Sugar Beach — Hotel in Flic en Flac

I found it a bit difficult to write a review for Sugar Beach. The hotel and grounds themselves are outstanding. The grounds are gigantic spanning miles down the beach (especially when you include La Pirogue). The buildings are amazing, so grand and palatial almost like a palace. The view from reception is stunning and the beach is amazing. Pure white sands with turquoise water. Our arrival wasn’t great we weren’t given any welcome towels or drinks. Even though we arrived at 9pm our room wasn’t ready and were told to go for dinner first. When we finished it still took another 40 minutes to get to the room. So we were a bit unhappy. When our parents checked in the next morning they got welcome drinks and towels etc so a totally different experience.

We stayed in August so the weather was a bit hit and miss which meant the sea and the pools were freezing so we couldn’t really use them. It would be great if the hotel heated the pools during winter because they are lovely and it would have been nice to use them. I did read that the adults only pool was heated but it didn’t feel like it.

we booked 3 beachfront rooms in total, 2 were given in block 501-509 closest to the main pool and 1 room in block 561-570 closest to Citronella’s.

The rooms had nice views over the beach and the sea but are still set back quite a bit from the beach/sea. They are smaller than I’d imagined but were perfectly fine. Separate toilet from the bathroom which is great and it’s really nicely done. The rooms in block 501-509 were very noisy. There’s a generator right outside which went on all night long and made it impossible to sleep. When we complained the next day they then seemed to turn it off overnight. But the music from the shows carries on until around 11-11:30pm and it’s really noisy so if you go to bed early it’s hard to sleep. I imagine with kids it would be difficult. The room we had in the other block was much more peaceful.

Our biggest issue with the hotel was the food options & service. We booked AI package and it felt like staff were a lot slower bringing our drinks etc than others who were on half board so paying for drinks. It often took over half an hour for drinks to be served.

Also, when we arrived we tried to book the restaurants for dinner and we were told they were all fully booked until the night we were leaving (and we were staying for a week). This was not acceptable for us and we were simply told it is what it is we have 600 guests so the restaurants are booked. But if you are just checking in you then you are stuck. In the end it took us asking to check out for them to find us reservations in the themed restaurants. So our first impressions were not good at all.

It turns out there’s only 1 sitting at the speciality restaurants so you get the table all night which is why bookings are so scarce. It would easily be resolved by having 2 sittings say 6-8pm and 8-10pm. This would mean twice as many people could use the restaurants.

Citronella’s food was great, fresh pizzas and pastas. Buddha Bar was a huge let down on the food. It was not authentic Asian at all (we’ve lived in Asia for 15 years) it was more catered to the British/European thoughts of Asian food. It was a big let down. Even the buffet restaurant was better food.

Do take advantage of the options at La Pirogue too. The best food we had was at Magenta and their beachside bar was great also. A lot more chill than SB.

on an evening it was very quiet, given there were 600 people staying there by 9pm there was hardly anyone around. We’ve no idea where people went which was a shame as there was very little atmosphere on an evening for the shows.

Sundowner sessions were amazing, the music was great watching the sun go down and it was always an incredible sunset.

All in all we did have a great time at Sugar Beach. I do feel it’s a bit overpriced and we did expect more service for the price paid. Our first impressions were very bad especially with being unable to book the restaurants but thankfully the stay did get better and we had an...

Wonderful holiday at Sugar Beach I have visited Mauritius a couple of times before but this was my first visit to Sugar beach. This was definitely my favourite place to stay. Located on the West Coast of the island on a long stretch of sandy beach the setting is just perfect. The waters are crystal clear and the backdrop and sunsets are absolutely stunning.

Staff at Sugar Beach are so kind and welcoming. It has a real family feel. I travelled with my 2 year old son and my parents. Staff could not have done enough for us to ensure we had everything we needed. Myself and my son stayed in a premium double room with sea view and terrace. The rooms are spacious, modern and have all the amenities you need: hair drier, kettle, coffee machine, bath, body lotion, vanity kit, shower cap etc . The minibar is topped up daily and there are snacks available too. Depending on your board basis will depend on pricing and supplements.

We stayed on all inclusive package which covered our needs perfectly. Christine in Le Patio is so attentive and works hard to keep everything moving and guests happy. There is a variety of different food stations offering fresh fruits, handmade smoothies, continental offerings and cooked options at breakfast. Lunch is a la carte offering an extensive menu choice for both adults and children. The same menu was also available to eat by the pool or beach, great if you want to eat at different times or if you don’t want to head to the restaurant again at lunch. Dinner in le patio again offers lots of variety and different themes each evening. The food at Buddha bar restaurant was delicious and the experience is enhanced by the very relaxing atmosphere and beautiful setting by the beach.

