tips for renting a villa in mauritius
Below is a Q & A related to the process of booking a villa for holiday rental in Mauritius, highlighting the advantages of using a local agent and Bookmauritius Villas in particular.
There is obviously no clear “yes or no” answer but addressing the sub-questions below may help you in your decision.
– Do you intend to spend most days lying on the beach or around a pool waiting for the restaurant to open or rather go out and experience the country?
– Is your party-size small or around six or more?
– In case of a single family: is your stay an intent to reconnect with kids or taking a break from them?
If your answers match the first part of the questions above, then a hotel resort maybe be more suitable, if they match the second part, villas are the answer. Not to be neglected, the larger the party, the more the villas will be a competitive option.
You can always book via the known international platforms but do they really bring extra value? Not really. Here is why.
Although we would not commit for all of them, there is a clear leading pack having received hundreds of guests over several years; decades in some cases. They would not have this longevity if they were not reliable. Furthermore, the regulations of Mauritius for handling tourists are pretty precise. For instance, a property / real-estate business is not permitted to make short-term rentals to tourists. Only agencies licensed from the Mauritius Tourism Authority can do so.
There is a trade association of actors of holiday rentals in Mauritius – AALSIM – which calls on its members for best operating practices and professionalism.
Bookmauritius Villas has been in operation for over a decade (company established in 2001), is a licensed tour operator and is a member of AALSIM.
We only work with properties / owners either on an exclusive basis or who take the engagement of applying same public rates to all agents. Some of our properties are proposed on platforms but at higher rates.
So yes, we have the best rates.
And no, we do not charge service fees, nor do we have hidden costs. Applicable tourist tax is clearly indicated in all our quotes and booking summary tables.
Rates vary a lot from one villa to another, depending on the season, their standards, size, accommodation capacity but also their location. There are hundreds of apartments, houses and villas for rent in Mauritius but only a small portion of them are on beach-front. Comparable villas may be up to 50 % more expensive if located directly on beach-front. Such a gap is explained mainly by scarcity, by the value of real-estate and costs related to land-leasing (nearly all land on beach-front is leased state-lands) and subjectively, because the experience is totally different.
Indeed, staying in a house located on “second row” with direct access to the sea is already a different experience, while staying in a house with no access to it, no matter how close is its location to the sea, is a totally different story.
The array of rates for holiday rentals is so wide that it is more relevant to calculate the cost per person. Excluding the peak season of Christmas / New-year, the cost per person in a beach-front villa may be as low as 350 € / week in low seasons, up to 1,800 € / week in high seasons. Generally, the larger the party, the lower is the “per person per night” rate. Be aware that the larger villas generally apply a flat rate for occupancies of 1 to 6 persons, then a surcharge per additional person.
We specialise in beach-front villas and there is always at least one visual in the property gallery that shows both the building and the beach / sea, proving its proximity. Furthermore each factsheet on our website displays a map with the location. Moreover, several of our villas are also present on public Google maps.
Of course! We will meet you at the villa upon your arrival and provide end-to-end support. It’s the main advantage of booking with us. We derive much pleasure in meeting and greeting our guests, we love sharing tips and advices about our island-country and we are proud when, owing to our personalised assistance, our guests keep coming back to Mauritius or recommending us to friends and relatives.
Our other advantage is that we have a local view and knowledge of the island. It’s easy to find out from the Internet about what to do, to see and what to avoid. What one cannot however get from the Internet is the “How to”. Because Mauritius is unique, because you are unique, you deserve to be best-informed and guided. Only small-scale structures like ours can bring you Mauritius with a twist.
We offer concierge services, helping you booking your rental car, airport transfers and activities, while housekeeping is always included in the villa rates. Cooking services are also commonly included in the rentals, to variable extents; these are specified on each villa’s factsheet. For detailed information refer to our page about our services and about cooking and catering services.
Yes, we do accept credit cards. Having said that, note that the vast majority of our guests pay by wire transfer or via payment platforms such as Wise or Revolut, that convert credit card payments into wire transfers at very low costs. More details on our “Terms & Conditions” page
We ask for deposit percentages equivalent to cancellation fees; which means that in case of cancellation from guests, the deposit is generally retained as fees. If it is a case of Force Majeure, we may obtain from the owners that the deposit be used for a future rental. Modifying bookings / changing dates of stay can be accepted, depending on lead time, availability and owner’s policy. Deposits vary between 25 % and 50 % and final payments must reach us one month prior to check-in. Refer to our Terms & Conditions page for detailed information.
Because the “value for money” can be fairly different from one villa to the other, it is recommended to book several months in advance to grab the best deals. If the stays are within school holidays, it is common practice to book several months in advance and up to 1 year in advance for the peak season. Party-size or bedroom requirement is also to consider as the offer for 2 or 3-bedroom villas is far more important than 4 and 5-bedroom ones.
Warum sollte man bei der Anmietung von Villen auf Mauritius eine lokale Agentur beauftragen?
Waarom zou je bij het huren van villa’s op Mauritius een lokaal bureau inschakelen?
¿Por qué recurrir a una agencia local a la hora de alquilar villas en Mauricio?
The simple answer is yes! It is highly recommended to rent a car, for grocery shopping as well as for your better enjoyment of the island and activities.
As regards to the villa rental, the main take-away is “the sooner the better”. Contact Sophie or Bernard as soon as your holiday plan germinates. Starting early will:
– increase your chances to book the best value-for-money beach villas and bungalows,
– secure a car for rent from our partner,
– allow us to better prepare your stay and address your special requests: dietary needs, children’s facilities, prepare your itinerary according to your wishes and expectations.
Refer to our blog Additional information – Mauritius for more tips and recommendations for your stay in Mauritius.
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