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Villa Beach Cottages, a series of cottages and villa suites set on a very good but generally unfrequented beach mid-way between Castries and Rodney Bay, offer an excellent set-up for visitors who want a friendly base from which to explore the island independently and yet still be within easy access of all the lively action of the North of St Lucia. Set in a walled garden overlooking the sand of Choc Bay they are fourteen well-presented units in traditional St Lucian style cottages and more modern Creole buildings. As a villa resort there is a helpful staff and some common facilities, including a central pool and an occasional restaurant and bar (though all units have self-catering, of course) and there is a lovely, low-key atmosphere. Villa Beach Cottages also has a sister property in the south of the island, two lovely genuine plantation houses on La Dauphine Estate near Soufrière.
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KEY FEATURES
| Intimate St Lucia villas resort, just 14 cottages and villa suites, swimming pool, barbecue, beach, small open air restaurant, mini mart, shop, friendly staff, wedding gazebo, in-room massages |
STYLE
| Warm, very friendly, welcoming – all fit. Immaculately manicured in its presentation. Pretty cottages, crisp blue roofed, white and pale pastel painted traditional style buildings set amongst the deep tropical greens in the garden, splashed with flowers, and set off against blue sea and sky – overall effect is quite striking |
CLIENT PROFILE
| All ages from young children to grandparents, independent types, and many repeat guests from Canada, the States, UK and Europe |
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Villa Beach Cottages are a calm enclave of villa suites and freestanding cottages in attractive tropical gardens in the generally lively North of St Lucia. Set right on the sand of Choc Bay, a generally underused beach, they are close to the action of the principle tourist area, Rodney Bay, and within a shout of Castries. They stand just off the main road north of the capital, but they are a very pleasant retreat, one that manages to shut out the world around it, both physically and generally by its calm atmosphere. Many of the guests venture out and travel around the island during the day, but Villa Beach Cottages are ideal to return to for general Caribbean inactivity and contemplation. Choc Bay is west facing and so it has excellent sunset views over the Caribbean Sea and there are hammocks hanging among the trees.
On arrival, as you turn through the gates, you will find the villa suites in several buildings ahead of you, facing away from you onto the sea beyond, and to the left, set among the trees and tropical gardens, the reception, service buildings, and beyond them, also looking out to sea over the lawns, the four cottages. These are immensely pretty and have strong Caribbean style, with white clapboard walls, tin roofs and gingerbread trim. They look extremely pretty set against the profuse greenery of the grass, bushes and palms which are splashed here and there with outrageous Caribbean colour.
The Caribbean style is a conscious policy of the small, family owned and operated resort. The inspiration is traditional St Lucian architecture – styles from the nineteenth century, both French Creole and some tropical Victorian – a theme that is continued inside the buildings too, through the use of locally made furniture in traditional style and original (if modern) artwork on the walls. The effect is something unexpected, a hint of traditional St Lucian life, but in a setting of modern comfort.
You will experience it straight away, at Reception. The small building is panelled with greenheart wood, a beautiful tropical hardwood. And there is a certain Caribbean graciousness in the fact that you sit at a table to check in rather than stand at a counter. You will then be taken to your accommodation.
The four cottages (the original rooms at Villa Beach) stand set back from the waterfront, with their small verandas looking towards the sea. They have four-poster beds with muslin netting and louvred shutters that can let in the through-breeze. The suites stand in a line in two storey buildings slightly closer to the sea. The larger buildings contain two villa suites each, one up, one down, and the Honeymoon Suite is two storeys in itself. You will also find the small restaurant and bar tucked among them. It is not open all the time, but operates on request. At their front is an area of lawn with a small pool and rock waterfall built into the sidewall of the property. A lower wall also runs along the front of the property, over which steps leading down to the sand. A gazebo, used for marriages, stands towards the southern end. You can walk in both directions along Choc Bay for quite a way. Although there are hotels along it, the guests tend to stick to their area, so you can always find a quiet spot close by. There is also a beach bar, the Wharf, right next door to Villa Beach Cottages which can often be lively after work when the St Lucians often stop in for a drink on the way home.
St Lucia is an island that rewards travel and exploration, and that is what many of the guests at Villa Beach Cottages do, for at least a few days of their visit. There is the extraordinarily fertile and beautiful ‘South’, which actually runs from the delightful Marigot Bay, through Soufrière and down to Choiseuil down the west coast, and then to the north there is the lively tourist area of Rodney Bay, with its bars and restaurants, and even some historical interest at Pigeon Point. There are also some lovely gardens and plantations on the Atlantic side. Castries is also within easy striking distance. Villa Beach Cottages are well set up for you to get the best of the island. With their self-catering facilities they offer independent living but because of their friendly atmosphere they are also an excellent base in which to relax in time honoured Caribbean fashion.
