Victoria Beachcomber Resort & Spa

Victoria Beachcomber Resort & Spa is a beachfront resort for a holiday that can run on two speeds: a proper day by the water, or a quieter spell in the adult-only area within the grounds. That split matters if you are travelling as a couple but still want the choice of a larger resort with family facilities around you.

The adult-only concept has 40 rooms, its own bar, the Nautil café, and the Moris Beef à la carte restaurant with a barefoot approach. Elsewhere, the resort brings together a beach, pools, sport, spa facilities and several places to eat, so you can keep the day pleasantly simple without turning every decision into an expedition. You have free WiFi throughout the hotel, air conditioning in the rooms and a 24-hour reception when a late arrival or an early airport departure gets in the way of the holiday.

You are in Pointe aux Piments, on the north-west coast of Mauritius, directly beside the sea. Balaclava Beach is effectively at the resort, while Pointe aux Piments Public Beach is about 1,650 feet away by road. Sun loungers and parasols are available on the beach, which saves you from carrying half the contents of the room towards the water.

The setting puts you between Grand Baie and Port Louis. Grand Baie, with its shopping centres, nightlife and casinos, is about 9 miles away. The Mauritius Aquarium is about 1.7 miles away, while the Sugar Museum and the SSR Botanical Garden are around 7 miles away. You can also reach Bassin Solitude, a lake, in roughly 4 miles by road. The airport is about 35 miles away by road, so the arrival transfer is not a five-minute affair; an airport shuttle is available through the resort.

For two divers, the standard double-room categories are the sensible starting point: they offer generous space, a super-king-size bed and air conditioning for the part of the night when your body is still trying to work out what happened during the day. Ground-floor and first-floor options let you choose between easier access and a higher position, while the adult-only Ocean View Room gives couples a more specifically grown-up corner of the resort.

If the view matters more than a few extra square metres, the Ocean View category is the obvious direction. If the idea of stepping straight towards water appeals more, the adult-only Swim-Up Room has its own pool access built into the concept. These rooms are also used for honeymoon stays, alongside larger family options for guests travelling with children. The two-bedroom family apartments provide separate sleeping arrangements and two extra-large double beds with sofa beds, making them the practical choice when a whole household arrives with enough luggage to stage a small expedition.

Every room has a private bathroom, towels, toiletries, a hairdryer and either a bath or shower, with a bathrobe included. A kettle, minibar, sofa, desk, flat-screen television and satellite channels cover the less glamorous but useful parts of a room: a drink, a place to sit, and something to watch when sleep refuses to arrive. Daily housekeeping keeps the room in order while you are busy with the important business of getting back from the beach.

Food is handled on resort scale, with nine restaurants listed across the property and four restaurants described as overlooking the sea. Breakfast comes as a buffet with halal and American options, and breakfast in your room is available if you would rather eat quietly before heading out. There is also a snack bar, a bar, room service and a minibar, so a full sit-down meal is not your only answer when you return hungry and sandy.

The adult-only area adds the Nautil café and Moris Beef, an à la carte restaurant with a barefoot concept. That gives couples a more specific evening setting without cutting them off from the rest of the resort. Special-diet menus are available on request, and wine or champagne can be arranged when the occasion calls for something more formal than a post-dive drink.

If you choose half board, drinks are not included, so it is worth keeping that detail in mind before you decide how you want to run the evenings. The restaurants use a smart-casual dress code during the day, with no swimwear or tank tops; in the evening, long trousers are appreciated and beachwear or sportswear is not suitable. Bermuda shorts are allowed. Divers, in other words, may need to change out of the gear that got them through the afternoon.

The resort gives you several ways to spend a non-diving day without sending you straight into a bus. The beachfront outdoor pool is joined by an adult-only swimming pool of more than 800 square metres, while sun loungers and beach chairs cover the two classic post-dive options: lie near the sea, or lie near the pool and pretend you have made a difficult choice.

The Beachcomber spa has six treatment rooms and two steam rooms, with massages and facials among the treatments. You can also use the sauna, hammam, spa relaxation area and fitness centre, with yoga classes, fitness equipment and a personal trainer available. This is the useful sort of recovery plan when your legs have spent the morning climbing boat ladders and are now negotiating with you.

For something more active, the resort offers tennis, beach volleyball, table tennis, billiards, golf, water skiing, glass-bottom boat trips, canoeing, windsurfing, snorkelling and fishing. Live music, evening entertainment and live sports broadcasts provide a gentler evening option. Families have a Kids’ Club on the beach for children aged 3 to 11, a Teens Club, a baby-care room and babysitting, so travelling with children does not require you to abandon every quiet moment.

Check-in starts at 14:00 and check-out is by 12:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and you should tell the resort your expected arrival time. An airport shuttle is available, and you can arrange car hire, while free private parking is available on site without a reservation. The airport journey is about 35 miles by road, so arranging the transfer before you travel is the sensible option.

A concierge, tour desk, currency exchange, luggage storage and a 24-hour front desk cover the practical edges of the stay. You can also use laundry, dry-cleaning and ironing services, and an infirmary is available on site. Free WiFi runs throughout the hotel, while room service and packed lunches help when your plans do not line up neatly with restaurant hours.

Children of all ages are welcome, and cots can be requested for young children. There are no extra beds available, so the selected room layout matters if you are travelling as a family. Pets are not allowed. For a honeymoon stay, the honeymoon room categories are tied to travel within 12 months of the wedding date, and the wedding certificate is required at check-in.