Constance Prince Maurice, Mauritius: Our 10-Day Honeymoon Review
When we got engaged, a close friend advised us to spend more than we were comfortable with on the honeymoon. After all, it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip you'll never forget. We spent about three weeks agonising over whether Constance Prince Maurice was too expensive, booked it anyway, and then spent the whole time wondering why we ever hesitated.
If you're trying to decide whether this is the right place for your honeymoon, below is everything we loved about our stay (and the few things we didn't). We hope it helps you make your own decision.
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Book Constance Prince Maurice on Booking.com →What Kind of Trip Is This Actually For?
Let's be straightforward about this from the start: Constance Prince Maurice is not a Mauritius holiday. It's a resort holiday that happens to be in Mauritius.
If you want to explore the island, eat in local restaurants every night, drive around, see waterfalls, that kind of thing, this probably isn't your best option. It's intentionally in a very remote location, and getting anywhere by taxi from the hotel is very expensive. You'd need a hire car, and you'd be driving a lot.
But if what you actually want from a honeymoon is to decompress completely, eat brilliantly, do a bit of watersports, spend long afternoons on a beach doing absolutely nothing, and feel genuinely looked after for ten days, Constance Prince Maurice is hard to beat.
Since we travel so much anyway and tend to avoid resorts, we decided that our honeymoon would be the perfect time to book a trip like this: somewhere we could completely relax and unwind without the need for any research or planning logistics. (The wedding was enough.)
If you do want to venture out, our taxi driver's tips were worth having. Poste de Flacq, the nearest village, has barbecues on Saturdays and Sundays; the market in Flacq is packed with local vendors, and Mahébourg in the south is where the island's food scene started.
Getting There
We flew British Airways business class, and paid for it almost entirely with Avios. Using an Amex companion voucher meant two business class seats for the Avios price of one (you still pay the taxes and charges), which is the only reason long-haul business class was on the table for us at all. It's a long overnight flight, and arriving properly rested makes a real difference on a honeymoon. We've written up exactly how we do it in our guide to travelling business class for cheap using Amex and Avios.
If you're not collecting Avios, compare flights to Mauritius on Skyscanner to find the best fares for your dates.
For the transfer, we let the hotel organise it. The resort is on the east coast, around an hour's drive from the airport, and having someone waiting for you after a long-haul flight is worth it.
The Setting
Constance Prince Maurice sits in a 60-acre plot on the east coast of the island, framed by coconut palms and a lagoon that is stunningly beautiful. The design is based on Feng Shui principles, which means the whole place feels open and airy rather than like a hotel. There are no long corridors, no lobbies you have to walk through. Everything flows outward toward the water.
The beach isn't one strip of sunbeds. It's dispersed along the coastline in smaller pockets, which means it always feels private even when the resort is at capacity. We never fought for a spot. We never felt crowded. The lagoon is calm, shallow, warm, and you can walk out a long way into the water comfortably.
The Service
You can find beautiful beaches and nice rooms in a lot of places. What you can't easily replicate is the service here, and it's genuinely what impressed us most about our stay.
The staff remember who you are from day one. Not in a forced, eerie way, just in the way you'd hope people would treat you on your honeymoon. Guest relations are available on WhatsApp throughout your stay (Priya looked after us and was brilliant) and they'll arrange almost anything: a boat trip, a wine tasting in the cellar (25,000 bottles, the largest collection on the island), a private dinner on the beach. But it's the things that aren't on any list that stay with you.
The Dinner That Wasn't on the Menu
During our wine tasting, we got talking to Vishal, the sommelier, about food: the blog, how much we both love cooking, what we'd been eating on the trip. At some point mid-pour he said, "wait a minute, I'll be right back" and disappeared to make a phone call.
He came back and told us to cancel our booking at the Asian restaurant for Thursday. He said he'd called his friend Yaseen at Barachois, the floating restaurant, and that we should go and ask for him by name because he'd take care of us instead. We didn't really know what to expect. But when something like that happens, you just go along with it.
When we arrived, Yaseen greeted us at the door, walked us to a table, and never handed us a menu. He started with what he called a Sunday fish salad: sky emperor, deep-fried and pulled apart, tossed with shredded tomatoes, red onion, spring onion and an orange vinaigrette. He said it was the kind of thing Mauritian families make at home on weekends. It was one of the best things we ate on the whole trip. Then came paratha wraps, rice and a fish and chicken curry, and to finish, a banana rum flambé.
He barely charged us for any of it.
All because we'd spent an hour at a wine tasting talking about how much we love local home-cooked meals. That's the service at this place. It's not just attentive; it's personal.
