Hotel Ambre Reviews

We have just returned from our holiday in Mauritius (October 2007), having been there before in September 2006 - once again we were not disappointed.

We stayed at the 4* Hotel Ambre and had paid extra for a seaview room with a balcony - be aware some seaview rooms have no balcony. Our room was excellent and bigger than average, the bathroom was spacious with two basins, however, you may find the toilet area a bit cramped. The service from the staff cannot be faulted, no matter whether you are in the bars, on the beach or in the restaurant.

My wife celebrated her birthday while we were there and our room staff decorated our bedroom with all different kinds of flowers and that's without us telling anyone of the event!

The food was of high quality, even the buffet, but the choice was limited. Plenty of salads, pasta, etc, but rarely was the food piping hot. The main restaurant was a non smoking area but smokers on occsaions did try their hand and it was left to us to bring it to the attention of the staff. The staff were first class, nothing was too much trouble for them but we felt it was unfair of the management to leave it to them to enforce the rule. The dress code in the evening was smart casual with the emphasis being 'no bermuda shorts'. While many adhered to this rule some did not and it was not enforced.

Although All Inclusive we felt the limitations within the AL did not merit a 4*, ie, no tea/coffee making facilities in the bedroom and to top it all the mini bar was not inclusive - water was 2 euro, whisky (6.50eu) & coke(2.80eu) a snack(3.50eu) to give you some idea. The hotel rate for the euro was approx 1.50eu to the pound, you have been warned! We circumvented this by ordering from the bar when the need arose and taking our drinks back to the our room! Another thing to watch is that if you attend the disco your all inclusive tag will finish at 12pm!

Surprisingly, in the hotel everything was costed in Euros so when paying in Mauritian rupees the rate of exchange favoured the hotel, however, when you did pay in Euros the change was given in rupees!! At each rate of exchange the guest was the loser; we were informed that this will become common practise for all hotels in Mauritius. If this is the case I would advise taking a mixture of Sterling and Euros if going to Mauritius.

The evening entertainment, a different show every night, was very good, a credit to all involved. The only drawback was that it was difficult to have a conversation; the music was very loud, even in the reception areas - not that it spoilt the evening.

Day trips can be expensive about £50 - £65 but you can shop around and get a cheaper rate or rent a car for a couple days for about the same price. The catamaran tour is a must, not to be missed, we had a great trip fuelled by the local rum and nourished by a first class BBQ.

The beach is one of the best on the coast - plenty of sun lounges available to enable you to soak up the sun and relax.

Part of the All Inclusive is free snorkling trips and water skiing, so take advantage - usually have to book them the day before.

The Ambre Hotel does, in parts, need some refurbishment and allegedly will be closing May/September 08 for this to happen. The hotel provides a transit room on the day of departure for the 'late departures', the facilities were excellent, the best we've come across.

All in all an excellent holiday.

Hotel Ambre is a clean, inviting, well-managed resort with a stunning beach and a good variety of activities. We were particularly impressed by the courtyard layout of the main building, which makes it ideal for people-watching and enjoying the sea view from most locations. We didn't pay for a seaview room, but got one anyway - an incredible one at that! This was probably because the hotel was only half-full on our arrival.

The rooms are bigger than average and very clean. My only minor complaint is that in the evenings there isn't enough light to put on make-up, as there is no ceiling light. The bathrooms are very nice and spatious with two sinks, and not a spot of mould or mildew in sight.

We are quite picky with our food, but found it of a very high standard, even at the buffet. Things are definitely fresh, properly cooked and made with good ingredients. We never, ever had a dodgy meal. You can tell there's a French influence on the food, with lots of seafood, nice sauces and beautiful desserts. Their fishballs and fresh pastas are some of the nicest I have ever had. In the afternoons, you can have fresh crepes at the pool bar. The drinks are of a much nicer quality than in many all inclusive resorts. Cocktails come in appropriate glasses, decorated with fresh fruit, and there is a good range of non-alcoholic drinks, too. We tried all restaurants and found them good, but the French restaurant proved a disappointment the second time we were there. The buffet has a nice range of food all in all, even if there is less atmosphere.

In the daytime we went scuba diving, did water sports or took part in the activities, such as aerobics. The diving school is fully equipped and on the hotel beach itself, which is ideal. We recommend morning dives instead of afternoons, for maximum visibility. The staff have a lot of expertise. We felt safe with them even though we have only been diving for three years. Theoretically you could snorkle by the hotel beach, but we never saw many fish there. It's better to book the free snorkelling trip. I also recommend the water-skiing, which is included in the package.

The evening entertainment is so bad, it's good. We recommend having a couple of drinks beforehand to fully appreciate the kitsch-fest in all its glory. The singing was appaling, the award ceremonies boring and the competitions dreadful, however some of the dance performances were quite enjoyable. The dancers do try their best and keep coming up with new choreographies, even if the costumes are beyond hilarious! I don't want to sound like a snob, but I promise you'll see what I mean when you get there. Just check out ";Eddie the Elvis/Sinatra/Tom Jones/Louis Armstrong show";.

If you wish to be surrounded by fellow Britons, this isn't the resort for you. During our holidays the guests were 60% Italian, 25% French and 15% other nationalities. We quite enjoyed the variety, and the staff speak English no problem. The staff were helpful and professional and in fact our only complaint was that the taxi drivers were providing a poor service at a high price.

We only did a couple of day trips, because there was plenty to do on hotel grounds and we found the day trips quite expensive (£50 - £70 per person). Try to save money by negotiating a fixed price with the taxi or by using a speed boat service to Ile aux Cerfs. It's worth the trip, a true paradise island.

We had a wonderful time and would recommend Ambre to anyone. October is a good time to go because it's just getting nice and hot, without being unbearable. We had some afternoons that were a little overcast, but still managed to get a good tan and enjoy just the right amount of sun. It was also lovely and cool at night time, so didn't need to use the air-conditioning to get some sleep.

I hope you'll enjoy your holiday as much as we did!