Thursday 16 September 2010

Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa and Resort

Are you looking for a “weddingmoon” in a lovely tropical paradise? Look at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian in St. Lucia. This all-inclusive resort is situated on an isthmus between Rodney Bay and Pigeon Island National Park on the island’s northwest tip surrounded by the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.

This luxurious resort consists of three- and four-story buildings that line up behind the pools, bars, and beach views. Fountains dot the grounds everywhere. Guests enter through an elegantly designed lobby appointed with cushy Caribbean-flavoured furniture. The three-story lobby is beautiful, but the view of the bay is spectacular.

Six specialty restaurants offer Italian, French, and Caribbean cuisine, and guests can grab a pizza from the Pizzeria or enjoy a casual meal at the beachfront grill. A British pub adds to the variety of bars, and a billiards room, nightclub, and piano bar provide entertainment during evening hours. Dress at most of the restaurants is resort-evening attire, and men should wear pants, collared shirts, and nice shoes.

There is a huge lagoon pool with a swim up bar flanked by wading pools and whirlpools. Four additional pools are on the property, including one reserved for scuba-certification classes. The full-service European spa, Red Lane, offers massages, facials, and wraps at an additional charge. This five–star diamond resort offers a selection of 300 luxurious rooms and suites with private balcony  or patio, plus 18 additional Rondoval suites , offering breathtaking bay and ocean views. Even the least expensive rooms are spacious, and richly appointed with colourful fabrics, antique furniture reproductions in an English colonial plantation style, king beds, and tile floors.


Most rooms boast balconies with stunning views of the water. The 24 Lagoon Pool rooms allow guests to swim right up to their quarters: this is one of the few resorts in the world to offer this feature.  Suites are similar to standard rooms but add living rooms, four-poster beds, whirlpool tubs, and fully stocked bars. A concierge level adds such amenities as turndown service, robes, and room service.

This is the best of Sandals’ three properties on the island. An appealing aspect of the Grande St. Lucian is the Stay at 1, Play at 3 feature, which allows guests to visit the other two Sandals properties (the Regency and the Halcyon) on St. Lucia. Free shuttles travel to and from the resorts every hour on the hour until midnight and additional ones travel during the dinner rush hours.

Couples staying at the resort for more than six nights qualify for the free Beautiful Beginnings wedding package which is designed for the wedding couple and two witnesses. Other packages and additional options are available.

If you are a couple looking for fun in the sun at a casual but amenity-rich resort for your destination wedding, honeymoon, or simply a romantic retreat, then consider choosing Sandals Grande St Lucian Spa and Resort.


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Muriel MacRae, owner of Del Sol Travel and Del Sol Destination Weddings, is a travel consultant and wedding planner who specializes in destination weddings and romantic getaways to tropical areas such as Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. Located in Calgary, Alberta, she plans destination weddings and honeymoons for couples in and around the Calgary area and throughout North America. For more information about planning your destination wedding, honeymoon, or romantic getaway, please contact her at travelinfo@delsoltravel.ca or phone 403-477-0643.