Hilton Northolme
7 Nights at Hilton Northolme in room type and meal basis indicated
Gorgeous 56 villa resort (16 of them with stunning private plunge pools!) tucked away amidst a densely forested mountainside above a couple of lovely little coves on Mahe's beautiful north-west coast. All Inclusive option also available!
A gorgeous little resort (the smallest Hilton Hotel in the world!) with its rooms tucked away amidst the rocks and forested mountainside just above a couple of small sandy coves on Mahe’s gorgeous north-west coastline – it has the feel of a boutique hotel rather than a large resort
Soak up the sunset with a delicious cocktail on the gorgeous Lower Deck bar – a rustic wooden deck poised just above the waters of the bay, this is Mahe’s first gin bar and definitely the coolest place to enjoy a sundowner! And even better is that the Northolme is one of only a handful of places in the Seychelles which offers an All-Inclusive option!
For a real taste of contemporary style and glamour, spoil yourself with a stay in one of the newer Pool Villas with their stunning views over the Indian Ocean towards Silhouette island. If your budget doesn’t quite stretch that far, don’t worry as the Sunset Villas are both spacious (90 sqm) and also boast beautiful dark hardwood floors and wall cladding, with their jacuzzi baths being another guest favourite!
This is one of the best snorkelling spots on Mahe island – and the Hilton Northolme has been in the forefront of conservation efforts with its coral restoration project including a coral nursery and artificial reef
The smaller size and quieter, more personal ambience of the Northolme really lends itself to couples wanting a classy, romantic holiday destination (the fact that no kids under 12 are allowed obviously places a big role in this too)
If you’re wanting to explore beyond the hotel grounds, a twice daily shuttle is available to guests to nearby Beau Vallon beach and to the capital Victoria if you fancy doing some shopping or sight-seeing
The hotel lacks a large stretch of beach - the 2 small sandy coves here are gorgeous but pretty tiny – but as mentioned there is a shuttle provided to the long stretch of sand that is Beau Vallon beach if you do fancy something larger
The quiet and intimate nature of the Northolme is probably not going to suit people who prefer all the action and buzz of larger resorts
the Hilton Northolme harmonizes beautifully with its environment, with the villas following the natural layout of the rocks and rain forested mountainside so as to disturb the site’s natural beauty as little as possible
56 Villas of different types, 16 with private pools
Yes and plunge pools in certain villa types
The Hilton Northolme is reputedly the smallest Hilton hotel in the world, and it definitely has far more the feel of a boutique hotel as opposed to that of a typical large resort. It’s situated on the north-western coastline of Mahe where it occupies a gorgeously beautiful spot on a richly forested mountainside with stunning views towards the sunset and Silhouette island in the distance, as well as over the bay containing the renowned Beau Vallon beach to the south. The hotel was one of the first hotels to be established on the island when it originally opened as “The Northolme” and has evolved over the years into the beautiful eco-hideaway that it is today. Long a favourite amongst locals and tourists alike, the Northolme has quite a legacy, including famously being the place where James Bond author Ian Fleming wrote his legendary 007 book “For Your Eyes Only” !
The Hilton Northolme harmonizes beautifully with its environment, with the villas following the natural layout of the rocks and rain forested mountainside so as to disturb the site’s natural beauty as little as possible. Originally, the resort only had 40 rooms made largely of gorgeous indigenous tropical hardwoods, but in 2016, an additional 16 Pool Villas were added to add a taste of modern architectural glamour. The emphasis here though remains on being small and intimate – the perfect place to stay, in fact, for people looking for a quieter and more romantic destination (and that fact that children under 12 aren’t allowed here simply adds to this more refined and romantic feel)
All 56 villas have a quintessential Creole feel to them with tasteful decoration and original Creole art. We must confess to loving the original rooms dotted amongst the trees and looking out over the sea towards the sunset – whilst they are undeniably more old-fashioned, the hardwood floors and panelled walls are simply gorgeous, and the rooms are beautifully spacious too at around 90 sqm. The jacuzzi-style baths in the en-suite bathrooms are also a popular highlight!
The more recent Pool Villas are more chic and glamorous with their stunning infinity pools – but unfortunately quite a bit more expensive too. The trademark dark hardwood floors are also found in these newer rooms, but the walls are more conventionally painted in white which lends these rooms a lighter and brighter ambience. Of course, being able to simply go from relaxing on your lounger whilst admiring the views to flopping into your own private pool is massively appealing! And if you are staying in one of the Pool Villas, then definitely take the opportunity at least once to enjoy the unique floating breakfast experience!
On the subject of food, the Hilton Northolme actually boasts quite a varied number of elegant dining and bar options for its size – and further good news is that this is one of the handful of resorts in the Seychelles to offer an All-Inclusive option which is generally so popular amongst South Africans! There’s the main Mahe restaurant with its Creole theme as well as the Mediterranean influenced cuisine at Wave. The Ocean View Bar with its 007 themed menu also specializes in delicious cocktails and is also the place to enjoy live music at night. But the one that we really love is the Lower Deck gin bar, a simple rustic wooden deck perched just above the ocean and with stunning views over Silhouette and North Island – this is the perfect spot to savour a gin cocktail whilst enjoying the colourful sunset!