The beautiful Caribbean island of St Lucia, a peaceful haven long beloved by Brits, has never sought to become a hotspot for the international rich, unlike the French billionaire-and-celebrity-magnet that is St Barts or neighbouring Mustique, frequented by Princess Margaret and, more recently, the Waleses. And that’s not to mention such nearby touristy islands such as Antigua, Barbados and Turks and Caicos.
St Lucia has extraordinary natural volcanic beauty — the territory is lush with vegetation and waterfalls, as well as mud baths and sulphur springs on its southernwest side, whose sickeningly sweet scent wafts through the air as you drive past. But it has seemingly preferred to hide its hospitality offering under a bushel, allowing that scenery to take centre stage instead.
There are a handful of five-star hotels on the island, notably the vauntingly flash Jade Mountain (it featured in an episode of the BBC’s Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby), which has a collection of private villas for rent. But still, St Lucia has somehow managed to define itself as other than just a playground for the privileged.
That might be about to change thanks to the Greens, a British family based in Bermuda who earlier this year unveiled Spice of Life, a 35,000 sq ft modern villa touted as the largest private residence in the Caribbean. It has been built in the grounds of the Viceroy Sugar Beach Hotel, acquired by the Greens in 2019, and sits beneath the Pitons, a Unesco world heritage site featuring two pointy volcanic mountains, or plugs, which reach heights of more than 2,000ft and whose summits lean into each other as if in conversation.
Sugar Beach is the sort of classic hotel you’ll find all over the region, low-built and classically Caribbean in style — albeit this one is set in more than 100 acres of rainforest. It was previously owned by another Brit, the Rolling Stones’ accountant, Roger Myers, who bought it from Lord Glenconner, the man responsible for putting Mustique on the map in the Sixties.
• Read our full guide to St Lucia
As a first-timer on the island I am floored by St Lucia’s landscape which made me feel as if I’ve arrived on the set of Jurassic Park. I had no idea how spectacular it would be. I am equally struck by the St Lucians themselves and the passion they share for their homeland, from Sugar Beach’s exemplary staff to the driver who accompanies me from the airport and gives me a nonstop, highly detailed commentary on the vegetation, rainforests, black sand beaches and buildings. St Lucia feels different from other Caribbean islands, somehow more rooted in itself and its culture. I am not surprised when I later find out that it has the highest ratio of Nobel laureates (two) to population of any sovereign country.
Spice of Life feels at first a bit like an anomaly. Devised by the Bermuda-based Botelho Wood Architects, it’s a massive modernist construction in a prime position just above the beach, but never in full view of Sugar Beach itself. It brings to mind a spectacular Hollywood A-list type of stay and it comes with all the perks you might expect. It sleeps 18 and includes 24-hour butler service, two kitchens (one industrial-sized to cater for bigger events such as weddings or parties), 13 bathrooms, a private chef, an infinity pool, a children’s playroom, an outdoor cinema, a gym and private beach access. Unusually, and perhaps idiosyncratically for a tropical setting, it is also crammed with a museum-worthy modern art collection, including works by Damien Hirst, Salvador Dalí, Yayoi Kusama, Anish Kapoor, Kaws, Michael Craig-Martin and Jeff Koons.
Being removed from the main hotel works in Spice of Life’s favour. Guests can keep to themselves but also use the hotel’s facilities. But why would you want to leave? Spice of Life is not your ordinary holiday villa. It’s more like a private mansion, a multilevel palace, the main sitting room of which is dominated by a large oval-shaped James Turrell light sculpture, its tone continually morphing, casting different colours on the 16-seat solid wood dining room table and the collection of abstract paintings by Hirst that line one of the walls.
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A blond-wood staircase leads up to the first floor, where there is a vast and airy collection of en suite bedrooms complete with bathrooms (with enormous outdoor showers) and dressing rooms, all in muted shades, save for the art and coffee-table books symmetrically arranged on low-level shelving. The walls are textured and tactile, embedded with large dove grey stones or swirly hessian designs. Each room is dominated by the money shot: the glittering Caribbean Sea and one of the Pitons looming skywards.
I’m visiting with a group and we spend our days sunbathing by the infinity pool, drinking cocktails or ambling down to the private beach. The villa has its own gym and the hotel’s spa therapists are on hand for massages and treatments. But it is the exceptional cuisine of Spice of Life’s dedicated chef that I look forward to most. It feels like eating in a high-end restaurant.
• 16 of the best hotels in St Lucia
The Greens, who also own the Hamilton Princess hotel in Bermuda, clearly have bigger plans for Sugar Beach. Along with a new racket club (including the now requisite padel and pickleball courts), there is a treehouse spa constructed by a Rastafarian craftsman using 900-year-old Carib-Indian techniques and the Cocoa Mill. This chalet-like hut near the beach is where guests can try a vast selection of the hotel’s homemade chocolates, which reflect the island’s cocoa trade, as well as take instruction on how to make chocolatey concoctions and truffles.
I love my stay but can’t help thinking there is a slight disconnect between Spice of Life and Sugar Beach. The main hotel’s all-white accommodation of airy rooms and small villas with outdoor plunge pools dotted on the cliff face (accessed via winding trails blanketed by vegetation) is well appointed and luxurious. The main complex below, with its indoor and outdoor dining areas, swimming pool, four restaurants (all good), bar, marina and beach restaurant, needs a little 21st-century hospitality upgrade to align it with the luxury of Spice of Life.
