Ladera Resort

I am itching to pack a bag and escape, even as I write and reminisce about my stay in August 2018. I am a St. Lucian national but not once was I treated differently. This was such a spectacular getaway. From the room, heated pool, view of the magnificent Piton and the FOOD. The staff were genuinely friendly and helpful. This is the perfect romantic getaway.. reconnect, rejuvenate, relax..

Ladera is OUTSANDING. Nestled atop a mountain overlooking the Caribbean Sea, the westward view framed by the Pitons is breathtaking! All rooms offer this view, differing only in room size and extra amenities like a heated rather than an unheated sitting pool. There is no bad room period. The rooms are open towards the sea, giving you a tree house in tropical forest feel (with a view!). The island is exceedingly lush. This means there is rain, which freaks out travelers during the rainy season. This is not a desert island like Aruba. Your iPhone will inform you of rain in the forecast every day in the rainy season. We went in November, which falls into the rainy season. If your travel plans fall into the ???rainy??? season, do NOT worry! The rain, which at times is heavy, does not last and the temperature remains in the mid 80s. We spent time in our room enjoying the magical curtain of rain passing through and were not bothered at all. The sun comes back out quickly. The resort has an ample supply of large umbrellas. We had some work to do and loved remoting it in from our tree-house and enjoyed these occasional showers. Interestingly there were far less mosquitos than I expected. There is a steady breeze which I think helps. There is a mosquito net surrounding the king size bed which had an excellent mattress with conveniently placed reading lights and outlets near by for your devices. The room construction is robust with a post and beam design. You can regulate air flow with the shutters placed on the windows facing away from the sea, this in combination with the fans made us 100% comfortable. Ladera has an agreement with the Viceroy ($1500 per night with a butler) for beach access. We considered staying there but decided to trade the beach for the spectacular view atop the mountain at less than half the price. There is a free shuttle that runs down to the beach twice a day. It is close but really too steep/far to walk. The hotel has an excellent pool with sea views. You can rent a boat and snorkel about and then retreat to your tree-house. The staff is fantastic. They know your name and are friendly but not overbearing. I went for a massage most days. The price is reasonable and the staff skilled. Most of the people staying at Ladera went on day trips to the island attractions. There are many options to choose from. We rather stayed at the hotel basking in the views reading, taking dips in the sitting pool (with a jet) and watching the occasional storms come through, spraying us with a comforting mist from time to time-magic. Breakfast is included and is excellent. The chef is ambitious and the menu has many excellent choices. We talked to the chef and he cooked something special for us upon request (needs advance notice). There is a place right across from Ladera where they serve terrific lunch on certain days (based on tours coming through). I suggest eating lunch there every day when open and then doing dinner at Ladera. We also went into town for dinner a couple of nights (~$20 taxi ride) which was excellent (weekend restaurant service is limited, especially on Sundays!) The sulfa springs are pretty much right across from the resort. Bring an old bathing suit and soak it up. Overall I would describe Ladera as an open eco luxury destination. It offers a unique experience that you will not forget. IF you need to be directly on the beach this is not your spot, but I would never trade the view and the feel of Ladera for beach-front. Give me the majestic view of the sea and the Pitons. I cannot recommend this resort highly enough. We are going back for SURE, most likely in November again to tank up for the holiday season, it was perfection. You will LOVE this resort.

If you know that the hotel has open-air suites and you are looking to feel part of nature while on St Lucia, then you will love this hotel. If you are looking for four walls then I recommend looking elsewhere. Our room was lovely with the local woodwork, a larger swimming pool, great views of the pitons (and sunsets) and total privacy. We stayed in the Heritage Suite, so it was also super close to the restaurant. The staff is super accommodating. I got sick in Barbados and they hunted down what I needed to get well fast. They also made special food for me. Super sweet and so helpful. The restaurant is wonderful. My husband was obsessed with the spicy lobster (no work involved- it???s loose in the shell and broken up into bites). I loved the salads, veggie burger, and mushroom pizza. Great wine list, too. The servers will accommodate special requests/dietary needs whenever possible (I???m a picky vegetarian). There???s a path from the end of the property that I recommend checking out. It???s super short and leads up to a nice view of Petite Piton. The spa was just ok. I had a fabulous massage (I think the masseuse???s name was Lindsey) but my husband said his masseuse seemed to not have had any training. So basically hit or miss. Also important to note - the views of the pitons from the restaurant and pool area are gorgeous!! Lastly, they have a shuttle going down to Sugar Beach. It???s worth getting chairs ($50/pp). The restaurants there are good. After visiting we were happy that we stayed at Ladera - the views are not the same and you can hang on the beach anywhere in the world.