Victoria Beachcomber Resort & Spa

Built in 1994, Victoria Beachcomber Resort & Spa is a traditional kid-friendly beach resort with bed-and-breakfast, half-board, and all-inclusive packages. Its cavernous, multi-level lobby stretches to towering proportions, with immense diagonal columns supporting a cathedral ceiling that overlooks Victoria's check-in desks, boutique, jewelry shop, and spiral staircase. Across the great distance, new arrivals can spot Victoria's pool -- whose huge scale is in line with that of the lobby -- and the ocean beyond. In and around the pool in every direction is a flurry of people and activity -- guests romping in the pool, perching along its stone perimeter, and dozing on loungers on the wooden terrace. Zoom out just a little, and you'll see more guests ordering sandwiches and ice cream from the pool bar, lingering at the buffet tables, playing billiards and ping pong, and walking hand-in-hand toward the beach. Most of Victoria's guests come from South Africa, France, and Reunion Island. The clientele is primarily families who are drawn to Victoria's not one, but two kids' clubs; large rooms with queen beds and bathtubs (there are also apartment-style options); and big beach with calm water and free water-sports.

In November 2017, the hotel opened an adults-only section with 40 rooms (20 of which are swim-up rooms with shared pool access; the other 20 have ocean views) and a new steakhouse exclusive for guests staying in this part of the hotel. Victoria's adult-only section also features a brand-new pool.

Victoria Beachcomber is located toward the southern end of the Pointe aux Piments beach community, with nothing nearby other than a few other large-scale resorts, like Le Meridien Ile Maurice, Hotel Oberoi, and Maritim Resort & Spa Mauritius. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden is a 17-minute drive to the east, and the capital city of Port Louis is a 22-minute drive to the south. Farther to the south, about an hour's drive away, is Casela World of Adventures, which is popular for quad-biking, zip-lining, and safari excursions. About 15 minutes down the coast from Casela is the beach town of Tamarin, which is famous for swimming with dolphins.

Victoria's three-story buildings holding its rooms stretch to the north and the south of the resort's main area. All rooms are airy and light. Rooms on the top floor feature rustic, rattan-covered vaulted ceilings. In every room are queen beds, minibars (free for all-inclusive guests and replenished daily), flat-screen TVs, free coffee and tea, and free Wi-Fi. Rooms have individual air-conditioning controls, plus Deluxe Rooms also come with ceiling fans. Each room has a separate rainfall shower and a tub in the bathroom, as well as a hairdryer, bathrobes and slippers, and hotel-brand toiletries.

Spanning seven categories, the 254 rooms begin with 76 Superior Rooms, which are located on the ground floor. Victoria's 154 Deluxe Rooms are the same size as Superior Rooms (646 square feet), and are located on the ground or second floors. The nine suites (six Junior, two Senior, one Executive) range from 807 to 1,290 square feet. The hotel also has 15 Family Apartments, which offer 1,290 square feet of space (including two bedrooms and two bathrooms).

Every room technically faces the sea, but the hotel does not guarantee ocean views since palm trees may be an obstruction. All units can be interconnected with another room. Housekeeping visits twice a day.

Victoria Beachcomber's features list is as robust as you'd expect from a 25-acre beach resort geared toward families. And speaking of families, Victoria has two separate -- and free -- kids' clubs for age 3 to 12, plus a teens' club with movies, computers, PlayStation 4s, and foosball. One of the kids' clubs is located right on Victoria's 800-meter-long beach, and the other is indoors, near the lobby. Scheduled activities include drawing, painting, nature workshops, and cooking classes. Babysitting is available with advance notice and at a fee. Another hit with kids -- and all Victoria guests, actually -- is the boathouse, which offers free motorized and nonmotorized water sports, like water-skiing, sailing, pedal boating, kayaking, windsurfing, and stand-up paddleboarding. The boathouse also organizes free snorkeling trips. Deep-sea fishing and scuba-diving excursions cost extra (guests can take free intro to scuba lessons in the pool).

Victoria's four restaurants include three a la carte restaurants and one main buffet, Le Superbe. One of the a la cartes is an Italian restaurant called La Casa, which is open for dinner six nights a week. L'Horizon, a seafood a la carte, serves lunch and dinner six days a week, plus afternoon tea. Both La Casa and L'Horizon are included in the all-inclusive package, though some menu items, like lobster and prawns, cost an extra fee. Morris Beef, added in 2017, is an adults-only steakhouse located in the "Victoria for 2" section, serving breakfast and dinner. Sky-Pe Bar (the pool bar) operates from breakfast until early evening, while Le Bar (Victoria's main bar) and the adults-only Snooker Bar both open mid-afternoon and don't close until late. All six food and drink outlets here offer incredible views over the water.

Sadly, Victoria's spa doesn't take the same advantage of the hotel's beachfront location as the bars and restaurants, but it does offer massages on the beach and it has an outdoor cabin for two. The spa's other treatment rooms (four single, one double) are all located indoors and have private showers. The spa's steam room and sauna is free for all guests, not just those who book spa appointments.

The fitness center is free to all guests as well. It has hardwood floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and wall-mounted flat-screen TVs. In addition to offerings cardio and strength-training equipment, the fitness center provides free yoga classes twice a week. Classes like Spinning, Pilates, and Power Plate are extra. Guests can also break a sweat at the resort's tennis, bocce ball, and beach volleyball courts.

The hotel also has conference and meeting facilities fully equipped with LCD projectors, conference boards, overhead projectors, microphones, video capabilities, and Wi-Fi access. Room and laundry service are available for a fee, and Wi-Fi is free throughout.