---
title: "How to choose the right luxury hotel in the Seychelles — Wanderlust Magazine"
url: "https://wanderlust-magazine.com/how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles/"
date: 2026-11-06
---

# How to choose the right luxury hotel in the Seychelles

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> Explore the Seychelles with Janine Avery  
> Janine has explored Seychelles resorts with her family, experiencing their beaches, activities, dining and facilities firsthand. As a freelance travel journalist, she draws on this experience to help others compare accommodation, understand their options and plan a Seychelles holiday around their individual interests, preferences, and needs.



[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1561555011619{padding-right: 160px !important;padding-left: 160px !important;}” disable_custom_paddings_tablet=”true” disable_custom_paddings_mobile=”true”][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”bottom-to-top”]The photographs all promise the same thing: white sand, granite boulders, turquoise water, palm trees. But when almost every Seychelles resort appears to offer the same paradise, how do you decide which one will actually suit the way you want to spend your holiday? Choosing the perfect luxury resort for your Seychelles holiday should start with the island. The Seychelles is not one island destination in the conventional sense, but an archipelago of more than 100 islands, each with its own character and appeal. And even on the larger islands, the experience can change dramatically depending on where you stay. One resort might be ideal for spending most of the holiday barefoot and horizontal, while another might suit someone who wants to hike, snorkel, kayak and explore.

For instance, the main island of Mahé is well suited to those who want a place with enough restaurants, activities, beaches and wellness facilities to make every day totally different, while Praslin, on the other hand, although the second largest island in the Seychelles, feels more connected to nature. Praslin is home to the Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its ancient palm forest and endemic coco de mer, as well as the Seychelles black parrot, which is found only on this one island. It is also where you will find Grande Anse Kerlan, which is a natural breeding beach for green and hawksbill turtles, set within the resort grounds of Constance Lemuria. The resort’s turtle conservation programme monitors nesting activity and works to protect the turtles and their hatchlings.\[/vc\_column\_text\]





[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][![](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/1-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/1-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)





[/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][![](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)





[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1561555011619{padding-right: 160px !important;padding-left: 160px !important;}” disable_custom_paddings_tablet=”true” disable_custom_paddings_mobile=”true”][vc_column]



[vc_column_text css_animation=”bottom-to-top”]The resort even has an Eco Kiosk on site with information about the island’s biodiversity, marine life, and conservation initiatives, and the resort’s environmental tours provide the opportunity to learn more. Depending on the season, you may even have the opportunity to participate in a baby turtle release. The Kids Club also arranges complimentary excursions to the Vallée de Mai, where children can learn about the forest and its plants, while back at the resort, they can also feed the resort’s Aldabra tortoises. Although these giant tortoises can be found all around the Seychelles and similar experiences are offered at many island resorts in the Seychelles, here the tortoises feel particularly wild, in a custom-built area that mimics the natural forest. But this relationship with the natural environment is just one part of a much broader island heritage. In fact, the Constance brand’s relationship with the Indian Ocean began in Mauritius in 1975 with the opening of their first hotel there, Constance Belle Mare Plage, and has since expanded across Mauritius, Seychelles, the Maldives, Rodrigues and Madagascar, giving the group decades of experience operating hotels across the Indian Ocean islands.

There is something to be said for choosing a hotel that is locally operated and connected to its destination in this way. While large international chains have obvious advantages, particularly in terms of consistency, they can tend to give you a very polished, almost sterile, version of luxury that could be replicated almost anywhere. At a locally operated hotel, the rooms may be just as beautiful, the service just as polished, and the spa just as indulgent, but the difference can be found in the details, the staff, and often just the atmosphere of the place.\[/vc\_column\_text\]





[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]> … In the Seychelles, choosing between two luxury resorts can shape your holiday in entirely different ways, even when both promise paradise.

