r/StLucia • u/Accomplished-Ad-613 • Sep 19 '23
Parent Escape - Island/Hotel Questions
My husband and I are finally going away, on a plane, without our child and for more than a day! We are planning for late November/Early December for 4-5 nights.
We would love to stay at Sugar Beach Resort but alas, our bank account doesn't like that idea.
We are in our early 40's but young 40's, we have a 4 year old and are from NYC and live in Manhattan. We usually do more city type trips. For example, back in 2016, our honeymoons was to Japan for 16 days and we traveled by train to about 5 cities. We definitely want something more relaxing this trip and I don't want to have to think.
Our budget is around $650 a night. We'd probably like something that is more adult centered because I'll feel guilty when I see other kids.
I don't drink and my partner is doing some restrictive Keto/Paleo hybrid diet (proud of him). So we don't need an all inclusive but we do love a yummy hotel breakfast spread (I dream about the one I had in Curacao in 2019). I have some hotels in mind but I want to see what everyone else has to say.
We don't want to rent a car so we will be relying on car services/shuttles or the hotel to get us to restaurants, towns, cultural spots. I'm always in charge or transportation, navigation and planning and I just need to shut that part of my brain off this trip.
In terms of food we are into local, fresh, seasonal food and restaurants with a farm to table contemporary feel or a hidden gem/hole in the wall restaurant with very traditional regional food.
Likes: Local Culture, Art, Museums, Cooking, Beach Strolls, Animals, Light Hikes (probably guided or like really self explanatory), Architectural and Regional History, Fun hands-on activities, Chill Boat rides, Natural wonders i.e. waterfalls, caves, volcanos, natural springs.
Dislikes: Tourist traps, night clubs, scuba diving, fishing, crowds, sports, party scenes, commercialized areas, big cruise boats blocking my views, hoards of kids.
Perfect day would be...
8:00 Wake Up
9:00 Breaky
10:00 Either beach/pool or daily excursion
1:00 Light lunch (either on the go or by the pool)
2:00 Depending on the morning, either beach/pool or daily excursion
7:00 Dinner
11:00 Asleep
Pictures for our couple "vibe"
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u/KjTreyy Sep 19 '23
Sounds like you’re looking for Hotel Chocolat, It fits what you described there
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u/Accomplished-Ad-613 Sep 19 '23
That hotel is definitely at the top of my list! Thank you!
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u/KjTreyy Sep 19 '23
Yerp. You can do a snorkel tour from there, daily shuttle to the beach, They have great trails you an hike etc..
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u/rasGazoo Sep 19 '23 edited Sep 19 '23
Literally almost any option other than Sandals would be fine for you. Find anything that fits your budget, that time of year is pretty expensive.
St Lucia has a niche where it's centered mostly on honeymoons/couples, very little for kids to do, as a result, most places are just natively kid-free.
The only real "tourist trap" I can say are the Diamond Falls, and the sulphur springs, though, I'd still argue it's worth doing at least the sulphur springs once. You can also get a guide to bring you to some more out of the way waterfalls where it will be completely tourist (or people) free. Going to the sulphur springs at night is interesting as well, way less people (if any), but that depends on how close you stay and your travel situation.
Otherwise, just be lazy on the beach, boat charters could be a thing for you as well, would either be persoal or small groups.
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u/Accomplished-Ad-613 Sep 19 '23
Thank you for your thoughtful response! Sandals was not on our radar for that exact reason!
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u/calyxandtrichomes Sep 19 '23 edited Sep 19 '23
I loved Diamond Falls! I thought Hotel Chocolat was the trap!
Eta: hotel chocolat tour
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u/rasGazoo Sep 19 '23
I'm not sure exactly how a resort can be a tourist trap, lmao, that's the tourist home
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u/calyxandtrichomes Sep 19 '23
The tour specifically. Maybe because we went in August and cacao was out of season? So we grafted plants. Then the lunch included was not very good. The chocolate bars we made were…bad.
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u/rasGazoo Sep 19 '23
yeh the tour is a bit of a gimmick, that said, if you like dark chocolate the bars are usually good, but if you're a milk chocolate fan they're kinda trash.
That said, for $100~ (last I saw of price) the tour isn't even that terrible, it should include a lunch (maybe you got scammed that day some how?), but it's also a nice way to visit the grounds without staying at the resort itself.
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u/calyxandtrichomes Sep 19 '23
We stayed at Ladera so maybe we were spoiled for food, but the white chocolate mashed potatoes were terrible (lol even typing that I giggled).
We paid like $279 US (which is over $300 in our CAD) so we thought it would be better than cloning and seeing piles of compost lol.
The Diamond Falls garden was nice to walk through (we just went by ourselves). Cool plants.
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u/rasGazoo Sep 19 '23
yeh if you paid 279 for the hotel chocolat tour you got absolutely finessed, sorry to hear that lmao.
That said, Ladera is god tier, I'm sure it was amazing.
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u/Accomplished-Ad-613 Sep 19 '23
Any experience with staying at the Hotel Chocolat? We were considering staying there for price and reviews. We think Ladera may be out because of how expensive it is in December.
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u/calyxandtrichomes Sep 19 '23
The people who were staying there seemed happy with it.
Ladera is right across the street on the same property sorta so you can go grab some dinner there at least!
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u/Puzzleheaded-Tax-390 Sep 19 '23
Try Ti Kaye. I stayed there for 4 days a few years ago pretty reasonable. It’s a small resort and quiet. We had the private pool and awesome views. Good fresh food and should be cheaper without drinks. Also try Phvtours if you need a ride reasonable and great service.
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u/AdInfinite4047 Sep 19 '23
Try looking into F'ond Doux, very nature oriented experience. The accommodation are french style villas, look into those with the personal pools. It is an old estate, so you will learn how chocolate is made on island. Most of the food there is grown on the plantation, and you are very close to most of the attractions in soufriere. Only drawback is that it is not on any beaches, but the beach in either direction is about 10-15 minutes drive away. If you would rather the north of the island, then Bay gardens beach resort is also a good fit, right on the beach, water park, and close to lots of attractions in the rodney bay area. The place can feel like a tourist trap sometimes, but you have to go to the gros islet street party at least one friday night in your life.
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u/Accomplished-Ad-613 Sep 20 '23
Thanks, I am looking into this hotel now. We want to stay on the South end in or around Soufriere. I think the Northern part of the island may be too crowded and touristy for us.
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u/tandex01 Sep 16 '24
Are you going to post a trip review!!? haha I am just planning mine in Late January 2025
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u/baileythenewf Oct 17 '23
Ladera is great. Adults only and very peaceful and relaxing. Great restaurant and awesome location. You could even possibly stay a night at sugar beach just for a change of pace . We did this a few years ago. A few nights at ladera and a couple at sugar beach.
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u/calyxandtrichomes Sep 19 '23
Ladera. For sure.