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Ladera has the most spectacular and dramatic setting in the whole of the Caribbean. It sits at a vertiginous 1100 feet, clinging to a ridgeline and looking out between the Pitons, St Lucia’s extraordinary twin pointed peaks. Its atmosphere is low key and romantic and its style is inimitable - the very comfortable suites and villas, all of which are open on one side (they have no fourth wall) onto the magnificent view, are very originally decorated in St Lucian creole style, with brightly coloured madras material and mosaics. With its spa, Ti Kai Posé, and Dasheene, its excellent creole restaurant, Ladera Resort is unique and one of the most original and romantic small Caribbean hotels.
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KEY FEATURES
| One of the top small St Lucia hotels with 25 suites and villas (one and two bedrooms) perched on a ridgeline, with plunge pools and magnificent views. In a quiet, undeveloped part of St Lucia. Dasheene Restaurant with excellent creole cuisine, spa, Ti Kai Posé, with four treatment rooms, central pool. Commendable choice for St Lucia weddings and honeymoons. |
STYLE
| A strong St Lucian creole style, with madras material, local wooden furniture and a light touch in the brightly painted mosaic décor. Stone and wooden, almost alpine suites and villas, with an original layout – open-sided to take advantage of the view |
CLIENT PROFILE
| Well heeled and independent travellers wanting a complete hideaway. A good mix of nationalities |
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If ever there was a view to linger over, it is the one at Ladera. You look from a vertiginous 1100 feet onto a scene framed left and right by the vast bulk of the Pitons, incisor-shaped mountains that soar directly from the sea to over 2000 feet. Between them, down at sea level, the only signs of human presence are diminutive tennis courts and a couple of roofs lost in the greenery. It is one of the most dramatic views in the Caribbean. It changes throughout the day as the sun moves, etching light and shadow across the mountainside. Colours rise and fall. The rich green of the tumbling hillside recedes into shade and to the burnt black of the Piton’s rock walls. Beyond it all is the royal blue of the Caribbean Sea, where the sun glances off the choppy water and sailing boats cut a stark white line in its wake.
Of course Ladera itself is set up to take advantage of the view (the hotel will even provide you with binoculars). In an original turn, the rooms have no fourth wall, and they give you an uninterrupted view straight from your plunge pool, sitting room, even from your bed. The accommodation is ranged along a ridgeline, sixteen one-bedroom suites, three one bedroom villa suites and six villas (which sleep up to six) standing cheek by jowl. They lead up to a central area with a pool, dining room and above it, for the highest view of all, a bar.
Ladera is a small and spectacular place to stay, a true original even in the Caribbean, which has plenty of settings in fantastic mountains and greenery. Relatively remote, it has little activity, just an excellent creole restaurant, Dasheene and a small spa, Ti Kai Posé and a couple of weekly events such as the Manager’s cocktail party and a fashion show. It is ideal as a quiet, particularly romantic, retreat. The rooms are a good size and very private and so people sometimes spend a week in them barely venturing out. Most of the rooms do not have kitchens, but you can order meals into your room at extra charge.
The rooms are set in a series of stone and wooden buildings that stand shoulder to shoulder along the saddle of a ridgeline, rising at either end. They are large and open. In fact most of them are suites, with a living room downstairs and bedroom upstairs. Each has a sitting area a plunge pool (or a larger pool in some cases) set among tropical plants at the front, so you can take in the view while you are cooling off.
There is almost an alpine air about the rooms because of the dark stained wood, which is used in many ways. The interiors have lacquered wooden floors and wooden furniture and sometimes walls (interior walls can also be exposed stone or white stucco). Many of the beds are four-posters and they are covered with muslin netting. The rooms are decorated in idiosyncratic style. There is local artwork, but most originally, there are mosaics of frogs and iguanas laid into the terracotta tile floor and carved into the balustrades. In the bathroom there are conch shell spouts and taps made from metal fish. The showers are tiled with mosaics.
Naturally, with one wall open to the view, the rooms feel quite open. The lack of the fourth wall is not a problem as far as mosquitoes is concerned. (They will not bother you at this altitude.) Instead you may find that fireflies come into the room at night in a flashing green trail.
Like the rest of the resort, which uses the maximum possible local produce, the rooms at Ladera have a strong theme of St Lucia. Brightly coloured madras material, with its tartan-like pattern, is used to decorate the rooms. The rush mats are locally made, as is much of the furniture (some of which is original and reproduction tropical antique).
This area of St Lucia is immensely fertile and so Ladera is set in by delightful gardens. Set among the resort’s hefty stone walls there are ponds and some of the many extraordinary tropical plants, whose exoticness gives the small hotel some of its distinctly romantic feel. As you enter the steep drive you come to the office to your right and the line of rooms high on your left, running on the top of the ridgeline. Beneath the office is the small spa, Ti Kai Posé, or The Little House of Rest, whose name gives a good sense of it atmosphere.
