Lux* Belle Mare Hotel

Coastal Road, Mauritius

Rarely, very rarely do you find a hotel where the photography just doesn’t do a property justice. Even though the pictures you see above are excellent, nothing quite prepares you for the design brilliance of Lux* Belle Mare on the east coast of Mauritius. Interiors are put together by Kelly Hoppen in an understated blue and white scheme, with subtle variations from her palette across the rooms and suites – all of which allow the views out across the Indian Ocean to take centre stage. Slatted windows and white sashes create a post-colonial vibe, with huge terraces that the staff will only too happily arrange for you to take breakfast on. Indeed, it’s the service here that takes the stay from a great experience, to one you probably won’t encounter again. Fancy breakfast on the beach? No problem. They’ll get up early and construct you a cabana. Want to go on a bike ride? They’ll commission a member of staff to take you along a bespoke route and even carry your lunch for you.

The two-tiered pool is the largest on Mauritius, with obscenely comfortable sun loungers dotting its perimeter. Just a few yards away lies an ice cream parlour, where the flavours are churned on site. The creamery does a fine line in frozen yoghurts and green juices, for anyone looking for something a little more virtuous. They also roast their own coffee beans. Tucked just This month, we let the waves lap in Mauritius, coaching inn and bed down in Bristol. There’s behind the patisserie and coffee shop sits an on-site roastery, where the master blender can guide you through the process. A few hundred grams of ground beans make a better holiday gift than anything you might have picked up at duty free. Of an evening, settle down in the outdoor cinema and sink into huge beanbags next to a vintage Rolls Royce that houses a food truck vending Cuban sandwiches themed on the movie Chef. Yep, it’s as luxuriously surreal as it sounds.

Waterside restaurant Beach Rouge serves all-day-dining classics (think grilled fish, steaks and pizza) to an Ibizan-cool soundtrack, while Amari by Vineet is one of the best restaurants on the island, incorporating his Michelin-grade Indian cuisine with Mauritian flavours to stunning effect. MS. Junior suites from £250; flights by Air Mauritius from £750.