Almond Smugglers Cove - St. Lucia

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What a great place! Visited: December 2004 Posted by jah We had a very, very nice stay here. We loved it. In our opinion, the reviewers who whined on this site were wrong. Do not hesitate to stay here! It is a great place with great people. 7 users found this review helpful. 5 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This was the best holiday ever. Visited: October 2004 Posted by thewestlea My family and I came to Club St. Lucia for my sister's wedding. It was a fantastic place. And because we loved it so much, we are going again some time next year. Our rooms were well presented and large. The best part of the holiday was meeting so many great people. Many of them were part of the magic action team and they were outstanding. They made our holiday worth while. The shows they performed were brilliant. We learned a volcano dance which I still remember. We had a choice of many restaurants to eat in and they were all very nice. The weather was gorgeous, nice and hot every day. When it would rain, we would still be sun bathing because it would just cool us down that little bit. We also went on a speed boat ride with Troy and Captain Edmond and that was fantastic, too. We got to see some beautiful sights. We went into part of the rainforest, and through the tunnel of love, and we did a little bit of snorkeling. This was the best holiday I have ever had. 4 users found this review helpful. 3 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Club St. Lucia is a great budget three-star resort. Visited: May 2004 Posted by woodmichelle We have been twice and are planning a third trip already. The rooms are clean, the food is varied, the raquet club is great, and the setting is beautiful. Also, the entertainment is fun, and the kids clubs are brilliant Above all, the staff is fantastic here. 3 users found this review helpful. 4 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It is old and dated, but a good value. Visited: May 2004 Posted by genesinbox This is definitely an old and dated property. There are water stains, rust and paint peeling in some areas. If you want a fancy, spiffy, brightly painted property - this is not it. But with that said, the price still makes it an excellent value. The staff is friendly and helpful, they have pools for all ages, the food is decent at the buffet tables. They serve excellent food at the specialty restaurants (there are three of them). The beach itself is kind of dark and icky. However, a three-minute walk puts you at the Smuggler's beach where the water is clearer and the sand a little bit brighter. Ants are just a natural part of the Caribbean. But I had a few more than I wanted. However, housekeeping addressed the issue. For the price, it is a good deal. Plus, the kids couldn't tell the difference. All of the kids, from various ethnic backgrounds had an absolute ball. 2 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Club St. Lucia offered comfortable and affordable family fun. Visited: April 2004 Posted by jodidean89 Some of the reviews for Club St. Lucia were pretty harsh! My family and I had beautiful weather, and once we knew the "ins and outs", we faired a lot better. First, request a room close to the main activities, but not too close. Second, go to the beach at 7:00 a.m. and place belongs on lounge chairs (magazines, etc..), under a beach hut or under the palms (it was very hot during the day). Third, request food vouchers at the activites hut as soon as it opens. The buffet is pretty good, but the restaurants are much better. Fourth, relax at your prime oceanfront beach and order a drink! Our favorite restaurant was the steak and seafood restaurant (Private's Cove?). It would be okay to bring well behaved older children. Also, the restaurant "Beaches" was so great! We never ate at the Italian restaurant, which was all booked during our stay. That was okay though, because the most negative thing I would have to say is that there was a funky smell by the adult pool which was in close distance to the restaurant. We had breakfast at the location and didn't smell it, though. But if you think this would bother you, this might not be the place for you. The beach was the best. There was a protective cove for the kids, all activities were terrific, and the staff was very friendly. Travel with inflatable tubes for the kids' slide, and bring your own snorkle gear(very limited amount). Also, there was only one ping pong ball (no kidding). Anyway, stuff like that you have to laugh about or it will ruin your good time. Relax and have fun with your family, if it wasn't for the smell, I would have rated this resort a four. 2 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A brilliant time was had by all. Visited: January 2004 Posted by ralph_brader I went a wedding here - there were 20+ of us in the party. The rooms were great, and the staff was great. It was a fairy tale wedding in excellent surroundings made exceptional by the steel bands contribution. I am a wedding videographer in the UK, and what a setting Club St Lucia was! If this is the type of wedding and holiday you want - go for it. Also, take the Brigg Galleon trip - it was a marvellous experience. It was the same boat as used in Pirates of the Caribbean. The motto in St. Lucia is "no pressure, no problem!". We even had a well known Eastenders actor in the apartment next door. