Ladera and.....?
 

After reading all the positive posts here we are definintely sold on Ladera for at least several days out of our vacation, but I think we'd like to split our time there w/ some time at another hotel or resort also. If you were going to split your time on St. Lucia between Ladera and another resort, which would it be? I've heard such wonderful things about the southern part of the island, but should we spend some time up north as well? We've thought about Jalousie or Anse Chastanet, but they both seem awfully pricey and we can visit these beaches while at Ladera, right? Sandals just isn't our thing. Any other suggestions for nice but moderately priced accomodations? It doesn't seem like other hotels/resorts on St. Lucia get much mention here.

Have you looked at the Hyatt? I heard it is amazing...

We're doing exactly that... Ladera and the Hyatt. Hyatt consistently gets raves. From my research, if you're doing Ladera, adding Anse probably doesn't make sense since it is somewhat similar and you can get to their beach and snorkeling from Ladera. The Hyatt was the logical choice for us as it gets us to see the whole island and consistently gets rave reviews.

Julia, <BR> <BR>We did exactly that for our honeymoon in early May. We went to Ladera for the first three days and it was incredible. Then we wanted some more activity but still fairly mellow. We definitely did not want Sandels. We decided on Le Sport on the Northern end of the island and thought it was a perfect combo. It's right on the beach and there's lots to do. I posted several comments on my trip last month. Do a search for Le Sport and you'll find my comments. I hope they are helpful. Please e-mail me if you have any other questions. <BR> <BR>Alex

Julia: <BR> <BR>My husband and I spent our honeymoon on St.Lucia last June 2001. WE stayed at Ladera for 5 nights so we could experience the south part of the island and it was unbelievable and beautiful. We also spent 3 nights at the Hyatt so we coudl see some of the north par tof the island. I have a full trip report and pictures on my web site www.seashelltravel.com. <BR> <BR>If you want to stay in the south I would also recommend Hilton. In the north I would also recommend Windjammer Landing if you do not want the Hyatt. Ladera is intimate/romantic/cozy/reomote/stunning beauty and the Hyatt is luxury/pampering/elegance/sophistication/action. <BR> <BR>let me know if you have any questions.

My husband and I were in St Lucia last year (May, 2000); we spent 5 nights at the Hyatt and 3 nights at Ladera. While the Hyatt has air-conditioning, a nice view, and a beach to its credit, we wished we could have exchanged the Hyatt experience for Ladera. After enjoying our stay at the Hyatt, we arrived at Ladera and became immediately depressed about having to leave in 3 days. The beauty of Ladera is truly breathtaking. I like to travel to different places but it will be difficult since the Ladera experience was so incredible. We plan to return soon.

Hi! I can certainly give you some info on Ladera. My boyfriend and I went two years ago and I haven’t stopped raving about it since. Ladera is expensive but we got this AMAZING deal which brought our room rate down to a steal. <BR> <BR>You won’t need much luggage. We mostly went around sans clothes. Use your luggage space to bring booze and candles. Did I mention I went with my boyfriend? Coz it’s a great place for romance if you know what I mean. The room layout and view gave our humdrum sex life a much-needed shot in the you-know-what. (Gotta love those fake waterfalls which help camouflage). In fact, we thought we would rarely leave our room. But I got to be an expert on St. Lucia because being isolated in paradise got a bit tedious after a while. So we were mighty glad for the shuttles to the Hilton and Anse Chastanet. We were soon making good use of the land and water taxis coz there’s nothing around Ladera. (On the plus side, Ladera will charge the land taxi to your room but when we got the bill at checkout WHOA) <BR> <BR>Ladera was great but don’t just take my word for it. I am sure others on this board will agree. But when all is said and done, the price of meals and taxis made it into an expensive trip (I am still paying for it). <BR> <BR>I got my eyes peeled for my next vacation so if anybody has any suggestions of how to stay at a 5-star hotel for under $180 a night, let me know. <BR> <BR>P.S. The odd bat may fly into your room at night. It kind of freaked me out but since I payed so much for the room I was determined not to let it bother me. And make sure you get a suite with a HEATED plunge pool, we nearly froze our assets off in ours. <BR> <BR>

We stayed in Ladera (3 nights) and Stonefield Estate (6 nights). Stonefield is a lot cheaper (got a deal and paid $115 for a 'cottage' which included a big veranda with hammock etc, living room, full kitchen, open air shower, bathroom and beautiful bedroom. It's hard to say which we liked more, Ladera or Stonefield. If you go for quiet, serenity and peace, Stonefield would be your best bet. I've heard the North of the island is much more touristy.

It seems to me that I have read several references to the fact that Ladera may not be a "quiet" place to stay. Is there a lot of noise from the restaurant or other villas? Any suggestions as to a recommended villa?

I would highly suggest Stonefield Estates for a moderate price villa. We stayed there in Nov of 2000 for 5 nights and it was lovely. the villa is nestled on the mountain overlooking the pitons and the water. The villa was quiet - no phones, tv - and had an awesome garden shower. The rocking chairs on the porch made for great coffee time, happy hour, and wonderful sunsets. This was our land part of the trip so I do not know how close it is to the beach as we spent the next 7 days on a boat. There is a nice pool and decent restaurant.

We too are sold on Ladera and have been for a while. Ladera has just hit the Top Ten List in Conde Nast Traveler and made the cover story in Caribbean Travel and Life. We have just returned from our third visit and can report that it is the best yet. We were greeted beautifully by the reception; they were able to upgrade us and because we brought a half a dozen videos we'd seen for their library, there was a bottle of champagne, compliments of Magnus. The gardens were beautiful and we were able to take a couple of tours that were fabulous. We particularly enjoyed the scuba at the Jalhousie Hilton beach. The management put up a little notice about Jupiter being at its closest point on a beautiful starry night down there. So the next day Chris had us all drinking Jupiter's Punch! One of the guests was an amateur astronomer and it was just wild to see the heavens as we never had before. We were glad we had booked directly through Rosemary who treated us again as a long lost friend. <BR>E. Maguire" <BR>

I too would suggest staying in the north part for half your trip. (Stayed in both on two separate trips - I actually liked the north better). For our first trip in the north, we stayed at the Wyndham and really enjoyed it. While it may not be same caliber as the Hyatt, Jalousie, or Ladera, it is in the north, had lovely grounds, good food, nice and clean rooms, great staff, and decent entertainment. The only downfalls were the small-ish beach and in-room hairdryers but the pros outweighed the cons. It's reasonably priced for what you all get and it's all-inclusive with top shelf liquor included (if that matters to you). While in the north, make dinner reservations at the Coal Pot, our favorite restaurant on the island.