Self catering villas

This article aims at replying to our guests’ questions when it comes to picking the ideal type of holiday accommodation for their forthcoming stay in Mauritius.

Self-catering accommodation in Mauritius offer great independence to guests. No obligations to eat at set times; no need to dress-up smartly for dining, spared is the hassle of driving to a restaurant for every single meal. Renting a family accommodation from us means preserving intimacy while lessening or avoiding the hassles linked to feeding the loved ones.

Putting first things first, it may be helpful to start by defining a self-catering rental before getting into the specifics of our holiday rentals.

Self-catering is defined as an accommodation unit where cooking and food-storage facilities are available or included.

Indeed, such combinations exist. Within our listings you will find the Melissa villas which offer a very flexible meal service where individual meals can be ordered on a relatively short term. They are prepared on the property (not in the villa) and delivered at an agreed time. Food quality is excellent.

Leaving all-inclusive packages to the hotels, villas on the beach with ½-board and full-board accommodation is a reality. Again, the Melissa villas propose half-board and full board packages. One step further are the managed luxury villas with hotel-like services. The full-fledge services offered in these villas are detailed on the villas’ pages. As far as catering is concerned, the possibilities range from a chef service at home to full-board packages as well as starred chefs’ 7-course dinners and select wine cellars.

In addition to the above formulas, other combinations are possible albeit not same for all villas. The standard and minimal service that is always included in the rates is daily cleaning, washing and the preparation of at least one meal a day, with little or no surcharge, which is referred to as “cooking service”. More about this below. This is always explicitly detailed on each villa description page. These services are provided at least 6 days a week.

Food is never included in standard rentals; only the cooking service is. Cooking is performed by one of the cleaners. Some are better cooks than others, some are passionate about learning new recipes but they generally have a set of dishes they are comfortable with – mostly local food or hybrids – which they propose first. Cooking is always performed during regular working hours which are generally from 8.30 / 9.00 to 1.00 pm. The meals can thus be eaten at lunchtime or left for reheating for supper.

The grocery shopping is generally done by the guests but wait! we are here to facilitate and ease it all out.

First, we offer a fairly elaborate welcome pack which consists of one meal, drinks and the basics that provide our guests the comfort of avoiding grocery shopping immediately after checking-in. As a payable service, we do the pre-arrival grocery shopping from a list supplied by the guests. Grocery shopping can be made several times during a stay. The charges consist of a flat fee of Rs.1,500 for the service and the refund of the till receipt.

We can also keep it simple and let you do the shopping with the help of the maid / cook. A formula which we encourage as it is a great way of exchanging with her, learn about local cuisine, meet the local people and discover the island. In some cases she would come with you at the market / supermarket and pick the specific herbs, spices and supplies she most currently uses and needs. In other case, she will help you draft the shopping list.

For those who do not want to step into the kitchen at all except for grabbing a beer or a glass of wine, the chef at home service is the solution. Offered in the bigger villas where the kitchen is not American, the chef takes care of the 3 meals and snacks and especially does the entire grocery shopping, including wine and alcohols. Chefs are also for those who wish to have more elaborate meals.

Generally the chefs must be booked well in advance, for at least 5 days in a row or they can be contracted as a caterer for special occasions.

Because we favour authentic regions, catering and delivery services are fairly limited. We however have the solution to allow your enjoying of delicious locally-sourced food products.

Wherever is your stay with us, except in the south, you will be able to enjoy home deliveries of locally-prepared foods, mainly fresh, or frozen in some cases. The products include: meat, fish – fresh and frozen, farm poultry, farm delicatessen, locally made Mozzarellas, home-made pizzas – frozen, pasta, condiments and leaf-vegetables. Pre-order is necessary and deliveries days / times are to be arranged directly. This service is not only a convenience but is a reliable source of best Mauritian food products. The delivery service is available for orders equivalent to at least 3 meals for 4 persons or above.
The choice of food proposed for delivery would however not suit vegetarians and especially vegans, who will find more choices from the menus of the take-away restaurants.

Indeed, if you stay in Trou-d’Eau-Douce, you will also enjoy the local restaurants and their take-aways, as well as some-street food. And if your stay is in either the north or the west, the choice of deliveries is OK while the variety of choices of take-away foods is widely sufficient.