Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa

This is not a 5 star hotel, we came here for our honeymoon and were disappointed from the get go. We were “upgraded” to the Ian Fleming suite, which was a nice gesture but in reality it was crap - i'd be surprised if much has changed since the time he stayed there. There was a big blue tarp blocking the view from the balcony, and noisy works outside the window during the daytime. The blinds were all broken and the doors all had gaps in them so we got eaten alive by mosquitoes, visited by cockroaches, and also there were lizards going in and out the room all the time (we get this can happen, but it didn't happen at any other hotel we stayed at on our trip, presumably because they didn't have big gaps in their doors). Our travel agent booked us the honeymoon package, which consisted of some tacky mugs, a hamper of the cheapest things on the bar menu (which we were given without consultation, it several of which we couldn’t eat, we were not asked about preferences or dietaries - not a 5 star experience) with no drinks, and a bath with petals which we have to say was nice. The food was a mixed bag, some dishes were lovely. Others were inedible. When we said we couldn’t eat the very overcooked mixed seafood casserole (gritty/chalky prawns etc) the staff wouldn’t let us forget about it for days after. As for the staff, also a mixed bag, a couple of them stood out as super lovely (e.g. Ricky, and the lady who makes the pancakes!) but on the whole the hotel was clearly understaffed so the majority of staff seemed overstretched, in poor spirits, and everything was done very slowly. There’s great snorkelling here and the hotel offers free use of their gear. All good except it’s obviously never cleaned, we found chewing gum in one mask and the staff’s response was to pour bleach in it and hand it back to us to clean out. Fine elsewhere, but again not 5*. The plants and wildlife there are amazing. Done right the hotel has potential but generally so many things seem outdated and minimum quality. You can get real 5* quality for a similar price elsewhere (especially on Praslin). If you want something truly special, this is not it - in terms of quality this is a 4* hotel so manage your expectations if you’re coming here.

We spent 7 nights at the Hilton in a private pool villa with half board. Purely based on the price we paid (approx $1,200 USD per night), and that it is a Hilton brand, this hotel is a solid 2*. When we spoke to the hotel about the below issues - we were told the hotel Op manager would see us at breakfast the next morning. Yet when morning came, they didn’t bother to show up / were not available and sent in an Exec Chef to speak on behalf of them. I think this pretty much summed up how we saw management of this hotel and likely explains a lot of our experience. If management had bother to meet, they would know this poor review was coming. The excellent: Private pool villa was a 4/5. The views were great. The pool was excellent as it was a decent size to do some laps. The whirlpool bathtub was a nice touch/addition. There were some parts of the room that were broken (faulty light mirror, power sockets that don’t fit chargers, etc.). Our room must have been close to the outside road as we would constantly hear cars driving past and their loud music. Housekeeping was a 5/5. Service was regular and we often only requested for a clean once a day instead of day + turndown. They kept the room clean and stocked with water and coffee pods. I explained on the first day we needed six bottles of water daily and they accommodated this request with no reminding. Overall, the staff were 4/5. They were polite and pleasant, but most were not what I would describe as cheery, happy, welcoming or friendly. That’s not to say they were unhappy. They just looked quite serious. Perhaps we stayed at the end of the season and they were “done” with guests - but in saying this, anything we requested was actioned. And the above didn’t affect our stay. The exceptions to the above were Anna on reception and a gentleman who said he’d been working at the hotel for 9 years - I think his name started with S. The areas that need major improvements considering the hotel brand and price per night: All the restaurants would average a 2/5 each. They were consistently inconsistent, or consistently disappointing. This hotel is 1000% not a foodie destination. If you are into gastronomy or sensational food, it is not the place for you. It felt like there was something weird happening during our stay - as though the kitchens were full of new staff, undergoing training or new management, or understaffed. It was single handedly the let down of the hotel and the brand. It is because we stayed for so long at the hotel that we can give a detailed review of each restaurant, as we ate at each one at least twice. In a nutshell: Mahé - the food was okay. Visit #1 - the pork tomahawk was overcooked and almost inedible. Visit #2 - everything was fine, but as I left the restaurant, I felt lightheaded and woozy and was not sure if it was due to something I had eaten. Ocean View - the food was not great, and it took too long to be served. Both nights, the restaurant was not busy and our sitting took over 2 hours. The point of going each night was for a “quick and casual” meal. Visit #1 - it took 45+ minutes to receive the main after the starter. We ordered a burger and gnocchi. The burger was overcooked and unenjoyable to eat. Visit #2 - it took approx 15 mins before anyone took our order, then 35 minutes for the starters to arrive. Both starters required no cooking as one was a salad and the other a cold cut-type dish. I also ordered the burger and asked for it to be medium-rare, but it came out the same as the first night. Wave - the food was shockingly inconsistent. Visit #1 - the food was okay. We were sat at a table where no breeze came through and there were no fans so as the night got on, it got uncomfortably hot in our seats. Visit #2 - we sat where there was a natural breeze. We ordered almost the same meals as the first visit but they looked completely different and also had some different ingredients. The ravioli Alfredo was terrible - the sauce drowned the ravioli (like a soup) and the ravioli was gross. — To sum up our stay, in terms of value for money, management, and living up to the international Hilton name, it was terribly disappointing - and I would be hesitant to recommend it to someone who is used to the Hilton brand, or return. However, if a private pool villa is your requirement, this is a great hotel option. I would suggest the following: Ask for a room away from the busy road. Pack a lot of drinks and snacks to eat in the room. Eat outside when possible (eg if visiting the city or on a tour). If you must eat at the hotel, order a starter and main to share. The half or full board is currently, absolutely, not worth it. Avoid avoid avoid. — Overall, this hotel felt more like it was run by a small, local hotel brand. Or as if Hilton merely supplied their name and don’t bother to oversee operations.