A one-time sleepy honeymoon retreat for most travelers, the tiny island of St. Lucia is poised to become one of the Caribbean’s hottest upscale destinations, according to press reports.
A spate of high-end lodgings recently opened or are under construction. Increased air service is also helping to popularize the island.
“Private helicopter pads are a growth market. Name-dropping the identities of recent visitors — Martha Stewart, Nicholas Gage, Oprah Winfrey — has become conversational sport,” reported USA TODAY.
Much of the building boom is aimed at the luxury market.
Some rooms are going for $1,400 a night in high season. Weekly rates at the five-star Plantation on Cotton Bay in high season are $16,800.
The island should have more than 5,000 hotel rooms by the spring, an increase of more than 20% in a year.
The 14-year-old Ladera resort, which has 25 different suites, was voted best hotel in the Caribbean by readers of Conde Nast Traveler.
It gained its ranking despite lacking a lavish spa or beach.
Report by David Wilkening
