St. Lucia

Need a winter tropical get away? We enjoyed Cap Maison in gorgeous St. Lucia in December of 2024. We landed at the local airport and then took a helicopter ride to our hotel. (I suggest you fly in what you want to wear the first day at the resort, or you will need to change in the helicopter kiosk at the airport...I did it but it is not recommended). The helicopter is a must way to travel to the other side of the island. It was about a 12 minute ride and the views were amazing. (Be nice and you can sit up by the pilot!) You land at a local airstrip and then a Mercedes SUV picks you up and transports you the rest of the way to Cap Maison. It is about a 30 minute ride, depending on traffic which is ever present in St. Lucia. When you arrive, you are offered a glass of bubbly, or a local rum drink. I generally prefer having someone waiting for me at the door with a drink, which did not happen. But, the service was still friendly and quick. I have experienced better check in protocols during luxury experiences but again, the check in was fun and friendly.

Our Oceanview Suite with pool and rooftop terrace was huge with a full kitchen, living room, dining table, a full ensuite bathroom with a tub and a second half bathroom which is always appreciated. (Especially if you have a husband who likes to camp out there in the morning with his Ipad!) There were no bubble bath soaps or bath salts for the tub, which was a disappointment. Robes were provided. Our suite included a large rooftop area with a private pool and sitting area, and it was the perfect place for viewing the amazing sunsets. There is no need to go to the resort pool when you have your own plunge pool. The only air conditioning was in the bedroom but we generally had a delightful ocean breeze that kept the rest of the hotel suite comfortable. The bathroom was large with an adequate shower area and a private water closet. There were two sinks, but for some reason, one of the sinks did not have soap or a hand towel rack. Why?

You are provided bug spray in the room which I highly recommend you use on the beach as my husband and I were chomped on a bit. Also do not leave any food out in the room as the ants will find it. Housekeeping was attentive and efficient our entire visit, and so was the maintenance team. They even switched out our dishwasher with a brand new one when ours wasn't working.

The resort is small and has only two restaurants but the food game was always on point. We purchased the all inclusive package which I recommend. The resort wine included with the all inclusive package is done by the glass and was excellent hailing from all around the world, so there was no reason to pay extra for different wine. And the Chairman's Reserve Rum..... to die for.

You have to walk a bit to the beach finishing the journey with about 90 plus steps down to the beach to get there. But they are easy to navigate and it was our exercise. The beach area is small but has plenty enough room for the resort quests. The beach is not private so non-resort guests may visit, but the lounge chairs are reserved only for the resort guests. Usually there was a space available for me and my husband but on one occasion, there were no loungers available. We had to find and ask an attendant to set up loungers for us which I found off putting. I would have expected that when they saw us they would have attended to us quickly. It worked out, but that was not a 5 star experience.

The restaurant at the beach is famed for being one of the best in the Caribbean and I know why. The Seafood Chowder! We ate it literally every day and I still dream about it. Life changing.

The resort is a really nice place to stay and relax with not a lot of activity, which is just what I wanted. You do have the option of going into town for shopping and a street party. But, the best off resort activity is chartering a private catamaran. We did not go with the ones initially recommended by the resort and asked for a larger yacht. We were not disappointed. We booked a large catamaran and took a half day tour with a full staff and private chef. (The yacht staff consisted of four people for just the two of us). When we showed up at the marina, we had several jealous onlookers who were packed to the gills on other catamarans. One woman even tapped her husband on the shoulder and pointed at us wondering why he did not book that experience for her! We were able to pick out our menu beforehand (lobster of course). We had a full bar as well. We ate, drank, snorkeled and enjoyed the tropical environment for hours. Chartering a yacht is one of our favorite beach resort adventures, and the experience in St. Lucia was top-notch.

On my birthday we had a private chef cook dinner in our suite with a personal server. We dined on our roof terrace. I am a foodie so I chose the menu with Chef, which was tailored to our tastes with a wine pairing. I was able to even ask Chef how he prepared several items, sharing cooking techniques. And of course they sang a happy birthday song for me.

One other fun feature of the resort was the "Honesty Bar" which allows you to pour your own drinks and then report what you poured. We may or may not have under-represented our wine pours. And our champagne pours. And our rum pours. But it was all inclusive so no harm/no foul.

We had to drive, and not fly, back to the airport which took about 3 hours. Not as fun as the helicopter ride. Make sure you go to the bathroom before you leave to avoid a literal roadside stop (ask my husband).

All in all, Cap Maison was a luxurious experience. Definitely reserve the Oceanview Suite with pool and rooftop terrace, and take advantage of the all inclusive package. And don't forget the half-day yacht day. Concierge will hook you up!