We stayed at The Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia last year, and were blown away with all that Saint Lucia has to offer. From hiking, the rainforest, volcanos and sulphuric springs, there is so much to do on the island of Saint Lucia and we can’t wait to share it all with you!
About Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is a small island in the West Indies, about 27 miles long and 14 miles wide. If you wanted to, you could drive around the entire island in 3.5 hours, but be prepared for windy, hilly roads! The weather is WARM, the people are the friendliest and the food is incredible. Saint Lucia is known for growing and exporting a variety of mangoes, bananas, coconuts and citrus fruits. Locals grow and eat breadfruit, carrots and other root vegetables. While in Saint Lucia, be sure to try local coffee, rum and some plantain dishes - yum!
The rooms at The Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia
The rooms at The Hideaway are beautiful and spacious. There is a large tub, large shower and a double sink area. Rooms have either two queen beds or one king, and every room has a pullout double bed. There is also lots of space for unpacking clothes (I liked to feel settled), and a safe in each room. One of my favourite things in the room was the vanity area where I could do my hair and makeup while Tyler was showering. It’s always nice to not feel cramped in the bathroom area. Note: Saint Lucia uses the same power plugs as Great Britain (240v), but the Royalton has one 110v in each room which is how I used my hair straightener and curling iron. If you want to plug in more than one device at a time, there are USB plugs in the wall, OR you will need to bring an adapter/converter combo unit. I recommend THIS one.
We chose our room in advance of arriving (cost = $60 USD) so we could pick a room with a sunset view. After researching on Trip Advisor and watching videos on YouTube we decided building 3 would be best, and the top floor (5) would have the most amazing view. We were not disappointed when we arrived, I loved that our room had perfect ocean views, but we could also see the rest of the resort and some mountains. If you want strictly oceanfront, you’ll need to book Diamond Club at either The Royalton (amazing for families) or Hideaway at The Royalton (adults only). For a swim out room I recommend buildings 2 or 3 for all-day sun, but keep in mind your view won’t be as nice because you’ll be on the ground floor.
The Restaurants
One of the reasons we love Royalton resorts is for their restaurants. The food is consistently amazing and there is something for everyone to enjoy. If you stay at The Hideaway you have an extra restaurant just for Hideaway guests called Dorado which is a seafood restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Every all-inclusive resort has a buffet, and to be honest I prefer the buffet for breakfast because I never know what I will feel like. Some mornings I have a big appetite and others mornings I don’t so I like the opportunity to pick and choose what I want at breakfast without feeling like I am wasting anything. I really enjoyed the crepe station at the Royalton St. Lucia and the fresh fruit was delicious. There was also an impressive omelette station that was a big hit!
For lunch if you aren’t going to the buffet, I recommend ordering a pizza or calzone to-go from Grazie and enjoying it poolside. Grazie is open for lunch and dinner and their wood oven baked pizzas are delicious. I also loved the pesto pasta and calamari. For dessert I highly recommend the crepes.
Zen is a sushi and teppanyaki restaurant, and the only restaurant on site that takes reservations. For sushi, you can just walk-in, but if you want that teppanyaki experience (so worth it!) book a few days in advance! It was so much fun, and TONS of food, but be warned, you will be required to catch food in your mouth and chant loudly before the experience is over.
Hunter, the steakhouse is so amazing we went there twice. It’s not often you find good steak on a resort, but the petite filet was incredible and I also really enjoyed the baked salmon. For sides I recommend the onion rings, and a beet and feta salad to start. I did not like any of the desserts here.
I think the winner for best restaurant on-site had to be Calypso, which serves West Indian fare. Our first visit to Calypso we actually ordered EVERYTHING on the menu to share at a table of four. Standout items were the cod fish fritters, patties and the smoked pork ribs. Don’t worry, when we went back later in the week we were much less gluttonous.
There is also a sports bar, Score, but I can’t lie, I didn’t step foot inside it. It’s upstairs near the main lobby, and apparently a late night hot spot, but I like to get to bed early so I don’t miss a minute of sunshine!
