My husband and I stayed here in August for four nights and overall I would recommend Valmer. On Mahe there are a few very high end resorts and a LOT of very basic self-catered apartments and very little in between. Valmer is the in-between.
We chose the pool villa and it is huge. It is an individual unit with a patio and sun chairs next to the pool, followed by a huge wrap around porch that has a comfy round couch and a table and chairs. The view is incredible with the jungly trees down the sloping hill and the gorgeous blu water ahead. This alone made it worthwhile. You enter the room in the kitchen which has a sink, tall refrigerator, cooktop, and some cabinets with glasses, dishes, utensils (including champagne glasses, yay!) The kitchen is open to a living area with a sectional and television. There are sliding wooden doors into the bedroom which is huge. There are beautiful windows looking out at the view and a large soaking tub in the room. Also double sinks and beautiful built in closets with a vanity area in between. The commode room is separate which I appreciate it, and the shower is enclosed but open air.
The pool villa while spacious is not updated like the other rooms. It is not dated, but there is a little wear, especially in the commode room and shower. The color of the walls is a drab yellow/offwhite and the curtains and bedding are meh.
We had breakfast daily which was adequate - an omelette station, breads, bacon, fruit. The sausage was basically cheap hot dogs and kinda gross. We didn't use the main pool but it's very cool, built around giant boulders, and has a killer view. The breakfast service was fine, friendly enough but keep in mind this place isn't a five star resort.
The resort staff was pleasant enough and again, it's not a 5 star hotel. All of our needs were met and they were generally friendly. If you speak French you'll have a totally different experience. What I think is helpful to keep in mind is that it appears that Valmer employes locals, Seychellois people, unlike many of the resorts that bring in labor from other places to work in their resorts. I like that Valmer is employing local people. That said, the cultural attitude toward hospitality may not be the same. And in their defense, if English is not your first language, small talk and conversation might be intimidating. Besides Valmer, I noticed that Seychellois seemed content to have tourists visiting their island home but that unlike other tourist locations in the world, they do not go out of their way to accommodate tourists. It's refreshing in many ways that they share their home with visitors while not giving over to the commercialized overhaul of foreign touristic colonialism.
As others mention, the hotel is set on a hill on the opposite side of the street from the beach. This requires a walk down the hill, along the road, and across the street to the beach. The trade off is incredible views from up high. And the beach is stunning. One day there was a group on the beach, but every other day there were no more than 5 or 6 other people on the whole beach. Bring your own drinks for sunset and either a headlamp or your phone flashlight for the walk back.
The good thing about the location is also that just a mile or two down the road are several restaurants. None are fancy. But the fish is good.
Last, we used the gym one. It has some aging treadmills and cardio equipment plus free weights, nice to have.
Yes, for a middle of the road hotel it is very expensive for the service and quality, it doesn't have all the extras, and yes there were tiny flies on the soap dish, but when you compare it to the Four Seasons or Kempinski price or the questionable apartments, we found it to be a good fit.