When you do feel the impulse to take it easy, the staff will make sure that you are comfortable. Villa Beach Cottages is a family-run resort and so it easily makes you feel that you belong. It has many loyal guests that keep returning, knowing that they will get a reliable experience and be well looked after. In fact one guest has returned so many times, right into her nineties, that they named one of the rooms after her.
Villa Beach Cottages also has a sister property in the south of the island, two lovely genuine plantation houses on La Dauphine Estate near Soufrière. With its radically different setting in the spectacular mountains close to the Pitons, rather than on the beach, a visit to La Dauphine can make an excellent two-centre trip. |
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Beach & Swimming
There is a small swimming pool at the front of the villa suites with a raised terrace where there are loungers and a small plunge pool overlooking the beach. A waterfall plays off the wall. Outside showers are set up against coconut trees or in a wooden enclosure tucked behind a profusion of tropical plants for when you return from the beach.
Choc Bay Beach stretches for over a mile. It is a very nice strip of light sand, backed with palms and other trees much of its length. It is generally very quiet (the main road which runs along is usually hidden by a screen of greenery) and although there are some large hotels further along, their guests do not stray much down in this direction. The result is that the beachfront is generally quiet and deserted. Villa Beach Cottages can provide buckets, spades and sand castle molds, floaters and boogie boards.
There is a beach bar, the Wharf, right next door to Villa Beach Cottages. This provides all meals if you would like. It is quite simple, but can be lively, particularly in the early evening, when there is Happy Hour at 5 pm. |
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Sports & Recreation
Villa Beach Cottages makes snorkels and kayaks available to guests, but there is also a beach vendor not far off who can arrange banana boats, pedal boats, VU boards, parasailing, dinghy sailing, waterskiing and jet skis. The best windsurfing is in the east of the island where the Atlantic winds come onshore.
You will find plenty of sports and activities in this area of St Lucia, many of them based to the north of here in the area around Rodney Bay. This includes horse-riding, scuba diving and deep sea fishing. Tennis is available at the St Lucia Racquet Club at Club St Lucia in the Cap Estate where there are seven floodlit Laykold cushioned tennis courts, a squash court, gym, restaurant & bar. The Body Inc gym at the Gablewoods Mall is a few minutes walk away. If you are a golfer then also in the Cap Estate is the St Lucia Golf & Country Club, a 6829 yard, par 71 course with eighteen holes. It is fifteen minutes drive away and has a pro shop, driving range and restaurant. There is also excellent hiking in St Lucia, mainly in the south of the island.
Special tennis & golf packages and discounts are available to guest of the Villa Beach Cottages. The reception staff at Villa Beach Cottages will arrange any of these sports, and any number of island tours for you. |
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Staff
Although Villa Beach Cottages is a cottage and villa resort, it has a reception that works in the same way as a hotel’s the staff who will look after you so, in addition to all the usual daily maid and laundry services, you can get help and information to set up a satisfying trip around the island. They can also provide babysitting services and qualified massage therapists for in-room treatments.
Villa Beach Cottages are managed by Colin Hunte, a St Lucian who grew up in the tourism industry on St. Lucia as his parents used to managed the main hotel on the island in the 1960’s, the Villa Hotel. After attending university in England he returned to manage the Villa Beach Cottages in 1990. He set about renovating the existing cottages and upgrading the property and in 2000 completed the expansion of the property with the addition of the new villa suites based on his own designs.
Two members of staff that you will definitely come across are Moira Flavius, the head housekeeper, who has been working at Villa Beach Cottages since 1985, and Neva Mitchel, who started as a receptionist in 2000 and is now the Front Office supervisor. |
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Accommodation
There are 14 rooms in all at Villa Beach Cottages. Four are set in the traditional Creole style cottages, which are very pretty and quite quaint. These are named after guests that have stayed in them many times over the years. Cottage No 3 is called the Nobel Cottage after the Nobel laureate for literature Derek Walcott, who came from St Lucia and who has stayed many times over the years. The others are set in a line slightly closer to the waterfront and although they are modern they have a strong colonial feel because of the use of local hardwoods and traditional style furniture. All the units have some space looking out over the sea at the front and in the best West Indian traditions they have ceiling fans for natural ventilation (as well as air-conditioning if that’s what you prefer). Kitchens are well equipped with all you need in the way of appliances and crockery etc
Cottage No 3, the Walcott Cottage
You enter via the veranda and walk into the kitchen and dining area, which is well equipped (with a tiled work surface with sink, a large fridge/freezer, four ring gas stove and oven, toaster, kettle, coffee machine, a blender and plenty of plates, china, cutlery. From here doors lead to a sitting area with cable television. It is decorated with prints (not original) of paintings by Walcott himself. From here you walk through (there is also access from the kitchen area as well) into the bedroom, where there is a king size four-poster bed with muslin netting and a cupboard with hanging space and shelves. The colours are very nicely co-ordinated between the bedcover and the lamps and bedside tables, with a tropical leaf motif. The bedroom is air-conditioned but there is also a ceiling fan above the bed. A shower room with a basin, bath and loo leads off it behind.
