Le Repaire - Boutique Hôtel & Restaurant — Restaurant in La Digue

Thank you so much to Le Repaire. We stayed here on our honeymoon in Nov and it is a fantastic hotel with even better staff.

From the moment we stepped in after a long, hot, sweaty journey - we were welcomed with a cold wet towel and a delicious fresh fruit cocktail.

We stayed in the room right above reception which had only finished being remodelled 23 days before. It was large, modern and - like the whole hotel - tastefully decorated. There was a large walk in shower with plenty of hot water and good pressure, ice cold AC and a fridge. A large balcony with a sofa and table set overlooked the road at the front and we enjoyed watching the bustle of daily life but some might prefer the quieter view towards the sea (with the doors closed there was no noise issue).

The communal areas feel homely to relax in and there are two small pools nestled in the well kept gardens, both of which were quiet. Mostly we had them to ourselves.

Then there is the beach! The hotel opens right onto a gorgeous bay with white sand and warm shallow waters. Like most beaches on La Digue the water is bath warm and crystal clear, with little tropical fish swimming about. You can pretty much walk around to the famous Anse Source d'Argent, or they have kayaks free to use.

There were always plenty of sunloungers available and you can order drinks from the restaurant to enjoy in the shade of the palm trees. At one point a gardener was harvesting Coconuts from a palm and offered us one - I assumed we would be charged (they are sold for around £8/10 on most beaches) but he handed it over with the ubiquitous Seychelle smile and refused money.

The restaurant serves breakfast in the morning - An exotic fruit platter to start then pick what you want from the menu. I'm a sucker for a fry-up and this is the only area that disappointed. We were never told we couldn't order everything but we felt that we could only order, say, some eggs and bacon rather than a whole fry-up. Still - we always left satisfied and full and the food was delicious.

We ate here for a couple of evening meals too, both times the food was some of the best we had during our time (try the squid ink risotto with calamari). The prices might look steep but they are average for the island. We also tried a pizza while lounging by the pool one lunch which was thin crispy and spot on.

Where this place really shines is the staff. From the moment we walked in we felt like part of their family. Warm and generous and quick to chat and joke.

Unfortunately I sprained an ankle clambering about Vallée de Mai (a must see, but be careful) - The local hospital couldn't offer a set of crutches because their only set 'had be given to someone with a broken leg'. The healthcare system is pretty outdated but the Repaire reception called the owner to borrow a their personal set, that they happened to have due to a previous accident by their son, and it was waiting me the next day.

If this wasn't going above and beyond; to get to my room that evening the hotel manager, a petite Italian woman (sorry I can't remember your name), literally picked me up and carried me up the stairs! She recruited some help from the chef, but I think she probably could have managed herself. I'm not a small man, so it was extraordinary to see and gave us a good anecdote to boot.

We later continued our holiday at the five star Constance Ephelia Resort, which was a mind blowing experience - but for the price I don't think I've ever stayed at better hotel...

Read my review carefully.

Our 2 Night stay at La Repaire Hotel in La Digue was incredibly disappointing. While the property itself is charming, the service was far from what you’d expect at this price point. Some staff members were unresponsive to our questions, and overall communication was poor.

At check-in, we informed the staff that we would check out at 11:00 AM to catch our jetty around noon. No one mentioned any additional charges. However, on the day of checkout, we were abruptly called at 10:00 AM and told to vacate the room. When we requested to stay just one more hour, we were told we would need to pay an extra 500 SCR. When we refused to pay—since this charge had never been mentioned—we were told to vacate the room within 15 minutes, which felt extremely rude and unprofessional. On top of that, we were charged an extra 100 SCR for every room service request, something that was not clearly communicated upfront.

Although they advertise rooms to be ocean view, the view is only partial at best as trees infront of the rooms block much of the view fromthe garden.

All in all, the experience was quite pathetic, and we left feeling stressed and unwelcome. Definitely not a place I’d recommend to anyone. I also post my review on Agoda but it never got listed. I also complained about it to them but nothing changed and i then i understood how reviews are manipulated on those...

A home way from Home.

True to it’s name, La Repairé (the lair) - is exactly that - a homely, customer-focused, closely-knitted team of professionals who go out of their way to take care of all your needs. This is no small achievement, considering the context of the place - a small, 5x8 km island with limited supplies and labour.

The Italian chef, the catering team (a special mention to Nishanth, Willer and Juliette) were all really amazing. The food is brilliant. At the reception, Ronelle was really helpful and took care of all our needs and guided us on things to do on the island.

The boutique hotel boasts only a handful of rooms, all of which are really comfortable, well-equipped, with excellent air conditioning (really needed in Seychelles) and with one hell of a power shower!

The hotel pools are really cozy, especially for a nightcap :)

We cycled around the island everyday (provided by the hotel with an agreement with a supplier at current prices).

The star of the place is Marco, the manager. He truly is so customer-focused, super helpful and brings the whole experience together. He even carried our heavy bags to and fro to our room (twice), which clearly he didn’t have to with all the staff at his disposal.

I highly recommend La Repairé if you go to La Digue. I am glad we spent a week here.

If we come back (which we hope we will), we will definitely stay here...