The moment I arrive at La Plantation d’Albion, Club Med’s new property in Mauritius, I am jolted awake from the fatigue of a 12-hour night flight.
The reception area, with its bold flashes of purple and orange satin, wooden floors and high vaulted ceilings, oozes a contemporary style that is echoed throughout the resort.
My club room hideaway is no less impressive. The bed is enormous, and the walk-in shower is beaten – only just – by a shiny free-standing porcelain bath.
Soon enough I’m tucking into a tasty seafood lunch, al fresco, just metres from the ocean at one of the resort’s two excellent restaurants. Dessert is forfeited in favour of an hour at the spa.
I swiftly learn that all Club Med personnel are exceptionally friendly – they are not given the titles ‘Gracious Organisers’ and ‘Gracious Employees’ for nothing – you cannot walk past any of them without hearing a bubbly ‘bonjour’.
Activities include archery, golf, beach volleyball and snorkelling. Scuba diving is extra. Day trips are organised by its excursions office.
If all you want to do is slob out on the beach – and here it is tempting – you need go no further. The resort is lined by the kind of white-sand serenity that’s the stuff of postcards and James Bond films.
The food isn’t bad either – from freshly made pancakes served by the pool to an eclectic fusion of Indian/European/African gastronomy at the evening buffet.
Facilities: 266 rooms and suites, two pools, spa, two restaurants and golf driving range.
Verdict: 5 / 5
Sample product
Club Med offers seven nights at La Plantation d’Albion from £1,499 per person, with accommodation in a club room, all meals and drinks and return economy flights with Air Mauritius from Heathrow in May.
Air Mauritius offers a daily non-stop service from Heathrow with regional connections from 17 UK airports via Heathrow or Paris.
