We booked Story Seychelles for the second half of our honeymoon, hoping for a week of sun, sand, and luxury. In the end, we couldn’t check all three of those off our list.
We had spent the first half of our honeymoon on safari in Kenya, so our location in the Seychelles was key. We wanted somewhere that didn’t require hours of overland (or over-sea) travel once we touched down in the Seychelles, since we’d already had to travel so far from the safari camp.
Set on Beau Vallon Beach, just a 20-minute drive from Mahe Island Airport, Story Seychelles seemed to fit the bill.
The photos promised Jurassic Park-style views, a range of dining choices and a beachfront postcode.
Since it was our honeymoon, we splurged on a beachfront villa with a private pool for that extra little dose of luxury. Full disclaimer: We paid full price for our room, and this review is not sponsored or paid for by the hotel in any way.
So, was Story Seychelles worth it? If I had to answer in one word, I’d say yes, but there are definitely some things to know before you go.
In this honest review, I’ll go into detail about the location, room types, food, service and food at Story Seychelles, with a few important things to be aware of before you book.
Location
8/10
Story Seychelles is set on Beau Vallon Beach, one of Mahe Island’s biggest and most well-known beaches.
Mahe Island is the main island you fly into when arriving in the Seychelles, so it tends to be a little bit more built-up and touristy than some of the other Seychelles islands, which are harder to get to.
Since we already had so much travelling to do as part of our safari and Seychelles honeymoon, we decided to stay on Mahe Island and do day trips to some of the other islands.
In terms of convenience, Story Seychelles has the perfect location, just 20 minutes by car from the airport and not far from the pier where many of the boat trips depart from.
Beau Vallon Beach is a huge half-moon stretch of sand with resorts dotted shoulder-to-shoulder along its shoreline. Therefore, it might not be the best location if you’re coming to the Seychelles for desert-island style seclusion.
If that’s what you’re looking for, I recommend JA Enchanted Island Resort instead. That hotel is located on its own island, a short speedboat ride from Mahe.
Beau Vallon is a beautiful beach, but all beaches in the Seychelles are public, which means there’s no part of the beach that’s reserved solely for hotel guests. Just something to be aware of!
Things to do Nearby
Since there are so many resorts, bars and restaurants nearby, the beach can get busy. However, this also means the nearby bars have a great atmosphere, and there’s plenty to see and do in the area in case you prefer to stay active on holiday.
We loved walking up the beach to a little bar called Beach Shaq for sunset cocktails. We also went on a hike right from the hotel to Anse Major, which really does feel like a castaway beach.
You can easily catch the bus to the island capital, Victoria, where there’s a historic clock, tranquil botanical gardens and a bustling market to discover.
All in all, I would give the location an 8 out of 10. I deducted two points because the location sacrifices a pristine beach in favour of a lively atmosphere and convenience for getting around the rest of the island.
Room Types and Amenities
9/10
All of the rooms at Story Seychelles are suites or villas. We stayed in a Beach Pool Villa, which was right on the beachfront with its own private pool.
Honestly, one of my favourite things about Story Seychelles was this room. We had beach villa 007, which meant everything we ordered in the hotel came with a James Bond joke on the side.
The bathroom was almost as big as the room itself and featured a huge bathtub, which I loved using during stormy mornings (of which we had a lot!). There was also a separate bathroom terrace with an outdoor shower, which my husband liked using.
The private pool felt like such a luxury, and the terrace had two sets of loungers so you could always catch the sun or shade. I’d definitely book this room category again if I came back.
The only downside was that there was a generator box placed directly in front of our room, which slightly obstructed our view of the beach. I noticed only one or two of the beach villas had this, so I think we were a bit unlucky here.
Perhaps you could request a room with unobstructed beach views to avoid this when you book. I recommend number 006 or 008, since our neighbours did not seem to have this issue!
Every room at Story Seychelles comes with all the amenities you’d expect from a luxury hotel, including plush toiletries, complimentary water, air conditioning, a hairdryer and ironing board, tea and coffee-making facilities, a mini bar and 24-hour room service.
Here’s a brief overview of the different room categories:
Junior Suite with Balcony: This is the most ‘basic’ room at the hotel, although it doesn’t feel basic at all, with a freestanding bath and separate shower, plenty of storage, and a balcony with garden views.
Junior Suite with Garden Terrace: With an identical room layout to the above junior suite, this is on the ground level, offering more outdoor space, including two sun loungers encased in tropical greenery.
Family Suite: The family suite is essentially two Junior Suites with Balconies connected together, with one room with a king bed and another with twins, both with their own bathroom.
Beach Pool Villa: Perfect for a romantic and luxurious experience, the beach pool villa is right on the beach with a huge bathroom and two terraces, one with a private pool and sea views.
Grand Beach Pool Villa: An even larger and more luxurious villa on the beach, with a pool you could swim lengths in, and multiple indoor and outdoor lounge areas.
Family Villa: This room connects a beach pool villa with a grand beach pool villa for an incredible two-bedroom suite with two pools and two enormous bathrooms.
The Food at Story Seychelles
10/10
Hands down, the very best thing about Story Seychelles was the food. We booked all-inclusive for our stay because we just wanted to relax, and, wow, I was so glad that we did.
This is not your typical ‘all-inclusive’ where you’re chained to the hotel buffet and get one below-average a la carte option thrown in. You have free rein to sample the range of restaurants on offer, all of which were of an incredibly high standard.
Breakfast was generally at Vasco’s, the main buffet restaurant (with some cooked-to-order options, too).
