Day Tripping from Cap Maison in St. Lucia

Now this sounds like a great vacation side trip, especially for a girlfriend’s getaway:

Wake up in a villa at Cap Maison in St. Lucia. Next, saunter down to the restaurant perched above the sea at the northern most tip of the island. Here, the Caribbean and Atlantic meet. Waves and dark coffee say, “Good morning.” Take Cap Maison’s motor yacht to Martinique. Arrive there about 9:30am for breakfast. Discover Fort de France as you shop Parisian style at the duty free boutiques (Chanel, Hermes) or “go native” and explore the local markets. Return to Cap Maison in time for an afternoon cocktail, poolside or on the beach, made with seasonal fresh fruit. Or, keep with the theme of the day and partake in the chef’s selection of French wine and cheeses. Take a nap, or perhaps read, back at the villa, again poolside. Yes. The villa comes with a pool…

Cap Maison reminds me of a combination of architecture you might find while cruising the Mediterranean­–a little bit of Morocco meets Greece. Throw in some Southern Spain, add a little Malta. However the overall flavor of the resort puts you in Mexico. This may sound hodge-podge, but it works. The buildings are stucco, stark white, and their edges curve and slope caressing the sky. They say lack of sun can make you depressed. I wonder if boxy shaped architecture puts you in a bad mood too. Cap Maison would be the antidote for both.

The resort opened last year in time to celebrate British Airway’s direct service to St. Lucia. Jet Blue now has non-stop service from JFK too. It was the dream child of the Goblat family who lives on premises and wanted to parlay their adjacent landholdings into, “…the best of all the resorts we (they) ever stayed at.” The resort is comprised of 22, one, two and three bedroom villas. There are 49 keys; so guests have the option of staying in a private, adjacent bedroom to one of the villas. It’s deluxe and pretty much everything you could want from a swank resort.

My sunshiny moments…

• Wading in the roof deck pool of “My Villa” with views of the resort in the foreground and the sea in the background.

• Taking a sunset cruise on the resort’s motor yacht. (They offer a “Stay and Sail” package­–cruise the Islands for three to four days and then stay at the resort.)

• Eating the homemade shortbread cookies delivered to my room upon arrival. They killed me.

• Bobbing in an ocean warmer than most pools. You could see your toes through the clear water and the beach cove setting reminded me of the make-out scene from, Here to Eternity.

• Sipping a passion fruit margarita that truly was the best I’ve ever had in my life. E-v-e-r.

• Dining…waves below, the soft, smooth taste of a lovely Chardonnay matching the smooth feeling of my skin post massage (Yes, they do have a spa.) And the food; we began with lobster consommé, then were presented with a Tapas plate of duck roulade and foie gras, but I can’t tell you about the last tasty morsel because I put my pen down to savor the food and the experience!

More East Winds...

Dinner at East Winds is elegantly served with proper and traditional cutlery. I appreciated my fish knife and fork. I warned you about fussy service...

The only Steinway grand piano on the island is at East Winds and it is a fitting addition to the low-key, high taste, experience. Like the single camellia decorating the table, the Steinway accompaniment gives the atmosphere an element of simplicity and ease. You can literally hear the lapping sea beneath the music, coupled with the wine, linens and a candlelight dining, you feel like floating away! The palm frond roof overhanging this large round “beach hut” dining room, known as the Flamboyant Room is, to say the least, ideal–the food, fresh, flavorful and uncomplicated.

A rondoval room is a hexagonal shaped room. According to GM Leach, they’re found in East Africa and a few other West Indian Islands. East Wind’s rondovals are situated in the middle, low-point of the property, hugged by the botanical landscape. We were told that they often are blessed with a soft breeze. Nice, because these rooms do not have air conditioning. Nevertheless, they were my favorite of the three room categories East

Winds has to offer. And they were the least expensive! Until Christmas week these rooms are $470 per night based on double occupancy. Considering, this is an all-inclusive resort, with a boutique hotel feel, this is a very good value. The 30 rooms throughout the resort share a similar décor–tasteful, simple, with a touch of “stylish beach cottage” thrown in.