On the Beach
The beach butlers are a particular touch. They set up your beds with an endless supply of towels, bring cold water constantly (it arrives in a bag packed with ice so it stays cold in the sun), clean your sunglasses, and every afternoon appear with fresh coconut water, fruit and ice creams.
Our butler Lionel kept us well topped up with Piña Coladas in coconut shells throughout our trip!
The Rooms
We were in a Junior Suite, which is the entry-level option. It didn't feel entry-level. A high vaulted ceiling with a slow fan, a four-poster bed, a sofa under the windows and a balcony looking out to the gardens. They keep you stocked with bottled water throughout the day at no charge.
The bathroom is enormous: a large bath, a separate shower, his and hers sinks and huge wardrobes. There's a TV too. We turned it on once, I think by accident.
Turndown
Your room is cleaned twice a day, and the evening visit was a lovely treat. While you're at dinner, someone draws the curtains, sorts the lighting, leaves water and a little snack by the bed and moves your slippers to the side of it. You come back to a room that's ready for you.
Room Service
One evening we ordered food to the room expecting a tray. Instead, they set up a whole dining table in our suite: tablecloth, candle, bread basket and all, so we could actually sit down and enjoy it rather than balancing plates on the bed. It was a genuinely brilliant surprise.
Food and Drink: What to Actually Book
There are three restaurants, a handful of bars and a wine cellar, and across ten days we never got bored of eating here. The food is excellent across the board, but each place has its own personality.
Archipel, the Main Restaurant
Archipel sits in the main building overlooking the pool and the beach, and it's where you'll have breakfast every morning. The breakfast spread is incredible: Eggs cooked however you want them, a crepe and waffle station, shakshuka, Asian dishes, cheeses, fruit and fresh coffee. In the evenings, it does à la carte dinners with a light Mauritian twist, and you don't need to book. It also runs themed nights with a set three-course menu, which are a nice way to try more local dishes.
Barachois, the Floating Restaurant
Barachois is unmissable. You walk down a lantern-lit pontoon through the mangroves to a restaurant floating over the fishing reserve, with mountain views, fresh seafood and candlelight. We ate there twice, once for our honeymoon dinner and once for Yaseen's off-menu meal, and it was brilliant both times. Book it early in your stay so you can go back. If you're lucky, Yaseen will be on.
The Asian Restaurant
The Asian Restaurant does sushi, dim sum and Chinese dishes like hot pot and stir-fried beef, and it's a welcome change of pace after a few nights of seafood. You'll need to book.
Lunch on Your Sunbed
At lunchtime you don't even need to get up. Food comes out to your sunbed on a tray, and if you're feeling lazy in the evening, room service will set up a full dining table in your suite (more on that above).
The Bars
The Barachois Floating Bar is the place for a sunset drink, out on the water by the floating restaurant. The Lotus Lounge, next to Archipel in the main building, is the main bar, with live music in the evenings that never tips into rowdy, and it's the perfect spot before or after dinner. There's also a floating Aperol bar in the main pool. Bar snacks come out with your drinks, and the bartenders are happy to steer you towards good local rum if you ask.
The Wine
The cellar holds 25,000 bottles, the largest collection on the island, and a tasting is worth doing even if you're not a wine person (it's how we met Vishal). A small thing we loved: any wine left in your bottle follows you to your next booked table, so you never feel pressured to finish it.
The Meal Packages: Do the Maths First
We booked bed and breakfast and worked out afterwards that it was comfortably the best value option. A nice dinner usually came to less than the €80 per person half board supplement, and all-inclusive only makes sense if you plan to drink heavily and consistently. Cocktails start around €17, but we never spent more than €100 a night on drinks between us. The themed three-course evenings are €70 per head, again less than the half board rate, and premium items like lobster and steak carry a supplement even on the all-inclusive package (which was the main thing that put us off).
Do the maths on the meal packages before you upgrade. Bed and breakfast almost always works out cheaper unless you're eating and drinking at every possible opportunity.
The Spa
The spa was incredible. It's set around its own heated pool in a quiet courtyard of thatched treatment rooms, and there was a bottle of champagne waiting in the reception area, which sets the tone nicely.
We booked a couples' treatment. You change into thin paper underwear and lie side by side for a full-body scrub. After that, you wash it all off together in a private couples' shower, dry off, and go back in for a full-body massage.
Treatments change, so check the current menu before you go. At the time of writing, it lists a 75-minute Honeymoon Ritual for couples, followed by private relaxation time and spa cocktails. There's also a sauna and hammam if you want to make an afternoon of it.
