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Enhancing Mother Nature’s Brilliance
Resort-Within-a-Resort in the Caribbean
by Kerri Allen
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Jade Mountain at Anse Chastanet, St. Lucia |
The bellman was about to call a doctor. Doubled over with laughter and glee, I’m sure I looked ill. That’s the kind of response Jade Mountain’s rooms elicit. Some people have spontaneously leapt up and down, while others have burst into tears. Talk about a room with a view.
Designed by Canadian-Russian architect Nick Troubetzkoy, Jade Mountain is the brand new resort-within-a-resort at the larger Anse Chastanet compound. Open-air rooms have been carved into the side of a mountain on St. Lucia, and with just three walls—in some cases, two—they feel like four-star tree houses. The view, overlooking the Caribbean Sea to the west and the magnificent twin Pitons mountains to the south, is simply astonishing.
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Outside sanctuary dining |
Natural elements found in the rooms |
Room selections, appropriately referred to as “sanctuaries,” all have private in-room infinity pools. Sun rooms are located at the highest elevation with the most spectacular vistas. These spaces measure 2,000 square feet, while the in-room infinity pools are sized around 900 square feet. The smaller Moon and Star sanctuaries are nothing to sneeze at. Fifteen-foot ceilings look down upon floors crafted from 20 species of tropical hardwood. Bathrooms are tucked out of view but have no doors. It’s exhilarating to shower while you’re gazing at the sunset, but for other bathroom uses, the design is less than desirable.
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Interior of a sanctuary |
Private infinity pool |
What Jade Mountain boasts in the unique design of its accommodations, it lacks in other amenities. As part of the resort’s “forget-the-outside-world” schtick, the fabulous rooms lack technology (including phones to call reception). The island breeze and sun’s rays are welcome guests in the sanctuaries, but the same can’t be said for the birds, moths and mosquitoes. With the exception of the Caribbean-Indian restaurant Apsara, the dining options are sub-par. For a place this expensive (rooms start at $950 a night), and allegedly this exclusive, you shouldn’t prefer to fish for your own dinner. An invigorating, outdoor yoga class is offered three times a day, and the beachside Kai Belté Spa—a separate spa for Jade Mountain is forthcoming—offers the usual roster of services.
Some resorts awkwardly impose upon Mother Nature’s design, but Jade Mountain has miraculously enhanced it. All in all, the resort provided a sense of renewal—and isn’t that what it’s all about?
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