Le Jadis Beach Resort & Wellness - Managed by Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts in Balaclava

The hotel reception service was quite good. I arrived at the hotel at 12:30 PM and they checked me in early (probably because there were many vacant rooms and the occupancy rate was low). The hotel is small, with only 70 or 80 rooms in total, and most of the guests were retired European and American gentlemen and ladies. That evening, while dining at the restaurant, the female manager and the Indian manager were extremely rude. The incident unfolded as follows:

We encountered this female manager as soon as we started ordering. We wanted to see both the Asian and international menus, and she said we had to order only one, either Asian or international. We insisted on seeing both and wanting to order both, and only then did she give them to us. She was extremely arrogant and unreasonable. Then, while we were eating, after we had only finished our second dish (out of four), this female manager came over and asked if we wanted dessert. We said no, and her expression was very condescending, showing a disdainful attitude. Then she took away all our cutlery. We said we hadn't finished eating, so why was she taking it away? She said, "You haven't finished eating yet?" She didn't apologize, and her expression was completely devoid of a smile as she rudely put the cutlery down. I told him his service was poor, and then this waitress came over and started arguing, asking why my service was bad, and glaring at us. We couldn't accept it, and an argument ensued. Later, we thought we should just let it go, but then this woman turned around and rolled her eyes at her colleague. We saw this and were furious. We couldn't understand what kind of terrible service and what kind of people could work in a five-star hotel, so we started arguing. Then the Indian manager, who claimed to be the restaurant owner, came over and asked three times, "What's your problem?" He was incredibly arrogant. Seeing that our English wasn't fluent, he repeatedly asked what our problem was, and then said that if we weren't quiet, we should be kicked out of the restaurant. Why is your service so bad that customers have to cover for you? This Indian manager was extremely unprofessional, favoring the waitress and arrogantly protecting his own. We questioned the manager about racial discrimination, and he kept mocking us, which was disgusting. We complained to the lobby manager.

The lobby manager spent a long time dealing with the situation and trying to appease us. We heard that this waitress was a manager, so how could she not smile, provide such poor service, and be so arrogant and discriminatory? Who gave him that right?

We cannot stay in such an unsafe hotel. These people don't seem like they're qualified to provide service, and we dare not eat the food they prepare. Our complaint isn't just a simple grumble; we hope to draw the attention of the management. We chose the Banyan Tree hotel for our vacation because we believed it was an international hotel, not one that was arrogant, rude, and inconsiderate. The management in Mauritius has clearly failed to manage their staff properly, which is damaging to a high-end brand. We had a very poor stay. The next morning, the hotel's general manager, a German man in his sixties, spoke with us, implicitly defending his staff, and of course, apologized. That afternoon, they arranged for a bottle of sparkling wine to be delivered to our room. In short, if you are traveling to Mauritius for vacation, choose this hotel carefully, and be especially wary of the Indian man in the photo.

I would not recommend this property. The facilities feel old and worn down, and the food was mediocre at best. The level of service does not match the high price point; staff were often dismissive and at times argumentative when we made simple requests.

The resort is largely open-air, which made several areas uncomfortably hot, particularly the reception and restaurants. Cleanliness was also a concern, both in the rooms and dining areas.

Our in-room pool was advertised as being heated to 28°C, but it was closer to 39°C. We repeatedly requested that it be closed or adjusted after my husband sustained heat burns, yet our requests were ignored. As a result, we were unable to use the pool at all during our stay.

We have stayed at many resorts in Mauritius and abroad, and this was by far our worst experience. Given that this is Banyan Tree, it was especially disappointing, we truly expected much better.

The hotel is very beautiful in terms of location and tranquility, and the villas themselves are clean and spacious. However, the experience was unfortunately less than expected considering the price paid.

Pros:

• The location is quiet and suitable for relaxation.

• The villas have a beautiful design, and some have comfortable jacuzzis.

• The staff is friendly and helpful.

Cons:

• Room service is very slow and requires frequent follow-up.

• The food quality is very poor and does not meet the standards of a five-star hotel.

• The price is excessive compared to the overall standard and services provided.

• Some facilities clearly need maintenance and upgrades.

Conclusion: The hotel is acceptable if you are looking for complete tranquility and don't care about the variety of services. However, I do not recommend it for a honeymoon or a luxurious experience—there are much better options in the same price range, such as Maradiva Villas or LUX Grand Baie.