Salt Of Palmar - The Most Eco-Friendly Hotel On The Planet

Part of the largest conglomerate in the indian ocean, this luxury mauritian hotel – SALT Of Palmar – could also be the most eco-friendly on the planet.

- Christine Retschlag

The warm waves are strumming a symphony of sea shells against the shore, and I wake to a scarlet sunrise over the Indian Ocean, feasting on eggplant Benedict for breakfast.

Shortly, I will be invited to partake in a personal welcome ritual, relaxing on a beachside beanbag, and blessed with a restorative meditation and the winter sunshine.

The day smells of sea salt and Mauritian magic. I arrived at night-time, more under a floaty sarong than a cloak of darkness, and checked into SALT of Palmar, the newest luxury resort on the east coast of Mauritius.

The ocean roars against the reef while inside the languid lagoon, this paperless hotel screams sustainability. It all starts when entering your accommodations, which is achieved via a digital key on the SALT app, downloaded upon check-in, while sipping a tropical concoction of local basil, clove, citrus and pineapple.

And in the light of day, I am quickly discovering there is much more to this beautiful boutique hotel than meets the eye. I stroll the breezy halls of this apricot-coloured, 59-room luxury hotel that opened last November, and which resembles a Moroccan riad.

About the only thing not locally sourced here are the Swedish-made organic cotton beds, every one of which faces the ocean, and are so comfortable it’s like sleeping on the fluffy clouds that punctuate the blue sky.

Two woven baskets, in a riot of colours, are in the cupboard, one for use as my beach bag and the other to store the plump cushions that adorn my bed upon the nightly turndown service. I locate a rubber yoga mat that will come in handy during my stay. The hotel has paid its ecological debt for such amenities by planting one rubber tree for every mat purchased for its guests.