Hotel Review Anantara Iko, Blue Bay Marine Park, Mauritius. Research Stay.
Location
The Anantara Iko is located in the south-east of the island in the immediate vicinity of perhaps the most beautiful snorkelling spot in the holiday paradise, the Blue Bay Marine Park. But this is not the only prominent neighbour of the resort. The international airport is only a stone’s throw away. By car, you only need about 10 minutes. On the one hand, this is a big plus after a long flight, but on the other hand it means that you can watch a few planes take off throughout the day. The aeroplane fans like it, and we did not find this circumstance disturbing either.
It takes about 50 minutes to get to the capital Port Louis, just under an hour to Le Morne and ten minutes to the 7 Colored Earth in Chamarel. In the immediate vicinity, only the district capital Mahébourg with its 15,000 inhabitants is worth mentioning. Otherwise, the area is rather quiet, with an impressive view of the roaring ocean to the southeast. However, the ocean is calmed by reefs and breakwaters, and the beach is largely calmed.
Style & Character
You enter the spacious area via a kind of bridge, which is atmospherically lit with candles at night. The open lobby is reminiscent of an Asian Zen temple and offers a first panoramic view of the resort. The very well-maintained grounds have plenty of greenery in the form of palm trees and grasses, and the element of water is also given sufficient space.
Opened in 2019, but closed for a longer period due to Corona, the Anantara Iko is still a very young hotel. In the style of the colonial era, volcanic stones, basalt and driftwood, which was prepared by local craftsmen, characterise the appearance. Overall, the size of the luxury resort is impressive. This is anything but usual, even for a house of this category in Mauritius. This automatically gives visitors a feeling of freedom and looseness.
Rooms & Suites
All 164 rooms and suites have their own balcony or terrace. In addition to this luxury, they are also very generously proportioned, true to the nature of the entire complex. Three bottles of water and sufficient tea and coffee are provided daily. In addition, the minibar is well stocked with several drinks and snacks.
We had the pleasure of staying in room 3101. However, this is actually a suite. The dimensions of the bed and the bathroom, including bathtub and shower, can confidently be described as huge. The equally spacious balcony, on the other hand, offered spectacular views of the roaring sea and is the perfect place to start the day.
Uncut, unedited Room Tour
Food & Drinks
In addition to the main restaurant Horizon, where you can also find the breakfast buffet and have lunch, the Anantara Iko has several speciality restaurants. In Horizon, not only is the first meal of the day served in buffet form, but dinner also awaits you in this form. The menu may not be particularly varied, but it is of good quality and tasty. For example, there is a lot of fish and a wide variety of curries.
Then there are the delicatessen restaurants such as the Indian Zafran and Sea Fire Salt, which specialises in seafood and steaks. In addition to the beautiful ambience, the latter also scored points with its cuisine and service. However, we were not as enraptured by our visit as the Tripadvisor community. But maybe it was just us or the staff who didn’t have the best day, so it’s always worth a visit. The Zafran is a small but fine Indian restaurant that provides a change from Horizon with solid cuisine. Besides the shrimp and chicken tikkas, the Chicken 65, treated with 65 spices, was particularly tasty.
Depending on the package, certain dishes in these places have to be paid for, but are not overpriced. A circumstance that we have to take into account with astonishment when it comes to the price of beer. A little more than € 14 for a local beer seems a bit much, even in an upscale hotel. But perhaps this is simply to draw attention to the well-stocked wine cellar. The knowledgeable Sommèliere Seeven introduced us to the exciting varieties of Mauritian lychee wine. But don’t worry, the standard grape-derived wine is also quite appealing.
Facilities & Service
The service in general is good to very good, depending on who you meet. We have grown particularly fond of Shyama. She seemed a bit like the good soul of the F&B area. Stick with her and nothing can go wrong! The centrepiece of the resort is the 30-metre pool facing the sea. It is not only operated with ozone, but is also a real eye-catcher. By the way, the construction of a second pool is scheduled to start at the end of the year – we are looking forward to it.
Another highlight of the Iko is the wellness area. The Anantara Spa has a lot to offer. From fine signature massages and numerous body treatments to hammam and whirlpool, no relaxation wish remains unfulfilled. But even the more active can easily find the right activity. Whether in the modern fitness room, on the tennis courts, in the yoga class or with various water sports activities, they will get their money’s worth.
It is a short distance to the hotel’s own beach. But it is worth seeing. Behind a mangrove hedge, it slopes down to the water. The Indian Ocean breaks a few dozen metres in front of it at specially built breakwaters or reefs. On the one hand, this is spectacular to watch, on the other hand, you can still enjoy frolicking and swimming in the weakening waves. There are sunbeds on the beach or behind it, but you have to ask the staff for umbrellas, as it seems too risky to leave them unattended overnight.
What we loved
The resort is a true holiday dream, both in terms of size and condition. The great suite with the perfect view of the wave spectacle knows how to impress, as does the cordiality of many of the staff. In the Mauritian summer, Blue Marine Bay is said to be the most beautiful snorkelling spot on the island. We are inclined to believe this, but in keeping with our journalistic ethos, we will have to come back another time to verify this in person.
What we’d like to see next Time
On the one hand, we would ask the calculator for a commercial review of the beer price, on the other hand, we would like to see allergens listed on the menus. In our opinion, the somewhat easier access to sun protection on the dream beach would not be wrong either.
Top-Tip
A good hour’s walk through the sugar cane fields will take you to a true spectacle of nature: the Pont Naturel. An excursion that is well worth it. At this place you experience the full force with which the Indian Ocean hits Mauritius. This is not only impressive to watch, but also provides fantastic photo material.
Bottom Line & Best for:
- Family Trips
- Wellness Holidays
- Couples
Due to its proximity to the airport, the Anantara Iko is the perfect place to start or end a tour of Mauritius.
Anantara Iko Mauritius Resort & Villas
Blue Bay Marine Park Le Chaland Plaine Magnien, 51510 Mauritius
anantara.com | €€€€€
Date of our Anantara Iko Experiences and Research: May 2023
