Palm Hotel And Spa

PALM Hotel & Spa is a 5-star retreat on Réunion's wild southern coast, set across four hectares of tropical gardens on the slopes above Grande Anse bay. With just 72 rooms, lodges and villas spread through the greenery, it feels closer to a private estate than a resort, and it has long been one of the island's most environmentally serious addresses: it was the first hotel in the French overseas territories and the Indian Ocean to earn the European Ecolabel, held since 2014.

The hotel suits travellers who want the south of Réunion at its most scenic without giving up comfort. Couples take the ocean-view lodges, which sleep two and come with private terraces, hot tubs and, in the Pool Lodge, a heated private pool. Families have the Suite and the Pool Villa, the latter with two master suites, a twin bedroom and its own enclosed garden. It is also a natural base for exploring the Wild South, and the concierge team arranges the island's headline experiences, from the Piton de la Fournaise volcano and the lava tubes to helicopter flights that leave from the hotel's own heliport. Between July and October, humpback whales pass along this stretch of coast and can often be watched from the terraces.

The setting is the hotel's strongest card. Grande Anse is one of the few white-sand beaches on the island, backed by coconut palms and known for its sheltered natural sea pool, and the property sits directly above it at 43 rue des Mascarins in Petite-Île. The village of Petite-Île and the market town of Saint-Pierre are a short drive west along the coast road. Pierrefonds airport at Saint-Pierre is roughly 25 minutes away and Roland Garros international airport at Saint-Denis about an hour and a half, which makes the south easy to reach on arrival day but keeps the hotel well away from the busier west-coast resort strip.

Two swimming pools face the bay, one of them heated, and the Kah Beach relaxation area adds a whirlpool and steam room beside the sand. Akéa Spa & Beauty occupies 435 m² of treatment rooms and tropical garden, with four single rooms, two couples' rooms with bathtubs, a dedicated beauty room, a steam room, a whirlpool and a boutique; the menu runs from signature massages to organic facials, with treatments for expectant mothers and for children. There is a Technogym fitness room and a playroom for younger guests. 

Dining is split across three venues: Le Makassar for contemporary island cuisine by chef Claude Pothin, served à la carte or as a tasting menu alongside a French and South African cellar; Le Kah Beach for grilled fish, meats and Creole classics overlooking the bay at lunch and dinner; and Le Kokoa, the poolside bar, open through the day for tapas and cocktails. Breakfast is a homemade buffet of seasonal fruit, pastries, artisan breads and eggs cooked to order.

All accommodation is finished in natural island materials, exposed stone, wood and tile, and opens onto a furnished terrace or veranda. Every room has air conditioning, complimentary Wi-Fi, interactive HD television, a Nespresso machine and welcome tray, minibar, micro-filtered water dispenser, safe, telephone, hairdryer, magnifying make-up mirror, and bathrobes and slippers.