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me. There was plenty of choice food-wise. The best meal was breakfast. We were lucky if we could eat much by night time, but there was still plenty of choices by then. There were one or two bits I could have improved upon, but nothing major. Three stars plus can't be right! Let's hear it for Club St. Lucia by splash. Hooray! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Don't take notice of any bad reviews. Visited: January 2004 Posted by slewis After booking our holiday and then reading all the bad reviews, we were very unsure of what to expect. However, we were very glad that we hadn't cancelled. To be honest, the property was in need of various repairs and maintenance, but we spoke with the new manager and he said that there will be a lot of work done this year. Our room was recently refurbished and was fantastic, very big and exceptionally clean. There was a huge army of staff who worked tirelessly all day whether it was cleaning, gardening, etc., and they were all very warm and friendly people. The food was fine, sometimes I did struggle a bit because I am a very fussy eater and won't eat anything spicy, but I ate three meals a day. It was fantastic having a burger and hotdog stand near the pool, my kids must have gone up at least two times each day. The Magic Action Team was the best. The shows that were staged were unbelievable with a lot of attention to detail. Daytime activities were also good and our family got involved in most things. A big thank you to Coolio, Cowboy, ABC, Jerry, Shrek, Fatman and Bob - my kids adored them and these guys had all the time in the world for them. We were thinking of going to Barbados next Christmas, but the kids have begged us to go back to Club St. Lucia, so we returned yesterday and booked straight away. Please do not be put off by any bad reviews. We spent the best part of a year worrying, and it was totally unnecessary. Remember that it is a 3.5 star, if you want luxury, it will double the cost and I've read some bad reviews about those, too. I had also read some reviews about ants, cockroaches, etc., I can honestly say I didn't see any creepy crawlies at all. Long live the Volcano Song! Ps if anybody who was there over New Year, our party including "NOBBY" Mr Club St Lucia. 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Everything was in one place. Visited: September 2003 Posted by philipandy This was a nice place. I came here for my honeymoon. Our room was decent and clean. They had people cleaning the surroundings all day. Everything we needed was right at the facility -we didn't need to go out of the compound. The food was good, too. We looked forward to every meal to see what was on the menu. They had a nice variety of food and juices. We wanted to go bike riding, but the bikes were too old. They need to do something about that. With entertainment every night, we had lots of fun. 1 users found this review helpful. 1 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We had a great family holiday. Visited: August 2003 Posted by atucker We stayed for three weeks and had a super time. Our two-year-old loved the place as there were loads of other children for him to play with. The accommodation was spacious, clean and private. Unlike some reviewers, we did not experience ants, bedbugs or anything like it in our room - only the odd mosquito. We managed to locate the beach, pools, bars and dining rooms with ease. The view from the beach was beautiful and the volcanic black sand did not disappoint us. An interesting fact we discovered was that it sticks to a magnet. The food was fine whilst not gourmet - chopped carrot is not a garnish! The cocktails were a little weak for our tastes and poor quality spirits were used in some cases i.e. the Gin ( so we went to the supermarket in Rodney Bay and bought our own). The staff was extremely friendly and marvelous with the children. The entertainment from the Magic Action team was fun, we now know every word of the Volcano Song. Our complaints were few, we'd have liked more sunbeds (or for fellow guests to stop hogging them with their towels). Also, Leton the bartend was miserable and unhelpful. But he was the only one we met like that. We'd have liked another pillow, but never got one. Also, the owner's two sons were a pain. They set up business to fleece the other children via a Ughio game with their own set of rules. None of the staff challenged their behavior, but hey, they need their jobs. Our toddler loved the pools and had fun on the water shute. We did get ear infections whilst here but were not prepared to pay $80 US each to see the doctor, and the nurse couldn't help. We can't say if it was due to the pools, as we did see them being cleaned regularly. We went outside the resort quite a lot to eat and found The Great House (where you get a 15% discount) to be very good. All in all, St. Lucia is a beautiful and relaxing place to visit and we came back refreshed and with happy memories. