Found some old Aman brochures from 1995 that my parents had kept, and I find them really interesting to look through. It's fascinating seeing how the resorts were presented back then compared to today.
Does anyone else have old brochures, pamphlets, or other memorabilia from the early days of the luxury brands (or anything)? I find it so so interesting.
We just spent four nights at Cheval Blanc Seychelles this July, wrapping up a trip through Tanzania and Madagascar. I was traveling with my parents and my brother, and after sharing same room for several days, finding a nice sized villa. We were deciding between CB and the Four Seasons as they we on Mahe, but pricing was about the same so went with CB to check it out.
Overall the villa was great, the beach was great, and everything else was good. Wow in some ways but also a little boring.
Arrival
Because our flight got in late, we crashed at L’Escale for one night before heading to CB. Cheval Blanc offered us an airport transfer for something like $400 US for the 45-minute van ride. L’Escale set us up with basically the exact same thing for a quarter of the price, so we just did that.
The actual arrival at CB was smooth despite not using their transfer. The GM and our Majordome (villa host) were waiting for us, and we headed straight up to the rooms. The GM was around a lot during the trip you’d see him walking around checking on things at breakfast, which was a nice touch, but not much more than that.
The Villa
We booked two Ocean Hill Villas which sat facing the the beach. (Some Ocean Villas face the ocean but not the main beach Anse Intendance) This villa was easily my favorite part of the property and the main reason I’d recommend the place.
Design: I’m usually a hater when it comes to more basic designs (Waldorf Astoria moment), but they did a good job. It's modern and very spacious, and here’s enough texture that you don’t feel like you’re sleeping in a hospital. Even my parents, who normally aren't into modern anything, thought it was well designed.
Extras: Juices, snacks, and everything in the minibar (except alcohol) was included. We had just come from a hotel charging $9 for the same small bag of chips, so not paying extra for genuinely appreciated. Also they stocked water and San Pellegrino diligently.
Pastry Drop: Every afternoon, they dropped off some type of pastry. Which was a nice touch as often we just had breakfast + dinner.
The Beach & Vibe
Anse Intendance was great to look at. Long stretch of soft white sand, insanely turquoise water, and a nice misty breeze .
Swimming in July is pretty meh though. The waves were decently strong, and while I would have gone in it, it would feel out of place since no one else from hotel did. Some people were swimming further down by the public section just fine, so it is possible just no one from hotel does. There were several bluebottle jellyfish washing up on the sand, which kind of killed whatever motivation I had left to get in the water. Didn't really bother us, as we expected a non-swimmable beach.
The resort itself is nice and spreads well across the hill. The public areas felt a little colder than the villas but still well designed.
Food
I am probably the least qualified person to review fine dining. I currently have 18,500 McDonald's points and I think CAVA is peak cuisine.
That being said, the food here was good. Nothing bad, nothing insane.
Presentation: We just came from Anjajavy Le Lodge in Madagascar where the food was really well thought out (plating and taste wise). Considering Cheval Blanc is supposed to be a top brand, I expected more. The taste was fine. I ate it, liked it.
Breakfast: Honestly, my least favorite meal (not bad at all). But when I’m at a hotel, I want an upscale Golden Corral. I want all the stations. I knew CB wasn't going to have that which was fine. They had a smaller buffet (fruit/carbs) and you order everything else off a menu. It’s all good, but I prefer a fat buffet.
Dinner: Good. The Asian restaurant was my favorite, very warm service. Funnily they made us make dinner "reservations" even though we were I believe the only group who ate there one night.
Service
Service was good, but robotic. Our Majordome was quick whenever we needed a buggy, but otherwise we didn't see him much, which I didn't mind.
Restaurant service was where they watch you closely. I had meals where it felt like three different people were taking bets on my water consumption. Technically, it's great service and nothing went wrong, but you almost feel bad for them because the resort was so empty they really had nothing else to do but stare at our table.
Villa Choice
If you're going, go with the Ocean Hill Villa and don't overthink it
Jungle Villas: Basically the same layout, but the vegetation makes some of them way darker than I expected.
Beach Villas: Nice, but since the water isn't great for swimming half the year anyway, I'd rather have the better view and space.
Villa Horizon: This is their two-bedroom hill villa, and loos great but can be easily seen from the beach. So not the best for people who want 100% privacy.
Villa Anse Intendance: This is their biggest villa, and it has the worst position. It's basically right next to the public beach entrance, so random people can just sit on the sand right in front of it. (You can see the more crowded public area of beach in third photo) No idea why they put their most expensive room exactly where a guy can be selling fruit right in front of the path from the villa to the beach.
Final Thoughts
Would I go again? Maybe, but I would like to check out the other resorts too. The only real downside was just how empty the resort felt. July is low season, and you really feel it. It’s great for getting chairs or a nice table for dinner, but it also led to service that felt too attentive. If we had more time I think we would have gone with this + Six Senses Zil Payson or FS Desroches.