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The Oberoi Mauritius
Oberoi Hotel & Resorts
The Oberoi Mauritius
6 Stars and 7 Stripes
Society - World Level Perfection
October - 2007
6 Stars & 7 Stripes
Overall - 'Hotel & Service'
The Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes®
We flew First Class with Air Mauritius from Paris and landed after a relaxing eleven and a half hour flight at the Sir Sewoosagar Ramgoolam International Airport on the enchanted island of Mauritius, where the rising sun welcomed us. It was a smooth landing, executed by a true pro. I'll never forget the moment the airplane door opened and I felt a blast of wonderful warm air sweep through the cabin. The first sight of huge palm trees, the powerful sweet smell of tropical flowers and the incredibly green hills, the perfect paradise of my mind, was here for all to see.
It was a breeze getting through customs and there in front of us was our dark wooden welcome sign, held by Mr. Raj Ramsurrun, our friendly, khaki uniformed chauffeur. He turned out to be a gem of a travel host, easy to understand and very knowledgeable. Within minutes he opened the doors to the BMW 730 IL with its tasteful soft beige leather interior, handed us cold towels and we were on our merry way. During the one-hour ride from the airport to The Oberoi Mauritius, through sugar fields, beautifully clean little villages and subtropical forests, we sipped on fresh, cool water and enjoyed the mesmerizing scenery. The island nation of Mauritius is located in the Indian Ocean, circa five hundred miles east of Madagascar.
Air Mauritius - First Class - Thorsten Buehrmann
Thorsten Buehrmann - Air Mauritius First Class
The Oberoi Maritius is found along the Baie aux Tortues (or Turtle Bay), along the meandering northwest coast, set in over twenty acres of enchanting, subtropical gardens with two thousand feet of white, wide, sandy Indian Ocean beach. It is still within easy access to the capital city of Port Louis (less then 10 miles away) and relatively close to the small by growing town of Grand Baie. We passed the Oberoi Mauritius welcome building, capturing the feeling of the island and we were kindly acknowledged with honest and open smiles and here again, cool towels were dispensed once again.
Arrival: Thorsten Buehrmann & Sjefke Jansen
Arrival: Thorsten Buehrmann & Sjefke Jansen at The Oberoi Mauritius
Within minutes we arrived at our accommodations, a luxurious villa with a natural palm-thatched-roof, a private swimming pool and a private pavilion, granting unobtrusive panoramic views of the unspoiled dreamy beach and these hard to describe, azure-blue warm waters of the calm tropical ocean. Our private, romantic villa was the perfect honeymoon accommodation, or “for couples who just need to get away and recharge or rekindle the spark that brought them together” - we agree here with the Oberoi Mauritius' hotel brochure one hundred percent. Relaxing neutral wood tones for furnishings, ceilings, and fabrics contribute to enhance the experience of wellbeing and convey the feeling of closeness to nature though these accommodations are not lacking state of the art technology throughout.
The Oberoi Mauritius - Suite
Please take a closer look
Through every window and door we became aware that we were living for a few days in our very own 'Garden of Eden'. The dining pavilion allowed us breathtaking views over the lagoon and the ocean. This destination resort offers two gourmet restaurants; three leisure bars, a stylish tea pavilion besides a wine cellar (ideally located in old ruins). There is also a top of the line health & beauty spa, two endless ocean view swimming pools, a modern conference center, nightlight tennis courts and a couple of exquisite shops. Sunset dinner cruises on a private yacht and scuba diving excursions are available through the concierge desk.
We were ready to experience one of the world's finest spas. The Oberoi Spa by Banyan Tree is elite. We were especially impressed with the individual spa suites that offered us private plunge pools that are also available for people who prefer a couple's treatment. These wonderful indoor and outdoor Thai spa facilities include a chic beauty parlor, an authentic rock sauna, an invigorating steam bath, a swimming pool, a state of the art workout facility and then some. Traditional 'body and soul' treatments, Mauritian style, use natural, locally produced essential oils and homegrown fruits, besides offering all the other conventional therapies.
The Oberoi Spa by Banyan Tree is elite.” ~ TB
We experienced for the first time together the coconut husk body brush, followed by a deep tissue massage with freshly ground coconut. Here, under the highly trained hands of our therapists, surrounded by lush sub-tropical gardens, we lost track of time. We both emerged smelling all real yummy after a softly whispering voice asked to get up of the treatment tables and step over a narrow stone bridge into a hot whirlpool. Here we were simultaneously given a cool, refreshing, exotic fruit cup and came back to the amazing reality of paradise.
The Oberoi Mauritius - SPA
Please take a closer look
The Oberoi Mauritius' Spa practices eastern techniques based on holistic treatments and aromatherapy, many drawn on Ayurveda. I can imagine that the sapphire waters of the Indian Ocean may inspire one here to try yoga and meditation. But as far as we were now concerned we were ready for a real elaborate dinner. Back at our villa, the room attendant had freshened up the house and left us again little gifts of freshly picked flower blossoms, which scented the towels with the smell of delight.
The Oberoi Mauritius - Suite
Please take a closer look
An hour later we entered the main restaurant with its long drawn palm-thatched roof and the ever-amazing panoramic views over the Indian Ocean; we knew we were in for an unforgettable evening. Our table was set between two architecturally pleasing pillars, conveying the feeling that we were dining alfresco under the stars. The cuisine was a medley of delicious, creative dishes reflecting the multicultural flavors of the land and sea, touched by Oriental and European herbs and spices.
The romantic flicker of the candles was mirror imaged in the water. We were drawn to follow its path to the ocean where it converged somewhere on the horizon with the setting sun. It leaves you breathless and one may think this was the path to heaven. We literally woke up the next morning in heaven. The room attendant had filled the bathtub with warm water and floating flowers and turned down the luxurious linens the night before and had placed pale red orchids on our pillows. They were now sitting on our champagne flutes on the nightstands, looking a little tipsy, perhaps.
The Oberoi Mauritius
Please take a closer look
