David

I read every article posted to this site on this and other hotels and resorts on St. Lucia for the past two years... <BR>My new wife and I just returned from our honeymoon at what was supposed to be "The Top Romantic Resort" on St. Lucia. We couldn't be more disappointed with the staff and the service we found at what is thought to be a Premier Hotel Organization... <BR>I currently writing to who ever runs this dump but i'll just make it short and sweet for those of you thinking about going...You couldn't drag me back there! <BR>My wife and I couldn't wait to get home and post this to this site we enjoy so much and appreciated during our resort search. <BR>I've traveled all over the world and can tell you I've been treated better at Holiday Inns...I'm getting angry again just writing this...but you can be sure i will have several follow ups to this situation!! <BR>

Julie

Wow--I'm really sorry to hear that you had such a poor experience, especially on your honeymoon. What happened?? Can you be a little more specific about your concerns? Was it just the service or were you also displeased with the physical facilities/location? What about the quality of the food?

Mariarosa

Hi David! Please tell us more details about your experience at Jalousie. Why was it so bad?

Antoinette

I'm not surprised. The Hilton chain has been terrible for years! I once called their main office in Beverly Hills to complain about one of their properties. No reaction. This property (it was a business trip to Oklahoma City) was overrun with roaches (THEY call them "little old water bugs"),roaches in the bath towels, sheets, floors (and this was after rooms after room after room change) a television set that exploded and other nasty surprises. That was about eight years ago and I swore I'd never stay in another Hilton property again. The problem with the Hiltons is that they are independtly owned and operated. Each property is a purchased franchise. The "mother company" so to speak in Beverly Hills doesn't care. My favorite hotels these days are the Marriott and the Westin.

Dan

Hilton hotels are NOT world class 5-star hotels! Unfortunately, you get what you pay for!!

Lizzie

Wow, David, so sorry to hear you had an awful experience at the Jalousie Hilton! My boyfriend and I stayed there for ten days and could not have been happier - we had a wonderful time and were very pleased with service, accomodations, basically everything about the resort. Please share more about what made your experience so miserable! <BR> <BR>Dan - What David is so upset about is that the Jalousie Hilton is, in fact, VERY expensive and he, apparently, did not get what he paid for. It is a five star quality hotel, at least in my experience. The resort in St. Lucia is not comparable to a Hilton in Oklahoma City.

gracie

NOT! <BR>Just returned - the hotel and the experience was wonderful. Can't imagine what David's problem(s) might have been.

Kay

Gee: <BR> <BR>I good freind of mine just got back from the Jalouise Hilton on just loved it and had wonderful time. She raved aobut the beauty of it, the food, service etc. Maybe your experience was a fluke. BUt in any case you should have your travel agent send a fax to the hotel manager about the problems you experiencedwith soem logical suggestions to take care of those problems. I am so sorry you ahd such a bad experience. You might also fax the St. Lucia tourist board about the problems. Wen my husband and I were at Ladera for our honeymoon severl months ago we went to the Hiton several times and loved it. What a shame you had such a bad time.

Beth

David, once you calm down, please tell us what happened!? <BR> <BR>I also spent my honeymoon there (last year this time) and had a wonderful experience - found the staff to be friendly and accomodating. I'm sorry to hear you had such a bad experiernce. It was like no other Hilton I've ever stayed at. <BR> <BR>

David

<BR>MY NEW WIFE AND I JUST RETURNED FROM OUR HONEYMOON AT WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE "THE TOP ROMANTIC RESORT" ON ST. LUCIA. WE COULDN'T BE MORE DISAPPOINTED WITH THE STAFF AND THE SERVICE WE FOUND AT WHAT IS THOUGHT TO BE A FIVE STAR HOTEL. I PRESENT THEM TO YOU WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THE ISSUES ARISING CAN PERHAPS BE HIGHLIGHTED IN FUTURE TRAINING AT JALOUSIE HILTON, AND GUESTS WILL BE SPARED THE DISMISSIVE AND INSULTING TREATMENT THAT I RECEIVED <BR>UPON CHECKING INTO OUR "PRIVATE OCEAN VIEW SUITE" AFTER A 10 HOUR FLIGHT I OPENED THE DRAPES TO SEE A VIEW NOT OF THE BEAUTIFUL CARIBBEAN BUT THE ROOFTOPS OF THE ROOMS THAT WERE IN FACT OCEAN VIEW SUITES. WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO WHY THERE WAS A SHARED PATIO WITH TO THE GUEST NEXT DOOR THE BELL CAPTAIN ASSURED US THAT THIS WAS A PRIVATE OCEAN VIEW ROOM. AFTER CONTACTING THE FRONT DESK WE WERE TOLD THAT THE RESORT WAS BOOKED THROUGH THE WEEK. MY NEW BRIDE SUGGESTED WE TRY TO RELAX WITH A DIP IN THE 6X6 "PLUNGE POOL" LOCATED ON OUR "PRIVATE" PATIO. THE LEAVES AND SCUM MADE A DIP IN THE HUDSON SEEM MORE APPEALING. <BR>THE FOLLOWING MORNING AT CONTACTED THE FRONT DESK TO ASK FOR A ROOM CHANGE AND WAS AGAIN TOLD THAT THE RESORT WAS FULL AND THAT NO ROOMS WITH OCEAN VIEWS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. AFTER FINALLY REACHING THE MANAGERS SECRETARY AND EXPLAINING MY FRUSTRATIONS A ROOM WITH AN OCEAN VIEW SUDDENLY MATERIALIZED. <BR>LATER THAT MORNING WE ORDERED ROOM SERVICE AND RECEIVED OUR WARM COFFEE ON THE TABLE OUTSIDE OUR ROOM. I ASKED IF THE SERVER MIGHT UNWRAP THE CUPS, SUGARS AND CREAMERS AND RECEIVED A LOOK OF CONFUSION. AN HOUR LATER WE WENT TO THE BUFFET BREAKFAST TO FIND 30-40 OTHER GUESTS WAITING FOR ONE OVER WORKED WOMAN TRYING TO MAKE OMELETS, FRENCH TOAST AND CREPES WHILE THE 6 TO 8 OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WATCHED ON IN AMUSEMENT. THIS BLASÉ ATTITUDE BY THOSE HIRED TO SERVE THE GUESTS WAS THE REAL SORE SPOT FOR US AT THIS RESORT. <BR>FROM THE SNOTTY FRONT DESK STAFF TO THE 4-5 POOLSIDE BARTENDERS WHO WOULD GRIMACE IF YOU INTERRUPTED THEIR CONVERSATIONS TO ORDER A DRINK WHILE ONE OVERTAXED "POOL BOY" TRIED TO SERVE THIRSTY GUESTS COCKTAILS BOTH AT THE BEACH CABANAS AND THE ADJACENT POOL. I ASKED HIM WHY SO FEW WAITERS WERE HIRED TO ATTEND TO THE GUESTS ENJOYING THE POOL AND BEACH AREAS AND IF HE RECEIVED MANY COMPLAINTS LIKE OURS AS TO THE SLOW SERVICE. HIS REPLY WAS THAT MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINED BUT THAT MANAGEMENT REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT THEN SHOOK HIS HEAD AND DISAPPEARED FOR ANOTHER HOUR. <BR> <BR>

