Mauritius is a beautiful country, filled with amazing hotels, delicious cuisine and incredible energy. When we were looking at booking a hotel to rest up for a few days to get over our jetlag, I was excited to discover a local company that owns a number of 3 and 4 star hotels. Sunrise Attitude is a 4 star, adults only property located in Belle Mare, one of the most idyllic areas of Mauritius. Read on to hear what to expect from this boutique property. 

Location: 4/5

Sunrise Attitude is located in Belle Mare, approximately 1 hour from the international airport along a coastal road. The hotel is not located directly on the beach, however, it sits just across from a quaint bay and hotel guests do have access to beach chairs and very swimmable water.

The hotel has a tropical vibe and the rooms do have very slight ocean views through the trees. While the location can’t quite compete with the beachfront resorts in the area, it does have a lot of charm and the access across the road to beach chairs on a quiet bay does help.

Lobby & Check in experience: 4/5

There are 2 “lobbies” at the hotel and the arrival experience is a bit confusing. There is an arrivals area to the side of the property where cars drive in, but there is also an enclosed lobby in the middle of the property. Max arrived very late and was taken straight to the room for check in and bypassed the lobby entirely. When I arrived the next morning, I was not taken to the lobby but rather provided my ID in the arrivals pergola and sent on my way. 

While the actual arrival experience was a bit confusing, the lobby itself (when we finally discovered it the next day) is quaint, air conditioned and fully staffed. We learned a lot more about the property being proactive and going to the lobby the first day we were there. 

The lobby is next to the main shop of the hotel where you can pick up complimentary water, coffee and tea, included in the all-inclusive price. 

Rooms: 3.5/5

We booked a Couples Partial Sea View Room, a 330 square foot guest room that does have an obstructed view of the lagoon through the trees. The sea view rooms are on the upper floors of the hotel and do note there is no elevator. If you have mobility issues, I would recommend booking the standard Couples rooms versus the sea view. 

The room features a king bed, oversized cushioned bench, a bathroom with a passthrough as well as well-functioning air conditioning. The bathroom features a nice rainfall shower, toilet room and single vanity. They do have some amenities but are lacking in products for a 4 star property. They do have a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner (meh), hand soap and hand sanitizer but were lacking in hair conditioner and body lotion. We would have loved to see them uplevel their skincare products, perhaps offering a local brand to round out their brand story a bit better and elevate the experience.

The resort focuses on sustainability and “letting go” and therefore they do not have TVs in the room. While I get their point, I do think it feels like they’re cheaping out a bit to not have a television in the room, when they do have a lot of nightly entertainment ranging from dance shows to DJs and bands. Some people prefer to relax alone in front of the TV so I do feel they missed the mark a bit there. 

While the room itself is not luxurious, it was quiet after 10pm and made for a good jumping off point to explore the resort and the island.

Service: 4/5

Sunrise Attitude overall had good service. Staff at restaurants seemed happy to be there and were helpful overall. Bartenders were occasionally a bit cranky or uninterested, but front desk staff, housekeeping and waiters were generally very good. We met a number of lovely people working throughout the hotel and one waiter even gave us a bottle of Funky Parrot local wine (my favorite) to enjoy on our last night, which was such a kind gesture. This is the type of hotel where you genuinely felt they care for you and would remember your preferences if you stayed for a few nights.

The management also seemed to dole out complimentary romantic dinners to a huge number of guests, including us! On our first night they treated us to this special dinner and we saw a number of others who experienced the same. It added a very nice touch to the service experience.

Dining: 3.5/5

Since the hotel group is Mauritian owned, they do focus heavily on Mauritian cuisine and we loved that. We booked the all-inclusive rate which includes all beverages, food and the minibar. The hotel has a few dining options that we will detail below:

The Market

The market is their main restaurant on property and offers a buffet breakfast as well as occasional a la carte lunch and dinner. Their breakfast was pretty solid with a good array of options including western and Mauritian cuisine. I enjoyed their light options like yogurt, granolas and fruits as well as their omelets. I would say skip the croissant as it was a bit dry.

We had lunch at The Market on the first day and did enjoy their poke-style bowls with fresh fish and salad. On the all-inclusive “dine around” plan, you have access to anything on the menus, including the house wines, cocktails and beer. I highly recommend trying Funky Parrot, the local Lychee wine that tastes a lot like a sauvignon blanc.

