Seychelles
Le Duc de Praslin Hotel
Reviewed

"Le Duc hotel, one of the top small hotels in Seychelles, is located
near Cote d'Or Beach, the longest beach on Praslin Island "

Aerial view: Le Duc de Praslin Hotel
Cote d'OR Beach Praslin Seychelles

Le Duc is a family-owned-and-run hotel located on the northern coast of Praslin, near the popular Cote d'OR Beach. I hasten to add though: this is not a beach hotel in the true sense. But I say...

So what? It's only 2 - 3 minutes walk to the beach - a wonderful beach and the longest on the island. And now they also own the Cafe des Arts across the road right on that beautiful stretch of sand, so with this acquisition it gives Le Duc Hotel its own beach restaurant plus an additional four standard rooms by the beach as well as an art gallery and craft shop.

Le Duc de Praslin is a medium-size, 4-star hotel. It now comprises of two separate properties - the hotel proper with 23 new rooms, mostly superior rooms and suites, which is a 2-minute walk to the beach and its beach property. The latter is the much older Cafe des Arts, which features a high-end restaurant plus an additional 4 standard rooms in beach cottages that complement Le Duc Hotel across the road.

So if you must be on the beach, here you can, but I must stress: the beach cottages have standard rooms with ceiling fans and no air conditioners to date. This can of course change. So check before you make a decision one way or the other.

The main hotel is something else altogether. It's new and the rooms have all the modern conveniences you would expect from a luxury 4-star hotel including both ceiling fans and air conditioners, flat-screen TVs and free Internet access.

The rooms are large and each has an ensuite bathroom that comes with a nice bath and separate walk-in shower. All rooms feature a wonderful large comfy veranda where you can relax after a long day at the beach.

Honeymoon suite - 4 star hotel - Le Duc Seychelles luxury hotel Praslin

In passing... I must say, wherever you stay in Seychelles, remember that if you want to enjoy a nice evening just relaxing out on the veranda in dim lighting you should come armed with your own personal insect repellent or else the mosquitoes will have you for dinner. So bring along your preferred brand of repellent and use it, especially at dusk.

Le Duc de Praslin started off as a much smaller hotel but in 2008 it was closed for a year for major extensions and the whole hotel has been refurbished and now... Well it has a new look and it's much bigger - it's a medium-size hotel now.

All rooms, which are in blocks of 4 in 2-storey buildings, face the swimming pool and garden. No, you won't see much of the sea at the main Le Duc Hotel...In addition to their beach restaurant and bar, the hotel also has a bar lounge and a main restaurant that specialises in Creole cuisine... And they serve really nice Creole fare.

It has been said that the hotel swimming pool is rather small, but then do you really need one when you have a beach of this calibre with azure seas that seem to be always calm in front of the house? Perhaps not, but just a word of warning though...

Be especially careful swimming at Cote d'Or. There has been a fatal boating accident involving a tourist while snorkelling not very long ago in that area. So stay out of the sea where there are speedboats.

On a merrier note, Le Duc Hotel has been awarded the well-merited and highly coveted Certificate of Excellence by the Seychelles Tourism Ministry - not once but twice. But that was before the recent extensions and upgrading. Can they deliver now that the hotel is much bigger?

Only time will tell, but they do have excellent staff and a solid management. The owners have a hands-on approach and they are seen daily greeting and talking with guests and handling any customer issues. The owner can even be seen helping the chefs at the Creole buffet at times.

Front porch of your hotel room - a place to relax - Le Duc de Praslin Seychelles

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In the garden of Le Duc de Praslin Hotel you'll meet 105-year old Josephine, one of 6 giant land tortoises. If you want to meet more of Josephine's cousins you can go on an excursion to Curieuse Island, which is just 15 minutes away.

The hotel can arrange all your excursions in and around Praslin La Digue, including Cousin and Aride Islands nature reserves and of course to the celebrated Vallee de Mai. That's one place you must not miss. You only need to ask.

This hotel provides excellent value for money. And here's a tip - they have clearly spent some good money on the superior rooms, which are spacious and very well-appointed, so I would recommend you go for one of these or one of the honeymoon suites, which are extra large with 4-poster beds.

And for a romantic dinner with nice seafood, the hotel's Cafe des Arts Restaurant, right on the beach, provides great food with just the right atmosphere! Yes, at Cafe des Arts it's fine dining at its best and it comes at pretty steep prices too.

Here's another tip: If you're there some days before the moon is full, what could be more romantic than a walk along this long white beach in the moonlight after your dinner at Cafe des Arts? This should not be missed if you're on your honeymoon.

At that time the moon and the sea cooperates for your enjoyment. By the time you finish dinner the moon will be high up in the sky and the tide will be out, so you have a wide, firm beach and very well lit for a stroll that you'll remember the rest of your life.

 

In passing I should perhaps mention the complimentary romantic dinner, which is offered by Le Duc de Praslin Hotel at their high-end beach restaurant as a honeymoon package - It's well worth taking advantage of. Check it out.

Le Duc Hotel is small and so it's rather quiet in the evening but with the occasional live entertainment. If you need more, then there is a disco and a casino not too far away. And although the food is good here there's no shortage of restaurants in the area, so you can try others occasionally just to compare. :).

And if you are into scuba, you'll find two PADI licensed diving centres just a short walk down the beach. If you like snorkelling I recommend the small offshore island of St. Pierre. You can take a taxi-boat from the beach.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a hotel deal in Seychelles, Le Duc de Praslin is nice and cosy and it is well located for a fantastic, memorable Praslin Seychelles holiday. It is a luxury hotel at an affordable price, only 2 minutes' walk to a magnificent beach - not just any old beach.

And finally, always look out for special promotions at Le Duc Seychelles luxury hotel. It can even include free rooms too. Check out the central Praslin hotel reservations here for any special hotel deals. And then compare with other offers.

Go enjoy Le Duc de Praslin Seychelles...

Now I suggest you take the following actions...

1. Search and compare prices of different hotel offers here
   
   
2. Read reviews of Le Duc Hotel and find even more deals here...
   
   
3. Make a hotel reservation or research other areas on Praslin, La Digue, Mahe and the private islands
4. Enjoy your vacation in Seychelles

And after your holiday please go here and leave your own review of Le Duc de Praslin Hotel. Thank you.

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