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Stonefield Estate Villa Resort is a small group of very attractive villas set high on a hillside of incredibly lush tropical greenery on the flanks of the Petit Piton in St Lucia. Built using the best of traditional St Lucian creole style, there are 19 villas in a range of configurations (1 – 3 bedrooms), enabling couples, families or friends to have some privacy within a group. There is also a central area, with pool, bar and restaurant, the Mango Tree, which looks out onto the dramatic wall of the Piton. Among the loveliest of St Lucia villa resorts, Stonefield is secluded and offers the best of the lush south-west corner of St Lucia.
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KEY FEATURES
| St Lucia villas in a supreme setting, 18 one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom self-catering St Lucia villas set high above the west coast of the island, balconies with hammocks, 16 villas with private pools, safe fridge, stove, coffee maker, hammock, CD players. Central pool, bar and restaurant, internet service, beach below with bar, snorkelling equipment, beach and town shuttles. |
STYLE
| Cottages built recently using the best West Indian architectural traditions, with red tin roofs and gingerbread trim, balconies. Independent tropical living, intentionally tranquil (no air-conditioning, no phone, no tv) |
CLIENT PROFILE
| Seasoned travellers, happy to be self-contained, many previous visitors to St Lucia |
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There is a magical air about Stonefield Estate Villa Resort, which is reminiscent of an earlier, more romantic age. It consists of several extremely attractive villas in traditional West Indian style that sit among outrageous tropical greenery in the southwest of St Lucia. They are relatively remote, but have one of the most dramatic settings in the Caribbean, dwarfed by the Petit Piton, the 2400 ft incisor-shaped spike that soars from the water just south of Soufriere. Not surprising then, that many of the guests at Stonefield are travellers who have visited St Lucia before and know they have found a good thing here. This is where they come when they return.
Stonefield is set on 27 acres of steep hillside, a swathe of a thousand greens. Gulleys exploding with tropical flora run down through the estate. Huge trees stand around, vast breadfruits, mangos and flamboyants, and at their feet there are splashes of colour - heliconias, hibiscus and bougainvillea. The resort is a former sugar, then lime and finally cocoa plantation (production stopped only in the late 1980s), so some structures from the earlier plantations remain, including the walled buildings of the lime processing plant. In the garden, old rusted sugar boilers are used to hold water plants.
Set among all of this, supported by massive stone retaining walls, stand the villas. These use the best of local St Lucian and Caribbean architectural techniques (the owner, Wayne Brown, a civil engineer, has a love for local architecture and designs them himself). They are mostly made of wood, with steeply pitched tin roofs trimmed with many different styles of gingerbread.
Of course, they enable the best of tropical life, casting you back in to the gracious and privileged era of the plantation. Each villa has a balcony with a hammock and planters’ chairs from which to admire the view – just a few of the villas have a garden view, but that itself is pretty good anyway, in such fertile country. The Cocoa House, with its old walls, has an authentic air of old estate. Inside, the villas have terra cotta tiles, rush mats and muslin mosquito nets over the beds. Much of the furniture, including the four poster beds, bedside tables and cabinets was made by the owners. Beyond the bathroom, with its his and hers basins, many of the villas have open-air, garden showers.
At this elevation, air-conditioning isn’t really needed and so instead maximum use is made of traditional methods of ventilation. The louvres in the windows and doors can be pegged in place to keep them open to encourage a through flow of air, which is then whipped up by ceiling fan.
Each villa has at least a galley kitchen and most have a kitchenette, so you can be self contained if you want. However Stonefield also has a central area. Set next to the pool and sundeck you will find the Mango Tree Restaurant and Bar, which stands on a very pretty, brightly painted, gingerbread trimmed deck. It serves all three meals. It also has the finest view of all of the Petit Piton and, from near the trunk of the mango tree of the name, a superb view of the sunset.
The gardens are obviously superb, so when the moment moves you to explore the property there is a nature trail in the estate. The Stonefield logo is taken from three ghostly figures from Amerindian rock carvings on the trail. The small trio supposedly has a religious significance, likely as not connected to the Pitons. You will also see many birds on the property.
