Saint Lucia's luxurious Jade Mountain offers unique romantic island escape

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I found it more than a little difficult to put my finger on exactly what makes Jade Mountain in Saint Lucia so incredibly special.

Where to start?

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Well, it could be the bold, unique design of the luxury mountainside resort, the brainchild of Canadian architect and owner Nick Troubetzkoy, with its spiderweb of bridges (and stone-faced columns that reach for the sky) that lead guests to an array of suites, called sanctuaries, built on the green slopes of Morne Chastanet.

It could be the spectacular view of the majestic twin Piton mountains — Petit Piton and Gros Piton, two volcanic plugs that have been designated a World Heritage Site — that rise from the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea a short distance from Jade Mountain.

It could be the five-diamond resort’s 29 individually designed, environmentally conscious sanctuaries, most of which come with a private infinity pool that offers an unobstructed view of the Pitons and the sea, and the three-walled layout that allows local wildlife — bird and lizards, nothing frightening — to become part of the experience.

It could be the mouth-watering cuisine created by James Beard Award winner Chef Allen Susser at the Jade Mountain Club, one of a handful of restaurant options. Or the decadent chocolate made on-site from locally sourced cocoa beans.

It could be the romantic vibe that seems to encapsulate every aspect of the resort and its sister property, the 600-acre beachside estate and resort Anse Chastanet.

And it could be the friendly and helpful nature of our personal butler — they are called major domos at Jade Mountain and available 24 hours — and the resort’s 200 employees, all of whom seem to put every guest’s enjoyment and comfort at the top of their list of responsibilities.

In reality, it’s probably a combination of all those that make Jade Mountain the most memorable island resort I’ve had the pleasure of staying at.

It is, in a word, spectacular.

ONE INCREDIBLE NIGHT AT ANSE CHASTANET

Soon after checking into Anse Chastanet and after the sun had set, my partner Deborah and I were escorted to an out-of-the-way section of the beach and introduced to our server, Natasha, for our private — and incredibly romantic — dinner under the stars.

Little did we know our idyllic candle-lit meal, a fusion of modern East Indian and Caribbean cooking, beneath a screened canopy mere steps from the gently lapping waters of the Caribbean, would be the start of the most incredible four-day stay either one of us have ever experienced.

Anse Chastanet, a 50-room resort that climbs up the hillside above one of two sandy private beaches and was the first of Troubetzkoy’s two properties to be built, offers a slightly different feel than Jade Mountain.

Some of the rooms, each individually designed like Jade Mountain, have an open fourth wall while others have wooden louvre walls and open room dormers that allow air to flow, which makes up for the lack of air conditioning. There are seven categories of rooms at Anse Chastanet, including the iconic 1,600-square-foot Beach House that does have AC and the one-of-a-kind Piton Pool Suite Casuarina that includes a private 160-square-foot pool, and all are virtually works of art that use local woods such as teak and mahogany and products that enhance the ambiance.

All rooms have amenities including free WiFi, a fridge, a coffee maker, an in-room safe and hand-made bathrobes, to say nothing of the Molton Brown bathroom products. Like Jade Mountain, the rooms do not have televisions or telephones to allow guests to unplug from busy lives and settle into relaxed island living.

We were assigned a hillside deluxe room, Mahoe — all the rooms are named, that is steps from the Jade Mountain reception and boutique and has incredible views of the sea and tropical foliage. It also has a fantastic swinging bench that is perfect for a cozy, romantic nightcap.

After our amazing beach dinner and tranquil first and only night at Anse Chastanet, we dove into two delicious activities offered by the resort. Yes, both involved food.

The first was a class at the resort’s Chocolate Lab, where we learned from friendly chocolatier Daniel how cocoa pods (known locally as jungle M&M’s) from the estate’s 2,000 trees are transformed into the magical bars of yumminess sold in the property’s shops. Our small group of two couples got a hands-on feel for making chocolate bars, all personalized to our own taste, which we packaged to take home.

After having dessert before lunch — we nibbled at the Chocolate Lab, Deb and I headed to our private vegan cooking class with Chef de Cuisine Frank Faucher, an expert guide to the vegan culinary art. The menu we helped (marginally) create — ceviche made with fruit and vegetables served in a coconut husk, fried dumplings and flambeed banana with mango sorbet — almost had this dedicated meat-etarian convert to veganism.

An afternoon tour of the two properties — our luggage was quietly transferred to our Jade Mountain sanctuary by resort staff while we looked around and our major domo would have unpacked it for us, if we’d asked — and dinner at the open-air Treehouse, Anse Chastanet’s primary restaurant, wrapped up our first full day in Saint Lucia.

The Treehouse, one of four restaurants at Anse Chastanet, offers the Balawoo (Creole for a small fish) dinner menu that embodies a sea-to-plate, farm-to-table philosophy and exclusively vegan offerings, known as the Emeralds menu, at the Piti Piton Lounge, which doubles as a bar.