Cottage No 5
The Edith Cottage is named in honour of Edith Johnson of Ontario, Canada. A plaque on the wall dated February 2004 commemorates her 21st visit staying in this cottage, which she has made her own. As you enter you walk into an L shaped living room area, with a sitting area on one side, a breakfast table and tucked into the other corner the kitchen (it has the same sort of equipment as Cottage No 3). The living area is a particularly nice place to sit at breakfast, and has views onto the sea. A hammock is slung between the coconut palms just outside. A door leads from the L shaped living area into a bedroom with a queen-size bed, a cherry wood bed head and bedside
tables, and a sort of writing bureau with chest of drawers. Again there is the cable television and a pleasant colour scheme across the soft furnishings. The walls are hung with original paintings by Budhram, a St Lucian who lives in Guyana. These paintings run throughout the villas. Around the corner you come to a dressing table with a stool, mirror and double door cupboard and beyond it
to the bathroom, which has basin and a loo and quite a large walk in tiled shower.
Villa Suites and the Honeymoon Villa
The one-bedroom suites and the honeymoon villa are in two storey buildings facing the sea. The buildings are more modern. There are six villa suites, set over one storey either up or downstairs. They have tiled floors and the upper storeys have tall ‘cathedral’ ceilings, with white painted, exposed beams. There is a fan in each room, which are also equipped with attractive lamps and lights, and the walls are decorated with original paintings. You enter via an extremely spacious kitchen/dining area (with a fully equipped kitchen) and beyond it you come into the sitting room. Doors lead off to the bedroom which has a king size bed. There is plenty of use of local white cedar hardwood effect, in the paneling and the furniture. The suites all have their own sitting area with two-seater sofa, an armchair and coffee table, as well as a dressing area with hanging cupboards, an iron and ironing board. Equipment includes a hair dryer, air conditioning and cable television. Double doors open into a very spacious bathroom that faces the sea.
The ‘Honeymoon’ villa is closest to the beachfront. It has a living/dining room and kitchen on the ground floor, and the bedroom and bathroom on the first floor. It features hardwood floors, walls with Victorian panelling to dado rail height, and a wooden spiral staircase leading to the bedroom where there is a four poster queen size bed made with local Mahaut wood by a local craftsman. From there French doors open onto the balcony that faces out to sea. |
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Dining
Villa Beach Cottages has its own small bar/restaurant called ‘Coconuts’. It is not a full-scale restaurant in that it opens on request, providing an in-house chef who can prepare meals. Local meals tend to be made with fresh fish bought straight from the fishermen and vegetables from the market. The cook is happy to teach guests whilst she is doing the cooking and you can even join in if you want to.
The Wharf, a popular waterfront restaurant located right next door to Villa Beach Cottages overlooking Choc Bay and beach. Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner with daily house specialities, beach snacks, happy hour from 5-6 pm.
Villa Beach Cottages is happy to make bookings for you when you wish to go out to dinner on the island. Current recommendations for a smart evening out include the Coal Pot in the Vigie Marina in Castries or the Great House in the Cap Estate. There are also many good options in Rodney Bay Village. |
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Weddings
Villa Beach Cottages are a delightful setting for a wedding, both for the gardens and waterfront and for the fact that you can fill as many of the rooms as you need, or take the place over, at a pretty good price. There is a very pretty gazebo which provides an excellent backdrop right on the sea front. It looks even prettier when it is decorated with flowers. Of course the beach is also very good beach for wedding pictures. |
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Children
Living rooms of most of the one-bedroom cottages and the villa suites can be converted into second bedrooms with 2 extra beds provided especially for children. Children under 12 years stay free. Baby-sitting is available through reception. |
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Useful Hints
The sound of the waves breaking on the beach at night can be surprisingly loud at first. Most people get used to it quickly and end up liking it, but if it is too loud then you can always close up the room and put on the air-conditioning.
