Hilton HHonors - Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa

Does anyone know the status of the Hilton Seychelles and when is will exactly open? The website states that it will open in early 2006. I'm still looking for a honeymoon destination in March. Thanks

Glad to hear about a hilton opening here, now we just need to know how to use United miles to get there. Anyone know of the routing using UA miles

Anyone know of the routing using UA miles

You probably should ask this in the Star Alliance or Mileage Plus forum. As far as I know, no Star Alliance members serve the Seychelles. You can get to nearby Mauritus (MRU) via Munich and Frankfurt on Condor and via Vienna on Austrian.

You probably should ask this in the Star Alliance or Mileage Plus forum. As far as I know, no Star Alliance members serve the Seychelles. You can get to nearby Mauritus (MRU) via Munich and Frankfurt on Condor and via Vienna on Austrian.

Qatar airways flies serves it also..but the opening is scheduled for spring 2007! :(

http://213.131.169.243/main.asp?page=221#1470

The new "in" vacation destination for those with zillions of FF miles and Hotel points will soon be the new HILTON SEYCHELLES NORTHOLME RESORT & SPA located at Glacis, Victoria, Seychelles Islands.

A search for availability next May showed rooms available at EUR1000 per night. I tried to check some closer dates but without success.

(Edited to add)

The hotel will be Category 6, and will be available for reward reservations as from July 1, 2006 (Source: e-mail from Cynthis)

You can get more information on the property from Hilton.com - meanwhile here is a description of the rooms:

Guest Rooms

King Hillside Villa: Feel at home in 90m²/969sq.ft villa, nestled in lush tropical forest and commanding spectacular Indian Ocean views. Relax on the sofa or large armchair with ottoman in your living area, featuring featuring contemporary decor and original artwork. Invigorate in the Jacuzzi, or step onto the balcony to admire the sweeping sea view. Keep in touch with high-speed access or relax with the DVD player. Special touches include bathrobe, slippers, mineral water and fruit.


Deluxe and Executive Rooms

King Oceanfront Villa: Relax in this luxurious 90m²/969sq.ft villa, placed on stilts over the Indian Ocean for unforgettable sea views and luxurious surroundings. Unwind on the sofa or large armchair with ottoman amidst the contemporary decor and original artwork. Take in the Indian Ocean view from your balcony, or unwind in the bathroom. Keep in touch with high-speed internet access, relax with a DVD or revitalize in the Jacuzzi. Special touches include bathrobe, slippers, mineral water and fruit.

There is no announcement regarding the reward category

Why do I sense another addition to the new Cat7 level.

No mention of a beach

@obscure2k:
It is written in the Hotel description on the Hilton Website:
http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?moreDesc=true&ctyhocn=NANHIHI

One and a half kilometres of beach allows guests to have un-spoilt ocean views from the villas and plenty of open space in which to relax and take in Fiji's natural beauty.

@obscure2k:
It is written in the Hotel description on the Hilton Website:
http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml?moreDesc=true&ctyhocn=NANHIHI

That link takes you to the Hilton in Fiji !!

Try this one for the Hilton Seychelles (http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/index.jhtml;jsessionid=I2IJVCTJ225QACSGBIX222QKIYF CXUUC?ctyhocn=SEZHIHI)

it is a secluded hideaway on the hillside and along small beach coves on Beau Vallon Bay

See edited version of the first post in this thread

Anyone been in Hilton Seychelles?
i can't find any pic of the hotel and was wondering how is it.
thanks

You can use your United miles on Emirates.

Or Northwest miles on code share partner Air France (operated by Air Seychelles from Paris to Mahe).

My understanding was that Hilton was opening a (new build) 65 room hotel on one of the outlying islands. Now I see it has taken over an established property on the main island. Does anyone know whether the "new build" is no longer part of the plan?

Anyone been in Hilton Seychelles?
i can't find any pic of the hotel and was wondering how is it.
thanks

Try this, Columbo. http://www.helicopterseychelles.com/northolme.html

My understanding was that Hilton was opening a (new build) 65 room hotel on one of the outlying islands. Now I see it has taken over an established property on the main island. Does anyone know whether the "new build" is no longer part of the plan?

According to this press release (http://yahoo.reuters.com/news/articlehybrid.aspx?storyID=urn:newsml:reuters.com: 20060807:MTFH73253_2006-08-07_10-40-14_L07777934&type=comktNews&rpc=44), the doors on 50 rooms have been swung open @ $500/night. Haven't checked the Hilton site as of yet to ensure they aren't jumping the gun.

Sound like a good use for those free night certs, anyone?

Checked a one night stay in November, the cheapest room was a King Villa for 580 euros a month, will be maybe calling hilton for an award stay.

Cheers,

Timo

Thanks for the link to the press release Smallfly--it mentions "Hilton Hotels is to manage a refurbished $28 million resort in the Seychelles and is searching for a second location on the Indian Ocean islands, a senior company executive said."

Challenge is getting there using ff miles. I had booked tickets using a combination of BA/AA miles biz class two years ago. Six weeks before scheduled departure, BA called to say "tough luck--we just stopped flying to the Seychelles". So am still seeking a way to use ff miles in biz class for five of us!

Checked a one night stay in November, the cheapest room was a King Villa for 580 euros a month, will be maybe calling hilton for an award stay.

Cheers,

Timo

How's the availability for an award stay here?

And has anyone had any luck using Skyteam/Air France to get there?

How's the availability for an award stay here?

And has anyone had any luck using Skyteam/Air France to get there?

I called CO, DL and NW to see if I can get an award to SEZ--only NW offered the option on Air France to Paris, then on Air Seychelles as an AF code share. Needs 100K for coach, 180K for first. But I did not try make an actual reservation--my travel schedule is packed for the next year.

As an aside, one of my frustrations about NW is that you cannot hold a reservation if you are short on miles--it must be ticketed immedaitely. Risk is transferring miles in, and calling back to find the award space has disappeared when the transferred miles are in place.

hi, use NW miles on Kenya Airways, only cost u 25k from Africa country to there!

I called CO, DL and NW to see if I can get an award to SEZ--only NW offered the option on Air France to Paris, then on Air Seychelles as an AF code share. Needs 100K for coach, 180K for first. But I did not try make an actual reservation--my travel schedule is packed for the next year.

As an aside, one of my frustrations about NW is that you cannot hold a reservation if you are short on miles--it must be ticketed immedaitely. Risk is transferring miles in, and calling back to find the award space has disappeared when the transferred miles are in place.

But then you are using extra miles on top of what it takes to get to Nairobi. In addition, I have no idea about the safety record of Kenya Airlines.

Another option is to get to Mauritius, and purchase a ticket on Air Seychelles for what I guess is a two hour flight.

I called CO, DL and NW to see if I can get an award to SEZ--only NW offered the option on Air France to Paris, then on Air Seychelles as an AF code share. Needs 100K for coach, 180K for first. But I did not try make an actual reservation--my travel schedule is packed for the next year.



Check out my other thread on this - slightly OT....

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=677891

I have a reservation at the Hilton Seychelles for next October.

I completely gave up trying to get award space on AF/HM codeshare as I got a complete run around every time I tried.

My solution was to take BA to LHR and then Qatar to SEZ. I am returning to LHR on BA from Mauritius. EK also offer flights to the Seychelles.

If you do end up flying on HM - have a look at the Indian Ocean Air Pass which offers some interesting discountred flights.

I have a reservation at the Hilton Seychelles for next October.

I completely gave up trying to get award space on AF/HM codeshare as I got a complete run around every time I tried.

My solution was to take BA to LHR and then Qatar to SEZ. I am returning to LHR on BA from Mauritius. EK also offer flights to the Seychelles.

If you do end up flying on HM - have a look at the Indian Ocean Air Pass which offers some interesting discountred flights.

Has anyone here flown EK to SEZ? I am hoping to get to SEZ on award stay next year. As a United 1K on the U.S. West Coast looking to do award flights, have pretty much decided EK is the only way to go.

On a separate note: BondiBoy, is your Hilton Seychelles reservation an award stay? If so, how easy was it to get?

Thanks
SEA2BA

Awards are fairly easy right now to obtain. I have a Point Stretcher for 6/8-6/15 for King Ocean View Villa! 144,000 points! Great value for the points, but no luck so far for reward travel getting there. Taking EWR to PAR on CO then Air Seychelles. Spent hours with CO trying for options and gave up and paid the PAR-SEZ leg.

On a separate note: BondiBoy, is your Hilton Seychelles reservation an award stay? If so, how easy was it to get?

Thanks
SEA2BA

I had no trouble in getting award space for next October. I booked it myself and then phoned the Diamond Desk and asked that it be concerted to a VIP award.

I suggest that you start with making an award reservation for 4 or 6 (or other) days in the month that most interests you.


By the way, using EK may require a LONG layover in DXB and the onward flight to SEZ departs DXB at an un-godly hour (about 0200) and gets in very early - well before any reasonably check-in time and you need to plan for this.

Good luck

I was at this property in April 07 on a reward stay for 2 nights. It was an ordeal to secure both nights - hotel released the extra night I needed but it didn't show up to US-based HH res agents. A couple of e-mails back and forth between the hotel and US HH reps got the problem solved.

It is an INCREDIBLE property. I cannot say enough good things about it! Nice breakfast buffet included each day over-looking the Indian Ocean.

Staff was very friendly and helpful in all regards.

The property is small and gives a very intimate feel - great for honeymooners.

PM if you have questions ....

I was at this property in April 07 on a reward stay for 2 nights.

Would you mind sharing how you got there from the U.S.?

We stayed at the Hilton Seychelles in February and had no problem redeeming points for the stay. February is the off-season so that may have weighed-in to the availability. The weather was fabulous during that time as the rainy season typically ends in January. I'd highly recommend this hotel (and the Seychelles in general) to anyone! It's amazing!