Will the advent of Spice of Life move the dial and tilt St Lucia in the direction of its more fashionable neighbours? Perhaps — and not least because at present the island is a rare Caribbean destination not overrun with fancy restaurants and designer shops, or superyachts jamming its harbours. I imagine Spice of Life will attract a classier, more private wealthy travellerin search of peace, relaxation and Caribbean authenticity.
Vassi Chamberlain was a guest of Spice of Life, which has one night’s self-catering for 18 from £53,000 (viceroyhotelsandresorts.com). Fly to St Lucia
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The mini guide to affordable St Lucia
By Siobhan Grogan
Stay close to the capital, Castries, for the best choice of day trips and to visit the excellent market. Windjammer Landing Villa Resort and Residences is a ten-minute drive away but hidden among the rainforest, overlooking a beautiful white sand beach. Simple whitewashed rooms have wicker furniture and splashes of tropical orange, and all come with a balcony or terrace overlooking the sea. There’s masses to do on-site including six swimming pools, daily fitness classes, a kids’ club and an activity programme including hikes, silent discos and cooking classes. Restaurants include a casual beachside joint, a hillside Italian and a steakhouse (seven nights’ B&B from £1,575pp, including flights and coach transfers; tui.co.uk).
Perched on a rainforest-wrapped hillside overlooking the capital, the adults-only Bel Jou resort is a more peaceful option known for its excellent service. Simple, airy rooms have balconies overlooking the garden or Caribbean Sea and there’s also a small spa offering massages, a gym, a coffee shop, three restaurants and a self-service pool bar to mix your own cocktail. A separate rooftop bar has views over the lights of Castries and the sea beyond. There’s a shuttle to the nearest beach, ten minutes away, plus a daily activity programme including Pilates sessions and rum-tasting (seven nights’ all inclusive from £1,497pp, including flights; kuoni.co.uk).
The popular coastal town of Rodney Bay is 15-minutes’ drive further north and one of the island’s most tourist-friendly spots, with a great choice of restaurants, shops and bars. The Soco House is an adults-only hotel with Creole-inspired architecture, just off the beautiful Reduit beach. It has 76 all-white rooms over two floors, all with deep blue accents and a private balcony or deck. An outdoor pool has plush cabanas and a bar, while an included alfresco afternoon tea is served poolside daily. There’s also a small spa, gym and an à la carte restaurant with a focus on local ingredients (seven nights’ all-inclusive from £1,179pp, including flights; britishairways.com).
The Harbor Club, Curio Collection by Hilton is directly opposite Rodney Bay’s marina, with the town’s main shopping mall and the island’s only casino five minutes’ drive away. Staff can book trips further afield and there’s a dive centre for scuba sessions. Most guests while away days on the tiered infinity pools facing the marina, with its wooden sunbathing deck and swim-up bar. There are five restaurants plus a bakery to choose from, including a dockside pizzeria and Market Street Sushi. Rooms are decorated in crisp white with touches of sea blue and sunshine yellow, and some have mountain or marina views (seven nights’ room only from £1,184pp including flights; firstchoice.co.uk).
Soufrière, on St Lucia’s west coast, is the closest spot to the island’s best-known attractions, including the twin-peaked Pitons and the geothermal La Soufrière volcano known as Sulphur Springs. The adults-only Ladera Resort is the only hotel within the Unesco-listed Pitons site and all 37 suites have a three-walled, open-sided design offering knockout views of the peaks. Each one has details hand-crafted by local artisans in wood, stone and tile, with butler service and a heated plunge pool. Yoga, hikes, sunrise meditation and nature walks are all included and there’s a free shuttle to nearby Sugar Beach (Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £2,679pp, including flights; destination2.co.uk).
What to do
Guided hikes are the best way to tackle the Pitons for panoramic views and easily accessible trails (£38; grospiton.com). The smelly La Soufrière is close by and described as the world’s only drive-in volcano, with mineral-rich pools for DIY mud masks. Pricey tours are available but it’s much cheaper to just pay the entrance fee on arrival (from £7). Most groups — including cruise ship tours — visit the often-crowded Toraille waterfall, but Latille falls is a much more peaceful option, with its waterfall-fed natural pool ideal for swimming deep in the rainforest (about £7). Other back-to-nature day trips include rainforest hikes to spot the rare St Lucia parrot and mangrove cuckoo (£64; viator.com) or jungle zip-wiring at the base of La Sorciere mountain (£48; rainforestadventure.com). Boat trips are available year-round, but October to February is best for whale-watching, with cruises available from Castries (£64; bookislandtours.com).
All the island’s beaches are public, even if they’re in front of a resort. Some of the loveliest include Anse Chastanet, which has fantastic snorkelling straight from the beach, the quiet Choc Bay and the rainforest-backed Jalousie Beach at the foot of the Pitons.
Castries market is the best place for cheap eats and is open Monday to Saturday. No-frills stalls sell local dishes including lambi (conch stew) and accra (salt fish fritters) as well as coconut water straight from a coconut opened with a machete in front of you. For barbecued lobster, jerk chicken and rum punch, join the island’s Jump Ups — free late-night street parties held each weekend in Gros Islet and Anse La Raye.
Do you have a favourite stay in St Lucia? Share your recommendation in the comments
