Earlier this month, my family and I ventured off to the Caribbean.
This was my first experience in the Caribbean and at an all inclusive resort.
Despite the inexperience, I opted with this resort due to it's family friendly atmosphere. St. Lucia is a honeymoon destination with limited family friendly facilities. We also researched countless testimonies from previous guests and stalked the resort's social media. After all the research we decided that Coconut Bay would best meet our needs.
Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Please note that I would only recommend products that I would use myself and all opinions are my own.
Review of Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa
1. Free airport shuttle service to and from the UVF airport.
While I don't have a picture of the shuttle, here we are at the airport in NY. Close enough? Keeping a one year old entertained for a 5 hour trip was difficult enough. It was comforting to know that we had a shuttle waiting to transport us upon arrival. The best part was, the resort took care of booking the shuttle based on your flight. It really was a hassle free and convenient service that was much appreciated.
Idea: If you're traveling on a plane with a toddler, you'll be real happy that you invested in this airplane activity book (link) for endless fun thanks to the easy to clean pages. Just make sure to bring some extra dry erase markers with you.
2. They welcome you with a fruity cocktail and pleasant surprises.
After exiting the plane into a suffocating and humid heat, the iced cocktail was welcomed. You were also welcomed with smiling faces and honest inquiries of your travel experience. The housekeeping staff left us sweet notes and a variety of fresh, tropical flowers daily.
3. This is truly an all inclusive resort.
The concept of an all inclusive resort is something that I struggled with. The entire trip I was waiting for some sort of catch or hidden fee tucked away somewhere. I am pleased to say that there was absolutely no surprises. We were notified of everything "extra". Note: Offsite excursions, the photographer, and the paintball facility weren't included. All food, drinks (+alcoholic), tips, taxes, airport shuttle, and even laundry machines were included. With the exception of the photographer, we didn't have to open our wallets once.
4. Every room has a tropical view.
From our room on the 2nd floor we had a lovely view of the pool, lazy river, and the ocean. While my personal experience is pictured, the website notes that each room has a tropical view.
5. The pools are beautiful, family friendly, and meticulous.
The resort has five pools, but we remained at Splash pool (pictured) most of the trip. The pool was kept meticulously clean and was geared towards children and adults. Coming from a woman that's not a fan of pools, swimming, or the water... this is a big compliment. It resembled a beach with a gradual slope into a deeper (but not too deep) end. Splash pool had two waterfalls, underwater stools and tables, and a sprinkler fountain. Every pool was lined with comfortable lounge chairs and big umbrellas for shade. While there was no lifeguard, the pool was fully staffed with attentive and friendly attendants.
Idea: A child under the age of two can be a struggle to entertain the water. We invested in a baby float like this one with a canopy (link). It kept my baby boy entertained, above water, and out of the direct sun for the entire trip.
6. There is a restaurant in a tree house.
The Jerk Tree House was a fun restaurant located right outside of Splash pool. It served local foods buffet style and was literally in a tree. The little kid in me thought this was so freaking cool! The tables and chairs were made from tree stumps. Even the utensils were in theme by being made of wood. The food was delicious, the location was convenient, and the view was spectacular!
7. There is a lazy river & water slides a quick walk away from Splash pool.
The lazy river was lots of fun and great for the little kids, babies, or tired adults. It took about 15 minutes to float through and had a waterfall mid way to wake you up. There were multiple water slides, some more intense than others, but all were fun!
8. There are multiple dining choices included in your package.
There are a total of nine different restaurants to dine at during your stay. Of the nine, six are sit down meals in a pleasant atmosphere with a dress code. Note - Two of the six come at an additional charge, but it is disclosed from the start. There is the main eating area that serves a variety of food in buffet style for all three meals. Flip Flops is a very casual spot located near the pool for a quick bite for lunch, dinner, or snack. The ninth dining choice is the Jerk Tree House which was already mentioned above. We only ate at two of the six sit down dining options since reservations were limited. We dined at Seaside and Silk (pictured) and both were absolutely lovely with delicious food!
9. There is a very talented photographer onsite.
Normally I wouldn't splurge on a photographer since I take lots of pictures myself on vacation. The photographer was talented, patient, down to earth, and generous! We definitely weren't in NY. He viewed the "packages" as guidelines and didn't look at the clock once! Coconut Bay also does weddings. I would be more than pleased with this photographer for mine!
10. There is daily entertainment in the morning, noon, and night.
Upon arrival you are given a weekly schedule that lists all of the resort's activities and events. While we didn't participate in all of them, we did indulge in quite a few. Our favorites were the Caribbean Night party, Country Hoedown (pictured), and Foam Party! We also played bingo and had fun dancing while being serenaded throughout the week. We watched fruit cutting and Caribbean cooking demonstrations. We almost participated in their Chocolate Obsession night, but fell asleep. As you can tell, I'm still a little burned about the chocolate night.. There was definitely something to do for everyone!
11. They serve the most delicious drink ever called Bob Marley.
I'm not sure what's in it, but it's dangerously delicious. It's also frozen and very refreshing in the heat of St. Lucia.
12. There is a swim up bar in Splash pool.
You had to tread through the sloping waters and make it through the waterfall to find the swim up bar. It was cool, convenient, and lots of fun. In addition to lots of adult beverages, the kiddies had a drink menu of their own. One Bob Marley, one Jack and coke, and one Fairy Godmother, please!!
Note:
There is one thing that I didn't list but definitely deserves mentioning. The entire staff at Coconut Bay is beyond attentive, accommodating, and caring. They make you feel like you're part of the family and really being catered to. This means a lot, especially since tips are included in your package and are not expected by staff. Although we did cheat a little and tip a few star staff members on the last day.
Other Pros-
*Direct beach access down a few stairs from the pool.
*Hammocks, shaded tables, gazebos, and other amenities for comfort.
*There is a bar, lounge chairs, and other comforts along the mile long beach of Coconut Bay.
*There is a shack for water sports on the beach. (Mostly included in your stay.)
*Gluten free and vegetarian food options automatically displayed.
*Vendors come onsite twice a week to sell Lucian souvenirs.
*Excursions to be booked directly through the resort.
*The beach was vacuumed (literally) daily.
Cons-
*Limited dining reservations for sit down dinners.
*Unexpected dress codes for sit down dinners.
*The majority of the resort lacked air conditioning. (Rooms had AC.)
- R&W
0 Comments:
Post a Comment