The Caribbean island of St Lucia stands out as the only country in the world named after a woman. With legend proclaiming that French sailors shipwrecked there on the feast day of Saint Lucy in 1502, named the island in her honour. This paradise is now the perfect fix of energetic culture, adventure and pure relaxation, all set against the backdrop of lush landscapes, dreamy beaches and the iconic Piton mountains.
When choosing where to stay, why pick just one resort? Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet both offer an unforgettable sister hotel escape, letting you effortlessly trickle down from the mountain retreat to the beach hideaway below. Both hotels were designed by visionary architect Nick Troubetzkoy, with Jade Mountain iconically rising over the hills to overlook the famous Pitons (a Unesco World Heritage Site). The tropical waterfront resort of Anse Chastanet sprawls across soft sand beaches to lay in the heart of the island’s protected marine reserve.
Jade Mountain Sanctuaries
Arriving in paradise is an adventure in itself. After a seamless 60-minute coastal drive (or a 6-minute helicopter ride) from Hewanorra International Airport, you find yourself at the top of Jade Mountain. A sweet welcome cocktail in one hand and a hot peppermint-scented towel in the other, your personal butler (known locally as a majordomo) whisks away your luggage as you admire the unforgettable view.
First opening its doors in 2006, Jade Mountain is an architectural marvel, lovingly built over three years. Perched high above lush tropical forest and glittering in the sun, the hotel’s eight terraced levels cascade gracefully from the cliffside, each identifiable by a totem-like pole made from jewel-toned fused glass. It almost feels as if you are staying in a lost temple in the depths of the jungle, that’s finally been found.
Nothing surpasses the magic of walking into your ‘Sanctuary’ for the first time. 24 open-air, infinity-pool sanctuaries and 5 sky whirlpool suites make up Jade. All boasting their pioneering ‘no walls’ concept, your sanctuary is exposed to the natural elements day and night. From the hours of golden sunlight and daily salty breeze to the jungle soundtrack of exotic bird song and tree frogs as you fall asleep, the breathtaking views across the island are real, no matter how many times you blink.
Days at Jade are filled with unparalleled luxury and total escapism, without ever leaving your room. You can swim privately in your in-room infinity pool and lazily sunbathe under the gaze of the Pitons. The lack of TV’s welcomes a digital detox (although high-speed Wi-Fi is available) and your fridge is filled with a daily artisan bento box of sweet and savoury treats. Come nightfall, your shower is stacked with divine Voya amenities and your personal butler can run you a flower bath upon request (the perfect pre-dinner soak). Room service is available around the clock, complete with a midnight chocolate menu (for those last night sugar cravings) and each turndown service comes accompanied by a printed bedtime story and pillow menu.
Anse Chansent Suites:
Descending from cloud nine in the mountains lands you in a beautiful suite at Anse Chansent. The most scenic resort hideaway, sat on a private estate of 600 lush tropical acres with white beaches and an untouched coral reef, just off shore. Only a minute’s transfer from Jade, here you are closer to the sea, but just as relaxed, nestled amongst green shady palm trees. The 49 designed rooms dissolve the boundary between the indoors and outdoors, with sweeping windows that perfectly frame the Pitons. Each room celebrates the island’s beautiful national cloth, with splashes of traditional bold colour dotted throughout, while tropical hardwood floors and wrap-around balconies provide a calm retreat after a long day at the beach.
Anse Chansent delivers the Caribbean charm with homemade banana bread dropped at your room daily – a treat best enjoyed on your terrace while gazing out at the rainforest. Yellow lighting hidden inside rattan lampshades creates a warmer glow designed to detract mosquitoes and the walls are splashed with local art, all lovingly painted at the hotel.
The Dining Experiences:
The culinary programs between Jade Mountain and Anse Chansent serve dishes to remember, long after you leave. That distinct flavour is proudly local: 92% of all ingredients are grown on the property.
The Jade Mountain Club (catering exclusively to resident guests) is the food brainchild of Chef Allen Susse, serving modern Caribbean fusion cuisine. The elegant restaurant wraps around an infinity pool tiled in a kaleidoscope of colour that reflects against the sun. For lunch, peel yourself away from your sanctuary and enjoy smoky and spicy quesadillas with sprawling ocean views and a welcomed breeze. Come dusk, head up to the Celestial Terrace atop the resort for rum tasting with unimaginable sunset views. The famous ‘Bentley’ cocktail, (shaken with fresh limeade, soda water and grenadine) is a highlight, as the sky melts into shades of fiery orange and blush pink.
