Four Seasons Resort Seychelles

After years of telling ourselves that we ought to visit Seychelles again, we finally got our act together and organized the trip. The question of including Four Seasons Resort in our itinerary practically answered itself — we kept bumping into the mentions of the resort, typically referenced among the best in the country, year after year.

Location, location…

The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts offers its own formula of relaxed luxury, enabled by the refined elegance and the highest standard of service. The Seychelles property follows the chain’s templates — and it has all you’d expect to find at a contemporary beach resort.

First of all, the hotel wows with its address. It occupies an exclusive spot by Petite Anse, one of Mahe Island’s most picturesque and attractive beaches. Perched on the surrounding hills and tucked amongst thick tropical greenery, the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles scores major points just for its natural setting.

Dotting the slopes are the exceptional guest villas. They are scattered among the lush forest and make the best out of the location. Facing the sea, many offer truly fantastic views of the ocean and the tropical canopy.

FS Style

As we arrived at the resort, to the all-encompassing warmth of the welcome, and we looked around the lobby and appreciated its interior. There is a certain restraint in the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles style that we really like. It’s elegant and sophisticated and gives just enough nods to the French, Creole, and African influences to make it feel well rooted in the local traditions.

Soon, we were being driven to our Hilltop Ocean-View Villa via the incredibly steep, winding roads of the resort grounds. The first impressions were, of course, related to the views — they are truly ohs-and-ahs-inducing. And just like all the guest villas, ours benefited from a great amount of roaming space. Blending the in- and outdoor living, the decking links the bedroom with the alfresco shower area and the infinity plunge pool, which has a pretty good, swimmable size.

The interiors are quietly tasteful. The whitewashed timber and custom furniture share space with pieces of the traditional craft. Splashes of color, inspired by the Seychellois palette, liven up the sophisticated theme.

We settled in just in time to witness a truly amazing sunset, which we enjoyed with a glass of champagne, perched on the outdoor terrace.

Petite Anse

The beach demands a separate mention. It’s one of the best we’ve been to in Seychelles — and that’s saying something. Wide, long, pure, and flanked on both sides by granite rock formations (actually, on one side it’s a whole mountain of rock), the Petite Anse is simply picture-perfect. Adjacent to the beach are the main facilities, with the large swimming pool and the Kannel restaurant and bar. Breakfasts are served a little bit up the hill, in the Zez restaurant.

At the very top of the resort is the spa. Thanks to the best vantage point, it offers some truly stupendous views over the island. Of course, the main reason why we went up to check it out was to look at the menu and book an appointment. We picked the signature Coco de Mer “ritual”, and it was a fine choice indeed. From ambiance and scents to the level of pressure and the skill of the therapists, the session was a wonderful experience.

The spa had an atmosphere of pure tropical escapism, and in a way, it symbolized to us the experience of the entire resort. The Four Seasons Resort Seychelles is a blissful retreat from the everyday reality… if only for the precious few days.

in our opinion

Perfectly appointed, beautifully designed, and distinguished by a great vacation atmosphere, the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles defines the standard for the tropical beach luxury resort. It's a great choice for a relaxing stay, as much for couples as for families.

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What we love

• The natural setting and the resort landscape. This property is set among verdant tropical greenery and built on steep hills that roll down to the beach — and the beach is just perfect. Made of white, powdery sand, lapped by the calm, turquoise sea, and capped by a massive natural rock wall at one end. It's stunning.
• Great villas. They are built on stilts and positioned to take advantage of the fantastic views. They are very comfortable and spacious — the bedroom and living area space naturally flow to the surrounding outdoor decking, which sports a lovely plunge pool.
• We like how the Four Seasons design keeps a nice balance: not too conservative, nor trying to wow with novelties. The interiors set warm tones and dark teak floors against granite walls and polished marble. The result is sophisticated and yet relaxed.
• At the Spa, the treatments are superb, and the ambiance is lovely. Moreover, the spa is located at the highest spot and guarantees some truly stunning views, especially at sunset. Go to the spa rooftop viewing platform for the best experience.
• The Four Seasons Resort Seychelles feels both intimate and grand. Its size makes it feel never crowded, even when it is fully booked.
• This dreamy resort is as luxurious as they get. It offers its guests a fantastic hotel experience, further enhanced by the super high standards of service. The staff is professional, friendly, efficient, and discreet.

What you should know

• All villas share a similar design and layout, but not necessarily the same view. The garden view villas are shaded by overgrown jungle, but they are more private. The more expensive hillside villas offer wonderful views, but the level of privacy varies. Still, we think it's worth spending extra to book one of those with a better location.
• The hotel is, to a certain degree, family-oriented, so honeymooners may want to keep that in mind. But as we said, the resort never felt crowded.
• Due to the resort's topography, a buggy ride will be necessary for most guests, e.g., when getting to the beach, and especially to the spa. There is no inconvenience, though—we never waited more than 5 minutes. By the way, some villas are also wheelchair-equipped.
• Like all beaches in Seychelles, the Petit Anse is also open to outside guests. However, access is really only possible from the sea. The locals do sometimes arrive on motorboats or other motorized sports vessels (this may result in some extra noise).
• It takes some 40 minutes by car to travel from the airport to the hotel.