There is an abundance of hotels throughout the island, most of them hugging the coast. Mauritius standards and service are known to be the best in the Indian Ocean. The newest area to be developed, in 2004, was the less tamed southwest coast which saw a cluster of hotels go up. The top end of the market has seen an expansion in the villa living concept as well as smaller hotels, with the first boutique hotel opening in 2005.

From June to September, and during the Christmas and Easter holidays, reservations should be made in advance. A 10% tax is added to all hotel bills.

Grading: Although there is no official grading system away from the international chains, many of whom have hotels on the island, Mauritius has a higher density of 5-star hotels than anywhere else in the world. Most of Mauritius' hotel inventory is 4 and 5 star; even 3-star hotels provide a 5-star welcome.

There are also plenty of budget options, increasing with the trend for visitors to book over the Internet. These include family-run chambre d'hôtes, self-catering campements or weekend houses, beach bungalows and villas and lodges or even rental of colonial outhouses in the interior. They can be found throughout the island, although mainly in tourist centres - in the north around Grand Baie and in the west around Flic-en-Flac.

Association des Hôteliers et Restaurateurs de l'Ile Maurice (AHRIM)
5th Floor, Barkly Wharf, Caudan Waterfront, Port Louis, Mauritius
Tel: 211 4758 or 5630.
Website: www.mauritiustourism.org