But what Stonefield offers more than anything else is seclusion in delightful tropical tranquillity, in classic, old West Indian style. Set in its dramatic position, it is full of fantastic views, particularly of the Petit Piton, which plummets straight into the sea. It is ideal for simple, self-contained relaxation and contemplation from the veranda or the poolside. |
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Beach & Swimming
Set at over 500 feet, Stonefield is obviously not on the beach, but there is a twice daily shuttle that takes you over to The Jalousie Plantation where there is a man-made white sand beach. They will lend you watersports equipment. For a fee of US$15 you can also use their tennis courts and squash court. The Stonefield shuttle will also run you down to Soufrière, where there is a nice grey sand with a fantastic view at the top end of town.
A road leads down to the waterfront at Malgretoute (about fifteen minutes walk down and probably 25 up again…), where there is a small section of sand, a beach bar and a couple of houses. The sand was ripped off the beach by a hurricane a few years back and is gradually returning. |
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Sports & Recreation
The area is good for birdwatching and an estimated 50 species can be seen on the property.
If you need a little help in relaxing, Stonefield Estate's new spa - The Bamboo Door, may be just what you need. Set in the old manager's residence, there are two therapy rooms covering a range of treatments including a mango and ginger body scrub, Swedish and Deep Tissue massage, hot stone massage, hydrotherapy, manicure, pedicure and other beauty treatments.
The scuba diving around Soufrière is also excellent. It drops off underwater almost as steeply as the land descends to the sea, so there are walls clad with coral. There are even volcanic outlets, so you end up diving in bubbles. We recommend Dive Fair Helen.
The area around Soufrière has plenty to explore aswell, from botanical gardens, through walks in the rainforest and a climb up the Piton. Reception can book around 50 tours for you, both on land and offshore.
Here are some ideas of tours from Stonefield Estate. |
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Accommodation
The villas, 18 of them in all, take the names of the flowers and trees that grow on the property. Fourteen are one-bedroom villas, the original ones of which four have a living/dining room with kitchen opening onto a veranda, a plunge pool, and a bedroom with outdoor shower. Two of these have a garden view and no pool. The eight newest one-bedroom villas, which are smarter and more comfortable, have no living room, but a bigger bedroom with direct access to the veranda. They also have their own pools.
There are three two-bedroom villas, of which Cocoa Villa is set into the walls of the old cocoa house. The other two are the original villas on the estate and have fantastic verandas with double hammocks. The two three-bedroom properties are the Plantation House, a modern building, and Limemill, which has been converted from the old lime factory. Both the three-bedroom villas and one one-bedroom villa have their own large pools. All the villas are screened by plants or walls for privacy. |
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Dining
You can obviously look after yourself using your kitchenette, but the Mango Tree has a supreme setting and is good place to chill (the central pool is there). It is open for all meals, but is popular at dusk when people come in form outside to watch the sunset. The menu is strong on St Lucian dishes, particularly fish, caught by fishermen from the local area, but here are also French, Italian and some Spanish dishes. The Mango Tree sees a passing trade of yachties moored in the bay as well as some local St Lucians.
Room service is available to the villas. |
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Weddings
Stonefield provides some fantastic back-drops for wedding photographs and is a thoroughly romantic place for a Caribbean wedding. For obvious reasons, they get a lot of wedding requests and are quite good at organising a good event. They have a couple of wedding plans(see under Practical Facts), and they allow you to add extra bits to make your wedding day yours. The simpler of the two is probably right for a couple looking for a small unfussy wedding. The second includes more by way of pre-wedding pampering and flowers. Please see here for Residency and Legal Requirements as well as Legal Fees. |
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Useful Hints
Stonefield Estate is extremely attractive but it is secluded and slightly remote (though there are plenty of things to do in this area of St Lucia) and so you will enjoy it best if you are fairly self-reliant
It might cross your mind to ask for supplies to be put for your arrival (extra cost), but most guests eat at the restaurant on the first night and then go to the supermarket in Soufrière the next day to buy their food. |
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Practical Facts
Annual Closure dates: None
Dress Code: Casual to elegantly casual in the evenings
Facilities: Restaurant (open for breakfast, lunch and dinner) and bar, resort pool and spa.
