Italian_Kayaker

coolbeans202

Just got back from a brief 3 night stay at the Labriz. The resort was booked to capacity for the first night but they managed to upgrade us to a Deluxe Beach Villa with pool for the final two nights. The service from the staff was stellar!! The restaurant situation, on the other hand, was less than ideal. Because the place was full, we were really limited in our food options and basically were stuck with the all-you-can-eat buffet at Cafe Dauban each night. An email in advance advising us to take a look at the food options and maybe make reservations ahead of time would have really been welcomed. That all said, the place is stunning and we will definitely be back.

mrx900

thats great to hear, as we are headed there in Mar 2020. I plan on using points for the stay -- do you recommend booking the lowest room and hoping for the upgrade? Also, as a Diamond...what are the amenities/perks from the resort you were entitled to? It would be nice to have snorkeling gear and vests....

coolbeans202

We booked the lowest room and hoped for an upgrade. When we got there, I asked about an upgrade to a beach villa and told them I would absolutely pay for it if need be. They eventually got us the Beach Villa with Pool for the second two nights (complimentary). The staff was phenomenal and sought us out several times to say they were still looking to see what they could do. We had friends that booked a beach villa (no pool) out right with cash, so we were able to use their villa the first day to stay by the beach. If you're going to be disappointed if you don't get an upgrade, I would absolutely try to secure one with cash ahead of time. The beach villas are, as the name implies, right on the beach. I would've been disappointed had we not been moved (or had friends in one) and I will definitely pay for or cash upgrade to at least a beach villa next time.

For Diamonds they gave us free breakfast at the buffet or at the Portabello restaurant which had a made-to-order menu. Portabello was only available to Golds and Diamonds and was empty when we ate there once (we had friends with no status so used the buffet most times). One our one trip to the restaurant there were only four other names on the list, which may be why our service was so outstanding during the stay. The rest of the benefits were as outlined by Italian_Kayaker above. There was also a free 15 minute teaser massage that you could tack on to a regular one of you wanted, but we didn't use it.

seychellesbound

Did you get any type of Diamond discount on the boat ride or was it 145 EUR per person?

bubu-SNA

We have a stay upcoming later this month and I just realized our outbound flight leaves SEZ @ 5:30am on a Saturday morning.

Does anyone know if the helicopter transfer is available pre-dawn back to the airport? Other option would be to spend the previous day/night on Mahe. With the above said, any suggestions where to go & stay keeping in mind that I have a 7 and 8 year old in tow?

Dsm2m2

You will definitely want to stay on Mahe the night before. If looking to stay with Hilton, there is the Doubletree that is pretty close to the airport.

omghaxcode

We have 5 nights on points booked from 7/20-7/25. We are traveling as a couple w/ gold status. My concern is that there may not be enough to do on the island for 5 days. Can anyone comment on this? I'm ~15k points short on Northolme but I might be able to get it by July. Is there more to do at Northolme?

Italian_Kayaker

Depends on what you like doing. I spent 10 days there, diving in the morning, and walking to stunning, empty beaches in the afternoon. You could also go fishing or take boat trips to La Digue / Praslin, but I never found the time :-). If you are looking for the bright city lights, you are in the wrong place.

seychellesbound

If you want more action book Northolme and rent a car. Mahe is very fun to drive around with plenty to see and do.

Enjoy!

noddie09

Not exactly the right thread but has anyone here done Northclome & Labriz? Looking to stay next year but really struggling to pick a resort. I am a diamond member so access to an executive lounge would be nice.

ocdb8r

Stayed at Northolme and visited Labriz last year. Choice will be largely up to personal preference. Labriz is a nicer hard product and more "exclusive" but you're trapped on a single island with little to do. It can also get quite windy where their beach is and several we met on Northolme said there were several days they couldn't enjoy the beach.

For us, it was a no brainer. We knew we wanted the ability to explore the island of Mahe and to get off island for a day trip at least once (which is nearly impossible from Labriz, absent a hotel sponsored excursion). Northolme is VERY small with a small pool and beach. Staff were wonderful but typical "island" laid back attitude that meant service wasn't always as attentive as you might expect, but it all blended into the island vibe. No lounge at Northolme, but breakfast was excellent and included a daily breakfast cocktail (that rotated) you could make yourself. We did not get an upgrade as a Diamond but did get oue requested room. They offered to try to upgrade us for part of the stay, but we preferred to not have the hassle of moving. Because there are very few rooms here, upgrades (especially for stays of 5+ nights) are not easy for the hotel to process, but they try.

Wishing I was back there now....

creditcardgeek

Any chance you might be able to provide a trip report? We are planning on going in late January (I know not the best weather) and are interested in hearing your experience.

tinkerbell78

We stayed for 10nights in December (2018) and loved it! Relaxing & peaceful - we played tennis every morning after breakfast at Portobello (diamond status) then hiked and beach in the afternoon. We left wanting to do a few more things! i really struggled choosing between labriz & northholme and am so glad i chose labriz! i found it to be a great redemption for points and had all the amenities we wanted - the food is the weak link, but we figured out what we liked &stuck to it - we did NOT like the buffet or the asian restaurant. The beach grill was perfect for our love of fish & the staff made us most anything we wanted for sides... also we ate at the only other establishment on the island l'belle tortuge - it was exceptional (a little pricey @ 75euro / pp with no alcohol).
as a side note -we spent an entire day on Mahe and it re-affirmed that we made the right decision. if you want a 'trip' then you may be bored, but if you want a 'vacation' its perfect!

tinkerbell78

we booked the lowest room with points, then i emailed the concierge & requested an upgrade. we were visiting in the shoulder season before the christmas holidays AND i did not care about a villa with a pool - just a beach villa. idk if that made a difference, but they were very helpful and confirmed an upgrade for us...
TBH, i would NOT have been as happy in a garden villa, they arent as private & sitting on ur patio facing the ocean is really spectacular. If we were to go back & i could not confirm an upgrade to a beach villa, i would pay for one -