Mahogany Hotel Residence and Spa

The Wi-Fi was down for a few hours when we arrived. There’s nowhere to put a suitcase except on the floor, and not one drawer to unpack into. There are only two outlets, so I can’t plug in the TV, phone, and lamp at the same time. Nobody gave directions for using the safe. It locks without warning and then you have to wait 1-2 hours for a technician to open it. The main room light looks like a construction light, and you’d think a nice hotel would put a frame on the mirror. This should be a 2 Star.

The receptionist, a fat woman with glasses, was very rude. I don’t know why she was in such a bad mood from the beginning. I felt really uncomfortable.

The beach is a calm, clear lagoon with shallow water and white sand, great for splashing around. There are lawn chairs all over, and staff bring drinks to your side. The big pool works for proper swimming or just cooling off. We liked our bed and bathroom, and the room came with a fridge, microwave, hot stovetop, and full dishes. A room with breakfast at Mahogany, or Creole Beach, seemed like a better deal than the all-included resort rate. My wife and I spent a beautiful week there in late February and early March, with friendly couples and families of all ages around us in a French-speaking world. The staff were superior and helpful with every request. We loved Indiana and her colleagues at the bar, and my wife had fun singing with the pianist and bongo drummer at the piano bar. The food was beyond scrumptious, especially the dinner buffet, and we treated ourselves to pizza from the beach bar. We also had dinner at the resort restaurant and another at the nearby “Le Spot”, French cuisine everywhere. There’s nightly entertainment, including a popular Saturday salsa night with dancing and a live band. The island dancing performance was delightful. Our day trip to Les Saints was an adventure in beauty and history. I speak French, and my wife speaks a little. You can get by with English when talking to staff, but it’s more fun to greet and chat with other guests if you know a little French. Don’t let that stop you from coming if you don’t speak it, though. :) It only takes a second to learn “Bonjour”. We rented a car but barely used it, and had to use Google Maps on our smartphone to figure out where we were. Guadeloupe is a department of France, part of the European Union, with a four-lane highway around the island. We’ve been to a dozen places in the Caribbean, and this was perhaps our most memorable.

I’m an American traveling solo, and I like connecting with locals. Most of the staff speak both French and English, and customer service is great. You can exchange USD for Euros at the front desk, though most places take credit cards, which is very convenient. A kitchenette room is a good way to save money if you bring snacks to prepare there and eat out for dinner. The hotel’s Rum Tasting was a great value, since it was free. If you’re American, bring a Euro power adaptor for the outlets! I was disappointed by the excursions on offer. The website mentioned local Creole culture, like food or crafts, but there was nothing available for that. So I made my own trip, taking the bus to the Museum Acte and walking over to the Spice Market for souvenirs. The location is great, and the public bus makes it easy to get around town for just over $1 each way. It’s about 20 minutes from the hotel. Locals are friendly, though most don’t speak English.