La Maison 20 Degrés Sud
Grand Baie · Rivière du Rempart
5 starsStandard
La Maison 20 Degrés Sud stands on the Grand Baie lagoon, in the north of Mauritius, in the Rivière du Rempart district. It has twenty-nine rooms and seven suites, thirty-six in all, every one different, in a former colonial house built on an old coconut grove. Rated five stars, it is the only Mauritian house in the Relais & Châteaux catalogue, which it joined in 2013. Its name comes from the twentieth parallel south, which crosses the island.
- Rooms
- 36
- Categories
- 5
Room categories
- Charme Room, about 25 m², on the garden level or upstairs, opening onto the coconut grove, white, linen and precious woods, premium bedding, an outdoor shower in some, satellite television, air conditioning, safe, minibar, double-basin bathroom, separate toilet
- Beach Front Room, 35 to 50 m², private terrace almost in the water, lagoon view, precious woods, Nespresso machine, dressing room, double-basin bathroom, separate toilet, a speaker provided
- Suite, two suites, opening onto the lagoon a few steps from the private terrace, four spaces, king-size bed, living room with a precious-wood desk, bathroom with shower and bath, outdoor balneotherapy, jacuzzi, dressing room, Nespresso machine, private sun loungers
- Secret Suite, one only, on two levels: on the garden level a large private living room opening onto a terrace with a private pool and garden seating under a majestic tree, upstairs the bedroom with a balcony, a bathroom with shower, bath and double basin, and balneotherapy
- Australe Suite, 80 to 100 m², feet in the water, private terrace over the lagoon, courtesy lounge, dressing room, outdoor pool, jacuzzi or private plunge pool, Nespresso machine, private sun loungers
The hotel at a glance
- Rooms
- 36
- Restaurants
- Three: L’Atlas, the main restaurant and bar conceived as an island cabinet of curiosities, breakfast 7 am to 10.30 am, lunch noon to 2.30 pm, dinner 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm; La Table du Chef, four guests only facing the kitchens, every evening at 7 pm, surprise menu from chef Sanjeev Purahoo; and the M/S Lady Lisbeth, a dinner cruise on the lagoon from 7.30 pm to 11 pm, eight guests an evening, a seafood menu, bookable privately with its crew
- Bars
- Two bars, including the one at L’Atlas, with cocktails made by the house mixologists
- Pools
- One pool at the Secret Spa, where aquagym also takes place
- Spa
- The Secret Spa, the only Relais & Châteaux spa in the Mascarene archipelago, open daily 10 am to 8 pm: hammam, sauna, pool and three treatment rooms including a double for couples, Germaine de Capuccini and Infusion Cosmetics products
- Beach
- Seafront on the Grand Baie lagoon, north coast, with calm turquoise water
- Sports and activities
- Gym with recent equipment, open daily 6 am to 8 pm, Yoga Monday and Wednesday 10 am to 11 am, Friday 4 pm to 5 pm, with a specialist instructor, Stretching with an instructor, and an hour of aquagym in the spa pool, Golf on the island’s courses, bike tours and exploring in an open-top Mini-Moke, The northern islands a short way off
- Opened
- 1985
- Last renovation
- 2025
What sets it apart
The argument of the house is intimacy: every room has a unique layout, all of them by Flamant Home Interiors. Five categories: Charme at about 25 square metres looking onto the coconut grove, some with an outdoor shower; Beach Front at 35 to 50 square metres almost in the water; Suite, two of them, opening onto the lagoon with an outdoor balneotherapy pool; Secret Suite, one only, on two levels with a private pool under a majestic tree; and Australe Suites of 80 to 100 square metres, feet in the water, with a private terrace, a dressing room, an outdoor pool and a jacuzzi or private plunge pool. The hotel belongs to Gaya Collection.
The mood
Three tables and two bars. L’Atlas is the main restaurant and bar, conceived as an island cabinet of curiosities: breakfast 7 am to 10.30 am, lunch noon to 2.30 pm, dinner 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm. La Table du Chef seats four guests only, facing the kitchens, every evening at 7 pm, on a surprise menu from chef Sanjeev Purahoo. The M/S Lady Lisbeth has sailed the lagoon since 1927: it takes eight guests an evening on a dinner cruise from 7.30 pm to 11 pm, on a seafood menu, and can be booked privately with its crew.
Highlights
- The only Mauritian house in the Relais & Châteaux catalogue, since 2013
- Thirty-six rooms and suites, every one laid out differently
- Dinner aboard the M/S Lady Lisbeth, a 1927 boat, eight guests an evening
- La Table du Chef, four guests, surprise menu, every evening at 7 pm
- Australe Suites of 80 to 100 square metres with a jacuzzi or private plunge pool
- Secret Suite on two levels, private pool under a majestic tree
- Secret Spa, the only Relais & Châteaux spa in the Mascarenes, three treatment rooms including a double
- Exploring the island in an open-top Mini-Moke
Good to know
- The Lady Lisbeth dinner cruise takes only eight people an evening: book it as soon as the stay is confirmed.
- La Table du Chef seats only four, at a fixed hour, 7 pm: book it just as early.
- The spa opens 10 am to 8 pm, the gym 6 am to 8 pm; yoga runs Monday and Wednesday 10 am to 11 am and Friday 4 pm to 5 pm.
- Aquagym takes place in the spa pool, not in a separate pool.
- One offer pairs a stay in an Australe or Secret Suite with dinner on the Lady Lisbeth, from seven nights.
- This is a hotel for adults in spirit: thirty-six rooms and three intimate tables.
Getting there
The hotel stands in the bay of Grand Baie, at the very north of the island. It is close to the Pamplemousses botanical garden and a short way from the northern islands. Bookings go through the hotel’s site, which also has a German and an English version. The hotel can be booked in full for a group or an event, and gives ten per cent off from ten consecutive nights, and ten per cent for a booking made forty-five days before arrival.
In the journal