Frommer's Review
One of the few places that merits the cliché "tropical paradise," this is not only St. Lucia's premier dive resort, but also an exceptional Caribbean inn. It offers warm service, excellent food, a beach location, and first-class facilities. It lies 29km (18 miles) north of Hewanorra International Airport (a 50-min. taxi ride), 3km (2 miles) north of Soufrière on a forested hill, and a 103-step climb above palm-fringed Anse Chastanet Beach. The main building -- surrounded by coffee trees, mangos, papayas, banana plants, breadfruit, grapefruit, coconut palms, and hibiscus -- is decorated in a typical island style, with a relaxing bar and dining room. Guests can book first-rate spa treatments at the on-site Kai Belte Spa.
Guests can stay on the beach in spacious accommodations styled like West Indian plantation villas. Other units, constructed like octagonal gazebos and cooled by ceiling fans, have views of the Pitons. The large rooms are comfortably appointed with locally made furniture crafted from island woods. They have tropical hardwood floors, wooden jalousie louvers, king-size beds, and roomy private bathrooms with shower stalls and dual sinks. The cluster of suites has its own concierge desk and a communication room with phones and computers. A freshwater pool is found on the resort's 18th-century French Colonial plantation, along the Jungle Biking trail. Late in 2005, the resort opened two dozen exclusive "infinity suites." These form a "resort within a resort," with their own reception area, concierge services, and the Jade Mountain Club restaurant. Located at the highest point on Anse Chastanet Hill, every suite has a personal "infinity pool." Rooms have only three walls to allow for an unobstructed view of the Pitons and the Caribbean.
You can dine or drink on a wind-cooled terrace, built like a tree house over the tropical landscape, in the Pitons Bar and Restaurant. Even if you're not a guest of the hotel, consider stopping at the beachside restaurant, Trou au Diable, which offers West Indian cuisine and a grill, plus a twice-weekly Creole dinner buffet. The resort's excellent staff has few equals in the Caribbean.
Facilities:
2 restaurants; 2 bars; outdoor pool; tennis court; gym; spa; dive shop; kayaks; sailboat rentals; snorkeling; windsurfing; bikes; airport transfers; laundry service; nonsmoking rooms
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
