Arriving at Le St Geran, after a 12 hr flight cramped in the back of a 99% full Virgin flight, it has to be good. And indeed it is, in many ways. The location cannot be beaten; the staff are just as helpful and charming as expected; the gardens and grounds are beautiful.

The rooms, shortly scheduled for a refurb, are a little tired and dated, although not as bad as I expected from some reviews. The bathrooms need more attention than anything, as there was mould all over the large shower, and an interesting Health & Safety issue of having pretty glass jars in the shower!

The rooms on the lagoon side do suffer from a damp smell - they never really get full sun on them and dry out. The air conditioning works quite well and we found we needed it on at night because of the humidity. However, visiting other parts of the island, we soon realised just what a super location Le St Geran has - there is a permanent gentle breeze on the beach which means you can stay out all day without getting too hot and muggy!

The KidsOnly Club is also due for a refit, which it does need, but the biggest issue there is the staff - it's all a bit relaxed which doesn't really cut the mustard with the children!

We had a lovely holiday, but there is no disguising how very expensive the hotel is - perhaps after the refurb it will seem better value.

Beautiful hotel, service great & rooms big. If you stay on ground floor your doors open up & you can walk straight onto beach.
Breakfast is great make sure you get that in your package,as the food is quite expensive as everything is in euro.
There are 3 restaurants, they have the best indian we ate there several times for lunch & dinner.Other 2 restaurants food is also good.
We were here when school holidays were on, try to go some other time as there were kids everywhere!
There is plenty to do on the island, make sure you go walking with lions it's an amazing experience (which is on the west coast of island), theres lots of catamarans that will take you out on a day trip snorkeling this is also a must.
Shopping is very average it's ok in Grand Baie on the north coast of island.
There's not a lot to do outside le saint geran, the locals said that the west coast was the nicest side, from what i saw the scenery was beautiful,with mountains all around.
Beaches are beautiful all around island, be careful of sea urchins my husband trod on one it wasn't pleasant.

This was our 3rd trip to Mauritius. Both of the previous stays were at the Taj Exotica which was fantastic. This time we went away with our two year old and 8 month old baby. We debated the Le Touessrok as an alternative but given that it recently lost its one and only status we thought safer to go with Saint Geran.

The only downside about Saint Geran is that the decor of the rooms do not feel or appear new....certainly in contrast to Taj, Tousserock etc. We stayed in an Ocean Suite which was sizeable for the kids and functionally fine. They are refurbishing the Saint Geran in 2009 and I have no doubts the results will be superb.

Butler service also is a little strange in that they appear more efficient than in fact they are.

One other downside was the kids club, toys broken etc and something out of 1983

But on the plus side. Service and food. It's been said before but on the whole amazing and friendly. Not over the top at all. Food wise - Free kids meals, purees for the baby with a variety of choices. The Terrace buffets redfine how hotel buffets should be. The new Indian restaurant is different and pure quality with a superb location on the water. Not to fussed by the French restaurant. The baby sitting service was faultless and allowed us to experience in the evening the peace that most of the couples without children experienced all day at the beach

Water sports team were friendly and the oxons became a daily excursion for our 2 year old. Having seen the poor beach at Taj and now Saint Geran's, we now know that white sand and turquoise water is possible! Sunglasses cleaning service on the beach and general helpfulness again outstanding.

I disagree with a previous guest in that it is very expensive and you need to be relaxed about that. £5 for a beer, £8 for small side dish of vegetables, £8-10 for starters etc. It's probably the most expensive extras hotel we have stayed at but its worth it.

And we visited le tousserock. Whilst it was very nice and more stylish, rooms seemed a little clinical. Position and potential wise, we can see why Saul Kerzner kept the Saint Geran. For one thing, all the stairs at Tousserock would have given our prams a nightmare. Don't know how people say Tousserock is better for families...maybe with older children

When the Saint Geran is redone, kids club and everything, it will further its position as the #1 hotel on the island.

Yes the guests are 50 something, french and english, not too well dressed but they were nice and most kept to themselves. We were younger with kids and did not feel out of place.

I would certainly return here again now that I know Tousserock has issues. I don't think there's anything to compare it to

The St Geran is a fabulous hotel. Location, service, facilities. It is a true 5 star establishment. Everyone is made to feel like a special guest, the attention to detail is outstanding. The manager arranged dinner under the stars for my birthday with our own chef and waiting staff - truly wonderful. This hotel thinks of everything. The beach is breathtaking, the the evening entertainment is superb. The clientele are elegant and sophisticated, the age group in general is more 40s than 20s but whats the problem with that? The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. My husband and I are in our early 30s and its a hotel we will revisit every year. Its a magical place and value for money for the experience you have. It is not a ludicrously expensive hotel to eat and drink at, it is a 5 star hotel - with 5 star prices and service. We have stayed in more expensive hotels with a significantly lower offering, The St Geran is a special place. One of the best.