MoritzT

Hi,

I am looking for a nice vacation over new years and into 2015 somewhere warm and with a nice beach

One of the spots I am looking at (apart from Thailand, Malaysia) is Mauritius.

For a nice, casual and relaxing time - which of the SPG properties (excl. St. Regis, not enought points for the number of nights i a looking at...)., i.e. Westin and Le Meridien would you choose and why? Have not been to Mauritius and thus not to any of the properties yet

From my first inspection, the Westin has the Lounge as advantage (am SPG Plat + Ambassador), however the Le Meridien seems (seems!) to have a nicer beach.

Any opinions? Also, any other recommendations for resorts that don't cost 25k points per night and fit my criteria (i.e. probably near equator or in southern hemisphere) are highly appreciated (e.g. Westin resort on dom rep or westin phuket).

Thanks a lot,

Moritz

Thunderroad

Can't comment on Mauritius (except wondering if you can get a cash + points stay at the St. Regis???), but can highly recommend the Andaman in Malaysia, which we visited a few months ago. Situated on a beautiful bay and on the edge of a jungle, with monkeys and other wildlife to be seen simply around the grounds or via complimentary or inexpensive nature tours. It was a unique experience. The island (Langkawi) that the Andaman on is a pretty relaxed place that is worth a day to bop around. I did a long write-up on the Andaman thread here in the Starwood forum, and there are many other useful reviews there as well.

Maldives, French Polynesia and Seychelles also fascinating options, though New Years is the rainier time of year in the latter two. Also, we stayed at some (very nice!) Hilton properties in those places, so afraid I can't comment on how good the Starwoods are there. (Not to sound like a Hilton advertisement, since generally I like Starwood better...but if you have oodles of Hilton points, pm me if you want further information about great Hiltons at those places or at Koh Samui.) In addition to FT, Tripadvisor is a good source for reviews and comparative rankings, though the FT crowd tends to be savvier.

Wherever you go, beware of mandatory, expensive New Years Eve dinners that some resorts have.

Good luck!

MoritzT

Thanks! Langkawi was also on my long list, also with this i can combine it with a trip to KL or S'pore
Seems like a very nice place and the Andaman surely seems like a great hotel!

Yes, i saw that esp. in Asia... Ridiculous

Cheers, Moritz

fdem

Hi Moritz, we have stayed at both the Westin (formerly Lux collection Grand Mauritian) and Le Meridien. When Westin was the GM, it was a lovely hotel, nice but rocky beach and definitely better than the Meridien). Food was good for a resort hotel and staff quite good. Would not recommend Le meridien if you are seeking a 'relaxing break' as this hotel is more like a Club Med, and rooms a bit dated. We are splitting our next break in November between St REgis and Westin. Would be interesting to see how the Westin has been repositioned after the change (GM closed due to a fire a few years ago) but at the time Platinum benefits were the best I have seen anywhere, upgrade to beachfront suite (twice) no lounge at the time but they were always dropping bottles of wine to our room. I ll post when we are back end of November
Also for a St REgis price currently on offer is very including half board

hendricks

I just had to make a very similar decision: I am going to Mauritius also in January with family - I chose the Westin (for most of the trip) as I thought:

- the hard product looks like it will be nice and has some have stated, the Meridien is a bit tired
- it has a club lounge which, I have confirmed with the hotel, has an outdoor area - quite important if you want to enjoy a drink in the evening
- there was C and P available
- I'm going in January - the resort opens (I think) on August 1st, so by then hopefully teething problems with service will be to some extent dealt with.

Concerning Langkawi - I love the island, but it's completely different to Mauritius - I would say that if you like lying on the beach and swimming, Mauritius wins hands down, for Jungle treks, boat tours and (in my opinion) local food, I prefer Langkawi.

My wife and I will leave the rest of the family and go to the St. R for two nights - booke C and P for 10,000 +180 USD - looks like a fantastic resort!

MoritzT

Thanks a lot for the insights - was looking for a "relaxing break" :-)

Thanks too!

I now chose the Westin, seems to be the better product for me - plus the lounge is a huge benefit

ajnaro

Most of the beaches on Mauritius have volcanic rock strewn about that makes bathing next to impossible, unless you have special sandals or rubberized shoes. Although it doesn't show in the pictures, this true of both Le Méridien and Westin. One exceptional beach is Mon Choisy (also known as Mont Choisy) or Trou aux Biches, not too far from either hotel. Its beach is nearly rock free, both after and before the water line. The water is very calm and shallow even quite far from shore line. It is very easy to rent chairs and umbrellas, and there are several trailers selling soft drinks and snacks on the road behind the beach itself.

The main building of Le Méridien is indeed a bit dated, but there is a more modern annex known as Nirvana. Unfortunately the annex rooms are smaller and some do not even face the water. The pool area of the annex is where evening cocktails and breakfast are served as if it were a club lounge.

In my experience Platinum status usually results in an upgrade to a large ocean-front suite somewhere on the second floor of the main building. Asking for the annex usually gets the receptionist to flip through a few computer screens, but the request is almost always turned down. In my view, it's really not worth the trouble asking as the main building installations are more spacious.

MSPeconomist

For an alternative, how about Puerto Rico, in particular V...(spelling?) Island?

MoritzT

Thanks for the heads-up. I am actually not looking to swim, just seeing the water from pool/beach works great Mon Choisy sounds good though.

I guess you mean W Retreat & Spa - Vieques Island?
Sounds nice, but is fully booked over new years
Also, would be >17k points per night plus USD 60 resort fee.

Am now looking forward to my Westin Stay!
Thanks to all for the great help!
^
:-)

ajnaro

If you want a nice large pool with an excellent view Le Méridien Ile Maurice in the main building would be ideal for you.

Actually if you would like a fireworks show with your pool and ocean view, Rio de Janeiro would be better. However, there are no SPG hotels in Copacabana, where the fireworks are. There is a former Le Méridien, now run by the local Atlântica group, JW Marriott, Sofitel, Belmond Copacabana Palace, as well as numerous Brazilian chain and non-chain hotels. Over New Years the hotels tend to impose packages and the rates go up to triple or more the normal rates. Airbnb or similar might well be a better option. There is also Sydney, although there the water view would be to the bay. Getting a room with a view to the fireworks would no doubt be trickier and more expensive in Sydney than in Rio.