Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
One of the first resorts in Seychelles, the 4-star Coral Strand Smart Choice was opened in 1972. The resort immediately won the hearts of locals and tourists, becoming an integral part of the island life. Coral Strand Smart Choice is located on the North West of Mahe Island, on the famous Beau Vallon beach, which stretches for several kilometers along Beau Vallon Bay. Fine sand, small waves and stunning sunsets make this beach truly special, like no other on the island. The resort is a great starting point for exploring Mahe Island and its main attractions: Morne Seychellois National Park, Marine Reserve, Botanical Garden and the capital of Seychelles - Victoria. It takes only 25 minutes by car to get from Seychelles International Airport to the hotel. The simple and uncluttered design of our guest rooms invites you to unwind after an active day spent outdoors. Coral Strand Smart Choice offers 164 guest rooms furnished with king-size or twin beds with the option of connecting rooms, all equipped with flat-screen TV with international TV channels, Wi-Fi, individual air-conditioning, shower, hairdryer and bathroom amenities. Guests can choose between a mountain view, which offers a breathtaking tropical landscape, or a spectacular view of the Indian Ocean. Start your day with an ocean view breakfast at Island Trader Restaurant. Dine at our gourmet Mahek Restaurant, servicing authentic Indian cuisine, or visit Coral Asia Restaurant, renowned for the best sushi and sashimi in the Seychelles. Our Ocean Deck Bar offers the best sunset views over the ocean. Indulge in tropical cocktails, local beers and the famous Coral Cheese Burger by the Chef. Seychelles is one of the most romantic destinations in the world, where the most beautiful weddings take place. This is also one of the places where the ceremony is held with the issuance of an official marriage certificate, recognized in most countries of the world. Coral Strand Smart Choice has great experience in hosting wedding ceremonies, including the organization of welcome cocktails, receptions, banquets or just a romantic dinner for two.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Classic
Languages Spoken
English, French, Russian, German
Location
Beau Vallon, Mahe Island Seychelles
Coral Strand Smart Choice
4 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
Powered by AI
Nestled on a pristine beachfront in Beau Vallon, Coral Strand Smart Choice hotel is lauded for its stunning views and immaculate common areas. However, guests have called out the lack of amenities such as a gym and the need for modern updates. While the staff's friendliness is often noted, service inconsistencies and noise from ongoing renovations have marred the experience for some.
Moreover, the hotel's value proposition is questioned, with high prices and dated, sometimes odorous rooms needing attention. Despite its prime location, travelers suggest that a refresh is due to elevate the overall atmosphere.
Location
Beachfront
Atmosphere
Tired
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Noise level
Noisy
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Satisfactory
Was this helpful?
Tripadvisor is not responsible for this summary or the opinions in it. For more information, please read the traveller reviews and learn more about how the site works.
Traveller rating
1,230
1,079
536
253
233
Time of year
Traveller type
Language
Selected filters
Filter
English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Detailed Reviews
These reviews are machine translated from their original language. Show machine translations?
Good location (beautiful beach of Beau Vallon), beautiful view from the bedroom, cordial care, room with good space, old bathroom (some dirt spots, some sloppy tiles, small space to enter the shower box), good shower, offer toilet kit (shampoo, soap, sponge, sewing kit, bath cloth, among others), hair dryer if used at maximum power for in a few minutes, it is necessary to wait a while for it to work again. Comfortable seats in the pool and beach. Towels are available for use in the pool/strand.
Varied breakfast, bread options, fruits, juices, cakes, omelettes and crêpes made on time, Creole and international food. Breakfast starts at 7:00 AM, but if you take a walk and leave before that time, just let them know the night before they leave a "breakfast kit" ready for you to pick up before you leave.
The occasion was my husband's birthday and they gave a cake at the end of the day, we were grateful for the surprise.
Read more
Automatically translated
Date of stay: September 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very good location close to the airport, its own private beach on the ocean. Very convenient for couples with children, you can watch the kids from the balcony. Very comfortable; expensive staff; clean rooms. Manager Chamara responded very quickly and politely to all our requests; assistant Margo, a girl who speaks Russian language Very friendly, listened and helped with the room and with all questions. Good restaurants at the hotel sushi bar and Indian cuisine.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A lot to digest? Read an AI-generated summary of recent traveller reviews.
