“Salt enhances everything”, the PR lady at Salt Resort in Mauritius tells me, as I ask her about the meaning behind the unusual name and I immediately see the connection. Within minutes of arrival SALT resort has enhanced my Mauritius trip by a mile and my four days here were the perfect ending of 3 weeks spent on the island in the Indian Ocean.
SALT is not just a name in this case, it’s an entire concept. Guests will find complimentary salt scrub in their shower, different types of salt to mix make their own chips with when ordering a drink from the bar and even a unique and incredible room with walls and floors made of – you guessed it – more salt. The resort has science on its side. Salt is beneficial to the body in numerous ways. It can improve sleep, strengthen the immune system, and support a healthy nervous system. Oh and it also tastes really good, but that’s just me.
I was first made aware of the hotel by a PR agent in Germany who I was in touch with about my trip to Mauritius. She mentioned that SALT was the first one of a new line of boutique hotels, a sister project from the people who brought of the stunning and super popular LUX* resorts. Right away I did what I always do when trying to find out about a resort – I jumped on Booking.com to see pictures and read different reviews. Not only did the photos convince me within 2 seconds, the booking score of 9.6 proved to me that this was not a place to be missed. Most of the commenters pointed out the attention to detail by this hotel so I went in with a set of high hopes. However, the relatively low price (less than half of what many of the 5-star resorts on the island charge!) meant that I didn’t expect the world either.
Well, let me tell you guys, few hotels in the world have me raving like this place does. And the thing about the love of detail? So true. In fact, this will not be your average hotel review. It will simply be a list of 20 details that made me fall in love hard with SALT of Palmar.
1. Melanie – She was the first person who greeted me upon my arrival and her open and honest smile completely set the tone for the entire experience. She radiated happiness, gushed about the resort and her place in it and bent over backwards to make me feel welcome and at home. All the staff – chefs, bartenders, managers were friendly, smart and spoke excellent english. After 2 weeks in Mauritius with mostly French speakers I really enjoyed that part, because it made me feel like I belonged just a bit more.
2. The arrival meditation on the beach – Never have I ever been offered a meditation for my arrival – HOW FUN IS THAT? It’s a small and simple gesture that goes a long way.
3. The digital keycard – In a world full of excess plastic, it’s great that this resort thought of an alternative to save even that bit of plastic and so 80% of guests prefer to use their phones as a keycard. You just download the SALT app, log in and reception does the rest for you.
4. The app – speaking of the app, this one doesn’t just open your door, it allows you to chat with reception from anywhere at anytime, let’s you look up the restaurant menu, plan activities, sports classes, trips to Port Louis and explore what is happening in Mauritius and the resort itself.
5. This is Mauritius – This resort is big on books, many good reads about life on Mauritius have been sourced and are available for guests to enjoy. Most notably there is the “This is Mauritius” Guidebook which has been produced specifically for SALT guests which they can not only find in their rooms, they can even take it home! It is a perfect little window into all corners of the island, complete with a manageable list of things to do, places to eat, drink and hang.
6. Chocolate bread – All the bread at SALT is made in-house and my god, do these guys know how. Every morning I was giddy with excitement to discover what breads they would have baked freshly for the day and was never disappointed. Chocolate bread might be my favorite but I also loves mango-raisin, papaya, dried-fruit and pain des amis (friendship bread!). If you’re a bread addict like myself you might be pleased to find that the baker himself is hosting break-baking classes that will not only allow you to snatch some tricks off of a pro, you also get to help make the very bread you’ll be served that evening for dinner.
7. Coffee – While I’m over here gushing about the baked goods at breakfast, I will also have to tell you about the outlandishly good coffee I have had 3-4 of every day. Hands down, the very best coffee in all of Mauritius, no one can convince me of anything else. Does it hurt that it’s served in double glass wall cups and alongside a homemade cookie? Not al all.
8. Cocktails – When I first arrived I was given 3 shots of drinks at each of the bars of SALT. They were all amazing and unlike anything I’ve tasted before. I was told that a lot of time was spent coming up with original cocktail recipes and it shows. Do yourself a favor and try the menu up and down for each one is likely to be right down your alley. Fun sid enote – with your cocktail you’ll likely be served some breadfruit chips (you’ve read that right) along with different types of salt so you can flavor them to your liking.
