LUX* Belle Mare, Mauritius

Finished in sand-white plaster with coral and citrus accents, the rooms at LUX Belle Mare read like beach huts built to a designer's brief rather than a hotel's. Bleached ash panels, woven rope seating and tables cast from reclaimed local sand run through the 174 rooms, suites and villas, each with its own balcony, terrace or verandah facing garden, pool or sea. The beach itself runs wide and pale along Mauritius's east coast at Belle Mare, backed by palms and fronted by a sheltered lagoon good for snorkelling, kayaking and windsurfing straight off the boathouse. Villas add a private heated pool, an outdoor shower and butler service; the Grand LUX Suite stretches to 240 m² with a lit dressing closet and bedside tables made from reclaimed sand and coral. Dining runs to seven distinct rooms, from Amari by Vineet's modern Indian menu to Duck Laundry's Chinese grills and Beach Rouge, which turns red-lit after dark for music on the sand. The spa works from five elements — earth, water, fire, air and space — and pairs treatments with hammocks and yoga on the beach. A kids' club and a teens' club run alongside adult-only zones near the main pool and spa. Check-in is from 2pm.