Also, someone asked about flying to SEZ on EK. We booked our entire trip from LAX to SEZ using miles (Continental) with legs on KLM, Air France and EK. It's my understanding that EK is no longer a Continental partner but that's probably for the best given our miserable customer service experience with that airline. Air France flies to SEZ non-stop out of CDG.

Good luck!

I booked an award stay here for April in an ocean front villa for 6 nights. I found flights on EK using Continental miles, yet was later told that SEZ is excluded from using CO miles on EK, so I purchased tickets CDG-DXB-SEZ for 750 euros roundtrip with a stop over in Dubai. I am going to the Hilton for my honeymoon.
I was wondering if anyone can suggest activities at the hotel?

My wife wanted to try the spa, I was how expensive the SPA is?

Can anyone suggest day trips or fun escursions?

How are prices for food at the hotel?


Cheers,

Timo

From what I recall, the spa was fairly pricey -- probably typical hotel spa prices which I always find much higher than local day spas. But, you're on vacation. What the heck! The Hilton's spa location is fantastic -- right out over the edge of the rocks. You can even order a special dinner on the spa's deck suspended above the rocks. It looked very private.

The food at the hotel is good at breakfast time. The free breakfast buffet has a lot of offerings and you can get made-to-order eggs, pancakes, etc. as well from the waitress. The dinner buffet was not as good. I believe it's 50 Euros per person for food only and it certainly wasn't worth it. There are far better options around the hotel like La Scala (fantastic Italian) and Baobob Pizza (a casual restaurant a nice walk from the Hilton).

As far as day trips, I would highly recommend La Digue. Rent a bicycle and tour around the island's beautiful beaches for the day. Our most memorable meal was at the Grand Anse Bar on La Digue. Its lunchtime buffet is not to be missed. Be sure to get there by about 11:30 to taste all the fabulous offerings. I think it's like $10-12 U.S. per person and you certainly won't leave hungry!

Also, on Wednesday afternoons and the evening of the last Saturday of the month, there is an outdoor market at Beau Vallon Beach. You can easily walk there from the hotel and sample all kinds of cheap local food. I also found it to be the best place for souvenirs and nice t-shirts. Nothing was overly touristy and the prices are substantially lower than the downtown Victoria shops.

You can do more research on day trips, restaurants, etc. on Trip Advisor and Virtual Tourist. Or, PM me for more info.

Enjoy your trip!

Would you mind sharing how you got there from the U.S.?

DFW>MSP>AMS on NW
AMS>NBO>SEZ on KQ

SEZ>NBO>CDG on KQ

Train from CDG>NCE>MPX

MPX>LGW on U2 (Easyjet)

LGW>MSP>DFW on NW

recently stayed at this hotel. My two cents worth:

The hotel is actually a set of villas that overlook the ocean. My villa was two floors with each floor being a seperate room. I never heard the folks below me. Breakfast was included with the room and it was very good. They don't serve breakfast until 8am which was a little bit unusual but not a big deal. There were fruit selections, bread/pastry selections, you could have eggs made to order and also pancakes, selection of meats and cheeses, cereal, and salad. The sausage was quite good, the bacon not quite so good :) Normal selection of breakfast juices, coffee, tea, etc. The dining room is right out over the ocean and you could sit with the doors open and basically eat your breakfast on a deck just removed from the water - it was very nice.

The pool is over the ocean and very scenic - but if you actually thought you could swim some laps then you'll be a little disappointed - you can swim a little but thats it.

The hotel offers snorkelling equipment and some small canoes for free which I thought was very nice. There is a workout room that is decent - they have a set of free weights which is always appreciated and a few treadmills, bikes and I think 5 machines, 3 for legs, one shoulder, one chest. Interestingly they also have a table tennis table in the workout room.

Two bottles of water were provided every day (and are needed as its hot!!). The room itself was outstanding. Very large bathroom with oversized shower and jacuzzi bath and you could look out on the ocean while bathing.

The bedroom was very comfortable - large bed. Sitting area and a desk with a flat screen tv. I think all rooms have a balcony that is fairly spacious and with chairs to lounge and relax or eat.

I didn't eat at the restaurants at night as there is a dress code (smart casual) and I only brought shorts with me as my only goal was to relax. If I understood a German couple I ate one breakfast with correctly, the buffet was 50 Euros/person not including drinks (they weren't too happy with the cost) There are a couple of beach areas on hotel ground that are fairly nice. Lots of beach chairs, etc. I walked to Beau Vallon (hope thats right) which is about 1km from the hotel...took the bus down at night and then walked back (which I will say isn't for the faint of heart as its pitch black and your walking on the road and uphill for part of the way - about a 20 minute walk). Either I didn't look hard enough or there just isn't generally any taxis in that area. There is a really nice (in a very beach relaxing way) pizzeria out on the beach in Beau Vallon and the pizza is excellent. I ate there three times - there is an Indian restaurant and another Italian/general restaurant that for some reason seemed to have no customers every night (and I can't figure out why as I ate there with no complaints). There are a few other bars/cafes in this town. To get the bus, you wait about 30 meters down the road from the entrance to the hotel - its three rupees which is ridiculously cheap - unfortunately though the buses stop running about 7pm which means that you have to walk back!! The bus is very good choice for going into Victoria. Many people had rental cars, but unless your there to explore the island for a few days I wouldn't get one if your ok with using the bus.

This is definately only a place to go if your looking either to just relax or a romantic getaway. A day trip to Victoria is ok especially to buy gifts and you can arrange island tours and visits to other islands but the main theme is basically relaxing. I didn't use the hotel car service so can't comment on the price of that - I took a taxi and it was 30 euros. Euros are definately the prefered currency at the moment (even over their own rupees). To change your money back when you leave you need the original receipt from the ATM. One other thing of note is that they don't allow children at the hotel - but since I don't have any I didn't enquire about the age cutoff. There were definately a few teenagers there while I was there. They have dvd's that you can use for free and I think also cd's...I didn't use this as the tv actually had a few stations that showed movies in English and the few nights I wanted to relax in the room there were decent movies on - it was getting dark at 6pm when I was there. I used room service a few times and the food was pretty good and at a decent price (no more expensive than normal room service).

Overall the service at the hotel was excellent. The only two things that were negative is that I definately got charged someone elses minibar bill one day and at 7am the grounds keepers were out raking/sweeping the grounds - and you'd hear the sweeping. The grounds were very impressive but a few days I would have traded some more sleep for a few leaves being present on the ground.

Have a 6 day reward stay over Easter in mind. Can anyone tell me whether as a diamond I would receive anything extra? Many thanks and happy new year to all ft ers

Some Diamond members have reported upgrades but I was not so lucky.

Considering that the propertys only has 40 villas - 13 of which are deluxe oceanfront villas, I was not expecting a lot. I was told that the (wonderful) breakfast was complimentary, but somehow I suspected that it was free for all guests.

The property has a great location but unless it is your honeymoon, six days may be about two days too many. There is not a lot to do once you have done all the water things.

As a diamond member I was given a free drink coupon (which I didn't use as I didn't bring anything to really fit their evening dress code). Breakfast is included for all guest from what I was told so you'll receive free breakfast.

I wouldn't view this as a negative though, I believe that all the villas are at least excellent and if you enjoy relaxing in the sun/ocean then you'll be very pleased.

has anyone taken any pics that u can share?

I didn't use the hotel car service so can't comment on the price of that - I took a taxi and it was 30 euros.

30 euros from the airport?

Thanks for your report!

[QUOTE=PhilC;9022629]30 euros from the airport?

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Yes - 30 euros from the airport to the hotel.

[QUOTE=PhilC;9022629]30 euros from the airport?

--------------

Yes - 30 euros from the airport to the hotel.

Could you have paid in dollars or rupees? What currency did you use for your meals outside of the hotel? I'd planned to bring dollars and convert and/or use ATMs to get rupees. Can I get by with that or do I need euros? Thanks again.

You most certainly won't need Rupees, unless you intend to take some local buses or shop in the local market. As it is very difficult to re-exchange your local currency when you leave, I suggest that you only change small amounts as needed.

When I stayed recently, EUROS was the currencyof choice.

Taxis booked thru the Hilton can be charged to your account (HH points ???) and the hotel only imposes a modest mark-up of about 10% on the actual fare. By the way, all taxi fares are "fixed" and there are no meters.

As a diamond, I was mega-hooked up. We received the Ian Flemming Suite, and it was spectacular!

For some reason, when I made my award booking, we were able to choose an oceanfront suite, so we knew we had that for sure. I suspect the reason why we got the Ian Flemming suite was because I asked the hotel staff for help in making this trip a special one, since I planned to propose during the trip (which I did - while on an island hopping trip to La Digue).

We paid in Rupees for dinners (outside of the hotels), the markets and taxis. While technically illegal, we exchanged money on the street and got 50% more for our dollar than the official rate. Definitely have dinner at the Boathouse in Beau Vallon - they serve an excellent creole buffet.

Enjoy your visit. We were there for 4 days, and probably would have enjoyed one or two more days to relax!

has anyone taken any pics that u can share?

I have some pics if you want to PM me. Also, you may want to check out Trip Advisor and Virtual Tourist -- there are plenty of pictures of the hotel and the islands posted to those websites.

Would you mind sharing how you got there from the U.S.?

Two skyteam carriers fly to Seychelles (SEZ) [these flights are not always every day]
Kenya Airways (KQ) - through NBO (Nairobi Kenya)
Air France (AF) [a codeshare with Air Seychelles] - through CDG

Reward chart wise (for how many miles you need) Seychelles is identified as Africa

I have some pics if you want to PM me. Also, you may want to check out Trip Advisor and Virtual Tourist -- there are plenty of pictures of the hotel and the islands posted to those websites.

cricketdog, YPM. :)

[QUOTE=MacDaddie;9023085]

Could you have paid in dollars or rupees? What currency did you use for your meals outside of the hotel? I'd planned to bring dollars and convert and/or use ATMs to get rupees. Can I get by with that or do I need euros? Thanks again.

