If a stay at the Mango House feels like a sleepover at a well-heeled friend’s very fancy holiday home, it’s because it kind of is: this sprawling house along a secluded bay in southern Mahé was once the private retreat of Milanese fashion photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri, who fell in love with the country during a Vogue photoshoot in 1975. Today, the 41-room property flies Hilton’s LXR flag, but the homely atmosphere remains, thanks to Barbieri’s photographs and local artworks lining the hallways, and the ever-smiling staff who greet every guest by name.
Photo: Courtesy of Mango House Seychelles
There are no duds in the accommodation line-up, but for longer stays, the Ocean House or Bay House suites are the ones to book. Like all rooms, they’re bedecked in silky textiles, lots of wicker and honey-hued woods, but have the addition of a private plunge pool — a boon for lazy afternoons in the Seychellois sun. There are four restaurants, including Moutya for Creole cuisine and Azido for Japanese, plus the sultry Kokoye, an Indo-tinged cocktail spot mixing tea-infused martinis with one of the island’s largest gin collections. While pretty, the beachfront isn’t ideal for swimming, so the three communal pools are a welcome perk. As is the clued-in concierge team, who can arrange cross-island adventures such as helicopter-hops over Mahé, an afternoon yachting trip, or a guided excursion to the markets and monuments of Victoria, the Seychelles’ pint-sized capital.