The hotel is ideally situated on the beach & there are lifeguards present. Note though thta the beaches are not the calm, transparent, idyllic turquoise waters you see in pics, the beach has a strong current and crashing waves. One has to go deep inside to get beyond the waves but the undercurrent will still be strong. It is an old hotel & the smell of damp is very invasive. Our room was particularly overwhelming with the damp & the manager relocated us to a better suite albeit this too had the faint odour of damp. It is very expensive compared to their offerings: no nightly entertainment like Mauritius, no water sports at all, the food is not great & everything is very expensive compared to buying these at the nearby supermarket. There is nothing to really see on a tour that you can't see in the vicinity of your hotel & they are so expensive. There is only one ferry operator on the island, very expensive & nobody warns you that almost all passengers vomit for most of the journey leaving a horrible stench on the vessel. The food offerings in the Seychelles is generally not good yet so expensive. The La Perle restaurant across ou hotel is where we enjoyed good dinners but at a high cost! Seychelles appears to now be a destination for the eastern european market hence its offerings are this way inclined. In fact, the Coral Strand is Russian owned. For a South African market, I would highly recommend that you stay with Mauritius as your holiday island of choice because its affordable to the rand, every hotel has entertainment and has far superior offerings & beaches. It must be noted though that the staff at the hotel are the most pleasing you would encounter, they were able to pleasantly & patiently deal with every challenge. A special mention to Nilantha & MK whose pleasantries & service went beyond the norm to try their best to attend to us and make us feel more at home. Same to the reception staff who were always available & amiable.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I rarely leave reviews about hotels, because usually the expectation/reality, plus or minus, coincides. This case is an exception and the hotel does not correspond to 4 stars and the reviews that are written about it. Let's start with the man who checked us in - his name is Akram and he knows absolutely nothing. She told us that she would put us in “the best room,” but when he took us, he didn’t even remember where this room was located and in fact it turned out to be the worst room (I’ll attach all the photos). The room is small, dirty, the furniture is from the 90s and has never been updated, the paintings from the walls were apparently removed at some point and only nails remained in their place, there was someone’s unfinished bottle of wine in the table from the previous residents, there is no bedside table ( I had to put things on a mini refrigerator, which hummed at night). The shower deserves special attention, the photo of which for some reason is not on the websites, but only pictures, now it’s clear why. The room is small, there is absolutely nowhere to put cosmetics, a rusty bucket and a shower stall that is about to fall apart, the water in which does not drain normally and if you wash second, you will have to stand in the water with foam. For the two of us, there were only 4 towels (2 large ones for the body, one for the feet and one for everything else (face, hands for both of us). The shower stall is rusty, half of the buttons are missing, instead of a cold one it is hot and vice versa. Instead of a blanket there is a blanket, which is all in pellets and it is not clear how old he is. We previously lived in Praslin in a 3* hotel (somewhere it says 4*) and everything was clean, nice, picturesque and there were 2 sinks, 2 showers and 6 towels for two, they cleaned every day and there was 2 times more space both in the room and in the shower. When at dinner it turned out that we had to pay for tea/coffee, we went to Akram to find out if this was so and he was with us, asking the African-American woman what- then he said that there was no need to pay anything and that the drinks were free (namely tea/coffee), but a day later they started asking us for money again, we approached him again and he (again, having clarified the information) already said that there was nothing -drinks are paid for and he was not aware, “apparently something has changed recently,” in general the person doesn’t know anything! Again, in the previous hotel they didn’t charge us for these drinks and they were included in unlimited quantities in the price of our stay. It also turned out that the Aeroflot crew constantly stays at this hotel (apparently they began to save a lot on them) + there are a lot of Russians, so you feel like you’re in Turkey. Sun loungers are not always brought to the beach, they don’t even know about umbrellas here, there are a few only by the pool, but again, like in Turkey, they start taking up places as early as 7 a.m. there are very few places. We had lunch at the hotel once, because... the weather was terrible, 1 portion of the dish (fish with broccoli) cost about 2100 rubles. Massage at the hotel is about 20t/hour. (didn't go for that kind of money) You won't get any smiles from the staff. They work reluctantly. In general, I have attached a photo, I do not recommend the hotel!
