Blue Margouillat

Blue Margouillat

At Blue Margouillat in Saint-Leu, on Reunion Island, the day begins with breakfast at a proper table, then a buffet of guava jam and letchi preserves, and by early afternoon the light menu moves out to the poolside or straight to the room. Fourteen rooms sit on a single floor of a creole-style house, close enough to the sea that guests can walk to the beach without a shuttle, and two garden suites keep their own private spa jacuzzi, heated to 35 degrees, screened from the rest of the property. What separates this hotel from other Reunion boutique hotels is the wine cellar: more than 1050 references, curated by resident sommelier Vanessa Bonadio, read at the restaurant table over dishes seasoned with local turmeric and ginger by chef Marc Chappot. Guests staying three nights or more can add half board, a three-course dinner built around the day's market. The rest of the routine amenities are all present and handled without fuss: free Wi-Fi, a heated 29-degree outdoor pool, a library, concierge, laundry, and an airport transfer arranged for a flat 110 euros each way. This suits a couple who wants privacy and a serious wine list more than a resort buzzing with people, or a traveler who prefers a single-floor house to a tower block. It will not suit anyone chasing nightlife, a large pool scene, or rooms with a view of anything but garden or sea. Check-in runs from 2pm, checkout by 11am. The cellar and the sommelier are the reason to stay two nights instead of one. Fourteen rooms in a single creole house near Saint-Leu's coast, built around a 1050-bottle wine cellar and two garden suites with private spa jacuzzis. Suits travelers after quiet and a serious cellar, not nightlife or crowds.