Review – Find Your Inner Glow with the New Wellness Programme at Sugar Beach Mauritius

I’m sitting in what resembles a giant inflatable beach ball set on the beach which fringes the stunning Sugar Beach hotel on the west coast of Mauritius. Decorated inside with beautiful cane peacock chairs, a teal velvet sofa, a lightbub-lined cheval mirror and a raffia rug, it’s a little slice of the hotel’s spa offering by the sea, dubbed the ‘beauty bubble’. A therapist gently washes my feet, then proceeds to exfoliate them with a zingy citrus scrub. As she gives me a foot and leg massage, which is targeted at lymphatic drainage and perfect for soothing my swollen limbs – a result of the 11-hour direct flight from the UK I’ve just taken – I’m invited to sit back and enjoy a glass of rose as the sun gently sinks into the horizon. Bliss.

This is my first taster of the new initiatives recently created by Sunlife, the brand which owns Sugar Beach and four other luxurious hotels on the island. Firstly, the session in the beauty bubble is part of a raft of experiences grouped together in the ‘Come Alive Collection’, which vary between the other properties, and include anything from perfume-making to cookery classes. Secondly, the new range of wellness products – oils, balms and scrubs – on offer during its spa treatments is called GLOW, and has been produced locally exclusively for Sunlife, using natural healing ingredients from Mauritian plants and flowers. These have been used to create a series of signature treatments at the hotels’ spas, and the wellness programme has also expanded to include experiences such as sound healing and Ayuverdic massage to create a 360 degree approach to well-being.

Sugar Beach itself oozes style, from its smart, wooden-floored and greenery-draped lobby and reception area, to the dramatic white wrought iron double staircase which leads down to the pools and restaurants, and the handsome buildings which house the rooms and suites, topped with dove-grey roofs. The overall vibe is sugar plantation chic, a nod to the island’s past as a major producer of the sweet stuff. Located near the pretty town of Flic en Flac, it neighbours another Sunlife property, La Pirogue, one of Mauritius’ oldest luxury hotels, and guests can share their facilities. This means access to double the amount of delicious restaurants, such as the latter’s seafood restaurant, Magenta, or Sugar Beach’s Buddha-Bar (don’t miss the lobster dumplings).

However, it doesn’t matter how much you indulge, as there are plenty of activities to keep you fit while you stay. One evening I take part in a sunset yoga class; the instructor, Anita, has us use sticks to help really lean in to our stretches, and I leave after our hour-long session feeling relaxed yet invigorated. Another time, I set out with a guide on a stand-up paddle board, exploring the alluring coastline while engaging my core. The hotel gym is expansive, too, with a range of equipment from rowing machines to treadmills, spin bikes, step machines and weights.

After two nights, I transfer to another Sunlife hotel, Long Beach, on the other side of the island, near Belle Mare. Design-wise, it’s a completely different proposition: it feels more wild and untamed, its chic, angular, stone-and-teak-wood-clad buildings set amid jungle-like foliage, as well as the ubiquitous palm trees. Sitting on 60 sprawling acres, it’s also bigger than Sugar Beach, and its spa is more expansive, with twelve treatment rooms, a hammam, beauty salon and outdoor wellness pavilion. There’s also a gym, a lap pool, two tennis courts, a padel and a pickleball court, and even a football pitch.

Before I undergo a treatment, I book in for a sound-healing session at the pavilion, where our small group of six lies down on yoga mats, feeling the cool, mid-afternoon breeze waft across our bodies. Our instructor, Dassa, kneels in front of an array of brass bowls. He explains that when they’re tapped with a short wooden stick, this creates frequencies and vibrations that can help soothe our busy brains, promoting relaxation, reducing stress, and enhancing mental clarity and focus. It’s certainly relaxing, lying there listening to the melodic tones, interspersed with the sounds of birdsong and the waves.

Perhaps the highlight of my whole trip, however, is the authentic Mauritian massage, which blends influences from the diverse cultures which shaped the island, from Indian to African and Asian. My therapist, Valerie, explains it’s good for lymphatic drainage, circulation and relaxation, and aims to improve blood flow around the body. She has me choose from three different scented oils: citrus (reviving), geranium (relaxing) and herbal (a blend of citronella and lemongrass for soothing muscle aches), and I go for a mix of herbal and citrus. Over the next sixty minutes, Valerie transports my tired limbs into an otherworldly state, starting with a foot ritual with a salt scrub to remove fatigue, followed by a delicious massage combining firm strokes with the use of elbows to really dig into those hard-to-move knots.

Afterwards, I head to the Sante wellness bar which is located near the treatment rooms; here, mixologist Vinnie prepares a range of mocktails using ingredients from the hotel’s spa garden, using medicinal plants such as moringa, lemongrass, beaume de perou (also known as Peruvian balsam) and ayapana, which he then blends with water and honey to make delicious drinks, depending on what your body needs. Lemongrass, for example, is a stress reliever which can also relieve fever, while beaume de perou is good for digestion and fighting infection. As part of the Come Alive Collection, you can spend an hour with Vinnie and try five different drinks.

At Long Beach, you can also do a full wellness package, if you’re staying for a few days. You’ll have an in-depth consultation on arrival, and staff will work with you on what you need. It also covers nutrition – wellness dishes are listed on the menus at all the hotel’s restaurants – plus the addition of a yoga mat in your room, and the choice of one wellness experience included. Sleep therapy is also on offer, with a pillow menu to choose from, special bedding, and a sleep spray. You can even have access to a fitness coach.

But be sure to treat yourself while you’re here, too; a little of what you fancy does you good, after all. The hotel’s restaurants are arranged around a beautiful piazza paved with checkered tiles, and one of my favourites was Hasu, which specialises in Japanese cuisine, serving the likes of sushi, miso black cod and grilled tomahawk steak. Sapori has an Italian menu, and offers delicious pasta dishes, while Tides is the place to go for fresh fish and seafood. You can choose from two alluring pools to lounge by or, of course, the beach, which is 1.5km long (hence the hotel’s name). But whichever hotel you choose, you’re bound to come back feeling refreshed and revived; and with that all-important glow…

Junior suites (sleeping 2 adults, 2 teens) at Long Beach start from £317 per night on a half-board basis. Deluxe sea view rooms (sleeping 2 adults, 1 child/teen) at Sugar Beach start from £369 per night on a half board basis. Air Mauritius flies direct from Gatwick from £688 return, airmauritius.com.