Jade Mountain

One hour away from St Lucia UVF airport lies Jade Mountain. 50mins of the hour are windy St Lucia local roads, then the last 10mins are little more than a 4WD assault course - then you ARRIVE. And what an arrival. Met by the manageress with cocktails and a butler. Luggage has disappeared, and walked “into” the hotel - “into” because it’s outside, a beautifully lit scene of walkways, paths, fishponds and gardens. Shown into the sanctuary (just rooms these are not) and mind blown at the infinity pool, four poster bed and the view to the Pitons at night. As a late arrival, it was recommended we went straight to the top to eat - the first of a set of amazing meals. Food at the Jade Mountain club is high end restaurant all the way, with desserts higher level again. Breakfast is stunning with massive choice and a view of the Pitons every day. Dinner is a four course affair, plus amazing bread choices and an amuse bouche every night. Staff here and everywhere in the resort are superb, but never overly formal and good for a chat and laugh, while doing their jobs faultlessly. There are two beaches. The first one (Chastanet) is amazing. The second (Mamin) surpasses it. Activities are available on Chastanet, but food and drinks are available at both. Don’t worry about getting service - just pop your yellow flag in the sand and it comes running!! Cocktails are perfect and the beach food is exactly what you hope for in casual, but superbly executed menus. Mind you, to get to the beach you have to leave your sanctuary - and that’s a tough decision. Complete privacy, stunning pool and a view to die for - the whole experience is surreally amazing. Waking up in four poster bed to the sound of the birds, and a view over the bay to the Pitons is life affirming, then sip coffee in the pool. Anything you want can be ordered and delivered with a call or a few taps on the iPad (you’re given a dedicated phone with ONE number to hit for any request and the iPad is in the room). Why not have espresso martinis ordered and drink in the pool after dinner! Our room (JA6) had sun loungers, dining area, sitting area too. The bathroom is sort of open plan, but the loo is discreetly private. All the products are high end as you’d expect. The place is very much couples, honeymooners and second time rounders. It’s not a massively social place but everyone we met were great - they’re just there for selfish, indulgent privacy, as we were. This isn’t a party - take someone who matters a lot to you, and make your memories as a couple… Staff are amazing. Service is amazing. Food is amazing. Beaches are amazing. The sanctuary is far beyond this - mind blowingly unique. Expensive for sure, but worth every penny. It’s a bucket list item that you won’t cross off, as you’ll be back - we will be.

Jade Mountain was incredible. The staff were kind, attentive and genuine. The open rooms still had a wonderful breeze, there were plenty of ceiling fans and there were two Dyson fans. We enjoyed there not being any kids as well as the privacy. Every day it would have about 15 minutes of rain where we would stay under our hut at the beach and the staff continued to deliver food or drinks as needed. We had one stormy day where we enjoyed our pool and tub with room service. We never heard our neighbors so you get to fully live the idea of a private sanctuary. Every day the bento boxes were tasty and offered great light snacks. The staff at the restaurants and scuba shop were all knowledgeable and could answer all of our questions. We especially appreciated bartender Alain and bartender Parker’s rum and chocolate tasting. The bars at anse tended to be more lively than the Jade Mountain Club. The live music was amazing. We loved the country band and the violinists most. Housekeeping was fast and detailed. Our room was always impeccable. Our only note is that there isn’t much nightlife as the resort bars tend to die down once the live music ends around 9:00-10:00. The all inclusive package is the way to go. There were mostly honeymooners or older couples. Very romantic and the resort goes the extra mile to make you feel special. The drive was not bad at all. The departing water and banana muffins were a nice touch. The airport was busy but the Jade Mountain staff and drivers did what they could to make the process very easy. Notable excursions/events: - Jazz cruise - chocolate tasting and class - rum and chocolate tasting - Jade Club sunset reception with GM, Christian - Snorkeling (look for the sea turtles!) - fire dancers - sailing - anse mamin beach Notable meals/drinks - banana daiquiri - coconut water in a coconut - chocolate lava cake - sesame crusted tuna - banana muffins - vegan banana pancakes - mango Moscow mule - tuna tostada - 5 course dinner and wine pairing at Jade Mountain Club

