Vacation Rentals by Owner

Excellent Location - Never a Dull Moment

Guest: René-Pierre (Ottawa, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 01/30/12 Review Submitted: 02/23/12

This is an excellent location in Marigot Bay to enjoy the harbour view and the local restaurants. Being able to use the facilities of the next door hotel (pools, gym) was certainly a bonus as the local beach across the bay is rather small and uninviting. I would recommend to anyone staying for a longer stay (more than 7 days) to rent a car and explore the island and meet the Lucians. We found everyone we met very friendly and eager to tell us about their island. As all beaches are free and open to anyone we visited and spent time at two of the local Sandal's resorts beaches. As long as you do not use their facilities and beach chairs the security guards will leave you in peace. As for the condo itself it is clean, well maintained and the cleaning service is impeccable. The property manager Nina was very helpful to us. Finally, the restaurant "The Baguette" café serves some of the best breakfasts around and they have fresh baguettes everyday (get there before the French tourists who leave with armloads of baguettes ;-)). Overall our three week stay was very pleasant and we recommend this location.

Recommended for:Age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great place to do as little as possible for as long as possible

Guest: Denis (Winnipeg, MB, Canada)
Date of Stay: 12/24/11 Review Submitted: 01/02/12

Had a wonderful week in Marigot Bay at the condo. Access to the resort next door with fitness faciltiy and pools were a "God sent" as there is no real beach to speak of close by as the one across the bay by water taxi is not really worth the trip. Restaurants were OK except for Hurricane Hole, which was great! We could have eaten there every night in retrospect! Unlike many reviews, we did not find things overly expensive. Also the bakery right below the condo in the same complex was a regular morning stop to pick up wonderful pastries for breakfast. The location is grand and the balcony overlooking the bay will be a favourite spot to spend your time. Nina, the property manager was most helful and pleasant.

Recommended for:Age 55+, tourists without a car.

Great Location for Adventuring in St. Lucia

Guest: Diana W.
Date of Stay: 12/05/11 Review Submitted: 01/03/12

WOW! Top Location in St. Lucia! My other half and I are adventure travellers. This was a great base for that purpose. The apartment overlooks one of the most serene harbors in the Caribbean. We enjoyed the modern features of the apartment, appreciated the housekeeping, as well as the customer service provided by Nina, the Property Manager. We enjoyed many a rum punch on the deck watching the boats and activities of the marina. We would certainly return! Favorite Spots for a local meal: Jam de Bois on Piegon Island and The Coal Pot in Castries (tough to find). Driving in St. Lucia is not as scary as many claim. . .keep in mind--left side, plenty of winding, climbing, and the goats and dogs will probably get out of the way! The BEST beach. . .worth the drive. . .is at Anse Chastanet! Calm waters, beautiful sand, protected area, good snorkeling. Internet was not working in the apartment. However, a visit to Marigot Discovery's hotel bar (for a drink or two) had great wifi. Only disappointment regarding the island of St. Lucia--locals looking for money and not relenting on the word "no". We've travelled throughout the Caribbean. . .this was the worst for that. The beautiful scenery of St. Lucia made up for any disappointments there. Thanks, Simon and staff for a great visit!

Recommended for:

Perfect Stay in Marigot Bay

Guest: Paul (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 08/13/11 Review Submitted: 08/25/11

This apartment is beautiful and Marigot Bay is a perfect location from which to explore the island. The unit is impeccably clean, spacious and has everything you'll need for a relaxing and enjoyable vacation. Simon (the owner) and Nina (the property manager) were very attentive and helpful both before and during our stay. My wife and I especially enjoyed sitting on the small porch overlooking the bay relaxing with a couple of Pitons. We had an amazing time and I can't recommend it enough. NOTE: It's a must to rent a car if you want to explore the island and check out all of the beaches. Driving is a little scary at times since the terrain is mountainous and there are a lot of steep switch-backs to navigate. We didn't rent a four-wheel drive vehicle and were fine, but if I were to do it again I would definitely get a 4x4.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

GREAT PLACE! GREAT VIEW!

Guest: Tom & Gill (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 05/06/11 Review Submitted: 06/17/11

We had a terrific time in Marigot Bay. The apartment is really beautiful and extremely comfortable. The arrangements for getting settled in were very smooth. Everything we needed was there. The views from the balcony are just the best. We spent hours watching the yachts drift by. The sunsets are pretty great too. There's a supermarket in the Marina which stocks just about everything we needed. The restaurants in the Bay seem to cater for all tastes - some local, some more upscale and burgers as standard! We loved everything about Marigot Bay and hope to return very soon. We couldn't recommend the place highly enough.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

AMAZING EXPERIENCE!

