Zoëtry Marigot Bay St. Lucia

Zoëtry Marigot Bay, St. Lucia is located on a stunning harbour, the waterfront restaurant here is known as 'Hurricane Hole' due to its natural protection from the elements. Glittering yachts line the marina with a steep backdrop of dense lush jungle. We explored the island on horseback and snorkelled in azure seas next to the famous Piton Mountain Twin Peaks.

This impressive hotel is built into a steep hill on Marigot marina. There are several lovely pool areas spread over the resort, plus there is a swim up bar. It is all-inclusive, and has no buffets at all, everything is à la carte - including room service.

Yoga at the hotel was superb, and several times per week in the morning for guests, under a pagoda in the open air. We also took a guided walk provided by the hotel, to a nearby lookout point with a knowledgeable guide telling us about the local flora and fauna. Boat trips from here are easy, as boats can dock at the hotel’s private jetty to collect. We went on a catamaran afternoon to view the Piton mountains with snorkelling and lunch and would highly recommend. We were even joined by a pod of playful dolphins who raced the boat and played in the bow waves, which was magical. The concierge at the hotel can organise boat trips plus a range of activities like zip lining or horse riding too.

The hotel is set on a marina, so there’s no official beach area. The harbour is beautiful, a green and lush cove surrounded by dense trees and plants. The hotel provides a water taxi to take guests from one side of the marina to a small beach on the other side of the bay. There are plans to open a beach bar with hotel sunbeds on this strip of beach in the future. Café Coco on the marina has delicious fresh pastries/cakes cooked on site and coffees/teas all day, a real highlight. Residence rooms are massive, with a large kitchen/lounge area separate from the bedroom. Some rooms have private plunge pools on the balcony. There’s the possibility to book two or three-bedroom suites here, so it’s ideal for larger families or groups. The ‘mini bar’ in the Residence rooms is in fact a full-size fridge, stocked with drinks and snacks, and there is a decent coffee maker in the room for morning coffees. There was lively evening entertainment like karaoke, but this didn’t pollute the resort with noise. An exclusive little rum cave bar offers private dining and rum tasting. You can check in/out whenever you want, so we kept our rooms until we left, which was a real bonus.

We also went to St. James’s Club hotel and were shown architect’s plans and a prototype room for the renovation into a brand-new adult only Secrets Saint Lucia resort, due to be open by the end of the year 2023, and it looks incredible. They plan to upgrade all rooms, renovating all public areas and restaurants and adding a helipad, so clients can helicopter transfer to the resort. Located on a superb beach, with a pier going out into the crystal-clear water, this promises to be a really special resort once it’s had a Secrets makeover, ideal for weddings and honeymoons.