We typically had lunch at the pool bar Ripples, which offered all fresh-to-order favourites like pasta, salads, sandwiches, burgers and local seafood.
You could also have lunch in the lobby bar and dining area, which was a little quieter.
For dinner, there were four options, although you could also pay extra for a private dining experience on the beach.
Trader Vic’s: Huge portions at this French Polynesian-themed restaurant, plus an incredible menu of cocktails. It doesn’t feel like a hotel restaurant at all, since it’s accessible from the road and is open to the public. Live music always created a fun vibe in here, and the BBQ spare ribs were absolutely to die for!
Eden: A fine dining venue right on the beach, where you could eat gourmet fresh fish to the sound of the crashing waves. An intimate setting for a romantic meal,
Seyshima: You get a dining credit to eat at Seyshima as part of the all-inclusive, but if you love Japanese, it’s definitely worth paying a little extra for! Housed in a thatched-roof pagoda overlooking the tranquil garden lake, you can enjoy a full sushi menu, plus show cooking, ramen and a la carte options.
Vasco’s: The main buffet restaurant, great for when you just want a quick, easy dinner without sacrificing good quality, fresh local food.
In terms of drinks, the list of cocktails was endless, and you could also order international wines, local beer and spirits as part of the all-inclusive package.
All in all, this was 100% the best food and beverage package I’ve ever experienced at an all-inclusive, and I’d return for the food alone.
You also don’t have to go all-inclusive if you don’t want to; there are flexible options from bed and breakfast to half-board and full-board, which include dining credits at most of the above venues.
Facilities at Story Seychelles
7/10
The main pool at Story Seychelles is huge, and there are plenty of beds, so you never have to wait for one. It has a really scenic setting with the beach in front and a rugged mountain behind.
The hotel also has a gym, which we used once. It was fine for a hotel gym, but maybe the equipment could do with updating. It also got very hot in there, even with the AC on.
There’s a spa where you can have treatments like massages and facials. It looked beautiful, but we never got around to booking a treatment, so I can’t vouch for the quality of the service there.
In terms of activities, there was kayaking, snorkelling, and beach volleyball, and the hotel organised some guided snorkelling tours of the beach, which were a nice touch!
There are limited sunbeds on the beach itself, so most days we sat by the pool. This is perhaps one area that could be improved on.
The Service at Story Seychelles
7/10
The service at Story Seychelles could be a bit hit-and-miss.
We found the service in the bars and restaurants was generally very good, but reception could be slow, and sometimes, if you ordered something to the room, you had to call again to check up on it.
Food came out very quickly in all the restaurants, but sometimes you’d be waiting a while if you ordered a drink when sitting around the pool.
When you first arrive, there’s a long walkway and some stairs into the reception area of the hotel. I feel like maybe there should be an attendant here to help with bags and show you the way if required.
It’s not a huge hassle, but as we’d just arrived after a long day of travelling, having someone to help us here would have been handy.
Overall, I felt the service could have been a little better for a hotel of this standard and price point.
Despite this, I do think the food, room and facilities made up for a somewhat spotty service.
Things to Know
So now you’ve read the full Story Seychelles review, here are a few final things to know before you book:
I know it’s a tropical destination, and this is completely out of the hotel’s control, but it rained a LOT while we were in the Seychelles. This was a week in July, which is supposed to be the driest month of the year.
We made the best of it and enjoyed the glimpses of sun when we could, but it’s definitely something worth considering if you’re looking for uninterrupted sunshine! We may have just been unlucky here, so take this with a pinch of salt.
Other things to note:
- Story Seychelles is not adults only, so you might want to consider somewhere else if you’re looking for total peace and quiet.
- There are lots of good local restaurants and bars nearby if you fancy getting out of the hotel, and you can also shop in the local markets.
- There are boat trips available to visit nearby islands and see the giant tortoises; I recommend doing this as a day trip.
- Some of the beachfront villas have a generator in front, which spoils the view a bit – you may want to make a request when you book for one without.
- The beach has a colour-coded flag system to let you know when it’s safe to swim.
- This is a tropical island, so you should expect to see some wildlife. The birds show a particular interest in breakfast, and the gigantic fruit bats can be seen flying overhead at twilight. All part of the experience in our opinion!
Would I recommend Story Seychelles?
Since we went to Story Seychelles as part of our honeymoon, we had high expectations and spent a long time searching for the perfect hotel.
We hoped for a week of sand, sun and luxury — and while we didn’t quite get the sun we were hoping for, Story Seychelles certainly ticked the other two boxes, along with some additional boxes like incredible food and cocktails.
If you’re looking for a luxurious stay in a buzzy resort on Mahe Island, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Story Seychelles.
Alternatives on Mahe Island
However, if you came to the Seychelles for castaway-style seclusion, I’d recommend the following hotels instead:
JA Enchanted Island Resort Seychelles: If you don’t mind a little extra travelling, this resort is located on its own island, a short boat ride from Mahe. If you really want those barefoot luxury castaway vibes, this is the place for you.
Mango House Seychelles: This hotel has a gorgeous boutique vibe and is located on the other side of Mahe Island, in its own secluded bay. All suites have mind-blowing views of the shimmering Indian Ocean.
Bliss Boutique Hotel Seychelles: A sweet, Creole-inspired hotel on a much smaller beach, a short drive from Beau Vallon. More of a laid-back style, ideal if your budget is a little tighter!
Have more questions about staying at Story Seychelles or visiting Mahe Island? Let me know in the comments! I’ll spill the tea on everything you need to know.
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