Ready to bed down in The Ravenala Attitude Hotel. This 4-star property doesn’t just deliver on luxury: it offers guests a unique and sustainable approach to discovering the best of the island.
If we’ve spent any time together in the past couple of years (or you follow me on social media), there’s a very good chance you know how I feel about Mauritius. It’s a magical place filled with endless warm days on powdery white sand beaches, an idyll where the sun dances off the gentle waves of the Indian Ocean.
The Ravenala Attitude Hotel offers you all the amenities you can dream of, from extensive swimming pools to sprawling suites with balconies overlooking the incomparable Turtle Bay.
Make no mistake about it: I recently stayed at the local luxury staple, and I enjoyed every single minute of R&R. But I also walked away impressed by more than the attentive service, delicious cuisine and tranquil garden setting.
Ravenala really makes its mark by focusing not only on its hotel guests but also on the land and people that call Mauritius home. And it feels as genuine as it gets.
Spoiler Alert: I stayed at the Ravenala during my recent trip to Mauritius with Attitude and loved it.
Read my full review below.
Ravenala Attitude Review: At a Glance
Attitude Hotels might not be a name you’re familiar with outside Mauritius. Still, locally, CEO Jean-Michel Pitot has turned the brand into a regional icon that celebrates the island’s rich cultural heritage through design, cuisine and a penchant for preserving traditions and the land itself.
The all-suites property embraces the theme of tropical paradise and runs with it unapologetically. It does a great job of highlighting the local flora and fauna with its landscaping and decor but also with the overall mission and brand of the hotel itself.
There’s a commitment to sustainability, which, if you’ve spent a minute near Turtle Bay, makes you feel at home knowing the hotel’s effort (both on a small and large level) to help preserve the pristine natural surroundings around the property.
And for a resort of this size, running an eco-friendly hotel is no walk in the park. The sprawling property is home to 272 suites, with different options for couples, adults, and families, all with enough space to kick back and enjoy the trade wind breezes.
Let’s get into what made my stay at Ravenala one-of-a-kind.
The Full Review
Location
When you arrive at the hotel in Balaclava (over an hour from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport), you’ll first notice how it’s tidily nestled between the sea and the river.
The eco-friendly hotel pulls off an indoors-outdoor approach well and blends traditional architecture with tropical gardens and surrounds – accents that are brought into the rooms themselves (more on that below).
The adults-only wing was great, with its own private stretch of the beach that was perfect for lazy mornings in the sun or catching the dazzling sunsets this side of the island is so famous for. It’s a huge perk to have a semi-private section of the land dedicated to a quieter experience.
But what impressed me even more was how the hotel’s location seems to stretch far beyond its physical property lines – in no small part because the family-owned Mauritian company taps into the terroir with lychee wine from Takamaka Winery in the hotel bars and spa products from local producer Indica Estate.
Style
Attitude Hotels are known for this artistic lean, you can see work produced by the artists at Bactory Art Collective in many of their hotels in the form of statues and artwork. Here at Ravenala, you’ll see brightly coloured murals hand painted by local artist Evan Sohun.
But the style also embodies a sense of resourcefulness and a penchant for embracing local products and personality. This makes sense because they’ve brought the family-run heritage into the hotel rather than trying to make it a bland international offering you could find pretty much anywhere.
The result is a rare combination of a large, high-end hotel with charm and personality. It’s in a sense a stark rebuttal to the global brands that now fill many of the country’s best beaches and forests – instead celebrating with confident pride everything about the local culture through craftsmanship and design.
Local plants, like the traveller’s palm, lead you through a courtyard where you’re greeted with traditional architecture with tropical gardens and surrounds – accents that are brought into the rooms themselves.
Throughout the hotel, you’ll notice hardwood, tapestries, and tropical plants (both IRL and on the wallpaper). The elements combine to create environs that are quite luxurious but really do tap into what the island and hotel itself are all about.
Rooms
Naturally, I’m pretty excited about this hotel already and I haven’t settled into my room yet. Luckily, it did not disappoint.
My suite was incredibly spacious, with a large terrace overlooking the beach and a separate bedroom and living room. The thoughtful layout continued in the bathroom, with a double sink and separate bath, shower, and toilet areas in the bathroom itself.
The style (as mentioned before) embodies Mauritius through and through.
Statement rattan headboards and wooden furniture lent a local touch to the sleek rooms. The hardwood floors, ceiling fan, and large sliding glass doors helped provide a light, cool aesthetic that again made the transition from outside to indoors more natural.
The property has 3 different styles of suites, and each catered to a particular traveller. There are couples suites in the garden (cosy and romantic), executive suites with ocean views like mine, and family suites that are large enough to accommodate up to 5 people comfortably.
I can’t speak to the exact features of the other suites, but listening to other guests around the hotel, they all seemed very happy with where they landed. How could you not be?
Hanging out on the terrace as the sunset – it’s moments like these that really remind you why you travel halfway across the world to a small island in the middle of the Indian Ocean
Experience
Attitude Hotels are all about showcasing the people that make the island special, so many of the activities offered at Ravenala are focused on the cuisine, music, and customs of the residents. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about Mauritius while bonding with the staff and guests.
All the Attitude Hotels offer Otentik Experiences (authentic experiences), including:
Otentik Dinner
You can reserve a spot at a local’s home upon reservation to try homemade dishes popular on the island. It’s a fun way to bond with locals and taste regional specialties for an additional cost.
Otentik Music
Discover traditional instruments & local artists through a weekly concert series that often centres around Sega – where locals sing and dance to the rhythmic drum beats in brightly coloured dresses typical for the style of music.
They even host the Konpoz to Lamizik competition, where local musicians compete for a spot on a festival tour and the opportunity to record in a professional studio.
