STAY ST LUCIA: SUGAR BEACH
LOCATION:
If you fly into St. Lucia's Hewanorra International Airport, then you are about a 50-minute ride to Sugar Beach. Now, you may think that's a bit of a drive but when you realize that you're headed to the heart and soul of St. Lucia, the part of St. Lucia you see in postcards, the iconic towering Pitons, the reason you probably booked this trip, then 50minutes doesn't seem long at all.
Sugar Beach Resort by Viceroy is located in the town of Soufriere- (for Sulphur in the Air). Soufriere is where almost all tourists end up, you see them arriving by car and ferry but not everyone gets to stay. They all come to get really close to the Pitons; they come to visit the Sulphur Springs and experience healing volcanic mud baths- the kind of thing that celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson have done. They come to visit the colonial town with it's New Orleanesque/French architecture, they come to shop at the local market and to visit the recently updated waterfront, but at the end of the day, they need to get back in a car or ferry. You won't be making that mistake.
DESIGN/DECOR:
Sugar Beach sits nestled between rainforest, Mountain peaks (Pitons) and Beachfront. You're either looking at blue waters, lush forest, or trying not to strain your neck to see to the very top of the Pitons. Your eyes will never tire and the property is designed to so naturally fit the surroundings. There is the main building, the big house, which houses restaurants, shops, reception, bar, art and more.
The rest of the property is spread out and there's shuttles running every minute or so to get you from one part to the next. I almost never used them, cos walking was a true highlight. Rooms are either deep in the rainforest, up in the hills or down by the beachside, something for everyone indeed.
Our room during our stay was a Luxury Beachfront Bungalow which came equipped with a private courtyard and plunge pool, a walk-in closet, daily dedicated butler service and a large bathroom with shower and a free-standing tub. The all-white linens and decor could have come off frigid, but instead, it felt warm, clean and comfortable. Also, the intense colors of the blue ocean and lush greenery made for a delicious and amazing view from the room.
SERVICE:
Upon arrival you meet your butler who will be your person the entire time, due to changing shifts, you will also get to meet the other butlers who ultimately comprise your team. There wasn't a single time I rang/messaged or needed something that I had to wait. The team was super responsive, but most importantly, warm, friendly and they offered so many brilliant suggestions for our itinerary.
FOOD and MORE:
The resort offers excursions and on-site water activities as well as spa time. I would be lying if I said, I fully partook in any of that. I truly wanted to relax, to lay on the beach, to lay in my bungalows hammock, to watch the sunrise and set over the Pitons and to eat to my heart's content. So I can speak on that with much more specificity.
Breakfast is a combination of a buffet spread and hot items. The best thing about the menu is that it offered a significant number of Caribbean food items to counter the more tourist palate friendly items.
There are actually a trio of dining options from casual to fine dining, but in my opinion, the most special meal, the dining highlight for me was dinner at Bayside Restaurant. Most nights, dinner is accompanied by a Live band playing reggae and SOCA hits as you feast on traditional dishes like the Creole fish Stew, the Jerk Spiced Chicken or the Curried Spiced Pumpkin soup. Listening to the band, hearing the waves crash against the shoreline and seeing the stars was always the perfect way to close out the day and the memory that stays most with me as I think back to my 3 nights at Sugar Beach.