Read more
Date of stay: December 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
warning! Do not book this hotel. Terrible service and the location is not good unless you love touristy areas with no charm. This place does not represent the seychelles. We had to wait a very long time to check-in and got our room at the very last minute. We got no assistance with our luggage and no information regarding the hotel facilities our location. They overcharged us and didn’t even apologize for the inconvenience, and instead of giving us the money back they pretty much forced us to use the credit in their restaurants (which also was overpriced and low service). We got a room in the bottom corner right next to the cleaning staff. Construction right next to us that was being loud from 7am, which made it impossible to sleep. our room didn’t get cleaned until very late afternoon and they forgot towels. it took a while before they came with towels but they only brought shower towels, no hand towels. Slow service in the restaurants and slow service by the pool and beach towels. only a few sun beds. Just a TERRIBLE hotel experience
Read more
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mixed feelings remained about this hotel! Who plans to come here soon - highly discouraged - the hotel is renovating an entire wing! Renovation takes place Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Sunday you can enjoy the silence! You can hear the noise in the room and even if you're swimming in the ocean! On the second day of our stay to our noise complaint, the reaction of a representative of the tour operator and the hotel was strange: we were persistently argued that the noise from the repairs was within acceptable limits, then told that we were generally the first holidaymakers to complain about noise. I showed them the video taken from the room with the noise of the renovation. Relocation to another hotel was refused due to lack of rooms, but offered to replace the room , initially offering rooms even closer to the renovation work. Eventually offered us a honeymoon suite with relocation when it was available. The next day we were moved into it. Unfortunately, There was also a noise from it, but we had no other options at all, so during the renovation work we had to go on excursions. Unfortunately, this hotel was the main place of stay on our tour of the islands, and upon returning from Praslin and La Diga, it was already paid for in advance. We sent a request to our travel agent, and he's already with the tour operator for relocation on his return to another hotel. Interestingly, the tour operator replied that the hotel did not warn of repairs. And besides, the hotel issued a fine for wanting to cancel our paid reservation! As a result, thanks to our travel agent, we did move to another hotel with an adequate surcharge. Speaking of the Savoy Hotel. And for some reason, the manager of the Coral Hotel said we're not allowed on the Savoy property if we live in Coral. Although I read in reviews earlier that you could go there. I believe that the hotel does not treat holidaymakers fairly, as neither the hotel website nor the tour operator has any information about the renovation. If not for the noise of the renovation, the hotel is not bad - 3 stars is felt in the decoration of the room (furniture is as simple as possible), partially chipped tiles in the pool, lack of greenery on the beach and the appearance of the building facade. Pros: food (although monotonous, but still delicious breakfast) , cleanliness (good cleaning in the room and common areas), location directly on the ocean (although I had a hard time falling asleep under the noisy waves). Feedback about the noise and repairs flashed in April, I was hoping it would be over by August, but no. Solving new problems takes us to the next level! There will be a lesson for us in the future, contact the hotel directly and check about the availability of renovations , if similar will flash in the reviews.
Read more
Automatically translated
Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We visited the Coral Strand in July 2024 as a quick 2-day break to visit relatives in Seychelles who live on the Island. However, upon arrival we encountered issues after issues.
Whilst some of the reviews on here give Coral Strand a glowing review, you need to be aware of some issues that we had. Firstly, the Management are so overworked that they cannot offer the service you would expect of a hotel. Check in can take up to 45 minutes and if you arrive on the early morning flights, you will most likely not get access to your Room until 2pm. If you are paying for Breakfast note that you will not be able to get it until you are given a Room. We arrived on the early morning flight and were refused Breakfast and told that we could have it on the check out day. If again you are taking the 9am flight out of Seychelles, you will not get the Breakfast as you will leave the Hotel before Breakfast is open. We had even paid for Breakfast, and were later refused the refund
The Service around the Pool is good, but the general management and front desk commitment is lacking of a 4* Hotel. The Staff do try their best but with limitations, the Service does not come with a smile.
The only meal we had in the hotel was Breakfast and that we did have on the second day. It was nice and fresh, along with local dishes and curries.