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[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1561556614520{padding-right: 160px !important;padding-left: 160px !important;}” disable_custom_paddings_tablet=”true” disable_custom_paddings_mobile=”true”][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”bottom-to-top”]That distinction becomes clearer when you look at how resorts in the Seychelles have been built. While the country does have strict development laws, there can be a difference between a hotel brand that arrives once a destination has become desirable and one that forms part of the story of its emergence as a luxury destination. There’s a sense of legacy, shaped by years of operating in the region and an understanding of the landscape, culture and character that make it distinctive. For instance, *[Constance Lemuria](https://www.constancehotels.com/en/hotels-resorts/lemuria/)* opened in 1999 and was designed around the natural landscape of Praslin, with its golf course becoming the first and only 18-hole championship course in the Seychelles. This Par 70 course, covering 5,611m, is built into the resort’s 101 hectares of tropical landscape. For hotel guests, green fees are complimentary, although golf buggy use is charged separately. Club rental is also available; there is a pro shop, and resident golf professionals offer lessons at an additional cost.

For those who find it difficult to completely abandon their fitness routine on holiday, you can also consider whether your hotel has a gym, bikes available for use to explore your resort’s surrounds, or yoga classes, all of which are on offer at Lemuria.

**Read More:** [Seychelles: The Uncharted Cerf Island](https://wanderlust-magazine.com/seychelles-the-uncharted-cerf-island/)\[/vc\_column\_text\]





[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][![](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/3-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/3-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)





[/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][![](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/5-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/5-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)





[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1561556614520{padding-right: 160px !important;padding-left: 160px !important;}” disable_custom_paddings_tablet=”true” disable_custom_paddings_mobile=”true”][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”bottom-to-top”]Besides all that, Lemuria is the perfect place to do nothing at all. Here you can easily spend a week moving between your bed, the beach and a pool. And the beaches are a major part of the appeal. Petite Anse Kerlan is right at the resort and is where the hotel’s boat club is, while Anse Georgette is also located within the property and is one of the beaches that has made Praslin famous. This is also something worth considering when choosing a Seychelles resort. Technically, all beaches in the Seychelles are accessible to the public, so staying at a beachfront hotel does not mean the sand outside your room belongs exclusively to the resort. In practice, however, some of the islands’ most beautiful and sought-after beaches sit within hotel grounds, and access through those grounds can be controlled or limited for non-guests.

If having one of the archipelago’s best beaches on your doorstep is important to you, it is worth looking closely at exactly what coastline the resort occupies rather than simply assuming that any hotel in the Seychelles will give you easy access to the same beaches. And how many other properties share the same beach, or how easily accessible it is to the general public. A beautiful pool is lovely, but when you have travelled this far, having access by right of residence to one of the Seychelles’ famous beaches is more than enough reason to choose a certain resort.\[/vc\_column\_text\]





[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]> …The best luxury hotel is not necessarily the one with the most facilities, but the one whose facilities matter most to the traveller.

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[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1561556614520{padding-right: 160px !important;padding-left: 160px !important;}” disable_custom_paddings_tablet=”true” disable_custom_paddings_mobile=”true”][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”bottom-to-top”]Back on Mahé, the main island of the Seychelles, Lemuria’s sister hotel, *[Constance Ephelia](https://www.constancehotels.com/en/hotels-resorts/ephelia/)* offers a very different proposition. Alongside another famous beach and the Port Launay Marine National Park, this resort is much like the main island of the Seychelles itself – considerably larger, with lots going on. There are beaches, pools, restaurants, a remarkable spa and a long list of activities, from kayaking and sailing to tennis, squash, snorkelling and diving. There is even zip-lining through the forest, while the resort’s diving operation offers access to sites around the marine park, including underwater landscapes of granite and coral and marine life ranging from rays and moray eels to reef sharks and octopus. You can easily spend a week here without repeating a meal or an afternoon activity, and its spa is also a wellness destination in its own right, with treatment rooms, thermal facilities, a sauna, steam room, pools and yoga facilities. The scale of the resort means plenty is happening, but its setting among tropical gardens, hills and beaches prevents it from feeling like a conventional large hotel. That variety also makes Ephelia particularly appealing for families.

