Norab

My fiance and I are getting married at the Ladera Resort in January. So far 12-16 of our family/friends will be making the trip to the island to witness our wedding (yea!)<BR><BR>Since most of them are traveling on a limited budget we're looking for hotels/B&amp;Bs that are within 15-20 minute drive of the Ladera but still under $120/night. <BR><BR>We've located some information on the &quot;Talk to Me&quot; B&amp;B and the Hummingbird Resort --- would welcome your thoughts on these properties. <BR><BR>Children will not be making the trip -- so that's not a factor. <BR><BR>Thanks!

joan

Check out the Stonefield Estates, they are a group of small cottages and a larger main house, just a short distance from Ladera. I just read some great reviews for them on Igougo.com, and looked into them myself awhile back (in fact they were booked for a wedding party). Also, we rented a 4 br home, which had another 3 br home on the premises, walking distance to Ladera, called Hermitage Terrace and Hermitage Villa. You can do a search on Google for those. Beautiful homes, don't know if they fit into your budget, but you would save on meals for sure there. Best wishes!

Scott

My first suggestion would be Stonefield Estate. My wife and I just returned from a fantastic stay here. We did a LOT of research prior to our trip, and decided this was the perfect place for us. It was everthing I expected &amp; more! The views are breathtaking, the villas are extremely spacious and private, and the staff is very friendly and will go out of their way to make your stay as pleasant as possible. <BR><BR>Stonefield is also located right down the road from Ladera; I would guess about 2 miles. I'm not sure how firm your price limit of $120/night is, but Stonefield in high season may be a bit more than this...but it is definately worth it, and one of the best values in the area. <BR><BR>With regard to Talk to me Cool Spot and the Hummingbird, both are located on the other side of Soufriere and are a little less convienient. You may also want to consider these others:<BR><BR>La Haut Plantation - located above Talk to me cool, just north of town. great views and good prices.<BR><BR>The Still Plantation / Beach resort - two locations in Soufriere - one is by the Hummingbird (North side of the waterfront of soufriere) &amp; one is by the Botanical Gardens on the outskirts of town.<BR><BR>Here is a link to a Map listing some of these places: <BR><BR>http://stlucia.rezrez.com/accommodations/maps/soufriere.htm<BR><BR>Good Luck!

Mary

We stayed at the Mago Estate for three nights two years ago. It's about a 10 minute taxi ride to Ladera. <BR><BR>It's somewhat rustic but that's good if you like shutters as one or two of your walls that open and close. I believe the price for most of the rooms is in your range. <BR><BR>The food was excellent and very fresh. Continental breakfast was included. Fresh jams and breads, and fresh squeezed juices. They do have full menus for meals, however. <BR><BR>The staff were wonderful.<BR><BR>The estate has I believe only 8 rooms so it's quiet for the most part. It's built into a hillside so you have great views of the piton and the Town of Soufreire. It's very chaming with cobbstone steps, walkways, and some of the walls. In fact, it won a charming hotels award but I can't remember the name. <BR><BR>There are lots of flowers and greenery. It is not set on the sea, but it does have a pool, again, partially made of cobblestone. There is also has a bar and there is live entertainment, I believe, on one night. <BR><BR>There are no TV's and no air conditioning but each room had a fan. When we were there we were told that they would be adding some more guest rooms. They do have a website.

Norab

Thanks much -- anyone else have experience at these resorts??

TS

I'll be staying at the Hummingbird before your trip so I will send a full review upon my return within the next few weeks.

TS

The Hummingbird was the best place to stay in Soufriere for the views and proximity to ocean. It also had a pool. I dare say the views were nicer than Ladera! AND, we got to fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing (unlike at Ladera, which is up on the mountain). It was perfect, the perfect place to stay. And the Hummingbird only has 10 rooms, so it was so intimate. I highly recommend the Hummingbird!!!!