STORY Seychelles

STORY Seychelles is a resort for divers who want the evening to be easy rather than improvised. You have a broad beach outside, several places to eat, a spa for the muscles that have spent the day carrying tanks, and enough space for couples or families to settle into their own rhythm.

English is spoken by the hotel team, alongside German, Russian, French, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Italian, Swedish, Polish, Hindi, Portuguese, Hebrew and Spanish. That matters when you are discussing an early departure, a meal, or the practical details that become oddly important once you are tired and salty.

The resort mixes suites with larger villas, including beach villas with private pools. It is polished rather than minimalist: terraces, gardens, beachfront dining and evening entertainment keep the place moving, while the spa and outdoor seating give you somewhere to disappear when you have had enough movement for one day.

You are in Beau Vallon, Seychelles, directly on Beau Vallon Beach. The sand is white, the water is warm, and the beach runs for about 1.9 miles. A natural reef lies about 50 metres from the resort, giving you a snorkelling option close to shore rather than another excursion to organise.

Victoria is roughly 2.5 miles away, with the Victoria Clock Tower and Seychelles National Museum about 3 miles from the resort. The National Botanical Gardens are about 3.5 miles away. Morne Seychellois rises inland, so the setting gives you sea on one side and the mountain landscape of Mahé behind it.

You also have a few independent places to eat nearby, including Eden, Trader Vic's Seychelles and Vasco's, each within about 0.1 mile. Cappuccino is about 0.3 mile away if you need coffee away from the resort. Seychelles International Airport is about 8 miles away, with a stated drive of around 30 minutes.

The junior suites are the sensible choice for a couple who want space without moving into villa territory. Choose a garden terrace when stepping outside directly matters, or a balcony when you would rather sit above the ground-level planting. Indoor and outdoor seating, air conditioning, a flat-screen television and tea- and coffee-making facilities give you the basics for a proper return from the water: cool down, make a drink, and do not have to go anywhere immediately.

Travelling with children or another couple changes the calculation. The family suites separate sleeping areas with a super-king bed and two single beds, making them more practical for groups than trying to make one room do every job. The accessible junior twin suite has wheelchair-accessible features, including a lowered bathroom sink, grab rails and an emergency cord.

The villas are for the occasions when the room is part of the holiday rather than merely where you leave your fins. The Beach Villa with Private Pool suits two people wanting a private outdoor space, while the larger beach pool villas give families more room to spread out. Villas add cabanas, rain showers and private pools; the private bathrooms also include separate baths and showers. Room service, daily housekeeping and air conditioning keep the post-dive routine pleasantly unambitious.

Seven dining outlets give you more choice than the usual single restaurant and a bar doing everything at once. The resort works on an all-inclusive basis, and breakfast covers continental, Full English, Irish, vegetarian, gluten-free and buffet options. Breakfast can also come to your room, which is useful when your body has voted for food but not for public appearances.

Eden Restaurant sits by the beach and brings together local, traditional and international cooking, with a dedicated vegan menu. The sea is doing the background work here; your job is mainly to choose something substantial. Vasco's and Trader Vic's Seychelles add further dining options, with Trader Vic's also suited to a family meal or a cocktail-led evening.

There is one named bar, 1502 Bar, serving local drinks, spirits and house wine. Wine and champagne are also available, special-diet menus can be arranged, and children's meals are offered. The format is broad enough for a week when you want variety, but the beach setting at Eden is the detail that gives the resort's food and drink offer its own character.

Beau Vallon makes doing very little a perfectly workable plan. You have sun loungers, beach chairs, umbrellas, gardens, terraces and outdoor furniture, so a slow afternoon can consist of shade, a book and the gradual disappearance of the day's exertion. There is also a kids' pool, a kids' club, indoor and outdoor play areas, and babysitting services for families who need a little separation.

Sesel Spa is the serious recovery option. Its seven treatment rooms include five single rooms and two couple suites, with massages, facials, Vichy hydrotherapy, body scrubs, body wraps, after-sun treatments, manicures and pedicures. Separate male and female saunas have outdoor rain showers and relaxation areas, with fresh ginger tea and honey to finish the process.

If sitting still becomes too ambitious, the resort has a fitness centre, a 24-hour gym overlooking the lagoon, yoga and aerobics, plus tennis and badminton equipment, table tennis, canoeing and on-site water sports. Walking tours, cycling and hiking extend beyond the resort, while cooking classes, themed dinner nights, live music, film nights and evening entertainment give you options that do not involve putting your kit back on.

Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out is by 11:00. You need photo identification and a payment card at check-in, and the resort asks for your expected arrival time in advance. Early check-in and late check-out can be requested. The minimum check-in age is 18, while children of all ages are welcome; cots and extra beds are available on request according to the accommodation selected.

Seychelles International Airport is about 8 miles away, with the journey taking around 30 minutes. Private parking is available on site, car hire is available, and the 24-hour reception is backed by concierge service, a tour desk, currency exchange and luggage storage. Free WiFi covers all areas, so you can sort the next day's plans without hunting for a signal.

Accessible facilities include a lift, wheelchair-accessible areas and an accessible bathroom arrangement in the designated junior twin suite. Non-smoking rooms, room service and daily housekeeping keep the practical side straightforward, which is exactly what you want when the interesting part of the day happened underwater.

The hotel links stays of five nights or more with a sustainability pledge. The resort presents this as part of its environmental approach, alongside its setting beside Beau Vallon and the natural reef close to shore.