The Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel is Port Louis's only true five-star property, occupying a prominent position on the Caudan Waterfront complex where the city meets the harbour. Named after the 18th-century French governor Mahé de Labourdonnais who founded Port Louis, the hotel carries its history with understated elegance: the colonial architecture has been sympathetically restored, and the rooms combine modern amenities with the kind of quiet grandeur — high ceilings, hardwood floors, louvred shutters — that the city's best buildings originally had. The 105 rooms face either the harbour and the mountain or the Caudan shopping and restaurant complex below. The position makes Labourdonnais the natural choice for business travellers, transiting passengers, and curious guests who want to spend time in Port Louis rather than treating it as a day trip from a beach resort. The city's Central Market, the Blue Penny Museum, the Champs de Mars racecourse, and the best of Port Louis's restaurant scene are all within walking distance. The Château Mon Désir restaurant serves accomplished French-Mauritian cuisine. The rooftop pool with its view over the harbour is one of Port Louis's great pleasures. Labourdonnais is the starting point for any serious engagement with Mauritius as a place rather than just a resort.