Since Anse Chastanet isn’t your typical all-inclusive Caribbean resort, the pallet of offerings for couples is much more extensive, with private dining experiences such as the one we enjoyed on the beach to cooking classes that start with a harvesting visit to Emerald’s, the property’s organic farm.

The resort also boasts gift shops, a scuba and watersports centre, art gallery, and beachside Kai Belte Spa.

SOAKING UP THE VIBES AT JADE MOUNTAIN

The moment we stepped onto the bridge (each room has its own) leading to our Sun-category sanctuary, the second-largest level the resort offers at between 1,800 and 2,000 square feet, we were completely immersed in the Jade Mountain experience. And opening the door to said sanctuary, in this case JD3, almost brought a tear to our eyes.

Tropical hardwood floors flow easily into the main living space — a long hallway gives the room, which has louvred blinds rather than glass windows, more privacy — and a four-poster bed with wraparound netting to keep out any bugs at night is just steps from a roughly 900-square foot infinity pool and a pair of sun chairs to enjoy an unobstructed view of the Pitons. The open washroom, which has a whirlpool tub, wall-less shower and twin sinks, also enjoys breathtaking views.

Yes, mornings are much more tolerable at Jade Mountain after coffee and a wee dip, with the Pitons as the backdrop. And watching the sun set with the love of your life, cocktail in hand, from your private pool is an experience not easily forgotten.

Our three-walled sanctuary, which like all rooms has an eclectic mix of furnishings, includes all the amenities you’d expect at a resort the calibre of Jade Mountain including little extras to make your stay more memorable — 24-hour service by your major domo who can be reached by a cellphone provided at check-in, bento boxes of goodness left daily in the fridge, and an electronic tablet that allows you to look up guest information as well as the daily activities and services.

There is WiFi in each sanctuary but TVs, radios and phones, along with AC, are NOT part of the Jade Mountain equation, which is all about serenity and sustainability. Rising with the sun and enjoying a cup of coffee while gazing at the awe-inspiring Pitons with an audience of chirping birds is more what Troubetzkoy envisioned.

(As a side note, Jade Mountain is the first Caribbean hotel to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold status, a nod to the resort’s green building concept. Environmental consciousness and sustainability are a big part of the Jade mantra.)

After our first glorious night in the sanctuary, and breakfast at the Treehouse, we were whisked off for an escorted snorkelling trip at the base of Petit Piton. Then, after lunch, we enjoyed a half-day sailing excursion aboard the Suzy Q, where we headed north up the coast for more swimming, snorkelling and dolphin-watching.

That evening we were treated to dinner with Karolin Troubetzkoy, Nick’s German-born wife who doubles as the resort’s director of marketing and operations. The meal at the exceptional Jade Mountain Club with Karolin — who has taken a tourism (she was president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association from 2016-18 and president of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association on two occasions), philanthropy and environmental leadership role during her years in Saint Lucia — was the highlight of our visit.

Our last full day at Jade Mountain was the topper, succinctly tying a bow on the entire stay.

In the morning, we took a leisurely walk through the jungle to the resort’s second beach, Anse Mamin, which can also be reached by complimentary shuttle boat, and then had lunch at the Jungle Beach Bar and Grill, where we tucked into a burger billed as the best on the island.

Later, we enjoyed an hour-long couples massage in our sanctuary, a fantastic way to take the relaxation level to a new high. We were both left wobbly-legged by the experience, which set us up for the grand finale.

Six in Your Sanctuary, a romantic six-course room service dinner that is paired with appropriate wines by the resort’s sommelier, was the perfect way to end our stay. Our meal consisted of everything from a smoked salmon cream puff with Ossetra caviar to pink peppercorn spiced scallop and grilled surf and turf. The Emerald Farm Chocolate Trilogy, a mouth-watering combination of truffles and souffle cake with raspberry chantilly creme, capped off the experience.

A relaxing breakfast and lunch the following day allowed us a slow-paced finish to our visit to Jade Mountain and set us up for our taxi ride back to reality.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet are not typical all-inclusive resorts but we had the all-inclusive meal and beverage plan. That included breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, with the exception of some specialty drinks.

Jade Mountain offers some complimentary activities, with daily yoga classes, use of the fitness centre and nightly entertainment in the Jade Mountain Club, while guests can also partake in Anse Chastanet’s free activities like non-motorized watersports (snorkelling gear, windsurfers, kayaks and Sunfish sailboats), a tennis clinic, guided walks, chocolate sensory tasting, rum tasting, art and history (Creole) classes, and other pastimes. Other activities, on and off the resort, are also available for a fee.

HOW TO GET THERE

Air Canada flies direct from Toronto Pearson to Saint Lucia’s Hewanorra International Airport on the southern tip of the island. From the airport, it’s roughly a 90-minute drive to Jade Mountain/Anse Chastanet, on the west coast of Saint Lucia near the coastal town of Soufriere, so it’s best to use a car service/taxi for that part of your journey. The resort also offers helicopter service from Hewanorra, which reduces the trip to minutes, if you feel like splurging.