We had really looked forward to spending our holiday in this beautiful place. After visiting many Four Seasons hotels around the world, including several stays in the Maldives and multiple trips to Mauritius, we arrived at Desroches in mid-February as a fairly well-traveled and “spoiled” group. Even so, the island fully exceeded our expectations.
Desroches was even more beautiful than the pictures show. In our opinion, it felt even more like paradise than the finest places in the Maldives. The beaches are just as stunning, the water just as clear, and there is at least as much to see below the surface. On top of that, the island has lush, varied and dense vegetation that makes it feel wild and special.
We could lie on the beach and relax while watching sea turtles lift their heads above the water to breathe. Later the same day, we cycled past giant land tortoises that are more than 100 years old. The island also offers a very high level of privacy. It is large, and the villas are spread out. We could walk along the beach for 20 minutes without seeing another guest.
We also went on a wonderful snorkeling trip to Poivre Island, about a little over an hour away by boat. What a beautiful place! We saw small sharks, turtles, dolphins, eagle rays, stingrays and even a manta ray. During five hours at sea, we did not see a single other boat or person. It felt truly unique.
The villa and all common areas were spotless. The butler service and housekeeping were excellent! We stayed in a three-bedroom villa, with the most beautiful rooms and a stunning beach that felt private.
Room for improvement:
Even though the staff are incredibly kind and service-minded, the restaurant service was uneven. Not a single meal passed without something missing from our order, and we therefore often had to remind the staff. Many waiters did not write down the orders, and they were sometimes passed on to another waiter, which resulted in that items often were forgotten. We usually had to pour our own wine, as empty glasses were not noticed. The positive attitude and warmth are definitely there, but there seems to be a need for more structure to move from 90% to 100% quality in the restaurants.
The food quality was especially good at Ahi, somewhat variable at Lighthouse, and mostly good at Claudine.
The hotel works with Blue Safari, which offers excursions like diving and fishing trips. They have an office at the hotel and are the only company on the island offering these experiences. We were in contact with four different people at Blue Safari when booking both a fishing trip and a snorkeling trip. All were friendly and welcoming, but the quality of the excursion was not close to what we are used to from Four Seasons–organized tours.
We have done many similar trips at other luxury hotels, including both Four Seasons resorts in the Maldives, and the quality level there is completely different. To their credit, Blue Safari cancelled our first booking free of charge when the weather turned bad, as we were leaving the dock. However, the five-hour trip we did a few days later felt more like a tour you would book on the beach in Phuket or Sharm el-Sheikh — while the price was unfortunately still at Four Seasons level.
On the boat to Poivre, there were two staff members: a captain and an assistant. We were told the crossing would take a little over an hour. After a short introduction, the captain said he could not be disturbed during the crossing because he did not want us climbing the ladder to the flybridge and risk falling in the water. That was understandable. But what happened next was strange: the assistant also went up to the flybridge, and both staff stayed there for the entire 1 hour and 20 minutes crossing, while we five guests sat "alone" downstairs.
Up on the flybridge there was music playing, the staff were singing and laughter — probably having the time of their lives. The same happened on the way back.
Drinks were included in the price for the trip, but we were simply told, “There’s the cooler, help yourselves.” This is not the level of service Four Seasons is known for. On a Four Seasons–run excursion, one staff member would certainly have stayed with the guests during the two and a half hours (in total) of cruising, perhaps sharing information about the area, the flying fish we saw, what to expect when arriving, the types of fish in the region, and offering us drinks.
When we asked if we could delay our return by ten minutes to extend fishing, because we had not catched any fish, we were told that was not possible. Ironically, we arrived back at the dock exactly ten minutes before the scheduled end of the excursion, and 40 minutes before the regulation in the area, tells that the boat has to be back at shore.
Desroches is truly a dream destination. Completely unique. A place we will remember for the rest of our lives, and hopefully visit again. As so often with Four Seasons, the staff are warm and genuinely caring people who want guests to have a fantastic stay. We have already recommended this magical island to many friends and family-members.
If the excursions had matched the Four Seasons standard, and if the restaurant service were slightly more structured, this would easily have been a 100/100 destination and maybe the best of all our trips the last 20 years.
US
FR
CH
TR