Staying On St Lucia’s South Coast
If you’re as fussy with accommodation as I am when travelling, you will also appreciate how challenging it can be to find a great place to base yourself while on holiday. I am all for hunting down the cheapest flight deals, but something I am far less likely to compromise on is a comfortable bed and a clean bathroom!
Once my boyfriend and I had decided that we had our heart set on going to St Lucia for some winter sun (and to celebrate our anniversary!), our hotel search began. We toyed with the idea of staying in the north of the island (where the majority of visitors go to it seems), but then came to realise that there was so much to explore in the south.
As soon as we stumbled across Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa – the rest was history! The resort is highly reputable and featured on the websites of British Airways, Kenwood Travel, Virgin Holidays and has an epic reputation on TripAdvisor too.
We really gravitated towards not only the great reviews we read but also how much they had to offer in terms of not only allowing us to relax but also coupling that with adventure. The hotel’s main appeal initially was that it had so many great connections when it came to excursions and trips around the island.
It wasn’t until we spent a fortnight at the resort that we discovered that there was so much more to get excited about as guests at Coconut Bay…
Unique Selling Points
- Set in gorgeous 85 acres of tropical landscape
- Boasts five swimming pools (2 of which are adult only) and a waterpark
- Split into three zones – ‘Harmony’ for an adult only atmosphere and ‘Splash’ for families with lots of entertainment for kids and Serenity for couples and honeymooners
- A premium all-inclusive stay (and premium alcohol too!)
- Situated on the Atlantic sea side of the island
- A dedicated watersports center where you can try windsurfing etc.
- Less than a 5 minute drive away from the airport
- They host a weekly local souvenir market
- Beautiful sunrise views
Getting To & From The Airport
The great thing about staying at Coconut Bay is that the hotel is LITERALLY 5 minutes away from Hewanorra Airport which means you don’t have to waste previous holiday time by taking a long transfer – more time to yourself in St Lucia!
The hotel also has a free shuttle service to and from the airport which was a very welcome bonus and made getting out of the airport and into your hotel room easy-breezy.
Drop the team an email to coconutbay@group-promotions.com to ensure your pick-up is arranged for your arrival.
Dining
Coconut Bay has 9 (yes, 9!) dining options for you to enjoy throughout your stay. This includes 4 a la carte restaurants (which you can pre-book in the morning) and a beach grill (for when you can’t be bothered to leave your beachside hammock!).
Here’s the full restaurant list:
- Calabash is a caribbean restaurant (open for dinner)
- Silk is an asian restaurant (open for dinner)
- Coconut Walk is an international buffet-style restaurant (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner)
- Seaside is an Italian restaurant (open for dinner)
- La Luna is a fine dining restaurant overlooking the sea (bookable for dinner with additional charge – ideal for a special occasion)
- Flip Flops is a beach grill (open for lunch, snacks and late night dining)
- Jerk Treehouse for casual caribbean dining (open for lunch and dinner)
- Veranda for an adult-only dining experience (open for dinner)
- The Greathouse at Serenity which is open for adults only with an additional charge (open for dinner)
It’s safe to say that we were pretty spoilt for choice here and certainly did not go hungry!
We typically had our breakfasts at Coconut Walk and then ate at the Jerk Treehouse EVERY lunch pretty much – what’s not to love about jerk chicken/fish/sausage, rice and beans?!
For dinner we enjoyed the range of dishes on offer at Coconut Walk. On ‘themed’ nights Coconut Walk was transferred outdoors and we were able to dine under the stars. We experienced this for Carribean night and for a big Thanksgiving celebration (this was my first thanksgiving dining experience!). Both were really fun (and featured entertainment) and it was a refreshing change of scenery.
We only booked in to an a la carte restaurant once as a treat, to dress up a little for our anniversary meal. We chose to eat at Veranda which is located in a super peaceful spot looking out over the grounds and sea in the main hotel complex.
The food was wonderful and I was truly impressed with the quality of the food especially considering the fact that there was no additional cost! I have stayed in all-inclusive hotels before where dining in a la carte restaurants was always at an additional cost. I would highly recommend Veranda to couples looking for a romantic date-night experience.
Top tip: At breakfast you will find fresh coconuts available on one the counters – grab one as you’re leaving so that you can take a refreshing coconut water beverage with you when you head out to the pool or beach. Trust me, it makes everything better!
Drinking
Coconut Bay has a grand total of 7 bars on their premises, offering a diverse range of non-alcoholic drinks and cocktails, beers, juices, wine, sofas and rums. The resort prides itself on offering premium liquors as part of their all-inclusive package, something that the majority of all-inclusive hotels do not do!
Here’s the full bar list:
- Sand bar
- Lobby bar
- Harmony pool bar
- Peter John’s lounge
- Swim-up pool bar
- Paradise beach bar
- Splash bar
The layout of the bars throughout the resort is clearly carefully thought-out and each offers a particular vibe, for example the Sand Bar is ideal for sports fans as it has lots of screens showing various sports games from around the world.
