HELP - HoneyMoon in St. Lucia - Where to stay?

[s15driftking]

Well, Brothers and Sisters,

I am getting married at the end on June and it has been VERY tough trying to decide between St. Lucia and BVI but we have both reached a decision to go with St. Lucia (to make her happy).


We want a place that is all inclusive (food, drinks, etc). Our Plane tickets are being gifted to us so I don't need a package that includes air. I would prefer a place that has little or no kids and a room that views the ocean. Privacy is nice.... BUT, as much as i want a quiet and intimate setting, i also want to drink/dance and have fun at night at the resort.

Let me know where you have been, or where you have heard great things about in St. Lucia.


We are currently considering.....

1. Sandals Regency La Toc
2. Rendezvous
3. Body Holiday at LeSPORT


Any info would be good!!

[mrreindeer]

DUDE......1 sec....btw, St. Lucia is AWESOME.....

[MTB996]

Sandals. They really know how to cater to honeymooners.

Congrats.

[mrreindeer]

Okay....read this; I wrote it in September '03 on the Sandals Grand...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147344-d263015-r1276825-Sandals_Grande_St_Lucian_Spa_Beach_Resort-Gros_Islet_St_Lucia.html

brb & CONGRATULATIONS brother!

[Darrell]

Okay....read this; I wrote it in September '03 on the Sandals Grand...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147344-d263015-r1276825-Sandals_Grande_St_Lucian_Spa_Beach_Resort-Gros_Islet_St_Lucia.html

brb & CONGRATULATIONS brother!

Were you wearing an over the shoulder banana hammock or is that Mrs. Reindeer and Borat? :r

[mrreindeer]

Without re-reading that myself....here's what I can summarize for 'ya.

St. Lucia is awesome and I think you made the right choice. We chose St. Lucia in '03 as our first Caribbean destination, having never explored that part of the world before and we chose it because it seemed like the most lush, tropical, 'paradisey' of all the islands.

And I love Kauai so it seemed like something similar but more exotic/different.

Two years back, we visited St. John (USVI) and took a day dive trip hitting parts of the BVI. From what we heard from folks who have been to the BVI, the USVI are much better, although the BVI have some spots that are definitely worth hitting, like this one we LOVED: http://www.williamthornton.com/ . St. John is AWESOME btw.

St. Lucia was just what the doctor ordered & you'll find out that we actually had our stay on the island split between Sandals & Anse Chastenet: http://www.ansechastanet.com/ and liked Sandals so much that we ended up canceling our reservation at Anse Chastanet.

Now, I kinda would have liked checking out Anse Chastanet but Sandals was great. We have friends who are getting married in Aruba in June and actually planning on staying at Anse Chastanet for their honeymoon. The place is one of the most romantic boutique hotels in the world, according to Travel & Leisure magazine or something like that. And I think they do offer an all-inclusive package, I'm not sure. The place seems amazing but there are some drawbacks...while only three walls seems cool with the incredible view dropping out before you where the 4th wall would be, I've heard the bugs (and noise from the treefrogs & such) can be a little overbearing at times. Depends on how tough yer girl is.... :D

You certainly won't be disappointed with St. Lucia, that's for sure.

The Sandals Grand was great and you could visit the other 2 Sandals properties on the island to eat or hang out. At the time, the Grand was the newest.

Leading up to booking Sandals, we had heard good things & bad things....and only knew folks personally who had been to Sandals in Jamaica and loved it. So we pulled the trigger and ended up really enjoying ourselves. As we told our friends who are honeymooning on the island in June, it's no Ritz Carlton but it's perfectly nice, comfortable, clean and a ton of fun, with great food & drinks (while I read some reviews about the food not being good....we were really quite pleased).

What else can I tell 'ya?

[mrreindeer]

Were you wearing an over the shoulder banana hammock or is that Mrs. Reindeer and Borat? :r

That is a ME! - HIGH FIVE!

[s15driftking]

thanks for the review David!

MY only concern with Sandals is that some people who are frequent Sandal-goers say that the quality has gone down in the last 5 years....

Any insight on that?

[mrreindeer]

1. Sandals Regency La Toc
2. Rendezvous
3. Body Holiday at LeSPORT




Regarding drinking & partying...Sandals is definitely a good atmosphere and the all-inclusive thing is nice so you don't have to worry about paying for anything...we often hung out at the pool bar (you sit inside the pool) and met tons of folks and had dinners (either alone or with other couples - and yes, it's a no-kids resort) & then hit the club which wasn't a raging place but fun all the same.