e

David---Seems like you don't understand "island time", mon.

anonymous

"island time" has nothing to do with inept poorly trained staff, indifferent management, dirty plunge pools and not having the accomodations that one had reserved, paid for and expected.

hjk

"Deluxe ocean view suite" is the following: "Deluxe": all rooms are essentially deluxe;who wants a non-deluxe room? "Ocean View": you can see at least a tiny sliver of water (not "Ocean Front"); "Suite": can be a 1 room, 2 room, 3 room "suite" etc. Specificity counts when figuring out what your room will really be.

Karen

Boy! did we learn that the hard way. Wanted to stay at one particular place and they had only "ocean views" available and assured me that we would have a view of the water! It was a small botique hotel with a few rooms so the beach was only a few steps further away! Low and behold we did see the water ... if you stood at one particular spot on your tippy toes at the end of the balcony and looked between the two buildings in front of us and over the tree tops! It was an absolutely gorgeous view of the gardens and the pool tho but since we were on the third floor, it make it oceanview! The rooms below us were gardenview and lots of dollars cheaper! Of course if you looked out the other end of the balcony, you could view the septic system (which stunk to high heaven, btw) so that musta been the ocean they were talking about! Rated top notch by many travel experts, we were disappointed too. Seems when the room is not what is expected, everything is "colored" (and not rosily) after that! Too bad that you honeymoon was not what you expected but am sure you made and have some memories to treasure anyway! Someday, you will be able to laugh about it, really! Hope you did you the helicopter service - at least that would have been a good thing!

gary

David, you lost me following your apparent indignation to having to unwrap your own coffee condiments. <BR>You're not staying at the Beverly Wilshire.

Tracy

I just returned from the Hilton and I thought it was a wonderful resort. I had a wonderful oceanview room and only terrific experiences. Sounds like you are a bit impatient. Island time is real. They lead a different lifestyle and it is more relaxed. They just move at a different speed than you are used to. I found the service to be slow - but I understand that it is a different pace - so it doesn't really upset me. I must say - I had a terrific experience at the Hilton.

Mary

Unless you and your wife’s hands our broken, I think you’re being the snotty one. You can’t even unwrap your own cups? Makes me think you could be exagerating a bit as well.

Karen

Maybe the look of "confusion" on the part of the room service staff was the result of wondering why you couldn't unwrap your own damn cream and sugar.

David

Listen... I enjoyed all of your replies and please don’t miss understand me...if you are joe redneck who gets one trip in a lifetime than by all means this is the resort for you! However, when one researches all the various islands and has spend years traveling abroad visitng many countries and resorts ( the "Beverly Wilshire" for one ) ...i only hope to educate those who seek insight into where to go by looking to sites like this one. My honeymoon was wonderful and it might seem to you to be nit picking but several others including guests staying at jalousie when we were there expressed the same "disappointment" and i will not take "island time" as a legitimate excuse...i've been to the sleepiest of islands and never encountered this type of service. I promised myself and my wife that i owed it to others , you, on the message boards to relay our experience good or bad upon returning…i have now done that… buyer beware!

Mike

I agree with you 100% David and know EXACTLY from whence you speak! Next time, spend a little more time and money and go to the Four Seasons on Maui or the Manele Bay Resort on Lanai, etc., etc. (there are SO MANY quality 5-star resorts to choose from)! I promise you that it WON'T be the same AWFUL experience!!!