Guest: honeytoyou (Dallas, TX)
Date of Stay: 02/13/11 Review Submitted: 03/02/11

This apartment is EVEN better than the pictures! Super comfortable with the best amenties and the views from every room are spectacular! Thanks to Simon who provided lots of info & made leasing so easy & and a big thanks to Nina who helped us so much while we were visiting the gorgeous Marigot Bay! This IS the place to be on St. Lucia, so centrally located & one of the prettiest areas. Driving on St. Lucia is not easy, (we tried that only 1 day!) so get one of the many taxis that will be lined up at the Marina to take you to Soufrieres,( or wherever) they give great tours. We charted a boat from Bateau Mygo (recommended by Nina)...it was fabulous...best way to see the Pitons & the gorgeous Jalousie Beach...snokling, lunch on board...well worth the money...Everything is really expensive...food especially, but if you go in knowing that, it won't be a shock. We loved the Rainforest - for Valentines it was perfect,(5 courses, really delicious) but about $200.US for 2. Doolittle's & the Marigot Resort also had good food. JJ's is now JD's also good place on the Bay...just watch the water taxi driver there, he tried to charge us $10. US pp to go about 200 yds...we did not pay that...most just chg. about $2. or just a tip. That driver was really the only unpleasant person we encountered on the island, everyone else is just so accommodating & friendly. Just lovely people! Some of our favorite meals were on the balcony of the apartment...wine & cheese & the wonderful bread from the bakery downstairs..best view on St. Lucia....watching all the huge yachts & sailboats...what could be better! Feel so blessed to have been able to experience this wonderful place!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Best place to stay in Marigot Bay!!

Guest: Susan (Green Bay, WI.)
Date of Stay: 01/22/11 Review Submitted: 04/22/11

I am very happy to say that this is the best spot to have in Marigot Bay. We wanted to rent a car and see the whole island but after finding out how expensive everything was, the car was our opt out money saver. So not really having anything to do but relax, it was the most fantastic people and boat watching balcony in the area!! Im so happy I booked this place because seeing all the other places, I wouldn't have been happy renting anywhere else. We rented a car for 2 of our 10 days and were a bit scared driving through the small towns but it was not difficult getting to the Pitons...very simple really. One setback was I told Nina I didn't need the maid every day, so she never came back! The apartment was not tended to for the whole 10 days and we had 2 large bags of garbage we didnt know what to do with. I also was a bit surprised with the beach across the way...but its not the fault of this property owner. We watched workers spit and pee on it every day. We walked over to it and there was trash all over in the water. Its beautiful to look at but I wouldn't swim there. Plus all the scum and gas pollute the area from the boats. Don't expect a beach to be on all the time, you'll have to visit a beach somewhere else. The use of the hotel is amazing!! The pool is kept well and we used it every day. On our 2nd from last day there, we asked a worker from the restaurant below if he would cook us something local on his time off, he was great!! He said yes, but we didnt have enough time to plan it. If you see a girl cooking in the shack below on the beach, go visit it and try some local food, it was great! We had chicken, jonny cakes and fish cakes for breakfast when she was there. All in all, the beauty of the island is amazing but the locals dont take care of it so it was a little disappointing but I think Simons place is a great place to start! If you want to see St. Lucia, bring lots of money (our first shopping trip for food was US$180 for 2 people) and dont expect Nina to help you see it, theres a booth below by the shops, the girl in there was wonderful!! Nina didnt have recommendations to suit us and she seemed like she was always in a hurry or going somewhere. Internet connection sucks...we held our computer over the balcony for reception. Everything in the apartment worked well, and is quiet. I highly recommend this place!

Owner response:Generally most visitors are charmed by both St Lucia and its lovely people. It's a rural Caribbean island, the majority of whose population is quite poor, and therefore possibly unlike what you may be used to back at home. All of St Lucia's beaches are public so you will meet local people there which I think is one of the great things about the Island. I've swum off the 'Sandspit' in Marigot Bay on every visit I've ever made to the Island and never thought it somewhere that I wouldn't want to swim. However I always let visitors know that it's a small beach and bigger beaches can be found just fifteen minutes away. You don't really visit Marigot Bay for its beach though - you come for its beauty and tranquility. Nina, our Property manager, is always there to help and will respond to any request that you make of her regarding cleaning the apartment. Good communication with her is always the key. Food prices throughout the Caribbean are higher than at home because much of what is available has to be imported. There's no way around that! I've not known of any internet connection problems previously. The apartment has its own wifi and also the Marina, directly beneath the apartment, provides free wifi for all of the yachts that moor there.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Wonderful Condo

Guest: PK (Manheim, PA)
Date of Stay: 01/15/11 Review Submitted: 01/25/11

Fabulous location....enjoyed breakfast on the deck while watching the boats go in and out of the bay.....very clean, spacious and well-stocked with amenities.....owner is nice to deal with and prompt in responding to questions.....great value!

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway.

