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On March 1, 2010, the series finale of ABC's The Bachelor took place on the Celestial Terrace of Jade Mountain. For weeks prior, fans of the show heard such on-air gushing as "There is no better place to fall in love than St. Lucia. ..." Which begs the question: What's so great about St. Lucia? The remote, lush, mountainous beachfront terrain is stunning, no doubt, but this can be found elsewhere in the Caribbean -- Frenchman's Cove in Jamaica is just one example. So what about this particular locale made all the staged romance feel so spectacular? The answer is simple: Jade Mountain.
The hotel is an architectural marvel. In an effort to respect but not submit to environmental confines, owner-architect Nick Troubetzkoy built the entire resort like a tabletop, braced it against a mountain about 75 to 100 feet above the shore, and pointed it at St. Lucia's iconic Pitons, poking through the Caribbean Sea. Each of the 29 guest rooms shares the stunning view beyond its missing "fourth wall". In order to fit a whirlpool tub with an underwater light show ("chromatherapy"), a sundeck, and, in most rooms, a private infinity pool, Troubetzkoy simply quintupled the size of a typical guest room. And yet the luxury is in the details -- a constant water filtration process that keeps the pools from stinking up the rooms; a network of ceiling fans keeps the rooms from being too warm (there's no AC); and the suites are spaced far enough apart for honeymooners to join Jade in calling them "sanctuaries." As for the design's beauty, the photos speak for themselves.
But Jade Mountain is not for everyone. First: No kids are allowed. Second: The system of catwalks and hundreds of stairs (there are no elevators) makes it an impossible choice for anyone with mobility challenges. And the intimate, scenic serenity does have its trade-offs. Just getting to the resort can take well over an hour (and over $100) on winding, nerve-racking roads. The closest beach is at Jade's sister resort, Anse Chastanet, about a five-minute shuttle or 300 or so stairs away.
Nothing divides the bathroom from the rest of the room -- couples better broaden their sense of intimacy. In the rooms, there's no TV, Internet, or even a radio, so you'll have to get by on good company and a good book. Taken together, it's hard to compare Jade Mountain to anywhere else on earth.
But while its quiet, intimate, indisputably romantic atmosphere is unique, you can find a similar setting without sacrificing luxurious comforts at other boutique hotels like the Caves or the Geejam in Jamaica, or the Sivory in Punta Cana -- for as little as one-fifth the price. The suites at Tortuga Bay in the Dominican Republic might lack a private pool, but they're similarly sized and much closer to gorgeous beaches, private lagoons, golf courses, and the airport. And if you're looking to explore the Caribbean's natural beauty, you can stay in a room that walks right out onto the beach at Caneel Bay in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a resort surrounded by 7,000 acres of National Park.
www.familytc.com
Book your vacation through Family Travel Concierge info@familytc.com or 860-830-4009
The hotel is an architectural marvel. In an effort to respect but not submit to environmental confines, owner-architect Nick Troubetzkoy built the entire resort like a tabletop, braced it against a mountain about 75 to 100 feet above the shore, and pointed it at St. Lucia's iconic Pitons, poking through the Caribbean Sea. Each of the 29 guest rooms shares the stunning view beyond its missing "fourth wall". In order to fit a whirlpool tub with an underwater light show ("chromatherapy"), a sundeck, and, in most rooms, a private infinity pool, Troubetzkoy simply quintupled the size of a typical guest room. And yet the luxury is in the details -- a constant water filtration process that keeps the pools from stinking up the rooms; a network of ceiling fans keeps the rooms from being too warm (there's no AC); and the suites are spaced far enough apart for honeymooners to join Jade in calling them "sanctuaries." As for the design's beauty, the photos speak for themselves.
But Jade Mountain is not for everyone. First: No kids are allowed. Second: The system of catwalks and hundreds of stairs (there are no elevators) makes it an impossible choice for anyone with mobility challenges. And the intimate, scenic serenity does have its trade-offs. Just getting to the resort can take well over an hour (and over $100) on winding, nerve-racking roads. The closest beach is at Jade's sister resort, Anse Chastanet, about a five-minute shuttle or 300 or so stairs away.
Nothing divides the bathroom from the rest of the room -- couples better broaden their sense of intimacy. In the rooms, there's no TV, Internet, or even a radio, so you'll have to get by on good company and a good book. Taken together, it's hard to compare Jade Mountain to anywhere else on earth.
But while its quiet, intimate, indisputably romantic atmosphere is unique, you can find a similar setting without sacrificing luxurious comforts at other boutique hotels like the Caves or the Geejam in Jamaica, or the Sivory in Punta Cana -- for as little as one-fifth the price. The suites at Tortuga Bay in the Dominican Republic might lack a private pool, but they're similarly sized and much closer to gorgeous beaches, private lagoons, golf courses, and the airport. And if you're looking to explore the Caribbean's natural beauty, you can stay in a room that walks right out onto the beach at Caneel Bay in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a resort surrounded by 7,000 acres of National Park.
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