Raffles Seychelles 5 stars

Hi, As you suggested, I would like to share complete and transparent feedback regarding our stay. First of all, I would like to make it clear that our decision to leave earlier is not related to any financial aspect. We are not requesting any kind of refund or compensation. Our life back in Brazil is extremely demanding, with a very intense routine and the responsibility of managing an operation with more than 10,000 employees. Because of this, when we travel, we truly aim to disconnect, rest, and enjoy a peaceful, well-organized, and high-level experience. Whenever we choose a destination, we carry out careful research to select the best possible option. That is exactly what we did here. We had never been to Seychelles before, and based on what we saw, this hotel appeared to be aligned with the standard of experiences we are used to around the world. During this trip, we also had the opportunity to experience the Four Seasons here in Seychelles, and we have also stayed many times in similar destinations such as the Maldives — where we have been more than eight times. This gives us a very solid basis for comparison in terms of service standards, structure, and overall experience. Within this context, we were able to clearly perceive a significant difference in the overall experience. I would therefore like to highlight some of the points that impacted our stay: Dining experience: limited variety and lack of flexibility in the menu for a higher-end standard. Even considering the half-board format, we believe there should be an additional menu allowing guests to choose more refined dishes at an extra cost, which for us would not have been an issue at all. Although at a certain moment the team made efforts to address this with good service, we believe this should already be structurally included in the overall experience. Ongoing renovations: we were not informed in advance, which directly impacted the experience. Safety concerns: in one of the restaurants, there were people working above the structure, which created discomfort and a perception of risk. Villa surroundings: for two nights, there was a cat continuously making noise near our accommodation, which significantly affected our rest. Fishing experience: this was one of the most critical points. We spent approximately four hours on the boat without proper organization, technical guidance, or a real fishing experience. In addition, one of the crew members was smoking inside the boat during the trip, which we consider unacceptable, both from a safety perspective and from a guest experience standpoint, especially as this is something we strongly dislike. Lack of leadership and coordination: there was no clear direction or management of the experience during the activity. Handling of the fish: during the fishing activity itself, the fish remained on the boat for more than two hours without any type of refrigeration. After returning, when it was taken out, it already had ants on it and was placed directly on the sand. I personally had to pick up the fish and carry it. Afterwards, we spent approximately 30 minutes moving around with the fish in the golf cart, back and forth, without any clear definition or guidance on what should be done or how it would be prepared. Golf cart driving: at certain moments, we noticed inappropriate driving behavior from some staff members (not in your case), with excessive speed, including in sensitive areas such as reversing uphill toward our villa while we were nearby, which caused discomfort and concern. Room conditions: we noticed some aspects that could be improved, such as finishing details (for example, a curtain that was not properly adjusted) and also excessive brightness in the early morning, as the room becomes very bright around 5:30–6:00 AM, affecting our rest — especially considering that we are dealing with a 7-hour time difference from Brazil, which further intensifies this impact for us. We have had fishing experiences in many places around the world, and we were able to clearly recognize the difference in standard and execution. In addition, we noticed that some facilities, such as the gym, are quite limited compared to other international properties at the same level. The gym didn't even have a bathroom. Beyond the points mentioned, there were other details throughout our stay that could also be highlighted; however, we prefer not to extend this excessively, as our intention here is to provide constructive and relevant feedback. On the other hand, I would like to emphasize that your service, Aaron, as well as that of a large part of the team, was excellent. Around 90% of the people who assisted us were extremely attentive and professional, and this deserves recognition. However, considering the overall experience — especially for a property positioned as a high-end international standard, as presented and researched — we understand that several aspects were not aligned with this level of expectation. We would also like to emphasize that all the points mentioned here are intended as constructive feedback, aimed at contributing to continuous improvement, rather than as isolated criticism. As people of faith, we also believe that certain situations happen for a reason. In this case, we feel that this is not the right moment for us to be here. For this reason, we have decided to bring our departure forward and continue our journey in a way that better aligns with our main objective at this moment, which is to truly rest. This is a conscious decision on our part, based on the overall experience we have had. We thank you again for your attention, professionalism, and understanding.

Short but unbelievably good

I copy what I send you on WhatsApp, with no answer from you. Hello We ordered lunch at 12 to the beach and after 1 hour we decided to go to the room to give the baby some food we brought. Now it is 13:15 and we still haven’t received our food. This is definitely not child friendly. Also, we timed our baby’s naps yesterday to have dinner at 6pm. And suddenly the restaurant opens at 19, so we didn’t enjoy the amazing food as we wanted to, because he was too tired. That’s a shame. Next time, it would be great if you align when you communicate the opening times for the restaurant - especially when traveling with a baby. This is also the first hotel, where we have to pay for a nine month old baby, who only requires very little chicken and mashed potatoes. We haven’t tried that before. Room is nice, and we enjoy the late check out, but we don’t enjoy it when it is not baby friendly… Another message I send with no answer: And another thing - we truly enjoyed our stay, and the staff was really friendly. From the receptionist to the people driving the buggies. But when we were eating dinner and breakfast, some of the personnel, especially two guys, wanted to cuddle and lift our baby. We are used to that here in Seychelles, when people are cuddling with our baby and picking him up, and we really enjoy it. But at Raffles, it seemed a bit weird, as they were doing it while we ate, and it just interrupted us when trying to enjoy the food, and also it was difficult for him to focus on eating. Someone tried to lift him up at breakfast, and we had to tell him to stop, because we were in the middle of feeding him. We just wanted to give you this feedback, maybe you can use it. We are now staying at Constance on Mahé, and here the food for 0-6 year olds are free.

I visited with my husband for our honeymoon and it was a lovely experience, the team there went above and beyond to make sure we had a special welcome! Everyone at the resort was very friendly and helpful. We also enjoyed the breakfast and the villa was absolutely beautiful.

We had an overall fantastic stay at Raffles Seychelles and truly enjoyed the property, the setting, and the service. A special thank you to Pat, who went above and beyond for us. He helped arrange a boat trip and transport seamlessly and regularly checked in to ensure everything was perfectly taken care of. That level of attentiveness made a real difference. Also worth mentioning are the buggy drivers, always in a great mood, friendly, and adding a fun, relaxed touch to getting around the resort. That said, there are a few areas where the experience could be improved, especially considering the level of the property. The breakfast quality could be elevated, and dining at Losean was somewhat disappointing. The food did not quite meet expectations in terms of quality, portion size, and presentation — for example, the prawn & asparagus salad felt underwhelming (just three prawns and two asparagus pieces presented quite sparsely). There also seemed to be inconsistency around the dress code. We were informed that long trousers and closed shoes were expected, and dressed accordingly, yet many guests were dining in flip flops and swim shorts. Not an issue for us personally, but clearer or more consistent enforcement would help set expectations. Dinner at Sabor, on the other hand, was excellent and definitely a highlight. Service overall was friendly and well-intentioned, though at times it felt slightly over-polished — for example, multiple apologies for small things like bringing water when it was requested, or frequent reassurances about our stay. While appreciated, a more natural and relaxed approach would make interactions feel even more genuine. That being said, all staff were warm and welcoming throughout — and with just a slightly more effortless delivery, the experience would feel even more elevated. Overall, we had a wonderful stay and would absolutely consider returning.