To answer my own question, we ended up exchanging on the street and got 10 rupees to 1 dollar. We used rupees at small restaurants outside the hotel, shops and the market in Victoria. Everything else we paid for with a credit card, so we didn't need euros.

We just stayed at the Hilton Seychelles 3/9-3/16. As a Diamond, I received a lot of perks (beachfront villa upgrade, complimentary drink for myself and wife, champaign bath experience, couples massage, traditional tea service, and a complimentary photo).

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience at the hotel. It was quiet, secluded, and the staff was top-notch. We only ate at the main restaurant once (Asian night), it was good, but on the expensive side.

I would recommend only using euros while on the island, if you can't use a credit card. The majority of the businesses (stores and restaurants) prefer euors. Although in some cases, we found that they treated euros and dollors equally (on La Digue).

The only time that I used rupees was for the local thrill ride: public transportation. For 3 rupees, you can experience a ride that you would only find at traveling carnivals. Easy to get to Victoria.

For what it's worth, this was a vacation of a lifetime primarily because of the experiences at the Hilton.

We just stayed at the Hilton Seychelles 3/9-3/16. As a Diamond, I received a lot of perks (beachfront villa upgrade, complimentary drink for myself and wife, champaign bath experience, couples massage, traditional tea service, and a complimentary photo).

I received 2 comp drinks, 1/2 off sunset cruise, bottle of wine, photo and 2 hats but no champagne bath, massage, tea or upgrade. Based on previous comments, I didn't expect an upgrade but all of the villas are nice anyway.

I thought the dinner buffet was a poor value. We ate at the a la carte restaurant for about the same cost and thought the food was much better. The breakfast buffet is good though and the service is great.

I didn't expect anything, and was pleasantly surprised with the upgrade and all other perks.

The complimentary breakfast was also much appreciated.

We went to this hotel with no expectations and were completely blown away.

I just got back after a 6 night award stay at the Hilton seychelles. I booked when they had a glitch in the system and allowed you to book ocean front villas on points. They have a book of vouchers for staying in an ocean front villa for 5 nights or more. So I got the same vouchers as the previous poster. I got a 1 hour couples massage, champagne bath service, tea ceremony, picture frame, and free drinks.

The villas are great. The breakfast at the hotel (free for me) was great. On arrival we had a great bowl of fruit and a bottle of wine. We had hats and a golf shirt in the room when we got there, which was a nice touch. The SPA has great services, the couples massage was very nice, and my wife for a facial and pedicure which were both very good. You want to book early to get the times you want, the SPA was full for a couple days during our stay.

We did the Pralain / La Digue tour, and thought it was not the best tour. Very rushed etc. We met another couple that preferred the 3 island tour. I would not do many tours as they are very tiring, start early and are very rushed.

We did some scuba diving with the place recommended by the hotel (Blue Sea Divers I think). They were very nice and professional, but took us to a place right next to the hotel, so we saw the same fish when snorkeling by the hotel, so it was a little disappointing.

We had a couple issues (breakfast coming after we left for an excursions (30 minutes late) and the hotel sending me to a restaurant that was closed. Each time I had an issue like this I mentioned it to the manager, and was given a free dinner. I ate at the fine dining restaurant and the buffet restaurant. The fine dining seemed to be a better value as it was better food.

I had a taxi that was very nice and charged the correct fare. He organizes tours of the Island and was reliable when I booked him.

His name is Didier Dugasse. His telephone number is 713 386. You can e-mail him at didugasse @ yahoo. com

Overall my wife and I had a great stay. the only thing that was mising was a nice beach, so the next trip will be to the maldives.

My tips will be the following:

DO:

- do SPA treatments
- Have fish and chips at the bar and other items (very reasonable)
- Do snorkeling by hotel
- Use lots of sun screen
- Eat once at Cocotiers
- Go to Indian store near by for soda / snacks (3 minute walk from hotel) they exchange euros for 15 to 1 when purchasing goods
- Negociate taxi fares before going
- Go to Management Cocktail (wine and good appetizers)

DONT:

- Go on Pralain / La Digue tour
- Plan a good deal of time in Victoria (it is very small and only worth an hour or so)
- Do an organized Mahe tour, you can book a private tour with a taxi driver for around the same price.


I would strongly recommend going to the Hilton Seychelles for a wonderful getaway. If anyone has any questions, please send me a PM and I would be happy to help.

Cheers,

Timo

Just returned from a fabulous 7 night reward stay. We were upgraded to an oceanview room. We had free sunhats, 2 free cocktails, 2 welcome massages and a 2 for 1 offer for the champagne sunset cruise which was excellent. We also had a late checkout which meant that we basically had an extra day to enjoy the facilities. The room was excellent and the views were incredible. Food was excellent at breakfast and in the bar. The fishfingers and sandwiches would easily serve 2 people for lunch. Two dinners at Les Cocotiers were superb.
The staff were very helpful and keen to hear our views at the weekly management liaison party.
The pool was fabulous and the sea temperature was incredible. The snorkelling expedition which was free was very enjoyable.
The island could be toured in a day and the whole holiday was excellent. A really good use of reward points!

- Have fish and chips at the bar and other items (very reasonable)

Mmm... those fish and chips came with a really good curry sauce. :)

Overall my wife and I had a great stay. the only thing that was mising was a nice beach, so the next trip will be to the maldives.


Thanks for the report, this all sounded great - only thing that doesn't is that - there aren't any nice beaches near the hotel? I thought the Seychelles also had nice beaches (never been there)?

There are lots of beaches, but they are all postage stamp size. The biggest beach at the Hilton (and there are at least 7 of them) in about 15m long and 3-4 m wide. For me, they were wonderful.

There is nothing wrong with the beaches at the Hilton, my wife just wants to try a place that is basically only a beach. During my stay, the seas were very rough, and we didn't swim very much, so we are hoping the Conrad Maldives will provide a different experience of more beach and swimming in the ocean. I already booked frequent flier flights on Emirates and got 7 nights award at the Conrad for November. I can't wait to go.

Cheers,

Timothy

BTW- The tartar sauce with the fish and chips is wonderful, I always ordered three tubs with my fish and chips ;) . I was very surprised that of the 40 villas, usually there are 10 filled with people staying on points :D (as stated by an employee at the hotel)

my wife just wants to try a place that is basically only a beach. ...so we are hoping the Conrad Maldives will provide a different experience of more beach and swimming in the ocean.

While it is true that there is a beach surrounding both islands, the beach is quite narrow so don't expect something like Miami, Manly or Waikii.

The water was also rough during my stay. Beau Vallon has a nice, wide beach and the Hilton provides complimentary transportation during the day. But it's also the busiest beach on Mahe (that's relative though, it's not that busy compared to other places).

I was very surprised that of the 40 villas, usually there are 10 filled with people staying on points :D (as stated by an employee at the hotel)

Practically all of the guests on my sunset cruise were staying on points.

Apologies if this is answered elsewhere. Website and my confirmation say check in is 2pm and check out is 12am. I assume that's meant to be 12pm?

Apologies if this is answered elsewhere. Website and my confirmation say check in is 2pm and check out is 12am. I assume that's meant to be 12pm?

Maybe the staff want to use the rooms to have a party(s) the other 14 hours? :D

An update on the property from my recent stay. I was staying there for 6 nights on a GLONP2 award - I am a Gold member.

In advance of the stay I booked in an email exchange what the hotel calls a "Deluxe Indulgence" package for 100 EUR per night which includes:
- upgrade to deluxe Ocean Front Villa
- romantic bath experience
- oriental tea ceremony
- framed hotel photograph of yourselves at the resort
- choice of a gift from gift shop
- couple's massage at the spa

Maybe I would have received the benetifs anyway based on some of the experiences of other posters, but my main motivation was that I wanted to stay in an ocean front villa and not risk that we would recieve an upgrade, I am a lowly Gold member after all. 600 EUR plus 175k points seemed to be good value to me. The massage and the bath were also nice benefits of the package; I did not really care for the other benefits, the photo was in fact never mentioned which did not bother me at all.

Indeed I was very satisfied with the stay and arrangement. I really felt that the ocean front villas are much preferrable to the hillside villas in terms of view and location. Inside they are the same. We had our windows to the deck open almost all the time when we were in the villa and greatly enjoyed the seabreeze, the views and the sounds from the ocean.

As a Hhonors member we received several additional benefits which were spelt out in a letter: voucher for 2 drinks, red carpet in front of our villa (we found this kind of odd), a small present during turndown (spices, soap, etc; not sure if this really is only for hhonors members), preferential villa allocation (we did receive one of the villas with a better location). There were other benefits mentioned that we did not receive like hhonors hats, but also did not care about.

Based on the hhonors carpets, there was only one other hhonors member staying in an ocean front villa, not sure about the hillside villas.

A change that may be relevant to some is that we were told that the benefit for hhonors members of a free spouse on the champagner sunset cruise will no longer be available.

