The three-hour time-difference and an overnight flight means minimal jet lag too. No wonder everyone goes so crazy for it. LUX* Le Morne comes with a correspondingly loyal following: guests who return year after year to tap into its chilled out, kick-back vibe. The hotel happens to be on one of the best spots on the island, a UNESCO site. The Le Morne Peninsula is quiet and protected and its long swathe of icing-sugar-soft white sand is framed by the dramatic peak of Le Morne mountain. While there are masses of activities available, your daily routine can just involve mooching from four-poster bed to sun bed, watching kite surfers take advantage of the warm breeze. The joy for repeat visitors is that there are all sorts of surprises being added by the LUX* team, who entertain guests with delightful pop-up treats. Trays of unexpected canapés appear just as you're feeling peckish. And there's a wandering Aperitivo Bar, so you can help yourself to signature cocktails devised by the in-house mixologists.

If you are an early riser, the LUX* Belle Mare on Mauritius's East Coast is the perfect spot to see the sunrise. On your way to the beach pick up a double-shot almond flat white from the cute-as-pie Café LUX* (where the beans are roasted on site and the baristas don't blink at a complicated order). LUX* design guru Kelly Hoppen transformed the property a few years ago with her sleek styling and modern edge. It feels fresh and funky but, at the same time, authentic with a strong sense of place. Hoppen is continuing to strike that clever balance over at LUX* Grand Gaube, which flings open its new-look doors at the beginning of December. The style is ultra-stylish and contemporary - bleached woods, patterned tiles, pops of yellows and charcoal greys - and alongside the hotel bedrooms are three private villas, each complemented with its own swimming pool and one with its very own beach. Guests staying here will be tempted out by Turkish treats at Bodrum Blue or to the Peruvian-Argentinian INTI restaurant, which promises Latin American passion along with refined Asian flair and a bar that will have you up all night, with some seriously good Pisco Sours. Here's a hotel with a global groove.