This is a special resort and the staff really goes out of its way to make you feel comfortable. Our room was as beautiful as advertised and we enjoyed excellent meals throughout our visit. We took advantage of a few excursions on the property, which is vast, and a highlight was the "beach hike" with Meno (a/k/a Father Nature). The hike is given its name b/c you get to see some amazing beach views from the peak of the hiking trail, but the real highlight was learning from Father Nature. As for the beach, the water is beautiful and serene with opportunities to snorkel right on the property. I saw two sea turtles. Highly recommend this family-owned resort.

This was a surprise trip by my wife so I came here with no expectations and left here with no words except Wow!! Jade Mountain is one of the most iconic vacations I’ve ever had. The pictures don’t lie. First of all, the rooms are insane. Open air design you feel at one with nature. You can just swim at your infinity pool all day looking at the petons and not even feel the need to leave your room. But once you do, you have a host of activities available to you both at the resort and outside. The staff here are truly incredible and make everything work so seamlessly. However, what truly sets this property apart is the hospitality. We had our own butler named Vito. He went above and beyond to make sure we were happy and had everything we needed at all times. Make sure if you’re staying here to request Vito!! The rest of the staff were also amazing. Just to name a few, Teclus, Noyson, housekeeping attendant, Jerome, Orion, and Perry truly made all of our wishes come true. And big thanks to the Troubetzkoy family for creating this sanctuary and caring for it for the past 50 years. In the world we live in, where everyone’s looking to make a quick and everyone’s selling out to hedge funds and private equities, it’s so refreshing to see people who have created their dream and continue their adventures. I was told they employ 600 people here, which is incredible that they feed so many families. The staff truly love them. And last but not least, thank you island of St Lucia for all your magic!!

Overall, Jade Mountain is a wonderful to experience the natural wonder of the Piton mountains that everyone needs to see in their lifetime (esp if you live in the Americas). The plantation is also a unique experience you are not going to find anywhere else on the island. I came for my honeymoon using the Yin/Yang package and thoroughly enjoyed it. PROS: -Amazing rooms. Three walls is such a great idea. Somehow the rooms remain clean and I was surprised not many insects to worry about in our room. -Love waking up to all the birds and hearing all the noises -Amenities are amazing: pool with great view, bath tub, comfortable beds, lawn chairs, spacious -Amazing service. Butlers are so kind and easy access to reaching them. Staff was so amicable. Many of the tour guides have been working there for 15+ years -Amazing food and drinks. Indian restaurant on the beach was excellent. -Ambience outside the rooms and near the top floor restaurant is so beautiful and exotic -So many fun adventures: plantation tour, hiking on Tinker's Trail, chocolate/rum classes, sailing, tour of the ruins were the best. The estate has so much history. And the founder/owner's story is incredible. -Beaches are great. Burgers are great. Not white sand but water feels great and waves are perfect. Beautiful view facing west towards sunset surrounded by a rainforest. You can always find a shaded hut to cover your chair. -I highly recommend the Yin Yang package for the best of Jade and Anse Chastanet (also a great stay!) -Recommend going when it's a little rainy so that there is more greenery compared to the dry season. CONS: -I wanted to take a water taxi to Sugar Beach, as it's a beautiful beach next to one of the Piton mountains. This was arranged easily and is only a 10 minute water taxi ride, however, it ended up being a $90 charge each way. This was never advertised anywhere nor explained to me before booking. The lady at checkout didn't seem to bother to accommodate that this is unfair. It's really not fair to charge $180 for someone to just simply go outside the hotel property (mind you driving is not easy either) and not advertise the excessive cost. It left a bad experience at checkout to what was an incredible stay. -The lady at the hotel's botique store ensured me that the banana ketchup and hot sauce (amazing by the way) can easily pass security clearance upon departuer. However, that is not the case. For some reason, you have to check these products in your luggage. So, I unfortunately lost my ketchup and hot sauce. Also, you can buy both these products for a little bit cheaper at the airport.