When planning a business trip to Mauritius, I couldn't decide for a long time whether to choose one of the top hotels near the iconic Le Morne mountain or stay in one of the larger, more vibrant resorts.

In the end, however, the status-building with the All Accor chain and the desire to have rather quieter and more relaxing accommodation prevailed. I was busy exploring all the interesting places in Mauritius and a quieter hotel environment would therefore not be a bad thing.

In the end, I opted for SO Sofitel Mauritius 5* in the Bel-Ombre area in the very south of the island away from the big resorts.

Reservation and price of stay

The SO Sofitel brand is supposed to have a more stylish, relaxed and laid back atmosphere than the classic Sofitel hotels. The latter, by the way, can also be found in Mauritius under the name Sofitel Mauritius L'Impérial Resort & Spa in the resort of Flic En Flac.

Because I earn points with All Acoor (and air miles for the Flyingblue program), I book my stay directly through the website all.accor.com.

I stayed at the hotel for 4 nights and chose the second lowest room category SO Suite with a private terrace overlooking the garden.

In total, my stay with breakfast came to 700 eur. However, I was in Mauritius in the off season. In high season over winter the prices are up to double.

Prices through booking.com are slightly higher because you get a small discount if you book through All Accor if you are a member of their loyalty program.

Check current prices and availability

Great location for a relaxing holiday

If you prefer tranquillity away from the resorts, then there can be no better place than SO Sofitel.

The hotel is situated on a hillside below the road, but the rooms are far enough away that you have absolutely no chance of hearing the noise from passing cars.

The rooms are set in individual houses amongst gardens and by the hotel's private beach, from which you can watch sunrises and sunsets.

On the other hand, if you want to explore Mauritius, I wouldn't recommend SO Sofitel too much and certainly not without a rental car. You can't get here by public transport at all and taxis are damn expensive in Mauritius.

Arrival and check-in

I travel around Mauritius by rental car and I find the resort without the slightest problem.

The entrance to the resort is a bit hidden in a curve, but it is clearly marked.

At the concierge desk, I simply report that I have a reservation at the hotel, drive down a few meters to the so-called welcome pavilion, where a porter takes my car and drives it to a nearby parking lot.

Parking is included in the price of the stay.

The entrance is located about 500 meters from the reception, to which I am taken with my luggage by electric golf cart. I don't wait a minute, the carts are parked in the welcome pavilion.

The check-in process itself is completely relaxed, the receptionist explains all the ins and outs of the resort and takes me to my room number 105.

The chip card comes with a cover with a map of the resort, which came in handy a few times later!

Spacious... and impractical room

At first glance, the room is very bright and in the classic style of SO/ Sofitel hotels. That means bright greenish-white colours, natural ornaments on the pillows and a simple but tasteful design.

The suite is spacious and very airy. Immediately upon entering, there is a fridge in the hallway with two bottles of water and one bottle of milk - complimentary consumption.

The classic equipped minibar is missing here.

There is a capsule coffee machine, kettle and a selection of teas on the fridge.

In the wardrobe there are slippers, a bathrobe, a hairdryer, large towels suitable for a poolside stay, as well as a bag for dirty clothes to be washed by the hotel service.

The main part of the room contains a large, design-interesting bed, but... the big green slats are movable and the bed is quite hard to climb into and even harder to climb out of. So I didn't quite get that.

The lighting controls are not next to the nightstand, but on the headboard, which again is a bit impractical and unintuitive.

I commend the spacious work surface, but what I definitely don't commend is the single chair.

Bathroom

The bathroom is directly connected to the room.

Visually, the sleeping area is separated from the bathroom by a sink with two mirrors on either side of it. Another extremely impractical thing. It seems like a small thing, but during morning hygiene and grooming, I was terribly bothered by having to unnaturally swivel towards the mirrors.

Hidden under the sink is an amenity kit (toothbrush, toothpaste and other toiletries).

In the room there is only a bathtub again with rather impractical access and completely unsuitable for people with reduced mobility.

The pressure in the shower is absolutely miserable and the drain from the bath is perhaps not even worth commenting on. The water lingers in the bath for an hour after showering and even after twice urging the reception, the drain could not be made to fit better.

The bath is not separated from the room by a door or other screen.

The toilet is separated from the rest of the bathroom by a door. There is no bidet but only a bidet shower.

The last part includes an outdoor shower suitable for showering after swimming in the sea. However, only cold water flows here and it is not possible to bring soap or shampoo, which are fixed to the indoor bathtub.

The outdoor terrace

The room has two entrances. One main and one directly onto the outdoor patio with seating and views of the garden and towards the ocean, which is about 100 metres away.

Wi-fi

The internet works absolutely smoothly throughout the hotel and is also available in all indoor areas.

However, you can usually catch a signal by the pool or on some parts of the beach.

The speed is also sufficient to download and send larger files.

Blackout and air conditioning

In tropical areas, air conditioning and good quality blackout rooms are absolutely and totally essential!

Black-out curtains take care of the blackout, which creates real darkness even during the day.

