Les Lauriers Eco Hotel

Les Lauriers Eco Hotel & Restaurant is an eco-lodge in Anse Volbert Village, built around modern rooms, an open-air restaurant and the easy-going rhythm of Côte d’Or. You get a garden, a swimming pool and the beach just across the road, so the day can move from sea air to shade without requiring a military operation.

The place suits divers who want the practical comforts of a proper hotel but still want the island to be present in the experience. Fresh local produce reaches the restaurant, the garden supplies herbs and vegetables, and giant tortoises live in the hotel grounds. It is a useful base for a couple, a small family or anyone who considers a good post-dive meal more important than a grand lobby.

You are in Anse Volbert Village on Praslin, in the Seychelles, with Côte d’Or Beach directly opposite the hotel. It is a practical coastal position: the beach works for a stroll, a swim or snorkelling, and most boat excursions from the area start from there. No long transfer across the island is needed simply to reach the water.

The surroundings are useful rather than isolated. Shops, supermarkets and restaurants sit close by, with Pirogue Restaurant around 350 feet away, Ristorante Pizzas around 450 feet away and La Goulue around 700 feet away. The Praslin Museum is roughly 0.4 miles away, while Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve is about 3.9 miles away by road.

Praslin Island Airport is about 3.6 miles away, around a 14-minute drive. Seychelles International Airport is about 29 miles away. The hotel also sits near bars and cafés, including Charcoal at roughly 0.3 miles on foot and Chill Out at about 0.3 miles.

The rooms are set up for recovery rather than ceremony. Air conditioning and a fan give you two ways to cool down after a hot day outdoors, while the private bathroom, wardrobe, television and electric kettle cover the basics without fuss. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, and the balcony or terrace gives you somewhere to sit with a drink while the kit dries itself off in the sensible, non-diving sense of the word.

For two people, the ordinary Double or Twin Room keeps the choice between separate beds and a super-king bed. If you are travelling with a child, the Family Room provides extra space and the hotel welcomes children of all ages. The Superior garden-view room works for a couple who want a little more room, or for a small family using the available sleeping arrangement.

The Deluxe Suite is the one to choose when the room itself matters more. It comes with a private pool, and Suite guests can request a massage in the room. Breakfast in the room is included with this category, which saves you from making the morning social before you are ready to speak to anyone.

The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in an open-air setting inspired by traditional Seychellois pirogue houses. Breakfast is a buffet with a live cooking station for pancakes, waffles and eggs, alongside fresh bread, local preserves, pastries, homemade smoothies, yoghurt and cereals. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices are available, as well as continental and American options.

Lunch brings Creole and European flavours together, with pizzas from an Italian oven, pasta, fresh fish and salads. Dinner is à la carte or a colourful Creole buffet on selected evenings. Herbs and vegetables come from the green roof garden above the kitchen, while fruit from the gardens goes into dishes and homemade jams. Seafood comes from sustainable fishing.

There is one pool bar, serving cocktails and other drinks beside the outdoor pool. A coffee house is also available on site, and the restaurant closes for lunch on Wednesdays. That last detail is worth keeping in mind if your dive-day appetite runs to a very specific timetable.

Two outdoor pools give you a choice between a proper swim and a more private dip. The main pool has its own bar, while the Deluxe Suite has a private pool. Sun loungers, beach towels, a sun terrace and garden seating make it easy to spend an afternoon doing very little, which is sometimes the correct answer after several dives.

If your legs still want employment, the hotel offers table tennis, billiards and darts. Bicycle hire and walking tours provide a slower way to see the island, while cycling and hiking are also available away from the property. Fishing, boat excursions and snorkelling give you reasons to get back near the water without repeating the same underwater plan every day.

The wider island supplies the bigger outings. You can arrange visits to Vallée de Mai, Fond Ferdinand, Curieuse, Cousin, St Pierre, the Sister Islands, Coco Island and Félicité Island. Families can use the babysitting service, and excursions have reduced rates for children aged four to eleven. On some evenings, the restaurant turns to a Creole buffet.

Check-in runs from 12:00 to 21:00, and check-out is from 09:00 to 10:00. There is no age requirement for check-in, and children of all ages are welcome. Extra beds and cots depend on the room selected, with a cot available for babies under one year and extra beds available on request for children and younger guests.

Free private parking is available on site without reservation, and car hire can be arranged through the hotel. Daily housekeeping, luggage storage, laundry and a concierge service are also available. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property, useful for sorting out the next island plan while the sun is still too high for anything ambitious.

Cash is an accepted payment method. Pets are not allowed. The hotel also offers babysitting and a souvenir shop, giving you a few practical options without having to leave the property for every small requirement.

The eco-lodge approach is visible in the systems behind the stay. Solar panels contribute to the hotel’s energy supply, while water-treatment and recycling systems reduce the amount of water used and discarded. Reusable glass bottles in the rooms are refilled daily, replacing the need for a new disposable bottle every time you return thirsty.

The kitchen grows herbs and vegetables in a rooftop garden, uses fruit from the gardens and works with local produce wherever possible. Its seafood comes from sustainable fishing. The hotel also uses Innu-Science Biotechnology cleaning products and ozone technology for sanitising food and utensils.

The local element extends beyond the menu. Les Lauriers prioritises Seychellois employment, works with local partners, supports community events and takes part in beach clean-ups and charitable initiatives. It also supports The Ocean Project Seychelles’ #SeyNoToBalloons campaign.