On my continued tour of Mauritius, the last 8 nights were spent at Trou aux Biches hotel. I was fortunate enough to obtain a brief interview with Assistant Manager Mr Christopher Klein, Beachcomber Trou aux Biches. While the weather Trou aux Biches played its part most of the time, there was a day or 2 that was not ideal during the month of August.
Below, is a brief transcript with the assistant manager at Trou aux Biches Beachcomber golf resort & spa.
CK: First of all, not only is it a tropical island as we all know, but I think it is strategically located simply because if you are looking at the time zone from Europe all the way down here, you do not have any change in the time.
In most cases when you travel to a tropical island from Europe, you are facing quite a time difference of three to six hours. If you go to the Caribbean from Europe, for example, you are entering into a completely new time zone and obviously apart from the travel time, you are losing between two to four days for your body to re-adjust. Then when you return home too. So, I think that is one of the reasons that you should take into consideration perhaps, straight line from north to south, with little to no time differences
Secondly, the steady climate of Mauritius being on average ~ 25 degrees throughout the year.
Essentially, we have two climate zones here. The north and the south of the island are like two different climates.
CK: Beachcomber was literally the pioneer of hospitality here in Mauritius. Looking back almost 75 years now. Beachcomber has developed over time with 8 properties (will soon be nine when Harmony opens its doors). If you look at the locations of the beachcomber properties, you will find them in the key locations on the island.
This is because beachcomber was the pioneer of the island and was able to secure themselves the prime locations. I think there are no better spots on the island, if you look at how we are situated in the different areas. We have grown with the community. Which means we have always looked for authenticity of the Mauritian flair, the Mauritian heritage.
Mauritians always stand out for their friendliness. You know the heartfelt smile which is authentic and real.
CK: I am glad you made this observation yourself, Rael. What struck me the most when I joined a couple of years ago, was that some of the artisans we have are looking back on a history of 30, 35 years and know the guests in the third or fourth generation.
Yeah. Incredible!! On the island when it comes to hospitality, Beachcomber, is one of the biggest employers and of course if you treat your artisans well, if you treat them with respect, if you cater for them in times when things are tough, they will stay. During Covid the island was closed for 18 months. Everyone still got paid. Let us just say it is an honour to work for Beachcomber, you can grow with a company and they will always look after you.
CK: I mean from what I have seen, what I was able to experience and I am taking everything into consideration. I have been to Asia, New Guinea, Bali, and many other parts of the world, but I have to say Mauritius.
I am not saying that just because I am here and having this interview with you. It is literally a fact that the beauty of the island combined with the friendliness of the locals. Everyone speaks English and French. By default, the written language here is English. The spoken language is French or Creole.
So immediately you find yourself home. Especially when you come as a German speaker like myself. Not everyone is fluent in English or French. But the willingness to try at least, you do not find often around the world that people try to learn a new language or are able to communicate with the tourists. I think the mix of nationalities on the island, they are all living here in harmony today.
CK: I have been in the industry for 27 years now, since the age of 15. So, I started at the age of 15 working already in a restaurant, as a barista. At 16, I already had two jobs, one in a restaurant and another in the five-star hotel called the Kempinski in Berlin.
I just turned 16 on the 27th of December and my first working day was on the 31st of December. So, I was already quite passionate at a young age, let us say, to give the gift of a smile to someone. To pick someone up from what he/she was dealing with and just, you know, put a smile on their face, is what enticed me into the industry. So, long story short, I moved around Germany then to London and back to Germany again for Kempinski in my first department head position.
Then in a small boutique hotel in Hamburg, which is a completely different experience to working in a chain hotel. Then moved to Dubai. Then here to Mauritius in September 2022, initially for love, after I had met the love of my life 12 years before.
My Ratings and Conclusion:
| Topic | Rating: | Comments |
| Service | X X X X | A little disappointing |
| Rooms | X X X XX | Amazing. You don’t even need sea facings, the garden rooms are sufficient |
| Food | X X X XX | Food was awesome |
| Amenities / Clubs | X X X X X | Superb, my kids where entertained constantly. Water skiing professionals! |
| Practicality | X X X X X | Everything as it should be |
| Cleanliness | X X X X X | Extra ordinary |
| Politeness | X X X X | A little disappointed |
There are always a few artisans that go that extra mile to make ones stay a time to remember. In this case during my 8 Nights Trou aux Biches Beachcomber golf resort & spa vacation, a special recommendation needs to go out to Elizabeth at the Spa. Wow!! she is something truly special. Fantastic! @Sarah-Jane Broker Stephen too at Guest relations. Nothing ever seemed to much hassle for her. Thank you again Christopher!