I wonder if the Sandals Grand is the same as the Sandals Regency...

I think I remember researching Rendezvous & I definitely researched LeSPORT which was close to the Grand, where we stayed....we actually saw it from the water on a dive trip, just around the bend from our hotel.

We had heard good things of LeSPORT...it's definitely more health-oriented...I don't know how much party...I just don't know.

We ended up just trying Sandals because of the reviews & our friends' good experiences in Jamaica.

[mrreindeer]

thanks for the review David!

MY only concern with Sandals is that some people who are frequent Sandal-goers say that the quality has gone down in the last 5 years....

Any insight on that?

Hmm....that's too bad if it's true....are these folks repeat visitors? I love tripadvisor a lot so definitely do some more investigating there...see if these folks have been there before or not and if they're comparing it to hotels like the Ritz or something....

You do have to be careful of how some reviewers are just out there to sh!t all over a perfectly good place. Read some more of their reviews (of other hotels, maybe even some that you've visited) and see if they're off their rocker or not. You'll get a pretty good feel of the type of person they are; that's why I talked about who mrsreindeer & I were as an intro to the review...you've got to know where we're coming from, 'ya know?

Have you looked into Anse Chastanet?

[Darrell]

The most important question is, does St. Lucia have an LCDH? :D

[s15driftking]

david, i have looked at Anse Chastanet... i believe it is a bit out of our pricerange, it looked like it was going to be 6k per couple for 7 nights.

Darrell: (what??) is it kind of like "authorized dealer" of CCs?

[mrreindeer]

Oof....that is a bit pricey....just a bit. :hn We're in a global recession....you should try offering $1k.

Did you check out that Wille T joint in the BVI? Such a great, fun spot; make sure you check out the pictures section: http://www.williamthornton.com/ Hmm....I guess they took out the naughty ones.

mrsreindeer & I want to get a few couples together one day & rent out a sailboat for a few days & hit up spots like that.

They used to give free shirts to gals who would jump off the top of the Willie T topless...then they were giving out too many shirts so they upped the ante and made it 'nude jumping' and then somebody hurt themselves and they've restricted the jumping but the nudity persists.....

[s15driftking]

is Willie T mainly a couples spot? we deff. want something more "adult oriented"

I will get a sailboat with you some day, that sounds awesome!

[ucla695]

(what??) is it kind of like "authorized dealer" of CCs?

PM sent

[s15driftking]

thanks UCLA!!

[mrreindeer]

I will get a sailboat with you some day, that sounds awesome!

Done & done.

is Willie T mainly a couples spot? we deff. want something more "adult oriented"

Sorry Bob, I wasn't clear....it's just a floating bar/restaurant in the middle of a bay of a mostly deserted island in the BVI. You pull up your boat to the side (or swim from shore) and get loaded....and the girls get neked. No joke, we saw the bar's pictures in their photo album which they keep behind the bar.

When we were there (during a day dive trip), we sat next to a fellow who told us that just the week prior, he witnessed an older couple eating lunch at the bar. Directly to their left, a gal was naked, outstretched on the bar, pouring shots down her front and two different fellows 'collected' what was left at her crotch. So the story goes.

[Redbaron]

Went to St Lucia for honeymoon in 2007.

Stayed in Ti Kaye Village.
http://www.tikaye.com/

If you want the following:
No Kids
No TV,Cell Phone, Internet
No Drunk college kids
No Club "insert name"
but want..
Private beach
Awesome food
Quiet Atmosphere
Incredible staff

Then Ti Kaye is the place. We rented a Ocean front cottage. Got massages daily, relaxed on quiet beach, snorkled. I brought my own cigars, and smoked heavily. Every night we ate at the fantastic resturant there, had desert/drinks/smokes listening to steel drum band, then went back and hung at the cottage, and ended up falling asleep to the sound of the ocean.

I am not a fan of spring break style get-a-ways. After the wedding, all we wanted to do was relax in a beautiful island setting, thats exactly what we got. No people asking you to buy stuff on beach, no over priced rum concoctions, nothing americanized.

[mrreindeer]

Nice looking spot Redbaron! I've never heard of it!

[s15driftking]

Nice spot Redbaron. very nice. I do however want to drink and dance at night as well.


I'm actually leaning more towards Sandals now because they have that gofl course that is included... more over, they sell cigars at the gift shops in the resort....

But they may be fake... So, do you know of any local good/legit Cigar shops you could rec? I read on the St. Lucia forums that there was a good one down by shipping yard in castries.... i know it's a long shot, but any insight? or insight on others?