At the top of the accommodation you come to the pool deck and then the shop, the restaurant Dasheene, and highest of all, the bar, Tcholit. Dasheene is set on a tiled, open-sided deck. The creole theme is continued here, with madras table-cloths and cushions decorating the locally made wooden chairs and tables. It is also true of the cuisine itself, which uses many creole recipes to get the best of the local ingredients (see dining below).
What they have created at Ladera is unique in the Caribbean. There is a wonderful feel to the hotel, because of its seclusion, intimacy, tropical beauty and of course because of its extraordinary view, which is certainly one of the most dramatic and spectacular in the Caribbean. If you are happy to tuck yourself away quietly, it is a perfect setting to unwind. |
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Beach & Swimming
At 1100 ft, Ladera is clearly not on the beach, but it offers a shuttle four to six of times a day. The main beaches nearby are at Jalousie Plantation (directly beneath Ladera), where there is a man-made white-sand beach and some facilities, and Anse Chastanet (two shuttles a day), a lovely cove with grey sand and good watersports. Malgretoute, just outside Soufrière, is a small beach with a local beach bar.
All of the rooms at Ladera Resort have their own private plunge pool, set at the front of and bordered by hefty volcanic rocks and pots of tropical flowers (the pools in the two bedroom villas are slightly larger than the others). There is also a deck just beneath the dining room where there is a larger central pool also surrounded by greenery. |
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Sports & Recreation
Ladera gives out snorkelling equipment to those headed off to the beach. There is a small exercise room on property, beneath the offices, with bicycles and free weights.
The local area is very fertile and there are good opportunities for visiting gardens and former plantations. There is also plenty of hiking in the area. If so much looking at the Pitons inspires a desire to climb one, then tours are available of the Gros Piton.
Ladera offers a full spa service in their new Ti Kai Posé Spa. Massage (including aromatherapy) is available in the room. |
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Staff
The staff at Ladera is all St Lucian except for the general manager, Warren Francis, who is a long-time Caribbean hand, and the chef, Orlando Satchell, who is something of a celebrity around St Lucia, see below under dining. Most of the other members of staff come from around the Soufrière area. There is daily maid service in the rooms. |
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Dining
Dasheene, Ladera’s dining room, offers very original creole cuisine. It is headed up by Orlando Satchell, who is of West Indian extraction via Britain. He designs the menus and is generally in residence for the winter season, and in his absence the dining room is overseen by St Lucian, Nigel Mitchell. They select the best of the island’s excellent produce and then use some of the traditional local techniques and recipes to create a menu that is both reflective of Creole food and accessible to visitors. While much of West Indian cooking is strongly spiced and has heavy sauces, here it is toned down. It is still fairly robust cooking sometimes, but it is innovative, carefully and artistically presented and it is fun to eat. Lastly of course you have a simply supreme setting in which to enjoy them.
Samples of his dishes are Tropical Lady Poulet (a breast of chicken marinated with cinnamon spice and stuffed with plantain mousse) and the St Lucia Mojo Steak, which is marinated in lime and pepper, pan-seared and served with Mojo jus. |
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Weddings
Ladera’s Dream Wedding Package includes the services of a wedding co-ordinator, all legal requirements and transportation costs, fresh flowers (with a bouquet for the bride), the ceremony on a 1,000-foot-high ledge overlooking the mountains and Caribbean Sea, with Champagne and canapés for four and a two-tiered wedding cake afterwards. Cost US$1,100 plus service charge. Ladera can customise wedding arrangements to suit so please use the wedding package as a guide.
FREE WEDDING
Couples staying at Ladera in a Hilltop Dream Suite with pool or a Luxury Two-Bedroom Villa Suite with pool, for a minimum of 7 nights will receive the wedding package (worth US$1,100 plus 10% service charge) free of charge.
Valid 03 January to 20 December 2009. Prices subject to change without notice. |
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Children
Ladera is an adult only resort and does not accept children under the age of 15 except during the Christmas and New Year period, when families with children over seven are welcome. |
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Useful Hints
Ladera’s dramatic setting has enormous advantages, but it is also relatively steep, so it is not that suitable for anyone that has mobility difficulties.
Something to be aware of that the tropical night is rarely quiet and the peeping of tree frogs seem quite loud in the silence. It quietens down late in the night, but if there is any rain, expect a chorus. |
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Practical Facts
Annual Closure Dates: 31 August-25 September 2009 - 2010 tba
Dress Code: Dress for dinner is casual/elegant. Shorts, tank tops and bare backs (except for the ladies!) are not acceptable in the bar or restaurant during dinner.
