Constance Le Prince Maurice

The Hotel

Le Prince Maurice opened on 1 December 1998 as the principal Mauritian project of the Mauritius-based Constance Hotels & Resorts group — the family-owned hospitality group founded by the Espitalier-Noël family that operates four Mauritius properties plus the Constance Halaveli in the Maldives, the Constance Lemuria on Praslin, and several others. The site is on the Belle Mare lagoon (the same eastern coast as One&Only Le Saint Géran, but two kilometres south on a separate 60-hectare property), with the architectural commission by Mauritian architect Jean-Marc Eynaud and interior architecture by Daniela Pittroff. The property's signature architectural decision is the L'Archipel restaurant — a floating wood-and-thatch pavilion built on a private 5-metre platform out into the lagoon, accessed by a wooden walkway, and arguably the most-photographed restaurant building in the Indian Ocean.

The 89 villas divide between Junior Suites (60 units at 90 sqm), Family Suites (10 at 130 sqm with two bedrooms), Princely Suites (15 at 165 sqm with private outdoor sun-decks), and the Princely Villa (4 at 250 sqm with private 6-metre lap pools). The Princely Villa is the milestone unit. The property maintains an explicit Adults-Only policy in the Princely Suite and Princely Villa categories — a rare Mauritius proposition — making it particularly suited to honeymoons, milestone anniversaries and proposals over family travel. Bathrooms are travertine; bath products are Constance's own brand.

L'Archipel is the headline restaurant — opened with the resort and continuously a Mauritian dining destination since, with a contemporary French-Mauritian register and a 1,500-bottle wine cellar specialising in Loire and Burgundy. The Floating Pier dining concept (a floating restaurant pavilion that can be moored anywhere on the lagoon for private dinners-for-two) is the property's signature private-dining proposition and the most-booked Mauritius proposal set-up. Le Barachois is the all-day brasserie programme on the beach. The Spa de Constance runs five treatment rooms with a Mauritian-rum-marc programme; the indoor 18-metre lap pool sits in the spa pavilion. The two outdoor pools and the full-service watersports operation complete the wellness layer.

The Belle Mare position is the booking proposition — a 7-minute drive south from One&Only Le Saint Géran along the same protected coast. From the property it is 50 minutes by car to MRU airport, 40 minutes to Port Louis, and 10 minutes to the Île aux Cerfs charter departure. For travellers wanting the small-luxury, romantic-leaning Mauritius booking — particularly for honeymooners, milestone-anniversary couples, and proposal travellers — Le Prince Maurice is the right answer. One&Only is the larger-and-bigger-amenities alternative; Le Prince Maurice is the small-and-romantic alternative.

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