Some other random observations:
- The hotel has great staff. Most were really trying as good as they could to help us making the best of our stay. The only small criticism that I have is that knowledge about the island itself and things to do beyond the standard excursions were not available; the hotel has no concierge services to speak of.
- The villas itself are excellent, good layout, large deck with all the seating options that you need, surround sound system, nespresso coffee machine, etc.
- Free internet is great, but the speed was very slow. No comparison to the speed at the Hilton/Conrad Maldives (which was not really fast either).
- We do not like buffets, so we never tried the buffet dinner and only dined at Cocotiers, at the bar or on our deck. The bar is a great place and also the fine dining restaurant is good, if they set the outside tables. On one evening dinner was served inside and the room is really lacking ambiance.
- One area that definetly needs improvement is their wine menu which was either compiled by someone who is not really interested in wine or thinks that the guests are in general not really interested in wine.
- I rented a 4x4 car for the full stay and while we did not use it every day of our stay it was good to have to explore the island if we felt like it. Driving on the single lane mountain roads can be interesting, if there is oncoming traffic :)
- There are no decent airline connections to the Seychelles. Either you have inconventient connections (Qatar, Emirates, Kenya Airways) or you have to use a subpar airline (Condor, Air Seychelles). We ended up flying with Air Seychelles in business class on an AF award. The 767-300 airplanes are really outdated and seating is horrible on the night flight - it felt like a business class from 10 years ago. Food and beverage was bad to mediocre. The service on the flight to the Seychelles was really horrible, on the return flight it was quite good, however. The lounge in Mahe was surprisingly good.

Bottom line: The ressort is really a great place to stay, an excellent value for the points.

demiurg - since it looks like you've stayed at both, which you rate more highly between the Maldives and Seychelles? Thanks!

demiurg - since it looks like you've stayed at both, which you rate more highly between the Maldives and Seychelles? Thanks!

Both are great properties, but I would have to pick one, it would be the Maldives property. However, I stayed there before it became a Conrad and they introduced the new policies, so I do not know how it is now.

In the Maldives we stayed at the Spa Villas which are marvellous (location, privacy, the villa itself). We were really lucky that we were upgraded to them on an award stay (we had one or two additional paid nights in the Spa Villas and were upgraded to the Spa Villas for the full stay) and I do not know how I would have felt about the ressort, if we had stayed in normal beach villa. An advantage of the Hilton Seychelles is that all villas are identical and they only differ slightly in location so you cannot get a really bad villa while at the Conrad Maldives there are some villas where you do not really want to end up staying (based on some reports). Another advantage of the Hilton Seychelles is that it is on an island that is not only a ressort and you can go somewhere else and experience local culture, have walking trips in the hills, explore remote beaches, etc. At the Hilton/Conrad Maldives you only have the ressort, but the upside is that the ressort itself offers much more because of this and its somewhat bigger size. In particular, you have a much wider choice of restaurants and bars - all of which seem to be managed extremely well - like the whole ressort. An example is the Wine bar where they ship the black volcanic sand used for the floor from New Zealand and offer a great variety of wines from around the world plus around different 100 cheeses.

Maybe this gives you an idea of the different feel of the places and helps deciding which one to choose. We were expremely pleased with both.

Went with the family to both this year--Maldives in January, Seychelles in July. Both are SPECTACULAR. I often try to think which one I would want to go back to preferentially--and cannot come up with an answer. Maldives may be slightly easier to get to, with Singapore Airlines and Emirates serving Nadi. Only choices (I believe) for Seychelles are Air Seychelles from Europe or Air Kenya (twice weekly service) from Nairobi.

As previous posts mention--Seychelles offers a much wider array of outside shopping, activities and restaurants. All the rooms are pretty much identical other than location (closer to versus slightly further from ocean). One is more captive in the Maldives--but its beauty is almost indescribable.

If you can't decide which one to go to--make plans for BOTH at some point!!!!

All the rooms are pretty much identical other than location (closer to versus slightly further from ocean).

One small correction. MOST of the villas are all the same. The exception is the Iam Flemming Villa. We stayed in that villa a little more than a year ago. It's the last of the 'oceanfront' villas, and is therfore the most secluded. The villa features a ROUND bed (lined with some sort of an animal print cover!), has the full collection of James Bond movies, and has other unique furniture. It was definitely a cool villa to stay in, especially since that was the exact villa Ian Flemming stayed in when he wrote 'For Your Eyes Only.'

I second everyone's comments. Great resort, top-notch service, and we loved the ability to go into town and have some local (and more moderately priced) food. Note that the Hilton has a car service that will take you into Beau Vallon for free.

Note that the Hilton has a car service that will take you into Beau Vallon for free.

We were charged about $12 each way for the taxi service. Plus a $5 tip, made it $17.

Note that the Hilton has a car service that will take you into Beau Vallon for free.

We were charged about $12 each way for the taxi service (direct billing). Plus a $5 tip, made it $17.

We were charged about $12 each way for the taxi service (direct billing). Plus a $5 tip, made it $17.

Where did you go with the taxi? The free car service only goes as far as Beau Vallon. Trips to the Airport, Mahe, etc aren't free.

The free car service only goes as far as Beau Vallon.

And it's only during the day time, I believe.

Where did you go with the taxi? The free car service only goes as far as Beau Vallon. Trips to the Airport, Mahe, etc aren't free.

Sometimes Beau Vallon during the day. Another time we went downtown to pick up the ferry to Praslin. Were always charged.

Sometimes Beau Vallon during the day.

Did you specifically ask for the complimentary shuttle service? We were asked to give them about an hour advance notice in order to organize it. Perhaps they misunderstood what you wanted or perhaps they've eliminated the free shuttle.

Did you specifically ask for the complimentary shuttle service? We were asked to give them about an hour advance notice in order to organize it. Perhaps they misunderstood what you wanted or perhaps they've eliminated the free shuttle.

Had no idea to ask--all we were offered was a hotel taxi, which was in a small car. Never saw anything during our ten days there looking like a "shuttle".

As an aside--we were told by the marketing executive stationed at the property that the hotel will be opening an executive lounge later this year.

When we went to Maldives, I was able to book something ex-BKK, and return on SQ from MLE via LAX to YYZ in F for a very very reasonable price.

I still have a few hundred thousand HH points, and would love to compare to Maldives and use up an award stay there next year. I tried a few routings on EK, and others, and couldn't find anything (admittedly I only spent an hour or so) in C/J/F that wasn't $20k a person from YYZ.

It's easy enough for me to get to Europe or Asia in J/C o/w.

Does anyone have any suggestions on routings that I may not have considered yet? Feel free to please PM if it's something you'd prefer not to post in the forum.

Thanks
ckc

I can't comment on J/F, but in terms of routings to SEZ....

Via Paris on either Air France or Air Seychelles.

Via Dubai on Emerites

Via Doha on Qatar

Via Nairobi on Kenya Airlines

Air Seychelles flies from several European cities, but their reputation for J isn't the best. I had dinner one night with a couple that had flown Air Seychelles in either business or first (can't remember) and they weren't impressed.

Air Seychelles flies from Munich, Milan, London, Rome and Johannesburg that I'm aware of - can easily check their website.

In terms of price Air France is probably your best bet when they run some sort of sales. In my experience Emirates and Qatar don't do much discounting - they set the price and stick to it. I can say that Emirates in coach is doable and the entertainment system on their biggest planes is excellent in coach (to divert your attention from being in coach).

I've booked 6 nights at Hilton Seychelles for early June '09 as part of my honeymoon excursion (I can't put into words how excited I am!!)

We are flying to Seychelles from Venice. I actually transferred starwood points for two Emirates air tickets. We have a stopover in Dubai which is actually pretty cool because we get to stay the night. Emirates also has one stop flights from Rome; both are only available to Seychelles on Saturdays though.

Via Paris on either Air France or Air Seychelles.


I don't believe AF operate their own service to SEZ. They codeshare on the Air Seychelles flight.

Had no idea to ask--all we were offered was a hotel taxi, which was in a small car. Never saw anything during our ten days there looking like a "shuttle".

Sorry, didn't mean to imply it was an actual shuttle bus. It was in the hotel car, sort of like a small SUV.

Was it black? That's what we got, sort of a RAV4 SUV shuttle. I think it was the driver's own car, but definitely newer and the driver was very curteous.

Since we have some Seychelles experts, I'm going to take advantage...

What is the best way to get to the Hilton from the airport?

What is the best way to get around Seychelles (I've heard a bike is very dangerous, sounds like the shuttle is an option, or just a cab)?

What is the best way to get to the other islands to see the coco de mer in person? Do you have to book trips to other islands in advance?

What was your favorite island? Best experience?

Thanks!

Since we have some Seychelles experts, I'm going to take advantage...

What is the best way to get to the Hilton from the airport?


Believe it or not, we actually took the public bus from the airport to the Hilton. Probably the only people to take public transportation to this 5-star hotel... The journey involved riding in a hot, packed bus from the airport to the central bus station in Mahe, then trying to find our connecting bus at the station, and continuing on to the northern coast, then back south to the Hilton.
It was definitely the cheapest way and most authentic, but not sure if I'd do it again...

We rented a car (Avis had the best rate - paid roughly $50/day a year and half ago, and they delivered the car to us at the hotel), and used that for a day of beach hopping.

We joined an organized tour to check out two other islands (Praslin and La Digue). Definitely go for the air transfers, we heard from many people who took the ferry and gave back their lunches while on deck...

Bonstonbali - thanks for the good info

Where did you book the tours to the other islands? I guessing La Digue and Praslin? Were these single day tours to each island?

Hi all,

I have an upcoming Points stay at the Hilton Seychelles. They say they're unsuitable for someone in a wheelchair, and suggest Sainte Anne Resort as an alternative. How accurate is the first part? And is Saint Anne acceptable/comparable?

Thanks

Having been there with a sprained ankle I can confirm that without doubt, the Hilton Seychelles is unsuitable for anyone with a wheelchair. The resort is built on a steep hillside and most of the villas can only be accessed via stairs.

Sainte Ann is a completely separate resort that has nothing whatsoever to do with Hilton. It is also very, very expensive (cheapest room about $1100) and I would be very surprised if they allowed you to use your points. If so, I will be on my way as soon as I can make the reservations.

