Background
In 2011, Sun Resorts signed a contract with Apavou for the five-year lease of Ambre with options to renew for a further 15 years. After an $18-million dollar upgrade, Ambre is now child-free and aimed at the business traveller and couples – a contemporary adult resort open to guests 16 years and older.
What’s it Like
Minimalistic chic meets haute tropical flair with a dash of traditional comfort and Mauritian charm in a serene space sans enfants. A jaw-dropping reception area opens onto a 735m2 infinity pool framing sea and sky in vivid blue hues.
Where is it?
Situated at Palmar, on the east coast, Ambre is an hour’s drive from Port Louis and Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, which opened a new terminal in September, more than doubling its capacity.
Rooms
Ambre’s 297 spacious rooms are just a few paces from the pristine beach. The rooms comprise 100 standard rooms for two sharing, 178 superior rooms with an extra bed, seven 72m2 deluxe dwellings with two bedrooms, and two 80m2 suites with an extra bedroom and bathroom for a third adult or teen over 16. All have en-suite bathrooms.
Expect a sense of sanctuary within lofty spaces featuring swan chairs in muted hues and king-size beds dressed in crisp linens with sumptuous pillows. Red, orange, turquoise and green accents refresh clean white finishes and showcase the modern handwriting and stylish signature. Standard amenities include 32-inch flat-screen satellite TVs, Wi-Fi access, mini-bar, tea/coffee-making facilities, clock radio, safe, hairdryer and air-conditioning.
Restaurants & Bars
With three restaurants and two bars, guests are spoilt for choice. Ambre’s largest restaurant, Indigo, seats 262 and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Chefs preside over interactive buffet stations brimming with Indian, Chinese, Creole and European dishes. Think grilled swordfish, vegetarian curries, prawns cooked a variety of ways and meat dishes. Most of the main courses at La Dolce Vita, Ambre’s 150-seater restaurant, would do Europe’s finest proud with its handmade antipasti, pastas, pizzas and fusion dishes. We tucked into grilled lobster served with bok choy, lemon zest, oreganum and pastis butter (me), and Angus beef fillet with tagliatelle galette and red wine truffle sauce (him). Lose your shoes at La Plage as you tuck into pizza brimming with melted cheese and blistered black on the edges. Just metres from the surf, it’s open for lunch and dinner. The grilled tuna is good and if you like palm hearts and smoked marlin, you’re in for a treat. Wash it down with a glass of bubbly.
Business & Meeting Facilities
There’s high-speed Wi-Fi throughout. Two multi-functional conference rooms can accommodate 80 to 100 delegates. Flexible corporate services from a dedicated in-house team can rock your function with land and water-based team-building, themed evenings, Sega dancing, or whatever you desire. Other meeting places include The Pub next to the conference room, and the Coral Bar, which offers live entertainment from Ambre’s eight in-house dancers and resident DJ. Delegates wanting to party on can get down at Shakers, Ambre’s throbbing nightclub.
Leisure
With an outdoor shower, steam room, sauna and jacuzzi, Ambre’s spa offers tranquility, detoxification and regeneration. Two of the six thatched treatment rooms are outside overlooking the ocean, so that guests can soak up fresh air, bird song and sounds of lapping waves. Aficionados wax lyrical about Le Spa’s signature candle treatment. If you’re too tired to hit the state-of-the-art gym, ease into a lazy afternoon with a massage. Ambre offers a body-balancing smorgasbord – pep talks, power walks, aqua-gym, yoga, pilates and stretching, along with two tennis courts, two swimming pools and new lasers, sailboats, pedaloes and windsurfers, all free to guests.
Verdict
Ambre is a business-friendly adult playground, and if you’re seeking a hedonistic haven to manifest your corporate schemes and brilliant dreams, this 4-star resort with spanking new 5-star facilities fits the bill.
Caroline Hurry
ContacT
Address: Coastal Road, Palmar
Tel: +230 401 8188
Email: info@sunresorts.mu
Web: www.ambremauritius.com