Facilities: Dasheene Restaurant and Tcholit Ba, Ti Kai Posé Spa, Ti Kai boutique, freshwater swimming pool, fully stocked library with board games, and a small open-air gym
Complimentary: All guests receive complimentary full breakfast daily and afternoon tea (St Lucia style), and a snack bag (including mineral water and banana bread) on departure for their journey to the airport. The hotel operates a complimentary shuttle service to the main town of Soufrière, as well as Jalousie Plantation and Anse Chastanet hotels where beach access and watersports are available. Beach towels and snorkelling equipment provided: Shuttle to Jalousie (4-5 times daily) takes approximately 15 minutes. Ladera guests receive sunloungers. Shuttle to Anse Chastanet (twice daily) by water taxi to/from Soufrière which takes approximately 10 minutes. Weekly Manager’s cocktail party. Weekly Mixology class. Tour of Saturday market in Soufriere with chef followed by cooking demonstration. Weekly fashion show. Ladera botanical garden tour.
Other Services: There is a variety of musical entertainment most nights, as well as occasional art exhibitions and presentations about the island of St Lucia. Room service is available for breakfast, lunch, snacks or dinner at an extra charge of US$10 per order. Ladera’s Ti Kai Posé Spa offers a menu of services – Swedish massage/Anti Stress Massage, Hot Stone Massage, Body Scrubs, Couples massage, reflexology, bronzing treatments, manicures, pedicures, waxing, tinting and facials. In-room aromatherapy massages. Tennis is available at The Jalousie Plantation (bookable in advance). Laundry service. Private guest telephone room and computer room - telephone/fax/internet access (charges may apply). Daily housekeeping and turndown service. Tour Desk will arrange a variety of activities including island tours, guided rainforest hikes/walks, bird watching trips, horse riding, whale/dolphin watching, day sail/sunset cruises, Gros Piton climb etc. Portable DVD players and a selection of movies available for use in guest accommodation. Pillow menu.
Children: Over 15 years of age welcome except during the festive season (21 Dec-02 Jan) when families with children ages 7-14 are also welcome free of charge (room only) when sharing with parents
Weddings: Couples staying at Ladera for 7 nights or more in a Hilltop Dream Suite with pool or a One-Bedroom Dream Villa Suite with pool receive the wedding package (worth US$1,100) free of charge. See under Weddings for details.
Accommodation: 32 – 6 villas and 26 suites
Room Types: All accommodations are open-fronted on the west side (no wall or windows) and have views of the Pitons and Caribbean Sea, en suite bathroom with shower, stocked service bar (charges apply), tea and coffee making facilities, hair dryers, iron and ironing board, Ladera robes, beach towels. A Ladera Necessarie Basket with binoculars, slippers, a star-gazing chart and eye masks. Maximum room occupancy: 4 persons in a one or two-bedroom suite and 2 persons in all other suites. 6 x Luxury Two-bedroom Dream Villa Suites – have a heated pool with waterfall off the open-air living area and a separate dining area downstairs. Upstairs is an open-air master bedroom with four-poster king size bed, and to the rear an enclosed bedroom with queen bed, both have en suite bathrooms. 3 x One-bedroom Villa Suites – have a plunge pool with waterfall, an open-air bedroom with four-poster queen size bed, two bathrooms, and open-air living area with day bed. 8 x Hilltop Dream Suites – open air bedroom with king size four-poster bed and en suite bathroom next to an open air sitting room, steps to separate level area with heated pool with waterfall and Jacuzzi. 11 x Gros Piton Suites - with open air bedroom with four-poster queen size bed and bathroom, adjacent open air living area and plunge pool with waterfall. 4 x Petit Piton Suites - are slightly smaller than the Gros Piton Suites with smaller plunge pool with waterfall, open air bedroom with four-poster queen size bed and sitting area and an en suite bathroom
Credit Cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discovery |
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Rates
| | 01 Oct-20 Dec 2009 | 21 Dec-04 Jan 2009-10 | 05 Jan-04 Apr 2010 | 05 Apr-30 Jun 2010 & 01 Oct-20 Dec 2010 | 01 Jul-30 Sep 2010 | | Meal Plan | BP | BP | BP | BP | BP | | Petit Piton Suite with plunge pool | 480 | 680 | 615 | 480 | 380 | | Gros Piton with plunge pool | 615 | 815 | 750 | 615 | 465 | | One Bed Villa Suite with plunge pool | 680 | 870 | 805 | 680 | 535 | | Hilltop Dream Suite with pool & Jacuzzi | 810 | 1025 | 935 | 810 | 715 | | Luxury Two Bed Dream Villa with pool | 945 | 1330 | 1075 | 945 | 840 | | Extra person | 125 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 150 | All rates are quoted in US$, per room, per night based on double or single occupancy, exclusive of 10% Service Charge and 8% Government Tax. All rates are subject to change without notice. BP = room, breakfast and afternoon tea. Full board (FAP) supplement is US$100 pp/day booked on property only for 3 consecutive days minimum, plus tax and service, and includes breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. All-inclusive (AI) supplement is $150 pp/day booked on property only for 3 consecutive days, plus tax and service, and includes all meals as per FAP plus all beverages by the glass (bottled wine and Champagne not included). A surcharge for lobster applies locally according to availability. There is a minimum stay of 3 nights (5 nights for Hilltop suites) except during 21 Dec-04 Jan when it is 5 nights. A 2 night deposit is required to secure all reservations and is forfeit if cancelled within 21 days of arrival. Early departures are charged the equivalent of 1-2 nights accommodation cost. |
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Special Offers
Closer To Heaven Offer - 7th Night Free
The following offer applies to new and current bookings for all stays of 7 nights or more at Ladera through to 20 December 2009. Stay for 7 nights (or more) and the last night is free!