Complimentary: Welcome drink and tea, use of snorkelling equipment, daily housekeeping, daily beach shuttle, town shuttle (Mon-Fri), tour of nature trail featuring rock carvings.
Other Services: Internet access, fax service, collect/charge international calling, hair braiding, babysitting
Accommodation: 19 villas
Room Types: All villas have a bedroom with queen size bed (except One-Bedroom Luxury/Premium Luxury), showers en suite, ceiling fan, insect screens, iron and ironing board, CD player, safe box, living area, dining area, veranda with table, chairs, loungers and hammock and a sundeck. Each villa also has a kitchen area with cooker, fridge-freezer, toaster, blender and kettle. Amenities include tea, sugar, coffee filters, facial tissue, bath soap, shampoo and conditioner, toilet tissue, bath towels, hand/face towels, clothes hangers. Hairdryers are available on request. Please note: One-Bedroom Luxury & Premium villas have king size beds and do not have a living/dining area or full kitchen but do have a kitchenette area with small fridge, toaster, blender and coffee maker to the side of the bedroom.
Superior One-Bedroom Villa: Chalon Villa (garden view) – a sweet gingerbread style cottage popular with honeymooners with one bedroom, an open air garden shower room, a Japanese garden with a view of the Petit Piton. Deluxe One-Bedroom Villa: Orchid (ocean view) - is the most compact one bedroom cottage but with plenty of room, great view to the sea and Petit Piton, an outdoor garden shower room and a galley kitchen. Luxury One-Bedroom Villa with plunge pool (approx. 15x14ft): Casuarina, Manchineel, Bamboo, Gingerlily, Tamarind and Rain Tree (ocean view) - are individually designed villas each with a bedroom with king-size four poster bed and a compact kitchenette to one corner with small dining area, an expansive veranda with hammocks for two and lovely sea views with adjacent tiled sun terrace with plunge pool. En suite with garden shower room. Premium Luxury One-Bedroom Villa with plunge pool (approx. 15x14ft): Frangipani and Hibiscus (ocean view) - are similar in design to the Luxury units but with superior views to the Petit Piton being located next to a dry ravine. Frangipani has a larger pool and tiled sun terrace. One-Bedroom Villa Suite with plunge pool: Oleander and Jasmine (ocean view) -spacious with a bedroom with four poster queen size bed, open air garden shower room, open-plan living and dining room with kitchen. Decked veranda with great views to the sea and Petit Piton, and a small pool terrace with plunge pool. Located close to the restaurant and main pool. One-Bedroom Premium Villa Suite with plunge pool: Jacaranda and Flamboyant (ocean view) – similar to the Suite but with superior views. Superior Two-Bedroom Villa: Cocoa Villa (garden view) - was originally the old "cocoa house" for processing cocoa beans on the estate, garden shower room, Piton and garden view. Deluxe Two-Bedroom Villa): Coralita (ocean view) – lovely villa with great views, with two master bedrooms with garden shower rooms en suite, fully equipped kitchen. Luxury Two-Bedroom with pool: Bougainvillea (ocean view) – similar to Coralita but with a plunge pool. Deluxe 3-bedroom with pool (12x26ft): Limemill Villa (ocean view) – can be taken as a two (under Luxury 2 bedroom) or three bedroom. Two bedrooms have 4-poster beds, the other has twin beds. Master bedroom has large garden shower room, the other rooms share an indoor shower room. Superb views. Premium Luxury 3-bedroom with pool (15x30ft): Plantation House (ocean view) – dramatic views, very spacious, all bedrooms with bathrooms en suite, TV, VCR and stereo system.
Children: Children over 4 years are welcome at Stonefield.
Weddings: The Plantation Escape wedding plan (basic) includes the service of a Wedding Coordinator, a bottle of sparkling wine, single tier wedding cake, tropical floral wedding arch, groom's boutonniere, bride's bouquet of tropical flowers, legal fees and two witnesses if required. Cost US$599. A Bougainvillea Bliss wedding plan gives you all of the above plus His & Hers top-to-toe spa treatment, decorated candlelit dinner table on your villa patio and 24 photos on CD. Cost US$1,195. All prices subject to change without notice. See here for optional extras.
