Location: ★★☆☆☆
Zen: ★☆☆☆☆
Luxury: ★☆☆☆☆
Sexytime: ★☆☆☆☆
In a nutshell, this is a two-star resort for families, and given that I’m into inspired & romantic luxury, I can’t say I’m the biggest fan.
What I liked about Grand Mirage is that it’s on the beach and has epic pastel sunrises. The best part of this entire resort is it’s Thalasso Spa, which is exempt from this review. It deserves a good 4 stars. I tried a unique treatment where you complete a circuit inside a warm salt water pool, receiving a jet-powered full-body massage as you move around. Finished the circuit feeling all tingly and loose. There’s also a good games room with a few pool tables and life-sized chess.
Things to note: I don’t consider this a luxury resort, and it’s definitely not 4-5 stars as indicated on TripAdvisor. There’s a giant pool next to a very average buffet, which makes it good for families with young children (there’s also a children’s area nearby), but it’s not romantic, it’s not luxurious, and the thing that stood out to me most about this resort was how un-special it felt.
If you’re going to be a 4-5 star resort, you need to have something unique going for you and at least have the basics covered. Staff need to be expecting your arrival; welcome drinks should be anything other than watered down orange-flavoured syrup; food should be a little higher quality than frozen-to-flash-fried. Nothing should be describable as ‘run-down’. Guests should feel like guests, and not cattle.
Full disclaimer, I wouldn’t have chosen to work with this resort on my own accord – it was offered to me as a package deal with it’s sister resort, Samabe Bali Suites & Villas, which is one of my favourite resorts of all time. I work with luxury resorts for a reason, and part of that is because it sucks having to write less-than-favourable reviews. Hopefully this is the only one I’ll ever need to write, and hopefully they plan a vibe overhaul soon so that this review becomes obsolete asap.
Worth it?
It’s a good option for families on a tight budget.
TripAdvisor review: Grand Mirage
Website: grandmirage.com