One of my favorite vacations was a trip to St. Lucia with my husband. While on the south side of the island, we opted to stay at the luxurious Ladera Resort. In this article, I will share a review of Ladera Resort so you know what to expect and can decide if this is the hotel for you. If you are looking for a guide to St. Lucia, read about our 1 week itinerary here.
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Overview of Ladera Resort
Ladera Resort is known as an eco-lodge, but don’t let that fool you. A stay here, in what was once part of the Rabot Estate, a famous cocoa plantation, is a full luxury experience. This hotel is the only one in St. Lucia actually built on the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The resort is perched 1,000 feet above the Caribbean Sea with stunning views of the Pitons. The grounds are a gorgeous garden complete with a nature trail.
This small property only has 37 rooms, giving it an intimate feel. Each room has its own private plunge pool with spectacular views of the Pitons. All pools are heated, though the size does vary by room type. In the smallest pools, you will only be able to stand, not swim. If you end up in one of these rooms, you might want to spend time at the larger shared hotel pool to swim.
The hotel’s most unique feature is the open wall design. Each room only has 3 walls, with the fourth being open to the elements and those Piton views. Since the rooms are perched right behind the Pitons, everyone will have a view of the mountains and Caribbean Sea.
This review of Ladera Resort would not be complete without mentioning the wonderful, attentive staff. Everyone was kind and helpful during our stay. Upon check-in, your bags are taken to your room and you are given a cellphone to call the front desk for any service needs such as room service or help booking activities. We took advantage of this a few times, especially for drink delivery while we enjoyed our pool.
A Review of Ladera Resort Rooms
Each room at Ladera Resort features locally harvested tropical hardwoods, stone and tile and locally made furniture. This gives the rooms a little bit of a rustic vibe. There are no TVs in the rooms, but there is fast WIFI in case you need to stream something.
We stayed in the Hilltop Dream Suite which features a king-sized bed and full-size private pool for swimming. We had a small sitting area near the pool, a dining table near the bed, and a dresser with plenty of room for storage. There were complimentary eye masks, ear plugs, and a pair of binoculars to more clearly see the boats below. This room category also comes with a stocked mini bar that was refilled daily with water, soda, and local Piton beer.
Normally, we spend very little time in our room on vacation. I like to make the most of our time in a new place and spend the day out exploring. Not at Ladera! It was hard to leave our room’s view and pool each day. Staying here encouraged us to slow down, relax, and spend quality time together. We took this trip at a time that we were both very busy and stressed with work, and it was exactly what we needed to reset and recharge. This is easily the best hotel room I have ever stayed in.
A Review of Ladera Resort’s Food
Ladera Resort has one restaurant onsite, Dasheene. We ate all our breakfasts, one lunch, and two dinners here. Breakfast is outstanding and complimentary for all guests. The lunch menu is fairly simple but great for a beside the pool meal. Dinner feels more upscale (book your reservation during sunset), but the menu is somewhat small so I would not eat at Dasheene every night, especially if you have a longer stay. Drinks are great and I enjoyed working my way through their cocktail menu. I especially loved the drinks featuring banana flavors. My husband appreciated the local Piton beer.
We also enjoyed eating at the Rabot Restaurant, walkable from Ladera Resort. All the food and drinks here are infused with cacao, which made for a unique but delicious experience. We liked this restaurant so much, we ended up eating dinner here twice.
What is Included with the Room?
Ladera Resort is not an all-inclusive hotel, but there are some complimentary amenities included in the standard rate. The hotel provides a complimentary airport pick up and drop off in a private vehicle. Having a driver waiting for us at the airport definitely gave us a sense of luxury. Ladera Resort is about 45 minutes from the airport and a taxi would cost around $70 if you were paying on your own.
Ladera Resort also provides a complimentary full breakfast to its guests. Breakfast is served at Dasheene, the only restaurant onsite. We loved breakfast each morning and found the menu to be varied with very filling portions.
Additionally, there is a complimentary gym and nature trail onsite.
What Activities are Available at Ladera Resort?
Ladera has a concierge team that will help you organize activities or excursions. The cost of these will vary depending on the activity, but when booked through the hotel transportation is included which can be costly on the island. We booked a half day snorkel and sail and also asked the concierge to arrange a private taxi for a day to bring us to Soufriere and the activities we wanted. Both were great experiences.
Does Ladera Resort have a Beach?
No, Ladera Resort is not on the beach. The hotel does provide a complimentary beach shuttle Monday through Saturday a few times a day to take guests to Malgretoute Beach. This small, local beach has beach chairs & umbrellas available for rent. Another option, would be to pay for a taxi to Sugar Beach, the best beach on this part of the island. Note, you may read older reviews online that say the Ladera shuttle goes to Sugar Beach, but this changed during COVID.
Will I be Comfortable without Air Conditioning?
This was a fear I had prior to staying at Ladera. I worried that the open-wall concept looked great in photos but might be annoying in the real world. Fortunately, we were never uncomfortable during our trip. The elevated rooms get a nice breeze and there is a retractable roof that helps extend the shaded portion of your room during the day. We found that the sun was strongest in the room towards the end of the day as we were getting ready and leaving for dinner, so it didn’t bother us much.
If you think that you will need air conditioning to enjoy your stay, it is available in Villa La Fleur and La Petite Fleur rooms.
Will the Room be Full of Bugs?
Given that Ladera Resort is perched within the rainforest, you are likely to encounter bugs during your stay. The hotel provides complimentary bug spray in rooms and has additional brands available for purchase. I found that with regular application of bug spray each morning, I was bug free during the day.
At night, it is important to keep your lights off or as dim as possible. The first night, we left our lights on when we went to dinner and came back to a lot of bugs in the room. After that, we were more careful and bugs were kept to a minimum. Additionally, your bed will be wrapped in a mosquito net to keep bugs away while you sleep.
Is Ladera Kid Friendly?
No, Ladera Resort is an adults-only 18 years plus resort. During our stay, most guests appeared to be couples. This a great place for a honeymoon or for a special anniversary trip.
Review of Ladera Resort: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Views of UNESCO World Heritage Site Pitons from every room
- Open wall & private pool in every room
- Peaceful, relaxing atmosphere
- Adults only
- Complimentary airport pick up/drop off
- Complimentary breakfast
- Complimentary WIFI
Cons
- Not on the beach
- Room is open to the elements without air conditioning
- Limited dining options
Overall, I hope my review of Ladera Resort has shown you why it is easily the best hotel I have ever stayed at. I think it’s especially great for couples on their honeymoon or looking to relax and reconnect. You can book your stay here. If you need more information on St. Lucia to plan your stay, check out my one week itinerary.
If this review of Ladera Resort didn’t answer all your questions about the hotel, please ask your remaining questions in the comments.