The air conditioning is very powerful and you can adjust the temperature on the digital display by the bed.

A big plus is that the air conditioning does not blow directly on the bed, but into the open space.

Book a room at all.accor.com

Getting around the resort

There are tarmac footpaths across the resort, but as the grounds are really large, guests are provided with chauffeur-driven golf carts.

These are particularly useful for getting from reception to the car park or to taxis.

You can order a golf cart by phone or in person at reception. I have never waited longer than 5 minutes.

Phenomenal beach and interesting pool

The biggest asset of SO Sofitel Mauritius is clearly the beach. I have nothing to complain about.

The resort is split in half by a small stream, which also divides the beach in two. However, the stream can be crossed without any problems.

All hotel guests are provided with free sunbeds and umbrellas.

The bottom is well-groomed and shallow, making the beach suitable for children. The shoreline modifications extend up to about 200 metres from the shores, which means that dangerous waves and back currents do not reach the beach.

If you don't want to swim in salt water, you can also use the visually interesting but - again - somewhat impractical swimming pool.

The real usable part is quite small and you won't be able to swim much.

Breakfast with lots of sparrows and wind

Breakfast is held in the resort's largest building, which houses the Flamboyant restaurant and Takamaka bar.

Breakfast is available from 6:30am to 10:30am.

However, the buffet is surprisingly small and considerably crowded during peak hours between 8:00 and 10:00.

The cold and sweet buffet includes a pretty good selection of Western cuisine (cheeses, hams), a great selection of fruits, vegetable salads and spreads, and a good selection of sweets and pastries.

The pastries may be covered with netting, but since the whole area is de facto outdoors, the netting is often blown away by the wind, which is met by flocks of sparrows, which swoop down especially on the croissants and pain-au-chocolat.

It is advisable to examine the pastries carefully before eating them to make sure they are not already chewed by sparrows.

The hot buffet is, I would say, standard. It won't offend, but it certainly won't delight.

The selection includes the standard sausages, bacon, beans, eggs many ways and 3 standard hot dishes like the typical rougaille.

Drinks include a selection of juices, freshies and healthy shots. There is no coffee machine, so coffee drinks must be ordered from the staff.

Wine is also available.

The overall design of the building is very impractical for breakfast and dinner. It is really just an open roof structure with no walls and if you are here in the off season, it can be less than 15 degrees in the morning with a constant wind.

Bar and restaurant with dinner

Dinner is served in the same building as breakfast and you'll also find the Takamaka Bar.

The Flamboyant restaurant serves an a la carte menu unfortunately only in high season. I was here in the low season and dinner was not included, so I only paid for it once.

For the price of 2 000 mur you get an all-you-can-eat dinner, but no drinks. One bottle of water costs 160 mur.

However, the choice of food for dinner is quite extensive - there are always at least 6 different hot dishes and a large variety of cold snacks, salads and spreads.

I also had a great hibiscus mojito at the Takamaka bar after dinner for 490 mur.

During high season, La Plage restaurant and bar right by the beach is also open, but again I didn't have a chance to use it.

Services and sports activities

SO Sofitel Mauritius also offers guest services and several sports options.

Gym and children's play area

Right next to the reception building you will find a relatively small but decently equipped gym, which is connected to the children's playground.

Access to the gym is unrestricted.

You can also use the table tennis table in front of the gym.

Tennis courts

There are two tennis courts between the gym and reception, which are also free for hotel guests. Of course, equipment rental is also available.

However, the tennis court must be booked at reception, always at 30-minute intervals.

Spa

A popular pastime is the spa building, which is open daily 9:00-20:00.

Guests can take advantage of massages (reservation required), sauna or hot tub.

Beach-volleyball and pedal boat rental

At the north end of the beach you can play beach volleyball for free, while at the south end, near the La Plage restaurant, you can rent pedal boats and small boats.

These can also be hired free of charge.

Chess

Between the Takamaka bar and the pool, you can play chess on the large playing field, where children and adults alike will have fun.

Luggage storage

You can store your luggage free of charge at the reception in case you arrive early in the morning and your room is not yet ready, or conversely in case you leave Mauritius in the evening after check-out.

Laundry Service

Of course, you'll also find the standard service offered by lesser hotels here.

You put your dirty laundry in the bag you find in your room and it will be washed by the next day. You can pay extra for an express wash with same-day delivery.

Prices are around 200 mur for a t-shirt, 275 mur for pants or 120 mur for underwear.

Conclusion - this could be a great hotel...

The SO Sofitel Mauritus could be a great hotel for a relaxing holiday in the beautiful surroundings of South Mauritius.

However, the rooms have too many impractical flaws and technical imperfections such as a clogged drain by the bathtub that no one was able to fix even in 3 days.

I am certainly not saying that SO Sofitel is a poor quality hotel. I'm sure a lot of people enjoy their stay here, but I didn't find the food offerings particularly interesting either. In short, such a fine average with many shortcomings.

Next time, I would definitely choose one of the hotels near Le Morne - I was especially looking at RIU Palace Mauritius or The St Regis Le Morne Resort.