Since we never cared to close the curtains, due to the villa's complete privacy, we looked right into the ocean from our beds, without raising our heads. We were hardly able to differentiate reality from our wildest dreams. These presidential accommodations are especially designed and designated to royalties, heads of state and other VIPs that are in demand for a high security level. Upon awakening, we jumped out of bed, all excited as a much-anticipated diving excursion was on our agenda for today. The Oberoi Mauritius, with mountains as backdrop, opens its ocean side doors onto a natural maritime park with a vibrant coral reef, which supports an abundance of fascinating sea life.
The resort offers a wide range of water sports, such as water-skiing, windsurfing, sailing, boating, snorkeling in the lagoon as well as exclusive destination boat trips along the coast. After a luscious, most delicious breakfast in our private gazebo, served by Mr. Baboo, a master Champagne Saberer, and a glass of Veuve Clicquot, we were ready to conquer the coral reefs. 'Sabrage', the art of opening a bottle with a sword is not necessarily a tradition at the resort, but it is available and performed to precision by Mr. Baboo, while beheading a champagne bottle with a single strike of the blade of his sword.
The Oberoi Mauritius - Sabrage
Please take a closer look
We went quickly down to the beach on a winding path through the pretty sub-tropical vegetation, passing other nicely appointed villas to meet with our dive-master Stéphane de Senneville, at the diving station on the beach. We experienced a wondrous, colorful and healthy water world while scuba diving within a twenty-minute boat ride off The Oberoi Mauritius' beach. With crystal clear waters and all these exotic fish and creatures around us, we often couldn't believe our eyes. Fortunately we both had been certified in scuba diving by a qualified instructor in Tulum, Mexico years ago, so we knew how to use all the equipment and were able to experience the adventure of Indian Ocean diving to the fullest. But even without scuba certification, these two expert instructors and guides would have made any scuba adventure an unforgettable and safe experience.
The Oberoi Mauritius - SCUBA DIVING
Please take a closer look
This is a one of a kind underwater paradise, rich in beautiful corals, exotic species of fish and other sea life. The crystal clear water definitely helped to see everything in the most vibrant colors and allowed Stéphane to shoot amazing pictures with his underwater camera.
After our exhilarating diving adventure we dropped into two picture perfect beach chairs under a postcard palm tree. The wooden beach chairs were covered with a moisture-absorbing, soft fabric and they were placed in twos along the wide beach, meaning to offer a measure of privacy.
In this year-round beach resort, where the summer never ends, the Oberoi Maritius boasts a stunning, white sugar-sand beach with an appealing, calm surf. Many people when they envision the island of Mauritius, picture it as a couple's destination, a place to go and get away for romance. In recent years Mauritius has become more than that, it is also a dream destination for the whole family and conventions. A beach boy, with an amazing smile walked up to us, carrying a rattan box filled with body condiments, offering cool towels, sun lotion and a cool refreshing body spray. The friendly young man inquired after our wishes in regards to drinks or ice cream, he also offered us to take a look at a neat little beach bar menu. He then suggested an alcohol free, uplifting fruit drink that we received within minutes. Later we walked into the alluring, shallow, warm turquoise waters for a little swim and after which we got to snorkel and discover the beautiful coral reefs right off the beach, which seemed to stretch on forever, the ultimate in beach life.
The next day we were scheduled for a two-hour sunset sailing cruise. We left the beach at 6 pm on a small transfer boat and boarded the Oberoi Mauritius' private luxury yacht within a few minutes. Trusting the sound of the engines we slowly pulled away from the anchorage and as the yacht picked up speed, sails were set and filled with the winds of the ocean. Hors d ouvres were offered and served on silver trays with well-paired wines. Picking up speed, we got a better look at the beautiful green island and the mountains from a different perspective until the sun was ready to set and turned the turquoise waters of the amazing ocean for moments into an orange red.
The Oberoi Mauritius - BEACH
Please take a closer look
General Manager and world traveler Sjefke Jansen is a multi cultural hospitality pro, who started his career as a trained chef in international cuisine, and then worked himself trough the ranks in the field of hospitality. Sjefke, of European decent, is fluent in English, Dutch and German and traveled and worked in Australia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Singapore, and in the Maldives before he accepted the position as GM at the Oberoi Mauritius. The married father of three comes across as charming, easily approachable and hands-on and we agree, Sjefke is doing a fabulous job.
Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi
Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi
The Oberoi Group is led to its present global status with the vision of Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi, the esteemed Chairman of the Board. Educated in India and Europe, his multicultural vision is well recognizable and through his leadership, most efficient and highly personalized service is the focus. This radiant, successful mover and shaker has put his stamp on the demanding global luxury hospitality market. There are only a few privately owned luxury hotel groups that have accomplished to train their staff, managers and upper management, after the vision of its founding father. Mr. P.R.S. Oberoi was not only able to accomplish that, but has gone above and beyond.
At the Oberoi Mauritius, the staff and their exquisite service are well on their way into the ultimate World Level Perfection category. It was with great honor that we were able to present the world's most distinguished hospitality award to this elite team. Applause!
The Oberoi Mauritius - Award
2007 - The Oberoi Mauritius - Award-Hand-Out - please take a closer look
by Thorsten & Simone Buehrmann

Editor: Ingrid Lemme

Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola
© 2007 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc.


 
 
 
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Disclaimer:

Although the above information was accurate at the time of publication, it can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all pertinent information with the companies in question before planning your trip.


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