Mahe Island, Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Hotel Review

Overall Rating

Proximity to beach
Water Sports
Choice of Restaurants

Hotel policy on use of local currency
Unhappy staff

Vallon Bay Hotel is situated right on the beach with a pleasant walk to other hotels and restaurants. Plenty of water sports such as paragliding, jet skis, water ski-ing. Good choice of restaurants with Chinese, Italian, Thai/Sushi Bar and Creole all within the hotel. Also has an on-site casino. Bedrooms were clean and spacious although the bathrooms needed updating as did the corridors to the bedrooms. There's a doctor available on-site who won't overcharge you if you require his help. Free towels are given out freely for use around the pool and on the beach.You really need to hire a car if you're going to stay on this side of the island as the weather is very changeable, in fact we had torrential downpours (one lasting 4 whole days). You have to chase the sun while you can see it! The hotel are quite happy to sell you the national currency of Seychelles Rupees, but will not allow tourists to spend this in the hotel bars or restaurants, and won't buy it back from you at the end of your stay. You can use rupees in the casino, but again, if you win you're stuck with money you can't spend unless you travel further than the confines of the hotel. Euros and US dollars are accepted in the hotel but change will be given in rupees! The staff were not the happiest, almost miserable in fact and this was probably due to the lack of tipping since the hotel preferred you to make charges to your room.
The entertainment (a live trio) seemed good on the first night, but by the 14th night of the same group singing the same songs we were ready to throttle them. The restaurant and bar prices are on the expensive side ie £24.50 for a bottle of rose wine which can be purchased for £4.99 in a UK supermarket. Christmas Eve's gala dinner was enjoyable, New Year's Eve was an expensive but very damp squib with the same gala dinner, the same entertainment and very little celebration of welcoming in 2006. Needless to say we will not be returning to the Seychelles sometime soon...next Christmas we'll return to the Gambia!

Members' Comments onJLee's Review

• kpj on 8th Mar 2006

  The comment about the weather is misleading. During the Northwest monsoon-Nov- Feb, Beau Vallon, all of Seychelles are wet, very hot and humid. The rest of the year especially June, July and August, you get reliable sunshine and Beau Vallon is calm. Plus the currency thing is not the Hotel's fault, it's a national thing to get much needed foreign currency.

• the pharaoh on 11th Jun 2006

  Reviewer does not seem to have done much homework before the holiday. First, Seychelles is very expensive: a result of being 1000 miles from anywhere with most everything having to be shipped in, and with little source of foreign exchange other than tourists. Second, reviewer went in the rainy season: of course there was rain. Finally, 14 days in one resort is way too much, especially when there are many other islands and places to explore in the country.