Le Domaine de L'Orangeraie

This hotel was the first stop on our honeymoon. The weather conditions upon arrival were quite poor, with heavy rain. We arrived at La Digue by Cat Cocos ferry, and as arranged, a representative from the staff was there to pick us up and take us to the hotel. The hotel is located in La Digue. A few things to note about La Digue: the island is not very large, and accommodation options on the island are limited. The overall atmosphere is fairly relaxed, and the best way to get around the island is by renting a bicycle, which is available right next to the hotel for approximately €10 per day. The hotel is divided by a road with moderately busy traffic, primarily bicycles. On the side facing the sea, there is the pool area and restaurants, while on the other side, there is the reception and accommodation area. At the reception, we were welcomed with drinks and moist towels. We also received our room quite quickly. The hotel's so-called better rooms are located on the hillside, accessible by a golf cart. The staff transports residents up and down 24/7. However, there is a limited number of golf carts, and the waiting time may be extended, which is why we usually walked downhill ourselves when going to dinner in the evenings. The room was romantic, but our honeymoon was not acknowledged in any way. The reason was that my wife and I got married 7 months ago, while the hotel's honeymoon cutoff is 6 months, which is, of course, a hotel rule but seemed excessively short to us. So, in the hotel's eyes, we were treated like any other guests. The room had a fantastic view and exuded an old-world charm overall. However, a downside was the presence of small ants, which were impossible to get rid of; they were immediately near candy bags or soda bottles, even in the bed. There were no mosquitoes, and a mosquito net was placed on the bed by a staff member every evening, which we found to be a nice and appreciated addition. Improvements are being made on the hotel grounds, which may result in noise disturbances. There was also a rooster in the area that woke us up with its crowing at 3:15 AM, followed by consistent noise every hour. This was clearly audible in the rooms. The area next to the hotel is also untidy.. On the other side of the hotel is a cemetery. The overall service level at the hotel is ordinary, but the pricing at the restaurant is outright extortionate. Especially, the pricing of beverages is challenging to justify. Seybrew beer costs €10 per bottle at the hotel, while it costs €2 at a store just 500m away from the hotel, which is quite unreasonable. We could only think of two reasons for this exorbitant pricing: either the hotel exploits customers because they have no alternative, or the hotel management is unable to negotiate with wholesalers. The pricing of other beverages is equally absurd, which we found unacceptable considering the overall standard of the hotel. We suspect that the hotel simply aims to make an excessively high profit from beverages. However, the hotel did provide bottled water to the room once a day, which is a positive aspect. The service was consistently okay, decent, but not something you'd remember positively after the vacation. There is no designated beach area in front of the hotel, and the pool area is small, something to keep in mind. This hotel is relatively more expensive than 5-star hotels, which are also abundant in Seychelles. The hotel's standard is, in reality, 3 stars instead of 4, but the pricing is the same or higher than a 5+ star hotel. As a comparison, we mention a couple of nights we spent on a private island, where there was a 5-star hotel, and the drinks cost 50% less than in this hotel. We left the hotel for our next destination feeling relieved, as somehow this wasn't our thing. The hotel didn't have anything that justified its high pricing, other than the fact that it's simply expensive. You can get better service and exclusivity elsewhere for a lower price. But if you want a basic hotel and don't mind paying a premium, then this is your hotel.

The most upscale resort on La Digue in the Seychelles. Beautiful grounds. The Seychelles is a very long way from anywhere which is why I gave it only 4 stars. Also the road outside the resort had poor drainage and was flooded and like a lake you had to cross to get to the entrance. Since it rains often (daily?) there, this was worth mentioning.