The on-site minimart ‘Kokos’ offers the basic drinks, milk, sugar, tea, coffee and simple snacks such as Pringles, peanuts, biscuits and hot dogs. Also some rum and beer, sun tanning creams and toiletries, souvenirs and t-shirts. Villa Beach Cottages are happy to put in some basic provisions in for your arrival.
A few minutes walk away you will find restaurants, a small shopping mall with a supermarket, shops, an internet café, bank, post office, dry cleaners, fitness and medical centres. |
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Rates
| | 01 Jan-11 Dec 2007 | 12 Dec-08 May 2007-08 | | VILLA BEACH COTTAGES | | One-Bedroom Studio Suite 1-2 persons One-Bedroom Villa Suite (lower) 1-2 persons One-Bedroom Villa Suite (upper) 1-2 persons Honeymoon Villa 1-2 persons Two-Bedroom Villa Suite 1-2 persons 3-4 persons | 190 220 230 260 210 240 | 200 230 240 270 220 250 | | LA DAUPHINE ESTATE, Soufriere | | Chateau Laffitte 1-2 persons 3-4 persons La Dauphine Great House 1-2 persons 3-4 persons 5-6 persons | 95 135 135 175 215 | 110 150 155 195 255 | All rates are quoted in US$ per night and are subject to a 10% service charge and an 8% government tax. Please add US$20 for each extra adult sharing the same unit. Children under 12 years sharing with parents are free. Deposit: 3 nights deposit is required in advance in order to secure a booking. Cancellation policy: 21 days prior to arrival or forfeit deposit. All rates subject to change without notice. |
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Special Offers
Please contact Villa Beach Cottages for details of their honeymoon & anniversary packages, discounts for airline employees, senior citizens, AAA members and Caricom Citizens. |
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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 Villa Beach Cottages, 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
Villa Beach Cottages are located in the North of St Lucia, four miles from Castries, the capital and three miles from George Charles Airport. There is a small supermarket, Julian’s Supermarket very close by, so you can do your grocery shopping there. You will also find shopping mall with shops, food court restaurants, medical centre and Body Inc gym half a mile from the property.
A couple of miles to the north is Rodney Bay, the busiest ‘tourist’ center on the island. Reduit Beach, the island’s liveliest, is right there, and the main strip of Rodney Bay Village buzzes with the island’s liveliest nightlife in the evenings. On the other side of the lagoon is the much more ‘local’ village of Gros Islet which is laid out on a grid of mostly modern buildings around some nice old wooden West Indian houses. It is most famous for its weekly ‘jump up’, Friday night at Gros Islet, when stereo systems are put up on the pavement and people dance in the street.
To the north of Gros Islet you come to the Cap Estate, a wealthy area of private villas with a couple of hotels and a championship golf course. If you turn left just before entering the Cap Estate you come to Pigeon Point, a St Lucian National Landmark. Previously called Pigeon Island, it was very heavily fortified in the 1700s during the wars for empire in the Caribbean. It is well worth a visit for this historical aspect – some of the buildings have been restored and there is a museum explaining it all – but it is also fun to visit for a less intellectual day out, chilling in the bars and on the beaches. There is an excellent beach bar called Jambe de Bois. |
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Meet & Greet
You are quite likely to arrive at Hewanorra International Airport in the far south of the island. If you wish Villa Beach Cottages can arrange for a property taxi to meet you at the airport or your port of entry and pre-arrange transfers to the property. The cost of the transfers is less than the standard fares, US$60.00 (for two persons from Hewanorra) and can be added to your room bill.
If you are travelling independently then the taxi ride (for two people) from Hewanorra to Villa Beach Cottages takes about an hour and costs around US$75. If you have the choice, it is far easier to fly into George Charles airport at Vigie, which is about ten minutes away. If you would like to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with a range of services that can include helicopter transfers to Vigie, a concierge service is offered by St Lucia Representatives.
If you are travelling with a travel organiser then you should be met at the airport and your transfers arranged. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
Property taxis are readily available through the reception. Villa Beach Cottages stands close to the main road between Castries and Rodney Bay, which makes it very easy to catch one of the many private minibuses that run in either direction. They can be quite crowded, but they will get you there if you’re up for an adventure.
Hiring a car to explore the island at your own pace is easily arranged. If you are not travelling in peak season and decide not to book a car in advance, reception will be able to assist you. Otherwise, we recommend you book in advance via Villa Beach Cottages.
Be aware that around Christmas and New Year, and at the Jazz Festival in May, there can be a shortage of cars in St Lucia, 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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