St Lucia Destination Guide

We flew Business Class from Gatwick with BA and of course having a lay down bed for the eight hour journey and the in-flight entertainment make it a really enjoyable trip. You can choose your meals from the a la carte menu plus alcohol and soft drinks.

We stayed in three hotels to see varying standards and each of them were fantastic in their own right.

BodyHoliday Resort: There cannot be too many hotels in the world that achieve what this hotel does. They have exercise classes running 11 hours a day and spa treatments as and when you want. It is an amazing concept, they have weight management programmes and early morning walks. You can pre-plan all your classes and treatments months in advance so you can plan your stay. You can choose to either join in or just relax as you would do on a normal holiday.

The hotel is located in the very tip of the North of the Island in Castries which is approximately 1.5 hours by road from the airport, which is located in the south.

I stayed in a Luxury Ocean View room and you can hear the waves crashing from your veranda. Very relaxing! You have an iPad at your disposal, tea and coffee facilities and the bed is tall and large and extremely comfortable. They have a great single traveller programme, such as communal tables for dining, and they have single rooms so single travellers don’t have to pay single supplements. In September they have a special week where they have added extras such as a sunset cruise, hosted dinners and a few more activities for single travellers. No under 12’s are allowed at the hotel.

Rendezvous (located in the north just down from the BodyHoliday resort) is an all-inclusive adult’s only couple’s hotel. It is very much geared towards couples in that there are no twin room options. The property is open fronted so there are no windows or doors in your view as you look towards the beach, it is completely open which gives you a lovely sense of space. This was quite a wow factor when you arrived. This is where the buffet meals are served plus where the evening entertainment takes place too.

There is an a la carte restaurant which is part of the all-inclusive too. It is wise to pre-book as it is a small intimate restaurant and the food is delicious and well presented.

The hotel has a secluded lazy river with some private couples’ sunbeds, plus the rooms are spacious and have all the mod-cons with docking stations, tea and coffee facilities and marbled bathrooms.

There is a spa at the hotel and a couple of swimming pools if you fancy a change from the beach. This hotel has a friendly laid back atmosphere and you are very warmly greeted.

The last hotel we stayed in was the Sugar Beach Resort, which can be found in the south west part of the island and closer to the international airport.

This was our last stop and I was lucky enough to stay in a Beachfront Bungalow. As the name suggests this was right on the beach and the Bungalows are stand-alone properties which are very private. They have their own private Jacuzzi, outside shower, pop up TV, hammocks and butler service. This is where many celebrities stay and I was in Bungalow 18, which was a little more private than others as there was some foliage slightly blocking the view to the sea.

Other beach front bungalows had a clear view to the sea so I would suggest requesting which level of privacy you want depending upon your personal preference.

You had the use of mobile phones to talk to your partner or the butler, an iPad and the furnishings were very contemporary, the room even included your own kitchenette plus an oval stand-alone bath.

You don’t have to go all-inclusive at this hotel, they offer B&B, however I would say that as you are a little isolated from visiting outside as it is such a sprawling property that all-inclusive is the best option when staying here.

The breakfasts at all properties were ample, had lots of choice, cooked or continental choices and egg stations. The Sugar Beach was the only property where it was cooked to order.

There is a sense of space in all areas and the view from the beach and the swimming pool was simply stunning with the Twin Pitons as the backdrop. You can climb one of the Piton’s with a guide for only $30 and this takes 4-5 hours if you can tear yourself away from the beach.

I have to say this property was of a standard I hadn’t experienced before, the staff somehow knew you by name, even ones you hadn’t met yet!

Some of the accommodation at the top of this resort was simply amazing, with infinity pools and views across the beach and the Pitons, it was a slice of paradise. The beaches were as you would expect from St Lucia, white powder sand, idyllic and beautiful.

I would recommend upgrading to a helicopter transfer for those hotels in the north of the island. The island is only 27 miles long but all the roads wind round and round and it takes quite a while to get there. Plus if you get travel sickness it can affect some people quite badly.

The hotels in St Lucia certainly live up to their high price tag, but I found the surrounding towns a little unkempt to be honest. If you want beautiful looking towns then Bermuda certainly has the wow factor, but staying in a hotel on St Lucia is certainly a cut above.

I would definitely recommend a visit to St Lucia for the charming hospitality, the food, beaches and of course the weather. You won’t be disappointed.