Serenity at Coconut Bay

We normally travel to Mexico for anniversary trips (get the most for our dollar), but due to the political/safety climate, we ventured elsewhere. There was nothing drawing us to St. Lucia (or Serenity) other than pictures. It was a leap of faith, and boy did it pay off. First of all, this was during COVID season (Aug-2020), so we expected inconveniences and delays. But, other than some temperature before breakfast and dinner, they handled the regulations wonderfully. Having that said, it was a wonderful experience overall. The people are wonderful and within a day or two, you are on 'first name basis'. The food is really unbelievable. I actually asked the chef if his training was on the island of St. Lucia (which it was), because I really thought many of the dishes were comparable to the finest dining I've been at throughout the world. The suites (however they are more like 'homes') were very spacious and private at the same time. Most resort rooms, you walk into a hallway that eventually gets you to a beach/restaurant area. At Serenity, you exit your 'home' into a lighted outdoor path in a 'rain-forest experience' to walk to the restaurant/pool/grounds/etc. EVERY SINGLE PERSON is friendly with a simple hello, or sometimes a brief 'small talk'. The St Lucian culture is even better than the trained service of Disney. I would like to offer a short list of PROS and CONS: PROS: PEOPLE, FOOD (drinks) and Rooms: I won't belabor this, because I spoke enough about it above, but these are second to none. I would just like to add that the management was visible and engaged with each guest, which was very nice to see, and helped with the experience. MUSIC - there was live music every evening at dinner, and the quality was really good. Usually, you would have 'house bands', or lame DJ's. But, they brought in Professional Locals, and they did a beautiful mix of St. Lucian music and 'Popular hits'. THE ISLAND - The Island of St. Lucia is beautiful on it's own right. The green hills/mountains, the beaches, the volcano, the resorts embedded into perfect landscapes, are just a sliver of the wonder of this island. SNORKELING - I wish I snorkeled more, in general. So, it's tough for me to compare to other parts of the world. But, we decided to go snorkeling, and this was my favorite part of the trip. So many colors. So many fish. So many areas to explore. And, it was 'roped off', so there was no fear to drifting into 'danger areas'. AIRPORT - Though I don't recommend it, the airport is about a 5-10 min WALK away from Serenity. SURPRISES - I'm not going to ruin them for you with details, but the staff makes a point often multiple times a day to make your stay that much more enjoyable. CONS: Honestly, there were no cons (at least none that negatively affected our experience), but I know that many people want to know what to expect. So, please take these with a 'grain of salt'. I would definitely go there again!!! Butler Service - These guys are TOP OF THE LINE. However, many of the services, it is faster just to do it yourself. For instance, if I go to the restaurant, it'll be a 5 min walk, a 30-40 min experience, and a 5 mins walk back. If I order 'room service', I wait 45 mins for food to show up. Maybe I'm too spontaneous or too 'immediate gratification', but it was a service that we didn't use as much as it is advertised. But, other times, they were dynamite and working 'above and beyond the call of duty'. BEACH - The beach was nice (for pictures), but there is definitely a seaweed issue. Additionally, there is a constant breeze that is nice at first, but it ends up getting annoying and irritating your skin. They do offer cabanas and they are the perfect "wind" solution, but they charge per day (or 1/2 day). If you are picky on your beach experience, don't go here, but the resort experience MORE than made up for it. EXCURSIONS - They are awesome and well put together. Just the 'frugal' guy in me was not happy about all of the extra costs. When you pay a nice price for a resort, I would expect that some of our funds were going to an excursion or (outside the resort) experience. In full disclosure, this was known before the trip, but still not something I wanted to think about (or pay for) during the trip. BUGS - Mosquitoes are definitely a part of a rain forest experience. We didn't bring bug spray, but when we asked, the hotel provided bottles for free :-). They were annoying, but not to distracting from the trip. However, they certainly prevented some 'outdoor time' we were planning on having. COVID - It's really tough to be hard on any business trying to recover losses and get facilities up again. Hopefully when you book, COVID is looong past us. However, we paid the 'regular price', and many of the 'accommodations' were not available (due to COVID). The entire Coconut Bay resort was not open (only the Serenity portion), and we were looking forward to some experiences there. ONLY the water excursions were available outside the resort. There was a coconut bay 'family' staying on the Serenity (couples only) property (because the main resort was not open yet). They were nice and respectful. But it was definitely awkward having a family 'hanging out' with a bunch of couples. I understand 'cash is king', but I was a little disappointed that they didn't offer 'some' compensation.

Such an amazing experience to stay here and enjoy excellent service and quality food. The suite is really big and have your own pool, en suite experience is unbelievable. Entertainment was good, fireaters and music dance competitions was enjoyable. Couldn't ask for a better holiday this year!!

My Wife and I took our honeymoon here and it couldn't have been a better experience. With covid going on they took the extra steps to make you feel safe, and comfortable. The food was AMAZING, and a definite highlight of the resort. The staff was great, and took care of everything we needed with a smile on their face. I would highly recommend Serenity to anyone looking for a great Honeymoon destination.