Anse Chastanet Resort
Hotel Information: Long a popular getaway for celebrating couples, Anse Chastanet (Bay of Chastanet) lies at the end of a rugged, 3-km (2-mi) forest road, a world away from real-world stress. Guests come here for the tranquility; the beach; the snorkeling and scuba diving; the jungle mountain biking/hiking; the forest's nocturnal tree-frog chorus; and the opportunity to be alone together.
Insider tip: Anse Chastanet Resort furnishes water-taxi service to the picturesque town of Soufrière three km (two mi) south near St. Lucia's signature twin spires, called the Pitons.
The resort offers 49 individually designed rooms situated near the beach and on a hillside rising steeply from the beach. Room sizes vary but range from extra-large to immense. About 100 stone steps lead from the main building down to the beach, but a complimentary shuttle is available by request.
Twelve rooms are located on beach level in three two-story buildings constructed of whitewashed concrete and weathered wood. Tall trees in the rear and dense gardens in the front nearly conceal them. One building abuts the beach. The other two lie along a concrete path 45.75m and 91.5m (50 and 100 yds) from the beach.
Scattered on the hillside above the beach, 37 other rooms are perched amid the forest in concrete/stone buildings with wood shingles. These rooms offer panoramic Caribbean Sea views. Some also provide views of the Pitons, St. Lucia's signature twin spires rising 2,461 and 2,619 feet from the shore 3.5 and 5 miles south of the resort.
Rooms contain no air conditioning. Ceiling fans and louvered doors and windows provide cooling. Some hillside rooms have open fronts. No televisions, radios, clocks, or telephones disturb guests. (Telephone calls can be made from the main building.)
Rooms feature terra-cotta tile or hardwood floors; furniture constructed locally of island woods such as mahogany, teak, breadfruit, greenheart, and purpleheart; and cushioned seating covered in plaid West Indian madras cloth. Original artworks, many created by internationally known artists who stay at the resort, and locally made woven-straw area rugs, pottery, and carved-wood decorations, contribute color and visual interest. Yellow light bulbs hang from ceilings under woven-wicker shades, suffusing rooms with soft light.
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