Jade Mountain St. Lucia
Jade Mountain St. Lucia is known as being one of the most mesmerising resorts in the Caribbean, and it really doesn’t take long to see why. The hotel oozes romance in it’s back-to-nature mountain-side setting, providing spectacular views over the Caribbean Sea to St Lucia’s famous Pitons. This isn’t the kind of hotel where you walk corridors of identical doors to find your room. On the contrary, this is the kind of hotel where your room comes with only three walls instead of four.
To refer to them as rooms is against policy at Jade Mountain St. Lucia. Instead you are shown to your sanctuary by your personal butler. The architecture at this point, looking from above at the zig zag of crossing bridge walkways leading to the sanctuaries, reminded me of scenes from Indiana Jones. A combination of rugged stone columns, cleverly positioned to create cascading waterfalls, with tropical green plants continuing the opulent landscape of dense forestry.
Rooms
Entering our sanctuary was breathtaking, it was an enormous and airy open-plan space. They are designed with ultimate privacy in mind, so expect a grand dining table and a sitting area ready to accommodate the whole extended family. The hotel is designed so that every room has the stunning Pitons view, while all are customised to be a little different. Most rooms come with private infinity pools, all of different sizes and tile colours, stretching out into the distance, maximising the stunning views that you have while in your private swimming pool.
A stay at Jade Mountain St. Lucia is all about enjoying the ultimate relaxation so they have avoided too much technology in the rooms - why would you want to watch TV when you can watch nature anyway? Wifi is available in rooms though, should you need to connect to the outside world. You are left with a small mobile phone by the butler service to connect you straight to your Major Domo for each and every wish that you might have during your stay.
The bathroom is also designed in an open concept, raised a few steps up in the room with just a short wall around it so that you can enjoy a bath or shower with a view of the Pitons.
The infinity pool though was definitely my favourite aspect of the room. Each pool is a little different and has an iridescent colour scheme, ours was a greenish-blue. Tiered steps into the pool make it an easy space to relax with the stunning view. Somehow you don’t hear anything from any of the other sanctuaries making for the ultimate retreat feel.
Waking up in the mornings in our three-walled sanctuary with the natural soundtrack of birds felt like we were completely immersed in our own private luxurious treehouse. Breakfast is served to your room with a wide range of options to choose from, they even created some delicious vegan pancakes that we could lazily enjoy as we started our day.
Restaurant
The Celestial Terrace roof deck bar is the perfect spot to enjoy the sunset with stunning 360-degree views. Lounge chairs are set up for it to be a laid-back area to relax with a cocktail, while cacti continue the tropical feel of the surroundings. You can choose to have a private meal on the rooftop if you are looking for an even more romantic experience. This is also the spot for morning yoga, a perfect way to welcome another day in paradise.
Meals are served at the Jade Mountain Club, an open air space at the top of the property, wrapped around its own infinity pool, with tables positioned to bask in views of the sea and pitons. The menu is full of fresh fruit and vegetables from the Anse Chastanet estate and its nearby organic farm. The results are fresh, creative and varied, and dishes can easily be altered if there is something that you have in mind. Make sure to finish off dinner with a selection of chocolates made in house at Jade Mountain using coconut milk making deliciously vegan friendly. The salted caramel was a particular stand out delight.
After tasting the delicious chocolates at dinner, I visited Peter in the Chocolate Lab the next day who taught me so much about what is such a staple food in my diet. From the moment I entered his kitchen, the smell swept me away. He explained the process from bean to bar, showing me how each stage works, before letting me taste some of his favourite flavours, including the cinnamon chocolate which was nothing short of delicious. The Chocolate Lab was once the office of architect owner Nick Troubetzkoy when he was designing his masterpiece, and it’s clear to see that it’s a space that continues to produce outstanding creations.
The only downside about a stay at Jade Mountain is the looming departure, and knowing that you have to tackle the unpaved, rocky and hilly road to get out. I don’t know if this road is used as a trick to contrast so heavily with the destination that it really takes your breath away when you arrive, but they really needn’t have bothered if this were the case, as whatever your arrival, you are guaranteed to be blown away by Jade Mountain from the second you arrive.