[mrreindeer]

I didn't smoke cigars at the time so I don't know about Sandals' selection or availability of CC's on the island. I mean, REAL CC's.... I've learned from here to be VERY wary of cigars in the islands that claim to be CC.

[s15driftking]

Well, i'll jsut smoke NC's.... you think they have Gurkhas at Sandals? LOLOLOL

I think we have it narrowed down to Rendezvous or Sandals La Toc.

Unless anyone else can shout out some goodn's!!

[Darrell]

Well, i'll jsut smoke NC's.... you think they have Gurkhas at Sandals? LOLOLOL

If they do, stay somewhere else. ;)

[Don Fernando]

where to stay at St. Lucia? Well, far far away from Amy Winehouse I guess :)

[mrreindeer]

where to stay at St. Lucia? Well, far far away from Amy Winehouse I guess :)

No doubt!!! (good call!)

[Don Fernando]

Here's (http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article2060517.ece) why. NSFW! Better make that "Not suitable for human eyes".

[mrreindeer]

Yeah, NOT pretty.......

[s15driftking]

booked our flights last night. We are most likely going to sandals....

Now, time to locate some Cigar shops... anyone?

[ucla695]

Ahhhhhh! Why did I click on that link? :bh

where to stay at St. Lucia? Well, far far away from Amy Winehouse I guess :)

:r KROQ, one of the local L.A. radio stations, has been calling all of the hotels trying to find her. :r

[mrreindeer]

:r KROQ, one of the local L.A. radio stations, has been calling all of the hotels trying to find her. :r

Ooof....I guess I'm gonna have to go back to KROQ after Indie blew up... :bh :bh

[ucla695]

Ooof....I guess I'm gonna have to go back to KROQ after Indie blew up... :bh :bh

That killed me too. It's painful to listen to the radio these days. I need satellite radio. Hmmm....good reason to get a new car. :r

[Mark C]

Sorry I didn't see this yesterday, but I was on travel for work. My wife and I honeymooned in St Lucia in '04, my sister was there for her honeymoon in '08. We both stayed here: http://www.windjammer-landing.com/

We took the all-inclusive package, but I wouldn't do it again. To come out ahead, you have to eat 3 meals/day at the resort, and drink a lot. We didn't always feel like waking up for breakfast, couldn't go out to eat in the town, and the sun was screwing with my wife so she didn't drink much... we lost money on that deal.

But that was the only downside. The resort had a lot of families from England, when both we and my sister were there, but not a LOT of kids running around, and the ones that were there weren't a bother in any way. There were also LOTS of newlyweds, and retirees. The restaurants were good, the villa we stayed at had an awesome ocean view, private balcony, kitchen, etc. We also bought a romance package, came with a bottle of champagne and fruit at check-in, a couples massage, a sunset cruise on their Catamaran (free rum punch!), a candle lit dinner cooked in our villa, complete with our own personal waiter and chef, and two t-shirts :) We also signed up for the timeshare sales pitch and scored an all-day island excursion, which included another catamarran sail, and a roadtrip through the cold waterfall (there's a hot waterfall somewhere on the island), active volcano, and chocolate plantation. We ended up making friends with an older couple, we first saw at the airport. I was wearing a Hokie t-shirt, the old guy was wearing a Hokie hat. We accidentally ran into each other a few times through the week and by the end he was offered me two free tickets to a VT football game, very good seats too. My sister went horseback riding on the beach and found a zipline through the jungle, and my neighbors (also were there in '04) did a rain forest jeep tour. My wife and I are beach bums, so we sat in the sun, played in the water, and enjoyed the quiet most of the time. We spent the evenings back in the room ;) so I can't comment much about the bar scene, but it sounded like a good time, live bands and dancing on most nights, etc. My one regret is not visiting the rum distillery on the island, they make some good stuff, pick up a bottle of Admiral Rodney in one of the duty free shops. The bottle from '08 is much better than my '04, they must be improving. We also missed snorkeling. We put it off until the end of the week, and some offshore storms apparently had disturbed the water enough that visibility sucked.

And one of my favorite parts about the resort, the beachside grill catch of the day. Wherever you end up staying, if they have fresh marlin as the catch of the day, order 7 of them. If it's half as good as the one I had (twice), you'll still want more.

I can't speak to cigars though, I hadn't discovered that hobby until a few years after the honeymoon. I don't remember seeing any shops, but I wasn't looking for them either.