D

Has anyone stayed at this hotel (used to be Wyndham Morgan? If so, could you comment on the food and beach? Thanks.

Mary

My husband and I got married at the Wyndham in November of 2000. The beach wasn't the best but the island isn't known for beaches and I'd say it's comparable to most others on the island. The water, however, was very murky when we were there. <BR><BR>I thought the food was very good for an all-inclusive – lots of variety and top shelf liquor was also included. The nightly entertainment was entertaining. The staff was wonderful except for one or two lazy bartenders. <BR><BR>There is a man named Joy that operates a half-day excursion from the beach house at the Wyndham. It includes a boat trip to the pitons, rainforest waterfall, underground volcano, snorkeling, and a home cooked lunch on a secluded beach. I believe the cost was $60 per person and it was worth every penny. <BR><BR>Included beach activities are the banana boats, waterskiing, and kneeboarding. Jet skis were available for rental. The grounds, while not extravagant, were beautifully maintained – lots of gorgeous flowers and trees. The rooms, also not extravagant, were very nice and clean and had in-room safes and balconys. Bring your own hairdryer if you use them. Unless of course the new owners replaced them with ones that actually blow air.<BR><BR>I do not consider the pool to be big when compared to today’s standards but it was sufficient and it had a volleyball net. We had a lot of fun with this.<BR><BR>We felt the resort was a great value and I highly recommend it. However, I don’t know what has changed since new ownership.

D

Thanks for the info in St. James Morgan. Do you think I should switch over to a different property where the beach might be better? One of the Rex Hotels?

Mary

D: If beach is very important to you, I'd suggest a different island. None of the beaches in St. Lucia are out of this world beautiful. <BR><BR>The Jalousie Hilton on onee of the prettiest beaches but I believe, overall, it's the most expensive resort on the island. <BR><BR>While some people say Anse Chastenet's beach is one of the best, I can only say that I felt it looked very much like the others and I wasn't at all impressed. <BR><BR>I've heard Reduit Beach is nice but haven't seen it personnally. I know the Rex St. Lucian is located on Reduit Beach but I thought I heard they were closing shop - not sure though. There may be other resorts located on Reduit, I just don't know which ones.<BR><BR>LeSport, while I've never been there but have seen pictures, looks like it sits on a halfway decent beach.<BR><BR>Good luck and please let us know what you decide.

D

Thanks Mary for the info. Well at this point I am already booked at the St. James Club, so if it is a mistake, well, that's not great. I'm not happy that I'm having &quot;buyer's remorse&quot; over my choice of resorts. Vacations are supposed to be fun, not anxiety provoking. If I can sit under a shade tree and enjoy the ocean and some water sports, I will be satisfied. Is the sand nasty on this beach? I don't mind the sand being a darker color unless of course it is like sitting on gravel. I am used to beaches on Cape Cod, Antigua, St. Martin, etc. Wish the travel agent had been more forthcoming about the types of beaches on this island. Next time I'll do my own research. <BR>As far as the hotel goes, seems that some people have said the food is good, others say it is like canteen food. Hope this is an exaggeration. I've heard no complaints about the rooms. I have little interest in the pool as I prefer the beach. Is there enough shade on this beach? Is it very crowded? I heard it was about 3/4 of a mile long.<BR>Thanks for any additional info.

D

If I were to try switching resorts once there, what would you say about Rendezvous St. Lucia or Rex St. Lucian?

Mary

Dawna: By no menes is the beach BAD. It's just not what people look for who are REALLY into Caribbean beaches. The sand is not gravel, it is beige in color. The beach is longer than it is wide and you should be able to find a shade tree. If nothing's changed under new ownership, I'm sure you'll be pleased with the resort. I'll reiterate that we (as well as the 20 others that went with us) felt it was a great value. Don't have regrets - just know what to expect. I just hope, for your sake and others, the new owners haven't changed it for the worse. <BR><BR>More tips. <BR><BR>DO: The Brign Unicorn Sunset Sail (heard the day sail was great too).<BR><BR>DO: Have dinner at the Coal Pot Restaurant one night which is about 5 minutes away from resort (do make reservations).<BR><BR>DO: Take advantage of Joy's 1/2 day boat/trip excursion (if he's still around).<BR><BR>DO: Check out Pigeon Island (not an island anymore) which is about a 10-minute cab ride from the resort. <BR><BR>DON'T: Do Mike's Deep Sea Fishing. Huge waste of money and time. Would have paid just to get off the boat and go back to the resort.<BR><BR>Please give us a trip report when you get back. I'd love to hear what it's like - has it changed or not. But most importantly, HAVE A GREAT TIME!.

Mary

Hi Dawna: I was curious about this so I did some checking. Check out the following link. It seems this resort has gotten somewhat negative reviews lately. Not sure when new owners took over but this may be why. Some liked it, others didn't. Some commented on a high amount of kids. We went in the off season and there were virtually no kids. Not sure if this was because it was the off season or if the new owners are really hyping this up as a &quot;family&quot; resort. Don't know if you're bringing kids or not. But here it is for what it's worth.<BR><BR>http://stlucia.wheretostay.com/prope...2-reviews.html

D

Thanks Mary for the link. I've read those reviews, thus my hesitation about this property. I think I will just wait till I get there and judge for myself. As I said before, my travel agent is the one that pushed this resort over the others. You would hope that they would be more careful, especially knowing we are going without kids. Hopefully, the first week in January, kids will be back in school.

D

Hi Mary,<BR>I just spoke with my travel agent and he assured me that if there had been any recent problems at St. James, he would have heard. He said the new owners have added a third restaurant, another hot tub, and have made other renovations. He did confirm that the taxi ride to the hotel is about 1 1/2 hours. Anyway, I will hope for the best and certainly will post my findings here upon my return. Thanks for the day trip recommendations.

Mary

Dawna: Then go and don't look back. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. Better to have low expectations than real high expections because that's when people usually get disappointed.<BR><BR>I'll add this: When we first began looking at St. Lucia hotels, I e-mailed back and forth with someone who lives on the island and knows the hotels first hand. Because we had a big group, cost was a factor. I had been considering Club St. Lucia, Rex St. Lucian, Papillion, and Wyndham Morgan Bay. (Actually, we had booked Club SL prior and then canceled after hearing so many negatives). Of those 4, he said the Wyndham was the best.

D

I asked my travel agent about the Rex and about Papillion and was told both are a step down from St. James. I then asked about Rendezvous and was told to not even consider it. LeSport is supposed to be good but is pricier. I think if I survive the 6 hour flight and the 1.5 hour taxi ride, I'll be ok.

Sue

Has anyone returned from St. James in St. Lucia in the past month? Curious about a third restaurant on this property. Also curious about how buggy the beach is and current condition of the beach. Thanks in advance for any information.

Sheila

Mary - could you tell me how bad the reports from the individual living in St. Lucia shared with you re: Lub St.L. as we are going there in two weeks for our honeymoon and although there isn't much we can do about it - I would like to be well forwarned!!

david

Get Joy (St. James Watersports Facility)<BR>to take you down to the Jalousie and/or the Anse Chastanet resorts for snorkeling. And definitely do his trip, its' terrific and his sister and mother will give you a home cooked meal you'll never forget.<BR>Cheers