The Social House

The Social House restaurant was open for lunch and dinner during our stay. At lunch, it featured a buffet so we preferred The Market for a sit down meal, but we did have dinner here our first night. They featured a mix of meats and fish dishes as well as a selection of vegan options. They treated us to a special menu and it was overall good. We enjoyed a lamb dish as well as a fish filet.

Kot Nou

Kot Nou is the Mauritian restaurant on the property. The setting is quaint, with the dining area set outside the small house in the sand with a view of the pool. The concept is a bit confusing and no one seemed able to tell us how to order in the best way. While the menu doesn’t explicitly show this, it is a set menu. You can essentially choose 1 of 2 soups, then a meat, fish or veggie assortment and then a dessert. The food is already pre-prepared buffet style and they serve it to you. While the food is good, it feels like a concept that makes more sense on paper than it does in practice. For example, as someone who likes longer dinners and ordering over time, this felt like a rushed experience and they were very confused why I didn’t want a soup. We’d love to see them lean more into freshly made food that really showcases the best Mauritius has to offer. 

Taba-J

Taba-J is the Mauritian food truck that is open for lunch and an afternoon snack. This was our absolute favorite eatery on property. They feature a rotating mix of amazing Mauritian street food like rotis, curries and samosas and other appetizers. We found Taba-J in the afternoon on our first day and couldn’t get enough. 

There are a few bars on the property, namely the Social House bar and the Pool bar. Both bars feature the same cocktail menus and beverages throughout the day. The all-inclusive menu is fairly extensive. We found their cocktails to be on the sweet side, so we preferred to stick with wines and beers, especially the local Funky Parrot wine. 

Overall, we had pleasant dining experiences during our stay at Sunrise Attitude. We loved the laid back atmosphere and focus on Mauritian cuisine throughout. We hope they elevate the Kot Nou experience as that has the potential to be the best restaurant in the hotel.

Facilities: 4.5/5

Sunrise Attitude is a small tropical oasis across the street from the beach. It has low-lying buildings and so many cute nooks and crannies to sit and relax throughout. While the hotel isn’t on the beachfront directly, they have really used the space well and offer a variety of experiences that make it a great choice.

There are two pools at the hotel. There is the main pool next to The Market restaurant and the main pool bar. There is ample seating in the sun surrounding the pool as well as shaded daybeds, comfortable sofas and chairs and bar seating.  In the evening, the entertainment focused around this pool and the bar was a nice place to relax and listen to the music or watch the show. They do not offer drink service at the pool so you do need to get up and go to the bar to get a beverage. 

There is a second pool located next to the Social House restaurant and also features a variety of chaise loungers as well as tiered seating for sitting and socializing on one end of the pool. There is a pool table and some bar games available next to the pool as well. This pool is located on the side of the property where you will also find the villa rooms and access to the beach.

The beach is accessible from the back of the property near the Social House. The beach access has an ample amount of sun chairs with umbrellas for hotel guests to enjoy. There is also a small bar cart with beers, some wine and water available at the beach. If we spent more time at this hotel, we would have likely hung out on the beach most of the day – it was beautiful and serene. 

Every night, there were dance shows, DJs or live bands. The shows were very good while we were there, in particular the sega dance show was amazing. Since there are no TVs in the room, the entertainment provided a space for guests to enjoy a post-dinner drink. I will say the music is quite loud until around 10pm so if you are a light sleeper or go to bed early, I would recommend requesting a room on the other side of the hotel from the nightly entertainment.

They do have a spa and small fitness center, aptly named “gym box”. The spa has reasonable prices and I would have tried it if we had stayed longer. The gym box was cute with reasonable equipment for a small space. 

Lastly, the “all-in-all-out” package is a great choice for a stress-free holiday. It included most of what was available on property and felt like every other guest was also on this plan. The all-inclusive plan includes every meal, most alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages as well as the mini-bar. 

Style: 5/5

If there is one thing the Sunrise Attitude nailed, it’s the style. The bohemian furnishings, quaint buildings and lush tropical foliage made the experience a much more luxurious one. The hotel felt small, comfortable and relaxing. Due to the way the hotel was constructed, everything felt cohesive and natural and we absolutely loved all the sitting areas and places to enjoy a quiet moment.  

Overall: 4.1/5

If you are looking for a 5-star hotel with white glove service and luxury amenities, this is probably not the right hotel for you. However, if you are looking for a laid back holiday with a focus on local culture and food at a comfortable all-inclusive resort, this is a great choice. We wouldn’t hesitate to come back to Sunrise Attitude on our next trip to Mauritius.