For more information see:
http://www.southtravels.com/africa/seychelles/sainteanne/

Thanks for your feedback. Agree that Sainte Anne is pricey, but the Hilton Seychelles isn't exactly cheap either! In fact, their rates are very similar.
Having been there with a sprained ankle I can confirm that without doubt, the Hilton Seychelles is unsuitable for anyone with a wheelchair. The resort is built on a steep hillside and most of the villas can only be accessed via stairs.

Sainte Ann is a completely separate resort that has nothing whatsoever to do with Hilton. It is also very, very expensive (cheapest room about $1100) and I would be very surprised if they allowed you to use your points. If so, I will be on my way as soon as I can make the reservations.

For more information see:
http://www.southtravels.com/africa/seychelles/sainteanne/

We took a taxi from the airport to the Hilton last year and got royally taken by the taxi driver. The fare was $40 U.S. and we gave him a $10 tip. When we checked out of the hotel, we booked a taxi through the Hilton to get from the hotel to the marina (which I believe is farther away from the hotel than the airport). Total fare for the cab booked through the hotel: $10 U.S. So, you may want to email the hotel and see if they can arrange a cab to pick you up at the hotel.

Once on the island, we also used the public bus to get around. It was fairly simple and you can get more information, including maps and routes online: http://www.virtualseychelles.sc/gover/para_sptc.htm

In Praslin, the public bus will can take you from the marina (the bus stop is just across the street from the marina) to the Valle de Mai.

You can take a ferry between the islands of Mahe and Praslin: http://www.catcocos.com/schedule.html

Enjoy your trip!!!

When we checked out of the hotel, we booked a taxi through the Hilton to get from the hotel to the marina

In Victoria? Hilton-Victoria is closer than Hilton-airport. We took the hotel car to the airport and it was 30+ EUR.

Was it black? That's what we got, sort of a RAV4 SUV shuttle. I think it was the driver's own car, but definitely newer and the driver was very curteous.

Yup, was it Philippe? He's a really nice guy. I think he told me Hilton owned the car.

After spending some time in the Maldives earlier this month, I've decided to make the trek again back to the Indian Ocean... this time to the island of Mahe to check out the Seychelles. I'll be there in 2 weeks.

Just like the Conrad Maldives, I'll post a comprehensive trip report when I'm done. But for those that have to both the Maldives and the Seychelles, how do they compare?

I know geographically the islands are very different: one is a sliver of sand just a meter above sea level while the other is a rocky, mountainous island. But other than that, how do the resorts compare/differ ...and how is Diamond treament in the Seychelles?

Oh, please let me know all that you learn. I am planning a landmark birthday for next year there. Any tips on how to get there? I am looking at a going to London as the gateway.

Oh, please let me know all that you learn. I am planning a landmark birthday for next year there. Any tips on how to get there? I am looking at a going to London as the gateway.

Air France code-shares on Air Seychelles to fly direct to the island from Paris. Emirates also has service to the island from Dubai while Kenya Airways has service from Nairobi. While I was looking, none had daily service. The one that best lined up with the days I wanted to travel was Kenya Airways.

They have 777 service from Heathrow to Nairobi featuring lie-flat sleeper seats/beds similar to the upcoming lie-flat product on Continental in their forward cabin. Then I have a 2 hour connection in Nairobi before heading over to the Seychelles, so it works out really well. On the way back I have a lengthy connection in Nairobi (about 5 hours) but at least I don't have to leave the airport and/or deal with overnighting in Kenya. They also have service to/from Amsterdam and Paris with decent connections too if Heathrow won't work.

Diamond treatment in the Seychelles was fantastic--we had two villas right on the water. Breafast was included, and they mentioned when we were there this past July that there would soon be an Executive Lounge. They also gave Ms. Travelexpert and myself a one hour free massage.

I believe the actual layout of all rooms is identical except for one fancy suite, but they are WOW! Probably the same size as the standard room we had in the Maldives, but stunning layout. We sat on the large balcony, just loving the view across the bay and listening to the tranquil waves...

The advantage of being on a large island is that you are not "captive", which is of course the case in the Maldives. There are lots of good restaurants fairly close to the hotel (easy cab ride) that can provide variety and/or save you money.

We took the BA route mentioned in the prior post from Los Angeles, using BA miles for biz class for our family of five. Challenge was that Air Kenya had only twice weekly flights to Mahe (Thursdays and Sundays), so we had to time our arrival into and departure from Nairobi perfectly (we had been in Nairobi as part of a safari in 2000, and had little desire to spend much time there). By the way, we used Northwest miles for all five of us on Air Kenya.

Take a look at other posts about the Conrad Seychelles. And try for 10 days there. Finally, visiting neighbouring Pralin and La Digue is a must!!!

Weatherboy - catch me in IAH this weekend (at the CO DO), and I'll give you my feedback, since I stayed at this hotel a few years ago. Got upgraded to the Ian Flemming Suite, which was very cool!

The island itself is beautiful, as are the nearby islands (Praslin and La Digue). The KQ seats (flat beds) are awesome. You'll have a great trip!

Bostonbali

I'll look forward to the full trip report as I'm heading to Seychelles in June for my honeymoon. We're going to Italy first and then flying Emirates from Venice to Seychelles via Dubai. I believe it's only a weekly flight but it worked out well because I transferred 100k starwood points to Emirates to cover the flight (at a nice valuation of 6 cents per point!). On the way back we have a full day/night layover in Dubai so we'll get to enjoy it as well.

As far as Seychelles, I absolutely can't wait. Praslin and La Digue are on the agenda but still deciding if I'm going to fly to them or take the ferry (the Fiance is afraid of pirates :D). We'll probably do one day at each of those, one day hiking up the mountain on the mainland, and possibly spend another day on the main island hiring a taxi to take us around to the local beaches (sounds like its about $80/day). I would also like to get some snorkeling in. If I add anymore to the 'agenda' it's not going to sound like a relaxing honeymoon, but if you have any suggestions on what else to do let me know!!

I check-in to the resort this weekend -can't wait!

A question for those that have been there: is the preferred (or perhaps only accepted) currency the Euro ...or do they accept American dollars too?

In the Maldives, they'd only price and accept American dollars. At this Hilton, everything is quoted in Euros, so I'm wondering if I'll need to pick some up on my way to the resort.

A question for those that have been there: is the preferred (or perhaps only accepted) currency the Euro ...or do they accept American dollars too?

When we were there in March 2008, the Euro was much stronger (~$1.50). The Euro was preferred on Mahe. However on La Digue, some vendors treated the euro and dollar as equivalents. Needless to say, we spent our U.S. dollars on La Digue.

I received the following welcome email from the hotel, offering me the following options:


1. A candlelight dinner on the beach, in the comfort of your villa balcony or anywhere within the hotel property you may wish during the stay. The menu is your to choose as well and it is tailored and personalized to your taste by our executive chef, Tim, who will be more than happy to work on it with you. Shall you wish to create an element of surprise and romantics for your companion for an evening, it is ideal and has proved to be so by many guests who have tried. Please find attached a sample menu. [Menu items looked like around 150euro total for a decent dinner / person.]

2. You may also indulge yourselves in some spa treatments at our Duniye Spa. We have a selection of pampering couple and individual massages available which will help enliven your senses both before and after your cruise.Please see spa menu as attached and also special promotions we are having in February at the Spa. [60 minute Massages are priced around 75euro.]

3..For dining in the evening , our restaurants offer as follows:
- A theme Buffet served at the Hilltop Restaurant at Euro 50 per person plus 10% government tax and 10% Service Charge.
-At Les Cocotiers Restaurant, you can enjoy our a la carte fine Dining cuisine where you may also opt to sit outside and enjoy your dining experience under the stars.
-The Ocean View Bar and restaurant will be opened from 10:00 hrs to 22:00 hrs, serving our snack menu.

4. Enjoy our luxurious Bath of the Night, soaking in warm bubbles and sipping champagne and fruits, surrounded by candlelight in the comfort of your villa's Jacuzzi bath for only Euro 35 per person plus 10% government tax and 10% Service Charge.

5. On Sunday, following popular Seychellois tradition, we have our Sunday lunch Barbeque with a View at the Ocean view Bar and Restaurant, which is not to be missed. There is musical entertainment by one of our local DJs at only Euro 50 per person plus 10% service charge and 10% government tax.

6. On Monday, you can join our weekly Champagne Sunset cruise whereby we will sail in the northwesterly coast of Mahe from the resort to the Baie Ternay marine park sipping champagne and nibbling on fruits aboard the 'catalina' catamaran. You will enjoy one of the most breath-taking views of Mahe's national park overlooking the crystal clear waters of the marine park where you may do some snorkeling. Then sail back to the resort in the loving comfort and magic of the sunset for only Euro 75 per person plus 10% government tax and 10% Service Charge.

7.Shall you wish to enjoy a personalized experience and a holiday of a lifetime, our Butler Service will create a wonderful, relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere, by providing the following services:
*personalized villa preparation with flowers, incense and music of your choice
*personalized arrival and departure transfer to and from hotel
*luggage packing and unpacking services
*Personalized evening turndown services
*complimentary preparation of in-villa bath experience
*points of contact for arranging excursions, car hire and flight reconfirmations
*In-villa check-ins and check-outs
*guaranteed early check-in
*complimentary laundry and valet services
*complimentary afternoon tea served to you on your private villa terrace
*A complimentary bottle of local Takamaka rum offered with unlimited soft drinks
Th Butler package is available for only Euro 75 plus 10% service charge and 10% government tax.


The hotel also offered me the ability to upgrade to a Deluxe Oceanfront Villa for 100euro/night. No mention of Diamond upgrade offer yet.

The hotel also offered me the ability to upgrade to a Deluxe Oceanfront Villa for 100euro/night. No mention of Diamond upgrade offer yet.

We got this automatically upon check in. For both rooms--Ms. travelexpert and I both have Diamond accounts.

At this Hilton, everything is quoted in Euros, so I'm wondering if I'll need to pick some up on my way to the resort.