My favourite signature beverage: I still daydream about drinking a ‘Dirty Banana’ – trust me, just try it!
What’s The Difference Between Harmony / Splash / Serenity?
This is something that initially confused me when we were looking to book, so let me break it down:
Harmony
Coconut Bay’s adult-only wing.
For: couples/adults, quieter atmosphere, close proximity to spa.
Splash
Family orientated wing.
For: close proximity to kids club, water park, a lively kid-friendly vibe.
Serenity
Couples only luxury resort.
For: honeymoons, personal butler service, private pool, spa treatments.
Beach & Pools
We felt spoilt for choice when it came to choosing where to spend our non-activity days as there were not only 5 pools to choose from (two of which are adult-only), but also a waterpark and mile-long beach!
There are plenty of opportunities by the pools and beach to lounge on cabana beds, chaises and hammocks. I also particularly loved going down the waterpark’s lazy-river to cool off and if you were as lucky as we were you might also spot some hummingbirds as you float along by!
The beach here is STUNNING and cleared of seaweed on a daily basis with wonderful views of the Maria Islands before you. It is also the ideal location to wake up early and watch the sunrise!
Top tip: don’t miss out on an epic photo opportunity by the wonky palm tree located further along the beach!
Booking Trips & Excursions
Inside the main resort building opposite the lobby is another area dedicated to tours and excursions. Coconut Bay offers a wide range of private and group tours which are perfect for family days out or romantic trips respectively.
We tried a handful of trips during our stay:
- Rainforest zip lining
- Private car tour
- Dolphin & whale watching catamaran
You can read all about our experience exploring St Lucia in full here.
Petting Zoo
On our first wander around the grounds we came across Coco Corral, which is a petting zoo/animal sanctuary of mostly rescued animals from the island. There are rabbits, ducks, sheep, horses and many more types of animals to visit for free everyday. You can also feed the animals yourselves as there are feed dispensers available before you walk in – another perfect way to entertain children and adults alike!
Entertainment
The great thing about Coconut Bay is that upon arrival you get given a full and comprehensive weekly itinerary. A daily timeline shows what sort of events and activities are on each day, as well as any themed nights (we experienced a thanksgiving while we were there for example) so that you are always in the know with what to expect.
It has to be said that there is absolutely no way you would ever get bored, whether you have young children to entertain or are simply looking to entertain yourself at any age. Whether you’re into fitness, art, relaxation, cooking, dancing – you name it – you’ll find something to enjoy. And, because the resort grounds are so big, there is never an issue of an area being too noisy either.
Top Tip: I would highly recommend waking up early and joining in on Vernon’s sunrise yoga class. It’s the best way to start the day – stunning views from the cabana, the sound of the sea and a gentle breeze to cool you down…
Staff Shout-Outs
We vowed to give a shout-out to some of the wonderful people we met who worked in the hotel, so here goes:
- Brendan (driver) who was such a cool guy and really went above and beyond when it came to showing us around his island home.
- Virginia (housekeeper) who made our room look beautiful with flowers, towels shaped into animals and left little notes to wish us a great day.
- Vernon (the hotel’s fitness instructor) is the ‘bendiest’ and sassiest person I’ve ever met. Whether it’s in the pool for water aerobics or by the sea for a sunrise yoga sesh, he will push you to get the best of you, that’s for sure!
- Marvius (from Paradise Beach Bites) who was always super friendly, chatty and welcoming.
- Danny (driver) who drove a bus load of us into the rainforest & was hilarious as well as taking the time to tell us little stories about the island as we drove through it.
- Marvin (driver) was such a lovely person to chat to and so funny while being completely professional at the same time.
I saw a lot of comments about the staff members being so wonderful and memorable in the online reviews we read prior to booking. I can now also vouch for them and say the employees at Coconut Bay are some of the best!
Final Thoughts
Coconut Bay really felt like a home-away-from-home for us throughout the entirety of our stay. The resort is pretty immaculately maintained and the layout seems to fit seamlessly into the surrounding natural landscape.
While I don’t have to factor in children’s facilities into my own holiday plans I can tell you that from everything I saw the facilities and activities on offer for kids are exceptional. You will definitely never run out of ways to entertain your family throughout your stay.
And similarly if you’re like me and would prefer an adult-only atmosphere, being able to stay on the adult-only side of the resort was the perfect solution. Combine all this with great value packages, exceptional food and drinks, exciting tours and being only 5 minutes from the airport, there really isn’t a lot to fault the resort on!
I hope this blog post gives an accurate and in-depth look into our experience staying at Coconut Bay and inspires you to pay a visit too…
Until next time,
Lica xoxo
Discover more about Coconut Bay here: https://cbayresort.com