In the main lobby at the Royalton there is also a coffee shop and ice cream shop ... the orange sorbet was delicious, and apparently so was the iced coffee (sorry — I’m not a coffee drinker)!
In the main lobby at the Royalton there is also a coffee shop and ice cream shop ... the orange sorbet was delicious, and apparently so was the iced coffee (sorry — I’m not a coffee drinker)!
What to do nearby
Hike to Pigeon Island - Pigeon Island is about a 20-25 minute walk from the Royalton and costs $10 USD per person to get in (Saint Lucia operates in both USD and ECD). Once you are in there are two paths to follow that will bring you to the top of each peak. We hiked to the lower peak where there is a lookout spot that has incredible views of the Sandals Grande Saint Lucian resort and on a clear day you can see the island of Martinique.
Rodney Bay Marina - The Rodney Bay marina area is a very cute spot for duty-free shopping and has some of the most amazing local fare. We took a cab to Rodney Bay and walked around for a few hours before enjoying lunch on the beach at Spinnakers. I’d also recommend checking out Harbour Club hotel and the shops and restaurants surrounding it. If you don’t want to take a taxi back, you can take a water taxi which will bring you back to the beach at The Royalton.
Friday night street party - Every Friday evening in Saint Lucia there is a street party in Gros Islet where the locals and tourists get together to enjoy local food, dance to Soca and party. We didn’t go (we opted for the silent disco at our resort) but it sounds like a lot of fun! If our flight wasn’t early the next morning we likely would have gone so we could meet locals and experience the culture.
Eat at The Naked Fisherman - The next door hotel, Cap Maison, has a famous restaurant on its beach called The Naked Fisherman. It’s open to the public so we spent an afternoon exploring the hotel, eating on the beach and swimming in the massive waves. The water here was crystal clear! But don’t be fooled, you can’t actually walk here. Because Saint Lucia is so rocky and hilly, you need to take a short cab to Cap Maison to enjoy the beach and their waterfront restaurants!
Excursions
There are so many excursions to nearby sights, some you can take by car/bus and others you can get to by boat.
I recommend the 6-hour boat tour that leaves from the Royalton beach and brings you snorkeling, to the Pitons, to a sulphur spring, and the volcano site where you can take a mud bath in the volcanic sulphur mud that Saint Lucia is famous for.
Our friends also did a very cool excursion where they were shuttled to the Pitons and completed a hike to the top with a small group of people and a tour guide. I’d only recommend this if you are an experienced hiker and don’t mind the heat. Saint Lucia gets VERY hot during the day!
Transfers and taxis
The hotel is a 90-minute drive from the airport, and when you book most vacation packages your transfers are included. We used the included transfer for our drive to the hotel, but on our way home we booked a private transfer so we did not arrive at the airport too early. Private transfers are also more comfortable, as I find the way home they like to pack you like sardines into buses and it’s just not a nice way to end a vacation.
Taxis on the island are very easy to find, and very reasonably priced. We took a few taxis to and from nearby sights and were impressed by how friendly everyone on the island was.
The weather
Saint Lucia is a tropical island. Where we stayed was fairly dry however there is a rainforest on the island. Because of this there can be tropical storms that fly through, but we didn’t experience much rain while we were there.
Day are extremely hot in Saint Lucia, and the sun is very strong. I recommend sunscreen always (nothing less than SPF 30) and a hat to protect your scalp. Reapply sunscreen often, especially when swimming or sweating, or you’ll be surprised by how quickly you might burn. Evenings are warm and can be quite humid.
What to pack
We definitely overpacked for this trip because we weren’t sure how the weather would be. Most places we have visited have had cooler nights so I was prepared with longer dresses and pants for the evening. I didn’t wear any of it. Nights are warm, even humid at times. I don’t recommend packing jeans, unless they are light in fabric and colour. A jean jacket would be nice in case it got cool at night. Otherwise, pack beachwear, hiking gear, a hat and lots of SPF. To see exactly what I packed, check out this post featuring my Saint Lucia beach bag essentials.