The hotel uses Euros, but you will probably settle this using a credit card?

I cannot really comment on the USD topic as we are from a Euro country, but perhaps the following is still helpful for you:

We did change a few Euros to the local currency when we arrived - for usage in non-hotel restaurants etc. We did not change much as we were not expecting to need much local change and right we were.

If you want, you can change money on the streets - which is illeagal, but you get a much better rate (about 1.5x the official rate).

Beware that you will not be able to use your remaining local currency when departing at the airport. The shops there only accept Euros (and probably USD), but not their own currency. That says everything about how the economy is run there.

I'll post a full trip report when I'm done, but some highlights of my first 2 days here:

The travel gods were very nice to me on arrival at Seychelles's Victoria Airport: I was the first person off the plane, the 1st person to clear immigration, and the 1st bag off the belt. I cleared through to the airport exit where my butler was waiting for me.

He grabbed my bags and called the resort limo up for us. We then went to the resort which was about a 20 minute ride away. Along the way, the limo driver described the sites while my butler provided cooled/minted face towels and bottled water.

Arriving at the resort, they brought me to the "welcome pavillion" where I was offered more cooled/minted towels and a glass of champagne (or OJ or other fruit juice.) I was introduced to the resort GM there and then my butler then took me to my villa, which is one of the hillside villas that sit over the ocean on the northern part of the property. Out and below my villa is a spectacular unobstructed view of the Indian Ocean... along with a little beach well below the villa.

Had the Ian Fleming suite been opened, they would have offered it. However, the hotel is booked to capacity. (And from what I can gather, it is.... there were decent volumes of tourists moving around the resort, in/out of the villas, and in the public areas.)

My Deluxe Beach Villa at the Conrad Maldives is far more stunning and luxurious than this resort villa. My Deluxe Over-Water villa at the Maldives is comparable to this villa; perhaps this villa is a bit larger. But based on US accommodations, this place definitely is exponentially better than any other US Hilton ...including the bay suites at the Hilton Waikaloa Village. (If you were looking for value per point or dollar spent, I would say the Conrad Maldives is better value than here.)

The butler service is nice...although at times a bit overwhelming. While he was eager to unpack my bags, I opted to do that myself. He brought hundreds of flowers into the villa before my arrival... and brings fresh fruit trays each day. In the morning, he greets me with OJ (although other options include tea and coffee.) He follows me to breakfast... and even plates my food for me (in case the 10 steps from the table to the buffet are too stressful for me.) At check-in they gave me a cell phone with his number stored in the memory to call at anytime.... but he's always a few footsteps away, so I've yet to need it. (After breakfast while he was cleaning off my table, I darted down to a beach and walked off the path into the woods. Sure enough, a few minutes later, he caught up with me to see how I was doing.) The butlers are on duty 24/7 so I'm sure if there was something I needed at 3:30am, he'd be there with it.

There is no wireless internet in the rooms. There is a LAN port, so bring your cable (or you can borrow one of the limited number of cables the resort has.) The internet is slow ...but a touch faster than the snail-slow pace of the Maldives connection. They do have wi-fi in their reception area, but I would presume the speed is the same wherever you are.

If you aren't good with steps, this place is not for you! It seems like I'm always going up/down steps here so today I counted just how many steps I walk: 120 down from my villa to the reception area, about 150 down to the beach, and about 140 to the hill top restaurant. The round-trip walk of about 300 steps is good post-breakfast exercise :)

Food is fair and expensive...although not nearly as expensive as it was on the Maldives. A three-course meal with water for one can be had for under 75euro here.

Speaking of Euro, all prices are in Euros here. The island does have their own local currency which is used off the resort, but once you exchange currency into it you can -not- change it back. It's against the law to convert Seychelles currency back into some other currency.

I'll be there in June and am counting down the day so I look forward to your full report.

I haven't heard of the Butler service before... do all rooms have a butler or this a special deal? It sounds somewhat intrusive! :D

I've posted pictures on Facebook again under the page "Weatherboy Weather"; there's pictures of the resort grounds, my villa, and nearby waters where I took a sunset sail.

As far as Butler service, it's an additional option you can get for 75euro/day. It has other benefits like airport transfers, unlimited softdrinks and laundry service, so I opted for it.

This resort is a tiny one with only 44 villas. All villas are identical; the only thing that's different is the view and whether or not it's a single unit or a duplex unit (one villa on the 1st floor and the second above it.) All villas are on stilts, so there is a view from each. However, some views seem to be better than others.

Even the duplex villas are private --with about 2-3' of insulation and soundproofing between the two floors. So guests in one villa can sleep in silence while guests in the one above/below it can watch a 007 movie with the volume cranked up.

I personally prefer unobstructed views of the ocean and a completely private rear yard/deck. For that reason, I find their hillside villas 226, 224, and 222 the best in the resort... with 226 the best and 224 the next-best. These are the three 2nd floor villas at the far end of the resort; the only thing below them is a little bit of jungle... and the only thing between you and the ocean is the beach (or rocky coastline.) The villas below them (225,223,221) feature the same view... but their rear patios/decks can be seen from the 2nd floor units. These units look west so you have amazing views of the sunset in the evening.

There are hillside villas 220-213 --these units look south onto the main walkway to the main reception building, eateries, spa, and pool. While there is a view of the water from those units, there isn't much privacy: everyone walking back/forth from their villa to the pool/eateries/etc. can pretty much wave to you.

Ocean villas 101-110 are one-story villas nearest to the water. However, the windows at the back of these villas face onto that main walkway. If you stay here, remember that! I've caught many an eyeful walking to dinner with some couples getting busy with their lit-up villa in the evening --with the window shades open. With the curvature of the resort (it's on a peninsula of sorts), there isn't much privacy for the rear of these units either. You have a clear view of each person's rear deck from the pool/spa/fitness room area. The sun sets on the other side of the resort peninsula so you will likely not have unobstructed views of the setting sun most of the year.

The last batch of villas are 111-114, which are ocean villas (114 is the Ian Fleming suite) and 211-201, which are the hillside villas right above them. These units are more private because they're set back a bit more than the others... and because it's in the quietest part of the resort, furthest away from reception/pool/eateries/etc. There's beach access between 114 and 113 so you'll probably see guests come/go around your villa there. In the hills, while it is quiet, you do look down onto the ocean villas below you. Rooms in the low 200's, when not occupied by guests, are often given to resort staffers to sleep in so they can be better acquainted with the villas and the features/amenities inside.

There are lots of steps in this resort! So the rooms with the best views (226/224/222) will need a lot of walking up/down flights of stairs. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle, that may be difficult for you: I'm averaging about 1,500 steps up/down each day. Good exercise ...but if steps aren't for you, stay closer to the ground. Be warned: this place (and the island in general) is not ADA compliant. From the airplane/airport to your villa, if you can't get around on your own 2 feet, you will have great difficulty here.

The ocean villas (101-110), while not too private, are located pretty much located level with the main walkway to the main public areas of the resort. So there, with just a handful of steps here/there, you can get quick/easy access to the public areas of the resort.

Villas 201-211 and 111-114 have a cart path connecting to the main walkway, so there you can walk without too many steps/stairs (other than the steps up into your villa.) 114 and 201 are at the end of the resort property (closest to the main driveway entrance) so you'll have the longest walk to eat/swim/spa.

Remember, the villas are all identical (although some feature a left entrance and the others feature a flipped right entrance) so everyone is on par there. (The Ian Fleming suite features 007 decor and a round bed but also has the same floorplan.) View is the only differentiating factor... so while they may charge the most for the 101-110/111-114 villas, I'd request 222-224-226 if I were you.

I've wrapped up my visit at the Hilton Northolme Spa & Resort in the Seychelles. It's a fabulous resort --I just wish I visited this place -before- I went to the Conrad Maldives. Compared to the Maldives, any other place is just subpar. Terrific Maldives experience aside, I'm pleased to recap my visit to the resort.

I've already blogged about villa types and options offered prior to and at check-in in this thread.

There isn't much that you get here as an HHonors member. But because the villas are pretty much all the same ...with just some subtle view/privacy issues that I raised in the previous blog. That aside, this is what they offer as the HHonors "My Way" benefits:
-An upgraded, full American breakfast at the Hilltop Restaurant for every morning of the stay. (To the best of my knowledge, this is offered to all guests ....or at least folded into the nightly rate, so this really isn't much of a "perk."
-A personalized in-Villa check-in. (I'm not sure if this is available to all guests or what, but it's nice.)
-A welcome cocktail at the Ocean View Bar or anywhere on the resort (the pool, the beach, the bar) (This is nice and doesn't have a limit, so if you wanted a 20Euro cocktail, it's all yours.)
-Hand-crafted straw hats. (Makes for a nice gift for folks back at home.)
-Complimentary early check-in and late check out for all Gold and Diamond members,
-Complimentary daily news fas delivery (I would think every guest gets this 1-page news fax photocopy.)
-"An HHonors Carpet leading to your door, guaranteeing recognition of your HHonors Status." No joke --they really roll out a little HHonors carpet in front of your villa, typical to the carpet that's in traditional Hilton check-in lines at hotels. As silly as this carpet is, it actually came in handy --with some inclement weather, it was nice to brush off my shoes really good on it before coming into the Villa. Without it, I'd probably make a bit of a mess.
- Priority room cleaning & restaurant bookings. I'm not sure if it was because of my HHonors status or because I had a personal butler, but I had any table I wanted at any time in any place....and housekeeping came first thing in the morning.
-"7 Days, 7 Ways in-room amenities" --a different gift for each day of your stay, up to 7 gifts. For the most part, these gifts consisted of local crafts like a bar of special soap with local seashells and sand incorporated into the bar, a bookmark made of local plant materials, and other decorations. A nice touch --I'd probably spend $5-10 on those items in a giftshop if I were so inclined.
-A personalized picture to capture the magic of your time in the Seychelles. I don't know how they execute this (I didn't get one), but my butler was willing to take pictures of me or anything else anytime I wanted.