9. Water bottle – I have touched on the sustainability aspect before which is why you will not find any single use plastic anywhere. Your room therefore comes with refillable glass bottles of water and – as a special gift – an awesome aluminium water bottle to refill and take home – right down my alley!
10. Activities – Options, options, options. This hotel can definitely not be blamed for leaving guests to entertain themselves, they are showing up to give you a special experience and you don’t even need to pay extra for it! Check the app for daily classes, from jogs along the beach to yoga or boot camp training, it’s all there. Don’t miss out on going sea-kayaking or stand-up paddling, all at your leisure, all at no additional cost. We also enjoyed the muffin and bread-baking as well as the cocktail making class. So much to do!
11. Skillsharing – I know this is a list about the details at the resort, but many small details don’t make the list, because I don’t want to overdo it. One of those is the adorable homemade soap or the stunning pottery from a local artist which really do add the special element to ones stay. If I had had more time here I would have loved to take advantage of the possibility to visit the artists behind those products and learn how to make pottery or soap from them. Guests can also learn how to draw caricatures, make rattan baskets, make pasta and weave baskets. For anyone who wishes to give back, you can also sign up to share your own skill with a local – the hotel will happily connect you.
12. The salt room – There is something to be said about these incredible 5 square meters – a room with walls and a floor entirely made of salt. If you book any spa treatment it will end with 15 rejuvenating minutes in this room and don’t think lightly of it. I really enjoyed my massage which begins with you selecting what oil/cream/salt/essence you’d like for your treatment as well as a wash and salt scrub of your feet. Ending this bit of me-time in the salt room was oddly invigorating and a great space to think, breathe and clear your mind.
13. Wine – I had read in one of the connects leading up to my stay that wines by the glass were too expensive here and indeed they are above average of what other 5-star resorts charge. That said, one must distinguish a small glass of wine from a large one and I am pleased to report that you’re being poured a very generous glass for your buck. Also, it’s damn delicious!
14. Design – That this hotel is a bit out of the ordinary becomes apparently quickly because where else can one find so many bold colors? This isn’t London or Berlin after all? Well, turns out it is a bit of London because artist who is based there was hired to provide these designs for the hotel. They are an instant picker-upper and it is impossible not to feel instant happiness looking at these awesome walls and umbrellas.
15. Bed – Did I say bed? I meant clouds. Actual clouds. And can we talk about those silk linen sheets?
16. Rooftop bar – Do you love a rooftop bar? You’re not alone! And you will be pleased to hear that SALT offers the first one in Mauritius. How very handy for a place that also excels in wines and cocktails, right?
17. USB charging stations in the rooms AND the restaurant – This is actual heaven for an onliner like myself. Call me supernerd, but there is nothing more uplifting than these little, unexpected conveniences here to make my life just that tad bit simpler.
18. Complimentary salt scrub – Usually hotels will provide shampoo and shower gel, sometimes even conditioner and body lotion. But when have you ever had a place give you free sun cream, hair mask and salt scrub? Only a place that really wants to please you and provide that bit of extra would do that. A place like SALT.
19. The Flacq Sunday market tour – Salt offers guests various tours, including one to eat street food in Port Louis and the one to the Sunday Market in Flacq. I opted for the latter as it’s only a 15 minute drive and I really wanted to experience Mauritius from a more local perspective. This market was perfect for it. Our guide from the hotel talked me through the many culinary specialities on offer here, had us try some of them and patiently negotiated good prices for us with the vendors. It was a wonderful and entirely stressfree experience, not always a given when you’re traveling with a busy 5-year old. having that extra pair of eyes on him made it a lot more enjoyable for me, too. I’d definitely urge anyone coming to here to try this.
Frankly I could probably add to this list, those were just 19 points I came up with from the top of my head and over breakfast (coffee and chocolate bread! hmmmmmm), but all this to say that I highly recommend this place to anyone, especially while it’s still very affordable (look into off season pricing!).
It’s not every day that a hotel can surprise me anymore and this one certainly managed to do so each of my four days here.
*Disclaimer: We were invited to 2 out of 4 days here but obviously all my thoughts are my own.