Pool waiter service is such a treat and staff are very willing to serve you with whatever beverages you desire. There’s a good variety of drinks on the all inclusive package. I’m not really a fan of cocktails but the passion fruit mojito was very refreshing, the Sauvignon blanc went down nicely. Huge love for Emilio at the pool and attending to the towels. He goes out of his way to support guests and ensure they are comfortable. We loved seeing his smile each morning and his happy chit chat was a welcome addition to our lazy days.

We were lucky enough to have treatments with Elodie in her beach sanctuary. Elodie is extremely gifted and a very special person. Her aura is so calming and full of love and positivity for life. The treatments she provides are like nothing I’ve ever experienced before (and I’m partial to massages and holistic treatments). Thank you Elodie I can’t speak highly enough of the positive impact you had on me.

The grounds at Sugar Beach are pristine. The gardeners are constantly grooming and cutting. My little boy very much enjoyed watching the tractor collect the cuttings and coconuts. I enjoyed walking on the abundance of paths throughout Sugar Beach and La Pirogue each day as I pushed my son’s pram for his nap. Having la pirogue next door is a great asset, the boat house is located there too and the glass bottom boat ride was a nice trip out.

My son loved his time at Kids Club. Shirley was so caring and attentive to the little ones. It was a great way for them to get some time mixing with other children and any apprehensions I may of had as a mum were quickly forgotten by the wonderful staff. The facilities are excellent. Lots of toys for different ages, outside areas to play and staff were confident at supporting the children in the kids pool and beach too. Do look out for the resident flamingo and turtles sunbathing on the logs in the lake on the walk to the kids club.

It was lovely getting to know Scyam, operations manager, he was always willing to put himself out to accomadate our needs. Thank you again for helping sort out our baby seat issue on departure. Anuradha we cannot thank you enough for your kindness. You went out of your way to make our trip...

If I could, I’d give this hotel a 3.5 out of 5. In some aspects, it falls short of a 5-star experience. Given that this is the second most expensive hotel in Flic en Flac the overall quality doesn’t match what you’d get for the same price in Turkey or Greece. Here’s why:

Room: Unfortunately, due to the island’s humidity, our room constantly smelled damp. We had to air it out every time we returned. On the positive side, the room was spacious enough, and although we had one day with low water pressure and cold water, it was quickly resolved once reported. The closet space, balcony, and overall layout were sufficient. However, in hotels at this price level, especially for honeymooners, it’s quite common to receive a small welcome gesture (like champagne or a note). Despite noting our honeymoon, we received nothing not even a congratulatory card. Small touches like this go a long way.

Food: The lunch menu is very limited and overpriced. What we had was below average, especially considering the cost. There’s also a noticeable difference in cocktail quality between the beach bar and places like Buddha Bar or Mare Mare. Beach cocktails were poorly made and definitely not worth the price.

The breakfast and dinner buffets are the opposite very rich and diverse, with plenty to suit every taste. That said, I was surprised to see some basic items like tomatoes or spreadable cheese missing at times. Dinner theme nights were hit or miss, but Mauritian and French cuisine nights were excellent, definitely worth the price paid.

Now for the à la carte restaurants (Buddha Bar and Mare Mare): By international standards, the taste and portion sizes didn’t justify the price especially the appetizers and desserts. At Buddha Bar, the chocolate lava cake was shockingly basic and tiny more like a store-bought dessert. At Mare Mare, the so-called burrata plate was disappointing a lackluster cheese on a bland plate. The steak was served medium despite asking for medium-well, and it was chewy with visible sinew. On the bright side, the cocktail was very well made.

In summary, the buffet experience far outshines the à la carte restaurants, which was the opposite of what we expected. Service was also notably slower.

Cocktails, when not ordered from the beach, were satisfying in size and presentation and worth their price.

One of the strangest things: even at meals costing over €100 for two, they don’t serve complimentary water. That’s unacceptable by any global standard. Worse, the bottled water and sparkling water they charge for were of visibly low quality filtered tap water.

Beach: The beach itself is beautiful. It’s more enjoyable after noon when the tide rises. You can walk far into the sea and still only be waist-deep whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on your preference. White sands and clear water with fish and coral visible while snorkeling made swimming a joy.

The pools were fine, but nothing special. Sadly, beach loungers didn’t have cushions, unlike the poolside ones, and were quite uncomfortable you could feel the frame through them.

Some call buttons on loungers didn’t work, and in at least three cases, we waited over 30 minutes without service. Not sure if this is due to slow staff or broken devices.

Staff: This is one of the highlights of the hotel. Putting aside the beach service, the staff were kind, polite, and always helpful. Housekeeping came by more than once a day, checking if we needed anything. The chefs, waitstaff, and housekeeping team were all exceptionally courteous.

Conclusion: If this is a one time trip to Mauritius, and especially if you’re visiting for your honeymoon, I recommend researching your options thoroughly. If you’re on a tighter budget, or you’re set on staying in Flic en Flac, this might still be one of the better options. But for the price and especially for honeymooners there are better experiences to be had elsewhere...