My butler and a chauffer picked me up at Victoria airport. And as I had remarked in another thread, the travel Gods were kind to me: I was first one off the plane, first one through Immigration, first bag off the belt in baggage claim, and first one to exit Customs into the arrival area. About 20 minutes later, we arrived at the resort.

The resort sits behind a gated entrance that's manned by a guard. I don't think there's any crime on the island, so I think the guard and the gate was there more for decoration than any use. Once passed through the gate, you arrive at a "welcome pavilion" also known as their "upper reception area." There, I suppose some guests get checked in. This pavilion reminded me of the pavilion on the bridge across from the Seaplane dock at the Conrad Maldives. You go in, have your choice of champagne or fruit juice... and of course cool off with a scented cold face/hand towel.

My bags were unloaded from the car from the airport there and I walked over to my villa with my Butler. This resort is very small. With 40 villas, the occupancy load of the place is small... and the acreage it takes up is small. If you didn't have to worry about steps and climbing hills, you could probably go from one end of the resort to the other in about 5-10 minutes. The resort sits on a peninsula that jets out to the ocean a bit; the middle of the peninsula is where the main public areas are: the spa, the infinity pool, all the restaurants, small gift shops, and the main “front desk.” The villas spread up the coast from there in both directions, up along side the rocky hill. Everything is connected by a network of paths and steps, and as I had mentioned in an earlier thread, there are lots and lots of steps. At night, the paths are dimly lit. Be careful!

My butler and I arrived to my villa where he proceeded to check me in in the “living room” of the villa. The villa consists of a large open living area, a bed area that’s a step above the living area, and a very large bathroom (with separate water closet) that featured a jetted tub and a large open-air shower with rain-shower head. I don’t know what they were thinking my elevating the bed area by a step –it’s next to impossible to see at night, even with a very faint step light that you can turn on. I stumbled a few times…so I dragged a chair to the step to serve as a bit of a barricade so I didn’t fall during a middle of the night visit to the bathroom. Off the back of the villa was a large deck; it featured two large comfortable lounge chairs, a small table for those chairs, a nice sized table with 2 chairs (perfect for eating at), and a very comfortable lounge/day bed of sorts that two people could comfortably sit on. Even with all of that furniture, there was ample room to walk around and hang out on the deck. The bathroom contained basic toiletries that you’d see in any Hilton –no premium soaps or shampoos. It took a while for hot water to get to the room, but once it did, it seemed like there was an endless supply. The room included a free electric safe in the closet. The room was also equipped with a minibar; items there ranged from 4Euros for a soft drink to 20Euros for premium liquor. Nuts/Pringles were also available for sale…as was a tube of 30SPF suntan lotion and insect repellent. Housekeeping delivered to ½ liter bottles of water/day to the room; while they say the tap water is fine, they recommend drinking the bottles.

The resort has bugs. Very different from the Maldives which only had a typical garden ant or two crawling around. There’s assorted flies, orange-yellow wasp-like bugs, and lots of very tiny white spider-like bugs –about 3mm or so big. And then there are the giant spiders. And I mean –giant-. I saw one giant spider spin up an incredible web near the pool; the web was about 6’ across and the spider itself was about 6” wide/tall. It was black with orange markings and was hanging out in the middle of its web snacking away. When there was a nearby noise (i.e.: someone dropping a book by the pool), it would jump… but otherwise, was unphased by the guests…. And it looked like guests were unphased by the spider. The island also has mosquitoes but there’s no concerns for malaria here. During my stay, it was very windy (with rain on 2 days) but I never encountered a mosquito nor did I suffer from any bug bites of any kind.

The bed in the villa featured a netted canopy, but I think that was there more for decoration than for practical use. Then again if the winds were calm and I decided to sleep with the doors/windows open, I’d probably want that canopy enclosed around me.

The only animal life I saw on the resort was your typical tropical gecko/lizards –the largest was about 7” long and hung out by my deck light at night. Otherwise, I saw skinny tiny guys at night… just like I’d see in Hawaii or elsewhere.

The villa itself was similar to the shape/square footage of my over-water villa in the Maldives...perhaps another 50 square feet larger. The floors/walls/ceiling are all made of the same wood…. So it was like living in a mahogany box for the week. Far superior to any type of accommodation you’d ever see in the ‘States, but not quite as luxurious as the Deluxe Beach Villa at the Maldives. The room was fine and comfortable… and the bed made for a nice place to sleep.

The room featured cabled internet access (while WiFi was at the main reception building.) The internet was slow –when it worked. When a rain shower would pass by, the internet would go down. At check-out, they asked me to be critical of my stay and I said my only real complaint was the internet. They said they had upgraded their internet service last fall and are in the process of upgrading it again now that a new IT techie is on-staff.

The room had a flat-panel TV with DVD player …both hooked up to an awesome Bose sound system that featured surround sound speakers throughout the villa. You could “rent” DVD’s from the front desk from a collection of about 120 movies; each night, I rented a 007 DVD and had the surround sound go in full-swing.

No children aged under 13 are allowed at the resort. They said they enforce it although some waivers may be granted in extreme situations. It was actually so much more relaxing/quiet without children around… which was in stark contrast to the Maldives where there were many children (primarily from Russian families) running around at all times at all places.

FOOD
The food was fair. Not great, not poor… just fair. The breakfast buffet was nice; the only breakfast option at the resort, there were assorted fresh fruits, pastries and breads, salads/dressings, cheeses, lunchmeats, yogurts, and cereals. If you didn’t want to eat at the buffet, you could have items from the buffet sent to your villa for a 10euro charge plus service/taxes. In addition the buffet items, you could also order eggs (including omelets), crepes, pancakes, French toast, and waffles… along with sides like assorted sausages, bacon, and potatoes (hash browns, fried, boiled, etc.) In addition to coffee, tea, and fruit juice (you could also make your own fruit juice with a juicer they had there), a French champagne was free-flowing all morning. I’d typically get my fill there and skip lunch. The Ocean View Bar/Restaurant was the only place for lunch at the resort (if you didn’t want to opt for room service.) There, you could have things like burgers or club sandwiches (about 20euro each), chicken fingers (which I tried –they were quite good strips of breast meat fried in tempura batter and served with a great hot/spicy sweet & sour sauce for about 16euro), soups, and salads… and other casual dining items. For dinner, you had a choice of three places most nights: the Hilltop buffet, the Ocean View Bar, or their “upscale” ala carte place located behind their main reception desk. Some nights, only 2 options were open. The Hilltop buffet had different theme nights; one was creole night, another was Asian night, and another was “cooking show” night where you picked your raw meat/fish and a matching sauce and they’d grill it for you in the middle of the place. The buffet is about 45euro (excluding drinks). The Ocean View Bar served the same menu all day from 10am-10pm, so you could enjoy casual dining options there. Their ala carte establishment had a menu that seemed to go out of its way to be “fancy” but didn’t necessarily deliver with an exceptional taste. A three course dinner there was about 80-100euro, excluding drinks.

Drinks at the bar and all dining places ranged from 12euro to 20euro …and the wine list was fairly limited and overpriced. (Example: a bottle of Beringer Wine was about $120US… I had a fair glass of house wine for 10euro.)

During the afternoon, the hotel offered complimentary citronella drinks and fruit skewers. In the later afternoon, they offered a tea service with complimentary treats that would change each day (one day it was bread pudding & ice cream, another day was waffles, another day was cake, etc.)

Note: there is a dress code at the resort after 7pm: pants must come on. Men must wear shoes/slacks (no jeans/bathing suits/shorts/Bermuda shorts) and women must be appropriate dressed for the evening as well. They do enforce this. So if you don’t bring slacks, you’ll need to have your dinners in the privacy of your villa.

ACTIVITIES
The resort has a small shack where you can borrow snorkeling equipment for your stay, without charge. They also have 3 kayaks available …which I wanted to try, but the surf was just too rough during my stay. They can also arrange dives for a charge… and will also offer a complimentary initial diving experience/lesson (although I didn’t get any more details on that.)
The resort also offers a group snorkel activity in which a guide takes you around the reef just off shore the resort. That tour is free.
Once a week, the resort also has a catamaran sail to a nearby aquatic park for snorkeling; the 3 hour sail returns at sunset, so you can watch the sun set over the Indian Ocean. Champagne, fruit juice, and fresh fruit are offered on that sail for a total charge of 75euro. (While I was there, they were looking for more guests to go…so they dropped the price down to 45euro. I jumped on it and had a great time.)
The hotel could also arrange any other activity you wanted to do. My butler was on-hand to take care of such arrangements for me… but I’m sure the main reception desk could help anyone with anything.

The swimming pool was nice but small. (The swimming pool at my home in the U.S. is larger.) But even with the resort at maximum occupancy, I never saw more than about 8 people in/by the pool…so the size was more than adequate.

The beaches were small –and of the two primary beaches on the property, only 1 had room for seating (about 10 lounge chairs.) However, they had resort workers floating around throughout the day with refreshments and fresh towels.

There was a nice sized exercise facility; it was open 8am-8pm, but your room key would grant you access at all hours.

The resort offered its own car/chauffer for rides around the island. In the same breath, the hotel was telling guests that local taxis aren’t safe… but then said they’d be more than happy to arrange a taxi. I’ve done a lot of world travel… and I must say that the driving I saw on Mahe Island was probably the most death-defying, reckless driving I’ve ever seen. I don’t know if it’s the winding (and sometimes wet) narrow roads or if everyone is drunk driving or what, but there are cars all over the place… including off the sides of roads dangling from cliffs. Most roads don’t have shoulders or guard rails, so moving around on the island is quite the thrill. I would definitely not rent a car on this island… and leave the driving to the “experts.”



