be small and none of the sandwich options came with a side of a salad or fries, which I thought was a shame. We loved the pulled pork and pineapple sandwich (which came in more of a bunny chow bun than slides of bread). Oh and the pork belly rolls were also great.
The dinner options were super good although again, quite expensive. One evening we had the Mauritian chicken curry and the next night, the Biriyani. Both portions were huge, so we shared, alongside a side of croquettes.
We were getting a little annoyed with the high prices. So one evening, we strolled to Ambre next door to check out the food options. We were greeted very warmly and made to feel very welcome. So we ended up dining at their a la carte Italian. It was a good price, with nice portion sizes, but the ambience wasn’t as pleasant as eating at Salt’s Good Kitchen.
Amenities and Activities
SALT of Palmar has a large central swimming pool, well suited to clocking up some laps. And the other main focal point is the beach. As mentioned earlier, the beach directly in front of the property is quite rocky and access to the water isn’t the easiest. However, we embraced the gorgeous lagoon just to the side.
Unsurprisingly perhaps, as an adults-only boutique hotel, there aren’t too many activities taking place on a day to day basis. I enjoyed a fun Aqua class, and my partner headed off on a complimentary snorkelling trip one morning. There are kayaks, stand up paddle boards and pedalos to use too.
One of the main draws to the hotel is its Spa, which we didn’t make use of. We normally always book a massage or two whilst away, but the prices were quite steep in the hotel’s spa. I didn’t feel like the spa and wellness offering was actively promoted around the hotel, nor easily incorporated into the stay. But you can read more on the spa offering here. They also have multi-day retreats, but again, these were not super widely promoted in advance of our arrival.
Lastly, there is a small but adequate gym, with a full time instructor who was always readily available.
Other Nice Touches
The hotel takes great pride on its Skill Swap initiative. Although I had read on this before arriving, it wasn’t overly obvious that it was up and running during the visit. I felt the local connections could have been made more obvious and integrated further into our stay.
Also, the site’s FAQ said that we’ll be gifted their ‘This is Mauritius’ guidebook, written by locals. This didn’t happen, but there was a copy in our room. It wasn’t clear if it was ours to take, but it was quite out of date, which was a shame. I loved the design though and would have loved to have taken my copy!
The Verdict
Overall, it was a very pleasant stay. But it didn’t completely live up to the hype that its social channels and website built up. Everything was good and fine, but nothing blew us away. The service was a bit hit or miss, and I think the initial arrival really didn’t set a great tone.
That being said, I found the food to be exceptional (although expensive). And it was lovely to eat such nourishing, delicious cuisine.
On a future trip to Mauritius, I wouldn’t rush to book this hotel again. I would be more likely to opt for another hotel in a different corner of the island.
However, if you’re looking for an adults-only property, the Ambre hotel we ate at one night for dinner could be a good alternative. Rates start from £335 for a two-night stay in a Superior Garden Room, including breakfast. Check out rates on booking.com here.
Review of SALT of Palmar
I hope my review of SALT of Palmar has been useful. Feel free to ask any further questions below if there’s something I haven’t covered. I’d love if you shared this post on any of the below links!
If you are planning a longer trip around Africa, or perhaps considering adding on South Africa, like we did, then make sure to check out my guides to this stunning country here.
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Disclaimer: My stay at SALT of Palmar was paid for by myself, and there was no involvement from the tourist board hotel. Myreviews are entirely honest and my own.
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