The Landings resort provided us with luxurious accomodation for two nights during our week long stay in St Lucia. Like many hotels in the Caribbean, this expansive property is suffering from the reduced tourism on the island, and when we visited it felt like we almost had the place to ourselves, with plenty of room to relax and unwind.

The property is huge, and some incomplete apartments demonstrate the original design’s intended scale; lack of funds means some buildings are still to be finished. The main entrance is very grand with a marble floor and spacious reception lounge for guests. We were beginning to get used to the customary rum punch on arrival and right on cue, a smiley waitress brought glasses along, strong rum concoctions with an extra pinch of spice sprinkled on top. After brief hellos, we were escorted in a buggie to our quarters.

We were housed in a luxurious large apartment, with two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a huge living area, two balconies (one with a jacuzzi hot tub!) and everything else you could need to live at the Landings for a substantial length of time. It was blissfully cool inside, the air-con worked wonders cooling one down after a sunbathing stint on the beach. Everything was in tiptop condition, surprising considering the reduced number of guests occupying the rooms. The decor is attractive but plain, very neutral and easy, perfect for families or even business trips. I loved the extras: washing machine and dryer were used to the max during our stay, flatscreen TVs and speakers and other useful gadgets. Sweetly the staff had left a complimentary bottle of white wine and a cheese plate in the fridge for us.

The bathrooms are impressively smart, with his and her sinks and posh toiletries. Guests have the choice of a shower and a bath for refreshing and revitalising. We were extremely comfortable throughout our stay in this deluxe villa suite where every detail has been thought of for one’s convenience and enjoyment.

If you don’t feel like leaving the hotel there is a variety of activities on site to try. We played on the tennis courts, tried out the spa and enjoyed numerous cocktails on the beach. One night we were even lucky enough to watch and listen to the best saxophonist on the island playing whilst we sipped our fruity drinks at the sea’s edge. There are two restaurants: the fine dining Palms Restaurant and the Beach Club. I was disappointed to find Palms intermittently closed, and so we settled for a casual meal in the Beach Blub Brasserie. The food here was rather average, a real shame considering the high quality elsewhere at the Landings. We tried grilled burgers and seafood, fresh but bland. The typically Caribbean cocktails were nice but too sweet too finish. Perhaps the real showstoppers come out at Palms.

I was sad to see the Landings so empty when we visited in November. With so few people it seems understandable that certain aspects of the hotel will suffer. Despite this we had a lovely relaxing time and I adored the spacious luxurious suite. It seems this hotel has so much potential and yet is struggling to secure guest bookings. Hopefully its luck will change in the new year.

More information here.

http://www.thelandingsstlucia.com/