And while many people picture Seychelles as the ultimate honeymoon destination, it can also be a great destination for families, with many resorts here having fabulous kids’ clubs. The Constance resorts are a good example of what these clubs should look like. These little paradises feature large outdoor jungle gyms, trampolines, extensive indoor play areas, and even kiddies pools, alongside arts and crafts, nature activities and other organised programmes. A beautiful resort is wonderful, but being able to hand your children over to a genuinely engaging kids’ programme for a couple of hours can be the difference between a family holiday and a holiday where everyone simply comes home needing another holiday.\[/vc\_column\_text\]





[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][![](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/6-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/6-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)





[/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][![](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/4-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/4-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1047&ssl=1)





[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1561556614520{padding-right: 160px !important;padding-left: 160px !important;}” disable_custom_paddings_tablet=”true” disable_custom_paddings_mobile=”true”][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”bottom-to-top”]Food is another factor that deserves more attention than simply checking how many restaurants a hotel has. You need to think about what kind of dining experience you want. Do you want several restaurants so you can change the atmosphere each evening? Are you looking for serious wine lists and fine dining? Would you rather have relaxed barefoot lunches? Are children’s meals important? Do you want extensive buffets and themed evenings or more refined 3-course à la carte options tailored to a specific international cuisine? Again, Lemuria and Ephelia make an interesting comparison. Lemuria has four restaurants and five bars, with dining ranging from more relaxed, barefoot options to buffet and à la carte experiences with fine dining among its offerings. The resort also has an extensive cellar containing more than 23,000 bottles from approximately 200 wineries, making it one of the more serious wine collections in the Indian Ocean. For anyone who takes wine seriously, this is worth considering when choosing a resort. It is one thing to have an impressive wine list; it is another to have a cellar of this scale and a sommelier team able to understand their offering.

A resort like Ephelia, on the other hand, offers even more choice, with restaurants ranging from the international buffet at Corossol to the Mediterranean-inspired Helios, Asian flavours at Adam & Eve and the more refined Cyann restaurant overlooking Port Launay Marine Park. There are also casual options for snacks and drinks when you have no intention of putting on proper clothes for lunch. For families, the buffet can be particularly useful because everyone can find something they like without turning dinner into a negotiation.\[/vc\_column\_text\]





[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column]> …A beautiful resort can be chosen from a photograph. The right resort requires understanding how you want to spend your holiday.

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[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1561556614520{padding-right: 160px !important;padding-left: 160px !important;}” disable_custom_paddings_tablet=”true” disable_custom_paddings_mobile=”true”][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”bottom-to-top”]That is really the point when choosing a luxury hotel: don’t be seduced by a list of facilities. Look at how those facilities fit together. A resort can have ten restaurants and still not be right for you. Another can have two or three and deliver exactly the experience you want. The same applies to pools, spas, beaches, kids’ clubs and activities. More is not necessarily more luxurious; sometimes luxury is having exactly what you need without having to think about what you don’t. If your ideal Seychelles experience is waking up to an empty beach, spotting birdlife between swims and spending an afternoon doing absolutely nothing, a smaller, nature-focused resort on Praslin might be perfect. If you want to fill your days with activities, restaurants, wellness and water sports, a larger resort on Mahé may suit you better.

The trick is to choose the island, the setting and ultimately the hotel that matches the kind of holiday you actually want to have.

**Read More:** [Caribbean Overnight Sailing: Zero Fun…But the Stars Are Glorious](https://wanderlust-magazine.com/caribbean-overnight-sailing-zero-fun-but-the-stars-are-glorious/)

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[/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][![](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/7-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1048&ssl=1)](https://i0.wp.com/wanderlust-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/7-how-to-choose-luxury-hotel-seychelles.jpg?fit=1320%2C1048&ssl=1)





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