My husband and I have just returned from the most fabulous holiday of our lives. We were going to Jade Mountain to get married and would be spending 2 weeks there. We had spent the past 6 months reading every Trip Adviser review available to reassure ourselves that we had made the right choice.
Our first look at the island was as we drove in the taxi through the local towns from the airport. We had been wondering what to expect from the “road” that others have complained about. We were pleasantly surprised. Yes, it is rough and has some steep inclines and bends on it but it was all a part of the adventure and we really enjoyed the experience.
At Jade Mountain this was our reaction upon entering our sanctuary, JE2. We walked across our “bridge”, opened our tall wooden door and the Pitons and the Caribbean Sea were just staring at us. Wow! It was absolutely breathtaking and we did not tire of it at all over the 2 week holiday.
Before we arrived we thought we would miss the telecommunications but we didn’t at all, we just relaxed and forgot about the outside world. Other than visiting the volcano and botanical gardens and whale watching we didn’t do anything except spend time in our sanctuary, sunbathe on the quiet private beaches and swim in the sea. The infinity pool in our room was a real luxury when we had walked back to our room up the steep incline from the beach and we spent many an afternoon just admiring the views from the privacy of our pool. The missing wall was a novelty and meant that we were really at one with nature particularly just after the sunset when the tree frogs, crickets, lizards and bats came to life. It was a little unsettling initially but it was amazing how soon they became a part of the family. During the day we had a variety of birds visiting, particularly when we had breakfast in our sanctuary and there were titbits available. The food was absolutely delicious and very healthy too. In all the time we were there we only put on 2lbs in weight which is unbelievable as we had 3 meals a day and plenty of alcohol. If you get an opportunity to watch Jonathon the Chef’s cookery demonstration on a Tuesday evening I would encourage you to go along. Jonathon not only shows you how to cook fabulous produce but also tells you about the fruit and vegetables grown on the 600 acre plantation and the fish that he purchases from the local markets in Soufriere.
Obviously for us, the highlight of our holiday was our wedding day. We were so well looked after from the 3 hour spa treatments in the morning to the ceremony with staff who have become friends and the private dining under the stars. Everything went exactly as planned and was absolutely perfect. What memories and fantastic photographs we have for our future together. If anyone is considering getting married at Jade Mountain and would like to e-mail me I am more than happy to provide further information.

You can't say enough good things about this hotel...the views are stunning and the best on the island, the service is unbeaten because you have a personal butler which you just have to push a button to call, the design of the hotel is out of this world and the rooms are unbelievable. They don't even call them rooms, they are called sancutaries and have their own walk way to each one. The best honey moon spot by far. It is extremely expensive but basically worth it all because your experience is truely one of a kind.

When the manager of Jade Mountain Resort asked us what they could have done differently to make our trip more enjoyable, I honestly could not think of anything. In retrospect, I would suggest a heating unit for the in-room swimming pool but I realize the ecological “unfriendliness” of such a suggestion. You actually adjust to the temperature rather quickly and the cooler temp is quite refreshing on a hot day. We stayed in a sun sanctuary so the pool was rather large. The water was much warmer in the moon sanctuary but we upgraded to the larger suite. I really cannot say enough about Jade Mountain. Every time I walked into the room with our amazing open-air view…I just thought wow, perhaps working 40 hours per week is somehow worth it. We went to St. Lucia for the picturesque views of the Pitons as the volcanic island isn’t known for its beaches. They actually weren’t as bad as I expected. In the pictures we took, the beach looked rather nice (attached). Anse Mamin beach was better maintained than Anse Chastanet (one piece of litter is really one too many). I had a blast crab watching. I really could have stayed in our “sanctuary” the entire time however. Did I mention the iridescent colored tiles in the pool? Each sanctuary has a different color scheme. We dined at the Jade Mountain club the majority of the time (excellent food and more convenient than Anse Chastanet). I highly recommend the Frozen Coco Loco! Vito was our Major Domo (personal butler) but we never really called on him. I just wanted privacy and therefore we mostly kept to ourselves. It was nice putting the room service sign up any time of day and returning to a clean room. We did not partake in many activities (exception being the Zipline tour). I just wanted to relax and absorb the scenery. Not having a TV, radio or computer was a blessing. I think everyone should unplug from time to time. I was able to finish three quarters of my book in record time. I thought this would be a perfect place for me to meditate. An old Sanskrit text says, “By certain signs you can tell when meditation is being rightly performed. One of them is that a bird will sit on your head, thinking you are an inert thing.” Well no bird landed on my head (or dinner table thankfully) but I certainly felt calm and tranquil. Btw…do not go to Jade Mountain if you’re severely out of shape. There are quite a few steps to get to the Jade Mountain club if you’re on level A, but even if your room is on a higher level, you’ll still have to climb the steps back to your room if you take the shuttle to the beach. I enjoyed the stairs but then again…I enjoy running marathons. Lastly, about the geckos…note that this is open-air so if you become unhinged at the site of a bug…this may not be the place for you. We didn’t have any “bugs” per se but rather an occasional bird and a few geckos. I loved it! I really felt in tune with nature. The protective netting around the bed is quite secure. No mosquitoes or anything. If only I could capture the sounds of nature. Thanks to the reviews on TripAdvisor, I altered our plans and we spent the first two nights at Ladera and the remaining five at Jade Mountain. I would have been quite disappointed if all nights were spent at Ladera. Ladera is rather quaint and I loved the staff but it’s a bit too rustic for my taste. I really enjoyed their restaurant Dasheen. I am writing a separate review for Ladera. I would recommend it for a few nights as a nice retreat and it’s more reasonably priced than Jade Mountain. For the occasional splurge however, Jade Mountain Resort is a must!

We have just returned from out honeymoon at JM. I cried as soon as I walked in the room. I have never experienced anything like it, the designer and owner is a genius. There is nothing to rival this place, it offers everything you'd want and things you never knew you wanted. It will always be very, very special to us and to have lived as one with the St Lucian environment is an experience to behold in itself.