The Bamboo Lounge was the hippest room at East Winds. Guest can enjoy this lounge for evening cocktails or Champaign or a morning coffee. Again, it is a round room with built in “coves” for seating. The aqua and coral color combination of the upholstery fabric as well as the ratan furnishing work together to create an ideal contemporary “West Indian” design experience. Sit here, and you relax. Walk out to the beach and you escape...

Low Key, High Service, East Winds Inn, St. Lucia

Gareth Leach, General Manager of East Winds Inn in St. Lucia told me that often his staff will tell him, “Don’t worry, you can go do something else.” He isn’t being plied with the cliché Caribbean phrase, “Don’t worry, be happy.” It is actually true; they will get the job done without him hovering. After 18 years at East Winds, Leach says, “I’ve always found St. Lucians to be very well motivated.”

Housekeeper, Merle Prospere, has been at East Winds for 20 years. Some of the gardeners celebrating their ten-year, or more, are familiar faces to East Winds guests returning again and again. One English woman I met was vacationing at East Winds for the tenth year in a row. Obviously the resort is serving up a vacation formula that works flawlessly for their clients, while keeping themselves contentedly employed! A first time guest, expressed, “It’s pretty near perfect!” This is what makes it so…

East Winds offers a very intimate, appropriately elegant, without being up tight, vacation experience. Recreation is basic, off the grid, and to my mind charmingly English–ping pong, shuffleboard, reading (there are books available in all the common rooms). If you’re a garden enthusiast, the grounds are lovely and one can identify tropical plants with the help of a printed guide. A new yoga space is available with classes twice per week. It is a large, elevated, open roof pavilion, with no walls on three sides and glossy floors. You can do your downward dog and see the

birds and blooms–feel the breeze.

While an East Winds vacations seems low-key and no-fuss, the staff does seem to fuss over you. A vegetarian may check out Chefs menu by 2pm. If there isn’t anything that peeks his or her fancy, Chef will meet with said vegetarian to create additional menu choices for that evening. Gluten free travelers can bring their own gluten-free flour and the East Winds kitchen will bake bread for them. Tea is served every afternoon. The swim up pool bar is self-service. Here, kids do love to “play bartender” but staff is also

available to prepare a special drink or two or…. And I should mention that all alcohol, including Champaign, is included in the price of your room, as is all dining.

And a lovely dining experience it is! See my next post for further details on that front.

Ladera, Above and Beyond

I feel like my life is something out of "Where In The World is Waldo" book. Today I'm on the island of St. Lucia, the Ladera resort, to be specific. This hotel's tagline is honest and accurate. It is way Above the bay below, situated on a steep hillside (small mountain, really) with views of St. Lucia's iconic Piton Mountains, left and right. It is Beyond any Caribbean fantasy I've ever had. Perhaps I'm not dreaming large enough! I've selected a few photos here to give you an idea of what this open-air hotel is like, but they don't compare to the real thing. Below are just a few reasons why I'm loving this spot on

earth...

• No need for moisturizer. The air has a smooth, thick velvety quality. You can get a real lung full of oxigen. Why? It's tropical, essentially a rain forest. I'm staving off a cold and

the air quality seems medicinal. Not to mention the Black Water Baths. (Ac

tually I will mention them another time!)

• I did say tropical. Flora, fauna and fruit of exotic varieties are hanging

and winding and boasting their way throughout the resort. The word paradise comes to mind.

• GM, Warren "Waddy" Francis said Ledera is "... different than what has been coming on the island the last couple years. We're authentic and we want to remain authentic." The tree-house experience of the multi level "artisan" villas coupled with the "treasure island" views is almost u

nreal! But it is authentic, actually just what you might expect, but at the same time, you kind-of can't believe it!

• Taking an "open air" shower, no doors, just two walls, seeing the cove below and a cloudy sunset beyond the horizon, gives a whole new meaning to outdoorsy. Oh, and the shower has mosaic walls. One, is of a giant tulip, the other, a daisy. Cheerful.

I know I've been blogging about Italy lately and St. Lucia is a 360. They are entirely opposite, but both pallets are full to bursting with visual bounty... Here comes a big rain...The tree frogs' song is high-pitched and chirping...

Must get ready for dinner. Would love to get some comments! Caio, or later my friend?