On the Water
Most of the watersports are included in your stay: kayaks, paddleboards, pedal boats, water skiing, wakeboarding, Hobie cats and lasers, with free lessons where possible. We had sailing lessons with Owen, and watching ourselves actually get better over ten days was one of the most satisfying parts of the trip.
On days when there isn't enough wind to sail, take a pedal boat or a kayak out into the lagoon instead. It's calm and shallow and a lovely way to spend an hour. The one weak spot is snorkelling: the lagoon isn't spectacular if you're used to reef diving.
A Private Catamaran Cruise
We also booked a private catamaran cruise with Roy, the captain, and Steven, his co-captain, and it was one of the highlights of the whole honeymoon. It's an easy, unhurried day: you cruise around the lagoon and along the coast, stopping to swim and snorkel, then stretch out on the nets in the sun while the crew take care of everything else. Lunch and drinks are provided on board, so the only decision you have to make is when to get back in the water.
If you're going to splash out on one thing beyond the room, make it this.
Everything Else
There are two pools, both infinity pools: the main pool with a floating Aperol bar and lounging bags, and a quieter adults-only pool surrounded by greenery. Neither was ever crowded.
The resort has access to two golf courses with a free shuttle and complimentary club hire, plus a driving cage and pitch and putt on site. There are tennis courts (rackets are free, but the balls cost 1,000 rupees, which is a bit much), and a small but well-equipped gym that's open 24/7, with bikes you can borrow to ride around the grounds or into the local towns.
Even the weather is handled. On a rainy day they put on a gin masterclass in the bar, along with other indoor activities, so a grey afternoon never feels wasted.
The Honeymoon Package: Is It Worth It?
Yes, you're already getting excellent service, but the package really does elevate your experience. Ours included a welcome drink on arrival, a private dinner, a discount on couples' spa treatments, and an enormous breakfast in bed one morning.
The Private Dinner
The private dinner in the resort was the standout, and it's a good example of how far the team will go. The location varies from couple to couple, and the weather wasn't great on the night of ours, so our official honeymoon dinner was moved to the Barachois restaurant at the best table. Later in the stay, they apologised and set up a second private dinner on the beach for us anyway!
It was on a secluded stretch of sand where it was just the two of us. They'd pitched a canopy on the sand under the palms, with the curtains tied back, a candlelit table set for two and a little path lit by torches leading up to it, the palm trunks glowing in the dark around it. A curated meal came out course by course, with Shayne looking after us. No other tables, no other guests, just the sound of the lagoon. It was easily the most romantic evening of the trip, and exactly the kind of thing you want from a honeymoon.
Worth noting: the current honeymoon package is sold on a half board basis, so check the terms when you book and factor that into the meal plan maths above.
Planning your own honeymoon here?
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Check availability and prices for your dates →The Few Things We'd Change
No hotel is perfect, and it's worth knowing the small things before you book. There are lots of little flies around (nothing that can be done about that really), particularly near the gardens. Drinks aren't cheap. The snorkelling is underwhelming because the water isn’t clear.
Taxis booked through the hotel are expensive (in Mauritius, the hotels can only be serviced by official hotel taxis and not local cars). We spent 1 night away from the resort in Flaque to go to a local restaurant, and the taxi cost almost double our whole meal and drinks. You don’t just pay for the trip; the driver basically has to wait for you and bring you back, so you pay for the whole time.
Also, we were surprised that despite the hotel including so much, you have to pay around €20 for tennis balls to use the tennis courts.
None of it took the shine off our stay, but we have to give you our honest thoughts.
Our Verdict
Constance Prince Maurice is expensive. You know that going in. What surprised us was how well it justifies the cost, not through ostentation or excess, but through consistency. Everything works. The service never drops. The food is reliably excellent. The beach is stunning!
The things we'll actually remember are small. Piña coladas served in a coconut. Getting used to the feel of a wedding ring. Hours of people-watching from a sunbed and local meals cooked just for us.
For a honeymoon specifically, it's hard to think of anywhere we'd have been happier. The privacy of the layout, the attentiveness of the staff, the ability to simply stop and do nothing without feeling like you're wasting your time: it's exactly what a honeymoon should feel like.
Ready to book Constance Prince Maurice?
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Check availability and prices for your dates →Fully booked? Try its sister resort
Constance Belle Mare Plage is right next door on the same stretch of coast. It's much bigger and livelier than Prince Maurice, with a 2km beach, several restaurants and bars, and its own golf courses, so it suits couples who want more buzz. We haven't stayed there ourselves, but it's worth a look if your dates are taken.
See Constance Belle Mare Plage →We visited in May 2023 and paid for our stay ourselves. This post contains affiliate links, and if you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions are entirely our own.