The Rooms are small, with little space to hang clothes and the Bathrooms can only fit one person in at a time. The cleanliness of rooms is hit and miss as our daughter found bugs all over the Bedding and flying around her light, which came in when the Housekeeping cleaned the room. When we asked for the Housekeeping to remove the bugs, we found the Front Desk staff generally unhelpful.
As well the rooms are in desperate need of updating and the Coral Strand is currently doing that while you try to relax on the Beach or around the Pool. Anyone wanting to sit around the Pool will have to listen to the constant drilling and banging from the rooms. Please see the attached Photo to see that Coral Strand are now starting on the Top floor of one of the Wings of the Hotel. Even if you want to sit on the Beach, you will still be able to hear the renovation noise. When we questioned this with the Management, we were advised that these were essential repairs – yep - essential that will take another 6 months to complete!!!
Be also wary of the fact that the Hotel clears away all the Sunbeds on the Beach around 6pm, so, if you want to watch the fantastic sunsets, you will have to sit on the Sand.
Since returning home, we had raised the above issues directly with the Management and the response we received was one that “we” were in the wrong, and that they had done nothing wrong, and that the hotel was perfect. By some of the reviews here, that may appear to be the case, however it should be questioned if the reviews are by real guests as some of them have only ever contributed once.
We had previously booked a return visit to Coral Strand in August, however following our stay for the 2 days, we had cancelled the booking and choose a different place to stay on the wonderful Beau Vallon Beach.
The above is a true review of how our stay was, and maybe if you are reading this you may have the time of your life, however, please don’t be fooled by the nice photos and 5* reviews.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Major Renovations are being underway - bring earplugs
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We just got back from our honeymoon, and were are thrilled with the choice we made. The hotel has one of the best locations on the whole island, great beach, good food, and amazing staff. The rooms were always kept clean, our parking view was great with a lovely view of the mountains, the cars parked are actually not close to the hotel, so they do not disturb you while chilling on the balcony or during your sleep. The staff was amazing, from the check in where we were offered a refreshing drinks and a wet towel, to the cleaning personnel that left the room in a perfect shape daily, to dear Bishnu who was somehow always around to help out with a problem or a tip! His team was top notch, Liza Sampath, Subham, Priyajit, and others.. Thanks guy was makeing our stay a memory for a lifetime!
Read more
Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:rooms with the view of the parking lot are great, there's many trees and a beautiful mountain...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The hotel is located directly on a lovely sandy beach, Beau Vallon, and practically every room in the main building has at least a partial view of the lake. Rooms on the lowest floor have some plants in front of them. The buffet dinners have a varied theme so that you avoid eating the same food every day. The food was good. However, the best part was the staff! Everyone was very friendly and service oriented. Many took the time to socialize with the guests, which made the stay very cozy. In particular, I fondly remember Nilantha, Christy, Jheelal and Bishnu, who made my vacation special. Thank you for the good service, which I appreciate! If you want a relaxing and casual vacation right on the beach, without paying five star prices, I highly recommend Coral Strand Smart Choice.
Read more
Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:På nedersta våningen (standardrum) finns några växter framför balkongerna. Kom ihåg att ta en...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great value for money, central location on one of the most beautiful and comfortable for swimming beaches on the islands. Rooms are small, but cozy and have all the necessary amentities and huge king size bed. The air in the room is fresh, no foreign odors or "soar" air conditioning what is a rarety in tropical countries even in 5 star hotels. Staff was friendly and considerate, food tasty with a lot to choose from. Do not hesitate, stay here. You will love it!
the most beautiful and comfortable beaches
Read more
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This is almost impossible to answer. In past years, weather patterns were much more defined than they are today. December should be a good month but is supposed to be the start of the rainy season. Generally heavy rains do not last for long, but they can...! Comfortable temperature and humidity.
Nevertheless, with weather anywhere in the world today, it is potluck!
There are more places to choose from in the Beau Vallon area.
PRICE RANGE
₹18,259 - ₹30,171 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
hotel coral strand, coral strand beau vallon
LOCATION
SeychellesMahe IslandBeau Vallon
NUMBER OF ROOMS
164
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.