Lovely Stay in Marigot Bay

Guest: Susan (Massachusetts)
Date of Stay: 12/22/10 Review Submitted: 01/19/11

We stayed in this gorgeous apartment over Christmas vacation 2010. Everything was just as advertised--clean, spacious and convenient. Both sofas fold out to full/queen size beds so our family of four had plenty of room. The deck was absolutely my favorite spot to watch the coming and going of Marigot Bay. The apartment is convenient to the Marigot Bay resort so we were able to use both pools and enjoy the swim up bar (fun, a little expensive, very friendly) plus dinner at The Hurricane Hole which was good, not great. Just downstairs from the apartment is a wonderful little french bakery where we ordered cappuccinos and pastries every morning. They also have really tasty lunch sandwiches which we preferred to everything else offered for lunch in Marigot. We had Christmas Eve dinner at the Rainforest Hideaway on the other side of the bay which was absolutely fantastic. We ate several times at Chateau Mygo which is just across the road and right on the bay. Great spot, great food. In fact, we also chartered a day sail through Bateau Mygo which we highly recommend as well. Thanks so much to Simon, the owner and Nina, the property manager for their gracious hospitality. We highly recommend.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

The Best

Guest: well travelled (USA)
Date of Stay: 07/31/10 Review Submitted: 08/12/10

We stayed here during early August and all I can say is fabulous!! We were met by the apartment manager who showed us all around. The apartment was immaculate and incredibly comfortable. While you would expect to have these things everywhere you go, it is always nice to know that they are there-- hot water, great water pressure, air conditioning (essential in August in St Lucia no matter what you hear about places being cooled by the island breezes), wonderful linens, completely furnished kitchen, cable tv (if you want it but why would you) and quiet. The facilities were wonderful, but the location is absolutely unbeatable. The view is incredible. You are right above the dock where all of the boats that pick up people for other activites around St Lucia. There is a very small grocery store where you can get basic food items--milk, eggs, cereal,sodas, beer, wine but not much more than a convenience store in the US, a bank, an ATM, and a small cafe on the ground floor of the complex. The pool is just a short walk down the boardwalk at the Marigot bay resort. The availability of the resort facilities made this place unbeatable. The resort had two pools with plenty of loungers and umbrellas and towels. The swim up bar was marvelous, as were the delicious (but very expensive drinks). There is also a wonderful casual bar which serves very good food at reasonable prices at the resort, The staff at the resort were extremely nice. The formal restaurant at the resort was very, very expensive. St Lucia was a beautiful place to visit. There were a lot of activities--scuba diving (we used Scuba Steves out of Rodney bay and were very happy), snorkling, hiking in the rainforest, horseback riding, waterfalls, hot springs, and just hanging out at the beach or pool, but even better than that, the St Lucians were probably the nicest people my husband I have met in all of our many years of travel. We stayed one other place on St Lucia and we wished we had spent our whole time here. If we go back to St Lucia we will definitely stay here again.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Charlotte
Date of Stay: 07/31/10 Review Submitted: 08/07/10

One word. Fabulous!! I have already been composing my review in my mind. Amazing view, spotless, quiet, hot water, air conditioning, wonderful linens, frozen duck in the grocery store (well okay I wondered who would be whipping up duck in their rented apartment). We are still in St Lucia and I wish we were still at you place.

Recommended for:

Large, spacious unit with all the amenities of a high-end resort.

Guest: Jennifer (Alexandria, VA)
Date of Stay: 06/17/10 Review Submitted: 06/27/10

This is by far, the best place to stay in Marigot Bay. The unit is large and private, with an unsurpassed view of the bay from windows on three sides. However you are steps from a bakery, business center with free wi-fi, grocery store, and bank. The unit is very clean, with modern appliances and bathrooms, and the A/C worked great (which made a big difference in the summer.) The queen bed was very comfortable and we slept well each night. It was great to have the privacy and independence of a condo, while also being able to take advantage of the amenities at the Discovery Marigot Bay resort, such as the pool, restaurants and concierege. The pictures do not do it justice - it's a lovely unit. After visiting Rodney Bay, we were so glad that we chose to stay in Marigot Bay instead. There are several excellent restaurants and cafes (Chateau Mygo was one of the best values on the island), but without the traffic, crowds and noisy partiers. The owner also handled the transaction smoothly, and the local property manager was helpful and informative. Our expectations were exceeded, and we would highly recommend this unit to others.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway.

Best Location in the Bay!

Guest: vdub (Orange County, CA)
Date of Stay: 05/01/10 Review Submitted: 06/08/10

We had an amazing time! This condo is the best location in the bay. It has spectacular views, it is spacious, clean, light and airy. It was great to have access to the Marigot Bay hotel allowing us to have a cocktail at the swim-up bar in the afternoon and then head back to the condo to watch the sunset. Watching the boats come into the bay, having a fresh baguette from the bakery just downstairs, and drinking rum punches from the market, was a simple pleasure and added to our awesome experience. I would recommend this place to anyone....except I'm afraid to let out the secret! :)

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.