Credit Cards: Visa and MasterCard |
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Rates
| | 01 Oct- 20 Dec 2008 | 21 Dec- 04 Jan 2008-09 | 05 Jan- 15 Apr 2009 | 16 Apr- 21 Dec 2009 | | ONE BEDROOM VILLA (1-2 persons): Superior Premium Deluxe with pool Premium Luxury with pool Suite with pool Premium Suite with pool | 250 350 375 400 425 | 300 400 425 450 475 | 250 350 375 400 425 | 230 330 350 380 400 | | TWO BEDROOM VILLA (1-4 persons) Deluxe Luxury with pool | 350 450 | 440 550 | 350 450 | 300 400 | | THREE BEDROOM VILLA (1-6 persons) Luxury (Limemill) with pool Premium Luxury (Plantation House) with pool | 550 700 | 660 880 | 550 700 | 500 600 | | Extra person | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | | MEAL PLANS MAP (half board) FAP AI SAI | 60 100 165 250 | 60 100 165 250 | 60 100 165 250 | 60 100 165 250 | All rates are quoted in US$ per night, per villa, including breakfast (BP) and are subject to 10% service charge and 8% government tax. Meal Plans: MAP/SDA = Modified American Plan/Stonefield Dining Adventure includes breakfast, dinner and non-alcoholic drinks, FAP/MTE = Full American Plan/Mango Tree Escape includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and non-alcoholic drinks. AI = All-inclusive, includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and all alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks including house wine by the glass (surcharge for Champagne, premium brand spirits and bottled wines) and SAI/Super All-inclusive, includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, all alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks including house wine by the glass, Champagne and premium brand spirits. Minimum meal plan purchase of 3 nights. * These villa categories do not have cooking facilities. All rates subject to change without notice. Minimum stay: 3 nights 03 Jan-15 Apr, 4 nights 30 Dec-02 Jan and 7 nights 23-29 Dec. A 50% deposit is required to secure all reservations. Cancellations must be given at least 30 days prior to date of arrival to avoid forfeiting the 50% deposit. Shortened stays are also subject to this cancellation charge. Over the Christmas period (December 21 – January 2) full payment is required to secure reservations and cancellations must be given 60 days prior to date of arrival to avoid forfeiting payments made. |
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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 Stonefield Estate, 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
Stonefield is situated about a mile south of Soufrière, signed off the main road, at between 500 and 600 feet. Soufrière is the oldest town in St Lucia and although it is currently undergoing development 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 and some baths that take advantage of the mineral-laden and extremely hot waters. You can take a curative bath here if you wish.
In the region you will also find another famous St Lucia attraction (the most famous of course being the Pitons), the Sulphur Springs, the island’s volcanic vent. It is an area of steaming, smelly morass, jokingly referred to as the ‘drive-in volcano’. There are also two delightful former plantations in the area. At Morne Coubaril Estate, a former plantation you will see old cocoa works, a copra and cassava factories and the remains of a sugar mill as well as a re-creation of a traditional St Lucian farm workers’ village. Farther south is Fond Doux, where there are garden tours and you will see the traditional method of processing cocoa beans. |
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Meet & Greet
There are two airports in St Lucia and if you have the choice then it is probably easier to fly into Hewanorra in the south of the island, from where it takes around 50 minutes to reach Stonefield. The resort is happy to arrange transportation for you from either airport, cost US$60 from Hewanorra for 1-3 persons plus US$12 for each additional person and US$80 from George FL Charles Airport at Vigie near the capital Castries for 1-3 persons plus US$20 for each additional person. Prices are one-way and subject to change without notice.
Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include limousine transfers, a Concierge Service is offered by St Lucia Representative Services.
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 Stonefield. On St Lucia we recommend Cool Breeze Car/Jeep Rentals, which has an outlet in Soufrière, and Drive-a-Matic. They will deliver the vehicle to the property and issue your St Lucian driving licence, price US$20 or EC$54. You can return it 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 Christmas period, form early December into January and also over the Jazz Festival in May, so 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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