Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas Near+Far rating: 10/10
Why book Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas
What is luxury to you? For some people, it’s sumptuous surroundings and private pools; others would say it’s round-the-clock service. On a peaceful bend on the southwest coast of Mahé, one resort is changing the way we see luxury, defining it as the removal of time as a concept and the ability to have whatever you like, whenever you like, but with no strings attached. Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas sits on the golden sands of Anse Louis, a long slick of sand protected by lush vegetation overlooking the Indian Ocean. The property is the work of famed American architect Bill Bensley, who in 2007, set about crafting a hotel of 30 villas peppered across 60 hectares of a lofty granitic peak and beachfront.
Known to the islanders as simply ‘Maia’, the former independent hotel was rebranded as Anantara Maia in 2020, with the Thai-based hotel giant taking over operations of the property. However, they left everything as is, the army of perfect butlers, chefs and the 30 magical and secluded villa hideaways scattered across the cliffs. Today Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas is challenging the idea of luxury with its Beyond All Inclusive offering, because, as the team reveals, seeing a bill makes you think of work, and thinking of work, well, just isn’t part of the programme. Guests (including celebrities, as we spot on our trip) stay in one of Bensley’s original thatched hideaways, protected by tickets of lush endemic species and visited only by their dedicated private butler, who delivers food from four diverse cuisines under shiny silver cloches. Inside, the villas, guests are greeted by Hermès bathroom amenities, rainfall showers and private terraces with infinity pools, sunken bathtubs, gazebos and daybeds.
Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas location
Private, secluded and utterly peaceful, but also surprisingly close to the action. The golden, protected sands of Anse Louis are the perfect spot to house a property like Maia, as while a sense of calm and isolation prevails, it’s not that far from the action at all. For starters, it’s just a 25-minute drive from Seychelles International airport and an easy daytrip to the capital Victoria and the bustling north of the island. Other nearby attractions include Takamaka Distillery, the Jardin Du Roi Spice Garden and Michael Adams Seychelles Art Gallery – housed in the famous artist’s traditional Seychellois family home.
Décor
Blink and you might think you’re in French Polynesia or a faraway island in the Pacific Ocean. There’s the quintessential Bensley’s thatched roofs, along with lots of teak, fire torches, limpid lagoons of water and swathes of thick endemic and tropical vegetation. The Tek Tek restaurant and main hotel building (an outdoor thatched area with boutique shop and grape cellar) are full of natural wood elements, while the Anantara Spa transports guests to Bali with outdoor treatment rooms
Rooms and suites…
…are not rooms or suites at all, but paradisiacal private hideaways clinging to the mountainside with cinematic views of the bay. It’s quite easy to hide away here and never leave. Open your own front gate, wander up the cobble stone path and climb up to your own private decking – which features a daybed, mini kitchen and dining area. Eyes are immediately drawn to the endless ocean view, that, and the private plunge infinity pool and corner with sun loungers with an outdoor covered bathtub big enough to swim in. Make sure to Whatsapp your butler to run a sunset bathtub, complete with rose petals and refreshing bubbles. Inside the hideaway, there’s a beautiful sense of calm. A large bedroom and dressing area all have windows looking onto the greenery and two sets of French doors onto the terrace. Bamboo touches and crisp white linens create a luxury island aesthetic, with a rainfall shower encapsulated by floor-to-ceiling windows and full-size Hermes toiletries.
The balance between topical hideaway and modern luxury villa is just right, with surround sound systems, coffee machines, wi-fi and multi-media televisions. Bill Bensley’s 30 thatched hideaways are near identical with the only difference being the location and view. Beachside properties back right onto the sand, while those clinging to the cliffside offer views of the ocean and vegetation. Book a villa high up in the jungle for the most privacy, with the chirping of birds, the crash of the ocean and the rustle of the forest as the only surrounding noise. Currently, Maia only has one-bedroom villas on offer, but there are plans in store to expand villas to include two bedrooms – making the retreat more appealing to families.
Food & Drink
On the surface, having one restaurant for a hideaway-esque retreat could be worrying, but Maia managed to pull it off. Its one restaurant Tek Tek is a seasoned chameleon, offering four very different menus of four very different cuisines: Mediterranean, Asian, Indian and Creole. Dine on traditional Creole curry one night, and sea bass, pad Thai or butter chicken the next. In fact, most people don’t even eat in the restaurant, opting to dine in their private villas or at one of the ‘Dining by Design’ experiences around the resort. On the beach, perhaps, or even on the helipad or in the verdant gardens (included at any time in the Beyond All Inclusive package).
This same four-cuisine menu is available to order at any time throughout the day – only subbed out at night for a menu of indulgent late-night dishes. Not restricted by time, have dinner at 3am and order breakfast at 4pm, an incredibly freeing luxury available at no extra cost. Freshly squeezed orange juice, pancakes, fresh fruit, eggs Benedict, are all delivered to your private terrace, with the final touches like hot crispy toast and fresh coffee prepared by your butler. The property’s ‘Beyond All Inclusive’ concept includes all dining, a selection of beverages and dining by design. An upgraded package exists for Oenophiles with some of the world’s most revered grape and the hotel also offers lavish grape-pairing dinner in its soaring grape cellar – complete with the finest bubbles, foie gras and butter-soft steaks.
Spa and facilities
Excellent, as can only be expected. All villas come with a private infinity pool and sunbathing area, but a main pool also exists for those wanting to soak up a bit more atmosphere. Non-motorised watersports are available from the golden sands of Anse Louis beach – think paddle boarding and kayaking – and activities like sunrise yoga in the tranquil Anantara Spa are popular pursuits. Speaking of the spa, it’s a Balinese-inspired wonderland, where treatment rooms are in fact outdoor thatched treatment villas protected by palm trees with bathtubs, rainfall showers and fish ponds. Enjoy a two-hour Balinese massage or recover from the Seychellois sun with a rejuvenating youth-boosting facial. A programme of hedonistic excursions is also on offer, from private helicopters to Praslin and La Digue to yacht trips.
Service
Absolutely sublime, down to the charming, reliable private omnipresent butler and small army of staff. Walk or zoom past any member of staff and receive a charming Anantara greeting, or start ascending one of the many hills, and a buggy will zoom past, eager to assist. Butlers deliver breakfast on demand, drawing rose-petal bubble baths and organise romantic dinners on the beach (also acting as your waiter) – all prompted by a simple Whatsapp. Staff know you by name and make you feel like you’re the only person at the resort.
The verdict
Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas will leave you pondering if your past luxurious experiences were even luxury at all, setting an impossible standard for stays to come. Its ability to craft a sense of total freedom, peace and privacy is the antidote to the overworked, stresses of modern life. Days role into one, with reality only setting in when you cross the lagoon and venture back into the real world.
Villas from AED 7,140; +248 4 390 000, anantara.com