SPA
The spa is nice but tiny, with two treatment rooms at the water’s edge tucked away in the base of the resort’s peninsula. They provided a variety of facials, wraps, and massages. The resort provided a complimentary 20 minute back/shoulder/neck massage. I booked a 65euro hot stone massage and just had them extend that 60 minute treatment to 80 minutes. Most massages (Balinese, Sweedish, Acupressure, etc.) were about 65euro/hour. I got some sunburn during my stay so I had them do a Balinese massage with aloe vera and other things for a nice relaxing/refreshing rub-down for a few hours.


BUTLER
As I mentioned in the earlier thread, I had a great butler throughout my stay. The first few days it was a bit awkward having someone do absolutely everything for me… but once I got used to it, it was really nice. I had him bring me orange juice each morning and hot tea each afternoon. While I was relaxing on the deck or down at the beach, he was taking care of my laundry… and then folding/hanging it up in the room. The service included unlimited softdrinks and a decent size bottle of locally produced rum…so my butler, Harold, kept the fluids flowing. Snacks were also brought to the villa daily… ranging from candied apples (and even candied grapes) to fruit plates and what-not. But it was nice to be lazy for a while… and also nice to have someone to chat with (I traveled on this trip solo.)

Check-out occurred in my villa. Harold brought a credit card machine, my folio (which I had reviewed with him the night before), and a bottle of champagne. I checked out there while another resort staffer took my bags to the car that was waiting for me. ½ bottle of champagne later, I was set to go…and went off to Victoria Airport a little buzzed.

All in all, it was a very lovely resort with extremely friendly staffers. They also have an amazing staff to guest ratio: maximum occupancy is around 90 and they have 320 staff on-board. (Staff lives in dorms across the street from the resort; they work 6 14-hour days/week…although they have paid holiday fairly frequently.)

If there were two places you could go to in the Indian Ocean, I’d definitely recommend both the Seychelles and the Maldives. If there was only one place, though, the Maldives would have it. As friendly and as warm as the service is in the Seychelles… and as nice and beautiful as the villas are, Maldives is just so over-the-top luxurious that its better than any other place around. If you’re on safari in Africa, I’d definitely recommend you swinging through the nearby Seychelles while you’re there. (And it sounds like both the Seychelles and the Maldives are far better than the Hilton in Mauritus.)

And if you’re a James Bond fan like me, the Seychelles have special meaning. 007 writer Ian Fleming stayed on the grounds and wrote For Your Eyes Only there. Hence why there’s a “suite” that bears his name at this resort. The resort DVD collection includes all of the Bond movies… so it was very cool to watch the movie in the place that inspired the creator.

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have about this resort! And be sure to check out the pictures/video I took on my Facebook page under “Weatherboy Weather.”

Sorry for the delay... but I finally got the video of my villa up on Facebook. It starts at the bottom of the steps outside... and then you come in, check out the bedroom, the living room, the large bathroom... and then the deck with the unobstructed view of the ocean.

I've also added more photographs of the resort grounds.

Thanks for spending all of the time on that!

Has anyone traveled to stay at the Hilton Seychelles?

Welcome to FT!

You may have better luck receiving a detailed response in the Hilton sub-forum: :cool:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hilton-hhonors-417/

Welcome to Flyertalk, HNEYCHILE
I am moving your thread to the Hilton Forum for discussion. Also, I have changed the title of your thread for clarification.
Obscure2k
Moderator
Luxury Hotels

Has anyone traveled to stay at the Hilton Seychelles?


Yes. Now if you would like to pose a question.

Also have a look at TripAdvisor

Anyone have any idea on how dangerous Seychelles is now? It looks like the latest attacked was just off the coast of Seychelles.

From cnn.com: "The rescue came even as pirates were capturing a Belgian ship off the coast of the Seychelles islands"

Anyone have any idea on how dangerous Seychelles is now? It looks like the latest attacked was just off the coast of Seychelles.

From cnn.com: "The rescue came even as pirates were capturing a Belgian ship off the coast of the Seychelles islands"

The Seychelles themselves are fine... although I wouldn't want to sail too far from the islands nowadays.

When I was there in February, there were a lot of U.S. military folks filling into the island. Apparently the U.S. uses the Seychelles (Victoria) as a base... and they round up pirates from there and send them to Kenya for prosecution.

I think taking a catamaran out a few hundred yards from shore for diving/snorkeling is fine... but I'd have second thoughts about taking a yacht, sailboat, or any larger boat off the shore north/west of the Hilton.

Weatherboy -

Good news, I've received the green light from the to-be for the Seychelles trip! I did some some additional research on safety and got some positive feedback from the US Consulate in Seychelles that all is safe.

Did you visit any of the other islands? I'm debating whether to spend 1-2 nights on Praslin so I can fully enjoy it and la Digue.

Did you explore much of Mahe? I was thinking about renting a car so I could hike the National Park, visit Victoria, and visit some of the other beaches. I know that you mentioned you wouldn't rent a car but what are the other ways to get around the island?

Any other tips or fun things that you recommend? thanks!

I will be at this hotel June 7 through June 11. Counting down the days...

I made a booking with HHonors points for seven days.

What is the typical amount of HHonors points at the Hilton Seychelles which I may get for award bookings per night?

Here is a link to my trip report for the Hilton Seychelles.

http://pointsmilesandmartinis.blogspot.com/2009/06/hilton-seychelles-northolme-resort-and.html

We just got back from a 6 night stay using the Going Global award for 175,000 points. My trip report has links to the award, etc.

Hope you enjoy.

Weatherboy -

Good news, I've received the green light from the to-be for the Seychelles trip! I did some some additional research on safety and got some positive feedback from the US Consulate in Seychelles that all is safe.

Did you visit any of the other islands? I'm debating whether to spend 1-2 nights on Praslin so I can fully enjoy it and la Digue.

Did you explore much of Mahe? I was thinking about renting a car so I could hike the National Park, visit Victoria, and visit some of the other beaches. I know that you mentioned you wouldn't rent a car but what are the other ways to get around the island?

Any other tips or fun things that you recommend? thanks!

I would not stay on La Digue, you can see it in a half day. Praslin would be a nice option.

Here is a link to my trip report for the Hilton Seychelles.

http://pointsmilesandmartinis.blogspot.com/2009/06/hilton-seychelles-northolme-resort-and.html

We just got back from a 6 night stay using the Going Global award for 175,000 points. My trip report has links to the award, etc.

Hope you enjoy.

What was your villa #? Based on your view of the palm tree outside, I think we had the same one :)

Weatherboy -

Good news, I've received the green light from the to-be for the Seychelles trip! I did some some additional research on safety and got some positive feedback from the US Consulate in Seychelles that all is safe.

Did you visit any of the other islands? I'm debating whether to spend 1-2 nights on Praslin so I can fully enjoy it and la Digue.

Did you explore much of Mahe? I was thinking about renting a car so I could hike the National Park, visit Victoria, and visit some of the other beaches. I know that you mentioned you wouldn't rent a car but what are the other ways to get around the island?

Any other tips or fun things that you recommend? thanks!

Other than a sail around the nearby islands for an afternoon/evening, I never left my resort during my stay.

What was your villa #? Based on your view of the palm tree outside, I think we had the same one :)

I can't recall, but it was the last one at the far end of the property on the upper level.

Other than a sail around the nearby islands for an afternoon/evening, I never left my resort during my stay.

We went for a hike to Anse Major, it was definitely a hike. The Hilton drove us to the trail and then picked us up on our return.

Also went to La Digue for a day trip using the ferry system. Very easy day trip.

I can't recall, but it was the last one at the far end of the property on the upper level.

Ahh, I was next to the last one... on the upper level. I would suspect that your unit and my unit were the best as they provided the most privacy from the rear deck.

Ahh, I was next to the last one... on the upper level. I would suspect that your unit and my unit were the best as they provided the most privacy from the rear deck.

I agree felt totally private on our balcony. The beach front felt like the other beach fronts were all looking at each others balcony's.

I spent 6 nights at this property as part of my honeymoon trip. It definitely treated us the best among any Hiltons that we stayed at (Rome, Venice). The property is absolutely amazing and a great deal on points. We enjoyed the activities provided by the hotel - free 20 min massage, ping pong, snorkeling, sea kayaking. We also took out the Hobie Cat (20 Euro for 1 hour) sail boat and did a couples massage.

We were in Villa #225. It sounds like the same was as many of the other Diamonds get - up behind the beach at the very far end. It was very private and provided a nice view of the sunset behind Silhouette island. It's the most beautiful hotel room/villa I've ever stayed in.

We ended up booking a day trip to Praslin and La Digue through Creole Travel services at the hotel. It was 150 Euro per person and I think it was worth it. We visited the Valley de Mer on Praslin and the infamous Source De Argent on La Digue. We traveled by ferry from island to island (1 hr from Mahe to Praslin, 30 mins from Praslin to La Digue). Long day but well worth it.

I don't think I would return to Seychelles unless I was already on that side of the world. We came from Venice so it was "only" about 12 hours. It seems that it takes double that from any place in the US. It was great to see once but not sure the extra hours of traveling are worth it over a quick hop to Costa Rica or Hawaii. Still an amazing place and well worth it.

We're going to the Northolme resort early next year (using points), and reading this thread has answered pretty much every question we had beforehand. We're really looking forward to visiting this hotel!

We read on TripAdvisor that there was a restaurant called Lounge 8 close to the hotel - has anyone been there?

We read on TripAdvisor that there was a restaurant called Lounge 8 close to the hotel - has anyone been there?

We tried Lounge 8. It was pretty good, though not great. Owned by a young couple - the wife is the chef and the husband runs the place. The place has potential but due to the recession, it isn't getting enough customers. The rooftop bar is certainly cool to have a few drinks at.