Otentik Bazar
“Made in Mauritius” products from a collaborative platform of talents where 5% goes to the Green Attitude Foundation on each item sold. The organisation puts money into helping preserve the coastline, promoting local artists, and giving artisanal makers a chance to sell their products.
Otentik Fooding
In addition to great local restaurants like Kot Nou and Madam Ming (and you’d better believe we’re going to talk about the F&B offering in lots of detail below), you can discover the island’s culinary traditions through cooking classes.
Outdoor Activities
The Otentik Discovery Map features self-guided walking tours and bike rides to help visitors discover the island.
But there is also a tonne to do outdoors (unfortunately time didn’t allow me to partake in much of it). I spent a lot of my time at the extensive swimming pools (with lounger service, which I made full use of), but there was beach volleyball, snorkelling, SUP, and fishing – you name it, they likely have it.
Spa POZ
The Spa at Ravenala is a beautiful spa arranged around a central open-air passage complete with tropical plants (very much playing into the indoor-outdoor theme, again). When you arrive, there’s a central relaxation sala, which is a chill place to wait before and again after treatments.
I had a massage with the cocoon balm, and it was one of the most relaxing spa treatments I’ve ever had – not to mention that the balm left my skin silky smooth.
On an island with such a bounty of organic produce, it’s great to see a spa that really celebrates this and uses them as the cornerstone of its treatment menu. They work with local producer Indika Estate to create a range of products made in Mauritius that are used exclusively in the spa.
I’ve been to *quite* a few hotel spas, but I’d happily go back to this one if given the chance.
Top Tip
Best part? You can also buy the products to bring home.
Food & Drink
Ok, foodies, listen up — this hotel is all about the food.
Each restaurant has its own style and flavours, which really helped lend a touch of authentic Mauritius to every meal I tried. It delivered on quality and service more than most hotels I’ve visited.
So where should you eat? Everywhere. But, without a doubt, Kot Nou Restaurant is the pride and joy of the hotel. It translates to “at home”, and the name is spot on.
Kot Nou boasts a laid-back indoor/outdoor space that spills from a beach house to sandy garden grounds where you can sample cold and hot tapas that showcase real Mauritian food.
Mozaik Restaurant is where you start your day with a hearty breakfast buffet with traditional Mauritian breakfast as well as Western breakfast options. It was absolutely delicious.
I think my favourite experience, however, was Lime Restaurant. The À la carte Japanese cuisine was very good, and having an adult-only section within the hotel is great if you want a quieter break – but then there are still the facilities of the wider hotel on offer when you need them.
Other options included Italian food, street food by the pool, and late-night noodles at Madam Ming – which were freshly prepared just the way you want them with your pick of garnishes and sauces. I’d come here every evening if I’d had time to.
And, of course, you don’t need to go far for the bar scene. The late-night nightclub was poppin’ every day. Unfortunately, I’m now a grandma and never quite made it to the club, but those who did assured me it was a brilliant night out.
A Beacon of Sustainability
There are a lot of hotels that attempt to incorporate sustainability to their brand and look – props to anyone who genuinely tries to make things better for the environment and people living there.
But staying at Ravenala Hotel felt different from other eco-friendly properties I’ve visited worldwide. I guess it’s not a huge surprise when you dig deeper into the company’s history and its founders.
CEO Jean-Michel Pitot greeted us when we arrived at the hotel, and I got to learn a bit more about his story. But the long and short of it is that the brand is a family-owned company that quickly grew into a brand that’s focused on improving the lives of employees and respecting the island’s land and people.
I don’t blame you if you think you’ve heard this at a lot of hotels lately. I have, too. But the staff and local community really do make this work.
Juliette, the hotel’s sustainability manager, talked us through the ways in which Attitude has woven sustainability into its very essence, rather than the greenwashing and lip service you so often see in the hospitality industry. And walking around the property, I can tell you, they’re not making this stuff up.
First, there is no single-use plastic… like actually none.
Rather than having lots of tea/coffee/snacks in individual wrappers, the hotel has its own Bulk Shop, where guests can help themselves with items in reusable glass jars for their room. It’s great as you only choose and pack the things you actually want, which leads to less wastage, too.
Supplies and produce are locally sourced, wherever possible. Not only does this cut down on local waste, but it also puts money back into the local community members’ pockets. This is what sustainable travel is all about.
I think what impressed me the most was that their sustainability model really focuses on their employees and Mauritius locals as much as it does the environment itself. They’re in the process of becoming a B-Corp – itself a testament to the importance of sustainability to the brand, but also how far it’s already come in ensuring it’s incorporating sustainable practices to date.
The company has a deep commitment to putting money into the community and employing community members – not just at their hotel, but by supporting and celebrating local farmers, artists, and artisanal producers.
The Spa POZ collaboration with Indika Estate was a great example of this. Spa POZ sources 100% of its products from the local company, which produces vegan, eco-friendly spa products they collect from Ferney Valley and make by hand for the hotel. How cool is that?
It was really unique to experience a hotel chain of this size with such gusto for sticking to their promise to the environment and locals who make their brand what it is.
Keep up the good work.
Fact File
Perfect For Travellers Who…
Prefer an intimate understanding of the culture, cuisine, and people that define a community as much as the tropical location itself.
How Long to Spend
I recommend spending at least a week at this property. But you might also want to split this with another of Attitude’s hotels like Sunrise Attitude, which is known for its dialled-down approach to beachside luxury and healthy living.
Booking
You can book directly through the hotel, which allows you to choose an all-inclusive package and may offer you the best rates, at times.
Alternatively, Check Rates and Availability on Booking.com
Map
Read More Mauritius Guides
- The Best Things to do in Mauritius
- Plan Your Trip to Mauritius with This Itinerary
- Where to Stay in Mauritius
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