Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island has been ranked No. 14 among Condé Nast Traveler’s Top 20 Resorts in the Indian Ocean in the 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards. It is the resort’s second consecutive year of recognition in the traveller-voted programme, adding another independent signal to the island’s position in the high-end Indian Ocean resort market.
The award follows two other recent distinctions: one Michelin Key in the 2026 Michelin Guide hotel selection and a place among the top three finalists for Best Wellness Journey of the Year at the SpaChina Wellness & Spa Awards. Together, those honours cover guest experience, independent hotel assessment and wellness rather than concentrating on a single part of the property.
What changes for the guest
Desroches is not a conventional resort island where guests move between several hotels, restaurants and towns. Four Seasons occupies a remote setting with fourteen kilometres of beaches, which means the quality of the resort’s own accommodation, activities, dining and service has a greater effect on the stay than it would in a destination with dozens of alternatives outside the gate.
That makes consistency particularly important. Travellers may spend days moving between beach, bicycles, watersports, spa time and meals without leaving the island, so recognition based on guest voting can be useful when judging whether the overall experience remains satisfying after the first impression of remoteness and scenery has faded.
The experience is built around place
Desroches lies about thirty-five minutes from Mahé and combines long empty beaches with clear water, giant tortoises, surfing, stargazing and seasonal turtle activity. The resort’s Tortoise Sanctuary gives guests access to Aldabra giant tortoises, while the surrounding marine environment supports swimming, snorkelling and other ocean-focused days.
The return of hawksbill nesting season adds another layer from October through March, when conservation teams monitor beaches and guests can learn about nesting behaviour and protection work. That programme makes wildlife part of the island experience without turning it into a guaranteed spectacle scheduled for visitor convenience.
Why it fits the LYG lifestyle brief
For Luxury Yacht Guide readers, Desroches is a natural crossover between island resort travel and life on the water. The setting offers the privacy and sea access that appeal to yacht owners while providing the land-based comforts of restaurants, spa facilities, villas and organised activities when guests want a break from cruising or a more spacious base for family members.
The island can also work before or after a yacht itinerary elsewhere in the Seychelles. Private travellers can use Mahé as the aviation gateway, then transfer to Desroches for a quieter stay where the pace is set by beaches and outdoor activity rather than by a marina, town centre or formal sightseeing schedule.
What to know before booking
Guests should choose Desroches because they actively want remoteness rather than because an award places it high on a list. Fourteen kilometres of beach and limited outside infrastructure create privacy, but they also mean dining, entertainment and day-to-day variety depend heavily on the resort itself and on how comfortable travellers are with an island rhythm.
The strongest stay is likely to balance unstructured beach time with a few specific experiences such as tortoise encounters, marine conservation, surfing or stargazing. The resort’s repeat Readers’ Choice recognition, Michelin Key and wellness acknowledgement suggest that several parts of that proposition are working together, but the real value remains the unusual ability to slow down in a genuinely marine setting.
