Merville Beach Hotel

Merville Beach Hotel is a mid-range beach resort in Grand Baie with a somewhat unusual history. The hotel's story begins in the mid-1960s -- long before the sleepy village of Grand Baie had become the tourist center it is today -- when its cluster of bungalows were put up as employee housing for Terra sugar company workers. Built around a nearby century-old tree, the hotel opened in 1973 (making Merville one of the oldest hotels in Grand Baie), and it eventually acquired the adjacent bungalows. Merville has gradually expanded over the years, via new constructions and the purchase of pre-existing properties, and has been managed by Lux Resorts since 2011. Unlike Lux's other, aptly-named properties, though, Merville is a solidly mid-range (read: non-luxury) property. Merville's various buildings are connected by breezeways and paths through gardens filled with breadfruit trees and fountains, making the property feel more pieced-together and laid-back than other more cohesive resorts. Inside and out, it's clear that the property has never received a major renovation. Nonetheless, it offers most resort features that travelers should want, albeit on a smaller scale (for example, there's only one main restaurant and bar). This suits plenty of the guests just fine -- most opt for the hotel's half-board package (bed-and-breakfast, full-board, and all-inclusive are also available), as they spend their days out exploring Grand Baie and the island.

Merville Beach Hotel is well situated to be conveniently close to everything Grand Baie offers without being in the absolute thick of its tourist zone. The main commercial strip of Grand Baie kicks off about a three-minute drive south of the hotel, although there are restaurants, hotels and apartment properties, beauty salons, and shops along Merville's stretch of B13 (Royal Road). Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice de Cap Malheureux, the famous red-roofed church on the sea, is an eight-minute drive up the coastal road from the hotel, and the must-visit Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden is a 20-minute drive inland and south. Merville Beach Hotel is about a 90-minute drive from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International Airport.

Merville's 169 rooms are located in three main areas: the original main building, in the resort's center; the low-rise garden buildings to the north of the main building; and shared thatch-roofed bungalows, to the south of the main entrance. Rooms throughout are all basic and beachy, with white-tile floors and white walls hung with turquoise-framed prints of Gauguin-like portraits or scenes of fishing-village life. The blue-and-green tropical-flower patterns of the bedspreads match the pillows on the white beach-house-style chairs. All rooms are air-conditioned and have minibars (free for all-inclusive guests), coffee-making facilities, flat-screen TVs, safes, free Wi-Fi, and balconies or terraces. The 70 Standard Rooms are located in the main building, and offer 312 square feet of space. The 45 Superior Rooms offer the same amenities, but a bit more space: 345 square feet. Sixteen 323-square-foot Beachfront Rooms add guaranteed beach views, plus bathrobes, slippers, T-shirts, sarongs, and welcome wine. The 48 Bungalow rooms are the largest accommodations option, at 378 square feet each. There are three Bungalow rooms -- two on the ground level, and one on the second floor -- per bungalow unit.

Merville's features aren't as extensive as some other area resorts, but it does a good job of checking off all of the expected amenities for a beachy getaway. All three meals are available at Merville's main restaurant, Le Badamier. Breakfast is served buffet-style, lunch a la carte, and dinner follows a 15-day themed buffet schedule that includes Indian, French, Chinese, and Sino-Mauritian nights. The restaurant has a bar and terrace seating overlooking the water and the small main pool, which has a kiddy one off to one side. Room service is available and dinners on the beach with live cooking can be arranged. Nightly entertainment includes three shows a week, one of which is a weekly hip hop performance.Food and drink service is available at Merville's beach, a narrow crescent where palapa umbrellas and loungers are set up. Free water-skiing, nonmotorized water sports (like windsurfing, snorkeling, and kayaking), and glass-bottom boat trips are available at the boathouse. Merville's spa is right by the beach; it uses Lux-brand products and has a free steam room and sauna. The tranquil spa pool is surrounded by a wooden deck with more loungers. Of the spa's five treatment rooms (all double), three are indoor and two are outdoor.The kids' club occupies its own house in one of the gardens, and features indoor and outdoor playing areas. The kids' club staff organizes events like crab hunts. There is a free tennis court across the street from the hotel (by the hotel's free parking lot) and a small fitness center by the main pool. Personal trainers are available for a fee. Off the lobby is a free business center with two computers. There is also a "phone house" where guests can place international calls for free. Wi-Fi is free throughout.