Anse Chansent hosts breakfast at Balawoo in the Treehouse, where an à la carte menu and intimate buffet-style spread is served up amongst the jungle canopy. The freshly baked plantain waffles with sticky mango and cocoa nibs are a must to start your day with tropical decadence. For guests wanting to dine by the waves under romantic moonlight, Trou au Diable is Anse Chansent’s beachside restaurant, where live country Caribbean music and flambeau candles set the scene. Every evening (apart from Tuesdays) they offer a menu titled APSARA; a fusion of East Indian and Caribbean cooking. Sweet sharing tandoor breads, fragrant goat vindaloo and spiced mahimahi fish are firm favourites.
For guests searching for gastronomy with a little adventure, a short boat ride across the bay takes you to the remote Anse Mamin beach. By day, their famous fish burgers with Caribbean slaw and banana ketchup are not to be missed. Come nightfall, the ‘Castaway Dinner’ is the hotel’s premium dining experience that sees a private candlelit beach tent and bonfire set up for guests. Where a surge in Lionfish has disrupted the local ecosystem and damaged coral, the hotels have the answer in their ‘eat them to beat them’ concept. Lionfish is served as pure sashimi, with citrus ceviche and stewed with island flavors under the stars, enjoyed with a carefully hand-selected wine pairing menu.
Spa and Wellness:
Wellness at both Jade Mountain and Anse Chansent is a ritualistic affair. Their Kai en Ciel and Kai Belté traditional Caribbean spas offer a curated treatment menu to make any ‘zen seeker’ swoon. Expect hot stone massages, sea salt scrubs, aloe vera body wraps and restorative facials. Daily life here is all about recharging and indulging to the highest level, with warm and welcoming local therapists ushering you into candlelit treatment rooms, or paying a private visit at your Jade Mountain sanctuary.
With an on-site chocolate laboratory that crafts homemade chocolate for the restaurants and guests, it’s only right that the spa naturally infuses chocolate into their delectable treatments too. A must-try is the ‘Chocolate Delight’, where you are cleansed with a divine chocolate body scrub to firmly peel away dead skin cells. While drenched head to toe in a thick chocolate cream to hydrate fresh skin, the finishing touch is a chocolate oil massage to remove knots and revive sore muscles, leaving your skin glossy and smelling like cocoa straight from the island. The parting gift: a keepsake chocolate box from the hotel’s chocolatier for a little post-treatment indulgence.
Feeling Active?
This is where Jade and Anse Chansent‘s commitment to recreation and leisure truly shines. When you can finally bare to pry yourself away from your infinity pool or the thatched beach loungers, an over-abundance of curated activities awaits.
On land, guests can enjoy 7am yoga on the Celestial Terrace at Jade, as well as a high-level fitness centre. Tennis, bike riding, bird watching, cooking classes and painting sessions (with celebrated local artist Saky) are also available. At sea, snorkeling, kayaking, paddle and scuba lessons are encouraged. The most bookable highlight has to be the weekly champagne sunset cruise on the Anse Chansent catamaran. Spend your evening sailing the St Lucian coast, champagne (or strong island punch) in hand, as jazzy tones from the live saxophonist onboard offer a soundtrack to another magnetic sunset.
Conservation Conscious:
Both sister hotels are so deeply rooted in the local Soufriere community, that guest participation is a natural extension of your stay. We can’t recommend a visit to the resort’s 42 acre Emerald Farm enough. Nestled in the Soufriere hills, it’s the hotel’s garden, where 40% of the produce used in the restaurants is grown. Guests are welcome to handpick vegetables, micro greens, fruits and spices or one of the 20 mango varieties.
En route back to paradise, make a stop at the Chocolate Laboratory, to learn how the abundance of pods from 2000 cocoa trees are harvested. Turn your very own beans to bars with a delicious chocolate making class, where everything is homemade and nothing imported. Back at the beach, you are invited to take part in coral planting on the magnificent house reef, to help preserve the ocean for future guests to come.
@jademountainstlucia | jademountain.com
100 Anse Chastanet Road, Soufriere, St. Lucia
@ansechastanet | ansechastanet.com
1 Anse Chastanet Road, Soufrière, Saint Lucia