Plus Includes:
• Milky Way cocktail at the Tcholit Bar
• Night Sky Planisphere chart
• 15-Minute Cloud Nine massage at Ti Kai Posé within 24 hours of arrival
• Daily tropical breakfast
• Afternoon tea
• Complimentary use of mineral baths in the spa garden
• Full use of resort facilities including the beach shuttles, snorkeling equipment, and new fitness center
Offer applies to all room categories and packages except the Great Escape Package and cannot be combined with other offers. Offer subject to change without notice.
US$150 Gift Certificates
Book any suite or villa for a minimum of 5 nights and receive a US$150 per person gift certificate (no cash value) to use in Ladera's Ti Kaye Pose Spa. Offer is valid 03 Jan-20 Dec 2009 and cannot be combined with any other package or offer. |
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Festive Programme
Christmas and New Year's Eve Program
This year Ladera is offering a complete classic Christmas Dinner at Dasheene Restaurant with evening entertainment performances to include local carolers and live bands, the option to attend Christmas Day Mass at Fond St Jacques Catholic Church and a cocktail reception with the General Manager. A New Year's Eve Gala Dinner is also planned and includes a live band, dancers, party favours and celebratory midnight countdown to ring in the New Year. Reservations are required in advance for the New Years Eve Gala. Dress code is smart casual. |
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How to Book
If you wish to make further enquiries or a reservation, please use the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page to make contact with Ladera, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser, please follow the link below.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Locality
Situated about three miles south of Soufrière, just off the steep main road, Ladera overlooks the west coast at the Jalousie Plantation, between the two Pitons. The area is immensely fertile and there are some delightful gardens and former plantations in the area, including Coubaril and Fond Doux, where you will see the traditional method of processing cocoa beans and other spices. The local plants in the gardens are named. Also close by are the Sulphur Springs, the island’s volcanic vent, an area of steaming, smelly morass, jokingly referred to as the ‘drive-in’ volcano.
Soufrière is the oldest town in St Lucia and although it is currently undergoing redevelopment it still retains some of its traditional character. To the rear of the town are the Diamond Falls and Botanical Gardens, with explosive tropical flora. There are also some baths that take advantage of the mineral-laden and extremely hot waters. First set up in the 1700s by the French colonial authorities at the specific request of the French king, they are still available for a curative bath if you wish. Ladera’s shuttle runs down to Soufrière several times a day. |
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Meet & Greet
There are two airports in St Lucia and if you have the choice then for Ladera it is probably easier to fly into Hewanorra in the south of the island, from where it takes around 50 minutes to arrive. The resort is happy to arrange transportation for you from either airport, cost US$100 from Hewanorra and US$100 from George FL Charles Airport at Vigie near the capital Castries. Ladera also give you the option of a boat transfer from Vigie Airport along the dramatic west coast of the island (US$200 one way).
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
It is probably best to hire a car if you want to explore from Ladera. On St Lucia we recommend Cool Breeze Car/Jeep Rentals, which has an outlet in nearby Soufrière and Drive-A-Matic Car Rentals (based in the north of the island). They will deliver the vehicle to the property and issue your St Lucian driving licence, price US$20 or EC$54. You can return the car to either airport or they will collect it at a pre-arranged time on your departure day.
Be aware that there can be a shortage of cars in St Lucia over the Jazz Festival and possibly at Christmas, so at these times you are advised to book well in advance. Also book early if you want one for a week or more because the pre-booked rates can be better. |
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