TUI Sensimar Lagoon Mauritius

In 2016, this lagoon-facing all-inclusive resort converted from the family-friendly Blumarine Attitude to the adult-only TUI Sensimar Lagoon Mauritius. To reflect its new concept, many of the hotel's rooms and some common areas (including the lobby) underwent considerable renovation. The resulting look is sharp and contemporary, but emphatically coastal-inspired, with a primary color palette of white, dark blue, and teal, and decor and furnishings made from natural materials like wood, wicker, and jute. The property remains a part of the Attitude hotel group, so it still reflects the laid-back atmosphere and eco-friendly initiatives that are hallmarks of the brand. 

TUI Sensimar occupies 20 acres of a peaceful peninsula that looks out onto the Indian Ocean. The unspoiled setting feels farther from the bustle of Grand Baie than the 15 minutes that it is. Guests pedal-boat or canoe around the serene lagoon; claim their spots in the grove of hammocks strung up to palm trees; or congregate under a banyan tree for cold beer, fried noodles, and grilled fish from the colorful Taba-j snack huts on the beach. When guests have had their fill of taking in the views of the lagoon and surrounding mangroves and distant islands, a regular calendar of ping-pong tournaments, aqua aerobics, dance workshops, beach volleyball, and live dance and music in the evenings, affords plenty of entertainment. Most of the TUI's guests are couples from France, Germany, South Africa, and Switzerland.

TUI Sensimar is set on a peninsula in a quiet stretch of Mauritius' northern coast, about a 15-minute drive east of the hustle of Grand Baie. The sweeping beach Anse La Raie is about a 15-minute walk from the hotel, and the famous red-roofed Notre-Dame Auxiliatrice de Cap Malheureux -- one of the most photographed sites in Mauritius -- is a four-minute drive toward Grand Baie. Trou aux Biches and Port Louis are both about a half-hour from the hotel by car. Casela World of Adventures is an hour away by car, and Le Morne peninsula and Chameral (with its famous Rhumerie de Chamarel Restaurant & Rum Distillery) are both 90 minutes. The hotel is about a 75-minute drive from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International Airport.

TUI Sensimar's 182 rooms are broken into two main buckets: Garden View and Sea View. Most units received a major facelift as a result of the hotel switching to an adults-only concept. Renovated rooms are light, airy, and one-hundred-percent beach-chic; the one we saw had blue-dyed ikat pillows propped against pale wood headboards, rattan pendant lamps hanging from the ceiling (from blue cords), and a seagrass bench sitting at the foot of the bed. A blue-and-aqua-striped sisal rug covered the tile floor and a white cane roller shade separated the main area from the peek-a-boo bathrooms.

All rooms have flat-screen TVs, free minibars with mini bottles of rum and other treats, free tea and coffee (refreshed daily), waffle-weave bathrobes, slippers, and safes. There is furnished outdoor space off of every room; units on the ground floor have terraces with hammocks and patio chairs. Some suites (in the older style, but still good-looking and contemporary) have front and back terraces, the one in the rear holding deep stone outdoor bathtubs. The highest-level rooms in the Sea View category feature large wooden balconies with chaise loungers and whirlpools. Wi-Fi is free in the rooms. 

TUI Sensimar has the type of high-end features you'd expect from an upscale all-inclusive. The main pool is large, lagoon-shaped, and a short distance from the beach. There are palm trees, white umbrellas, tables, chairs, and loungers all around, including in the attached shallow part of the pool that was once for kids (the property used to be family-friendly, before adopting its current adults-only policy). The scene around the main pool is upbeat -- Seabreeze Bar is just a few steps away and pool aerobics classes are held here daily -- and the two other pools (one has an infinity edge) have quieter vibes. Another relaxing area is the elegant full-service spa, located off the lobby away from the water. It has couples' rooms, a Vichy shower, and an outdoor steam room. The fitness center, beneath the main buffet restaurant, is quite small considering the size and caliber of the resort, but it is air-conditioned and equipped with the usual cardio machines plus free weights. Plus, there are two tennis courts located near the beach.

TUI's man-made beach areas are a bit gravely (beach shoes aren't a bad idea), but there are loungers, bean bag chairs, and hammocks, and the calm lagoon waters are great for diving and other water sports. Snorkel and windsurf gear, canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats are all free at the boathouse, which also does two free glass-bottom boat trips to the mangroves every day. The on-site diving center costs a fee, as do a few boathouse activities and excursions, like water-skiing; sunset cruises; and catamaran, speedboat, or traditional fishing trips. The hotel offers plenty of land-based ventures, too: Its daily calendar includes things like cooking and salsa classes, Creole lessons, cocktail demos, ping-pong competitions, beach volleyball, Tai Chi, meditation, yoga, and nature walks through the wetlands. At night, the entertainment shifts to low-key lounge music, weekly African and sega dance shows, and laid-back dancing to beat of the Tropicana Band.

For food and drink, the hotel has four restaurants and bars. The main one is the Le Benitier buffet, which serves all three meals, including rotating themed dinners. (Note that dinners at Le Benitier require men to wear long pants.) Another dining option is a set of three Taba-j carts (snack huts) clustered on the sand by the lagoon. One of the kiosks serves drinks and the others serve Mauritian street food (dhal puri, roti) and barbecued meat and fish. Wooden tables and caned chairs are set up under the shade of an enormous banyan tree. Next to the carts is another outdoor beach restaurant -- Kot Nou, which is Creole for "at my house." Kot Nou serves traditional Mauritian cuisine for dinner as part of the hotel's all-inclusive package, though a few nights a week it hosts specialty dinners that cost a fee. Guests get one free visit per stay to TUI's a la carte restaurant, Culinarium (a dress code is enforced here as well).

Laundry service is available, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the resort.