I had never been to St. Lucia, and I had a great introduction at the all-inclusive Coconut Bay resort*. If you have ever been to an all-inclusive in Mexico or the Dominican, you know they are huge, with marble everywhere and soaring ceilings. I was sort of expecting the same thing at Coconut Bay. Boy, was I wrong, but in a good way. First, the ride from the airport to the hotel takes about three minutes. Right there the vacation was already great.
The lobby/reception area is very casual, with a straw roof, and someone to greet you with a cool towel and a drink. This is a much more laid back place than one of the mega all-inclusives. Our rooms were pretty spacious and very bright, which I loved. I stayed in the Splash wing, which is for families. I was with my sister, brother-in-law, and my niece and nephew (teenagers). There is another wing named Harmony, which is adults only. They also just added a new section of luxury suites called Serenity. The placement of these wings are well thought out, and if you stay in the Harmony wing, the only times you see/hear kids are in the restaurants.
At night, they had live entertainment in the lobby, which was mostly local singers or bands (they were very good). It was great to go sit and listen after dinner with a drink. They also had cards, board games, and books if you were interested.
There was plenty of room at the beach and pools. You never had to run out in the morning and reserve a chair or spot on the beach. They had a great little waterpark with two pools, a lazy river, and a couple of slides. These kept us entertained most afternoons. Yes, I am forty-three and I still love a good water slide.
My niece and I went horseback riding, which we arranged at the front tour desk. We loved it so much, we went back the next day on a different trail! Our guide was awesome, and as you can see, very skilled with horses. He also rode backwards so he could talk to us. You could arrange a whole host of tours and excursions at the desk. We were pretty lazy though.
The food wasn’t amazing, but for an all-inclusive very good. The Coconut Walk Marketplace, was a buffet with lots of cooking stations, and was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I always found something I liked. There are a couple “signature” restaurants, that are still included, but you do need to make a reservation. We ate at Silk and Calabash, and had great meals at both.
The whole family had a great time, there was something for everybody. If you want a low-key Caribbean vacation, I would definitely recommend the Coconut Bay resort.
*This post was not sponsored by Coconut Bay, all opinions are my own.
Kate's Travel Adventures 