Constance Lemuria was our second stop on our vacation in the Seychelles. Coming from a few days in the most stunning resort in Mahe, we were a bit scared to not find another hotel as beautiful as the previous one, but at the same time we were pretty confident that, being this a 5* resort with great reviews, we couldn’t be disappointed.
Anyway, I’ll try not to compare the two and be as fair as I can.
The main reason we decided to stay at Constance Lemuria was because of its three different beaches, including Anse Georgette, which is one of the most stunning beaches in Praslin. Side note: unfortunately during our stay in May, Grand Anse Kerlan was basically inaccessible because of the seaweed and the rough sea.
First thing we noticed on our arrival was that the grounds are beautiful: super green and well kept. The whole area is huge - also because of the golf course - and depending on your room location you may need to call a golf cart to get around.
Check-in was ok, except that we were initially taken to the wrong room (when we were trying to unsuccessfully open the door with the keycard and it wasn’t working we were told that maybe we deactivated it by keeping it close to our cell phones..). Once we arrived in our given room we did want to go immediately to the beach and enjoy the last hours of sunlight but we had to wait for our luggage that took a little longer to arrive.
The room itself, a junior suite, was clean and nice, but not luxurious. I understand that the rooms were “refreshed” recently but I think that they need a major makeover because they feel more like Club Med rooms and not something you’d expect from a 5* resort member of the Leading Hotels of the World. They’re not very private as every building hosts 4 rooms (2 downstairs and 2 upstairs) and you can easily hear everything coming from the outside. In-room amenities and toiletries are also basic and could be improved.
Petite Anse Kerlan is the main beach where you’ll find sun beds, the Takamaka Bar, and the Boat House. It’s a tiny beach and it gets kinda crowded but finding a free sun bed was never a problem. The water here is not exceptional though. The pool is just around the corner, and while it’s nice to see (is on three tiny levels) is not very usable for a swim. But when in Praslin you should probably head to Anse Georgette instead, it’s beautiful and just a 5 minutes ride from the resort (their private golf cart departs every hour, free of charge). Be aware that this is not a serviced beach and you’ll have to bring your own food and drinks (the resort will give you plenty of water if you ask).
So, if the accommodation was a little bit underwhelming, the food was surprisingly good, probably the best we had in the Seychelles. Breakfasts were served at Legend: plenty of choice, no complaints. We didn’t visit Legend for dinner as we’re not fans of buffet restaurants, but had super good dinners at The Nest and Diva. The first is more casual while Diva is a fine dining experience. Reservation is always required, and as we didn’t want to go to the buffet restaurants, we planned all of our dinners on the very first day at the resort. We loved both places, food was delicious and they also have an impressive wine list.
Funny thing is that at restaurants you have to pay for the same bottled water they give you for free during the day all around the resort.
Takamaka Bar is ok for a quick bite for lunch with your feet on the sand. We used to stay at the beach till sunset but unfortunately Takamaka is not ideal if you want to enjoy a beer/cocktail looking at the sun going down: it closes early and you’re left in the dark with no lights or candles or music (we had to use the flash lights of our phones right after sunset in order to see each other and finish our cocktails). Drinks are also served at the (very good) Huna Bar close to the Lobby but there’s a strict dress code policy in the resort so you can’t wear shorts at the bar. So basically there’s no place for relaxed sunset cocktails. Such a pity.
The dress code for men is something I would accept only at Diva, but having to wear long trousers even at the bar and at the buffet restaurant, considering the beach location and the super hot and humid weather, is hilarious (of course the dress code should be “smart casual” ‘cause nobody wants to see people dining in swim shorts and flip flops).
Talking about the restaurants.. a huge thank you to everyone working there, we found some lovely people, kind and hard working and they really made the difference. Sorry if I don’t remember the names, you know who you are!
Overall we had a good stay at Constance Lemuria and we will never forget the beauty of Anse Georgette