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was simply fantastic! Visited: August 2003 Posted by lou_whapham We have just returned from the beautiful island of St. Lucia having stayed and married at Club St. Lucia. We had a simply fantastic time and stayed in a Deluxe Ocean View Room which was just perfect and only yards from the ocean! The service from all staff was first class and we were always served with a smile and a 'you're welcome' ! The International Grill Restuarant was a little warm as there was no air conditioning and it lacked ambience, but the food was excellent with numerous dishes of delight every day! The other restuarants were by reservation only and you had to book early in the day to get in. But it was nice to have a little more privacy on some evenings. We stayed away from the kids pools (apart from my husband giving the water slide a quick go!) and instead, opted for the quieter adults-only pool. But the kids there were all having a fantastic time. The Wedding Bells staff was really friendly and helpful, and ensured that our day was perfect in every way. We opted for a helicopter ride back to the airport as the hour and a half taxi journey was a little hairy! The island is beautiful and so are the people. We shall visit again without a doubt, and if they can hack the nine-hour flight, we may just bring the kids...then again we may not! 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Club St. Lucia was very relaxing! Visited: August 2003 Posted by vibert99 We just returned from a week-long holiday at Club St. Lucia and it was great! Those negative reviewers need a reality check. We started off in the Hummingbird Village which was advertised as adult-only. But we were disappointed that the room was on the ground floor without enough privacy to open the doors and things, and also there were parrots in a series of large cages which attracted a number of children. We requested a change/upgrade and got the best room in the place - the southernmost block of the Whispering Palms Village - for a nominal charge. These were beautiful rooms in a semi-private area overlooking a private lawn and the beach. They also had huge bathrooms with a jacuzzi...best for adults, I'd say! The International Grill was very good consistently - we never had a disappointing meal there. The exclusive restaurants were a 'mixed bag' with only the Great House and Smuggler's Inn being any good. The drinks were very good, even if the bar staff was surly at times. But that was only one or two bartenders, really. Although we went without kids, the children were a real joy as the entire resort appeared to have been successfully designed for them. There were ramps everywhere to allow pushchairs, constant entertainment and games, the 'People's Choice' of the Waterslide and a lot of staff was assigned to this vital aspect of the business. When we came here, it was virtually full and there must have been hundreds of children all over the place...many of them squealing in delight and playing around. This is definitely a place to visit if you don't mind the children. Some other comments...over 95% of the guests were from the UK, but no prices were quoted in Sterling and our international calls were cut from midnight before our departure and we didn't know until we asked at checkout. The grounds were beautiful, huge and painstakingly maintained. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Club St. Lucia is a superb family resort. Visited: July 2003 Posted by tina_dar First impressions were that it was not what we had expected of our heavenly holiday to the Caribbean. The hotel bedrooms in blocks of fours throughout the resort were a little unsightly and reminiscent of holiday camp accommodation in the UK. However, the bedrooms were very comfortable and bathrooms clean and tidy. Every day these were made to be spotless with fresh towels if needed. The beach was a disappointment because of the rocks and stones underfoot in the sea, and the fact that the sea was not clear in the main bay which was mostly for watersports anyway. The two waterski instructors were very patient and friendly. The International Grill restaurant was too hot to be enjoyable of an evening when you have made an effort to dress up nicely and was also very mobbed during busy times. Other than that, it was a great place for the family as we did not see much of our two boys for two whole weeks! They loved it. The trip to the Pitons was well worth it on the Brig Unicorn. Smugglers Cove was lovely next door for peace, quiet and great snorkeling! 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? We got married here... it was a fairytale wedding! Visited: June 2003 Posted by d_roe This was our first time in the Caribbean, and we mainly chose this complex because of all the childrens' amenities. Afterall, we were getting married and wanted some time to ourselves! We had read some not very good reviews and were a little apprehensive, but I can honestly say, after being at the complex for five minutes those reviews were rubbish! Remember, it is a three-star accommodation, and bearing this in mind, I thought it was fantastic. The staff was incredible, so friendly. Brenda, our maid, was the best. Every day she left a spotless room. We had a family room, which included a fridge, and again allowed more privacy, worth every penny! There were a lot of weddings being organized, but they made each one feel unique and special. I never felt like we were just on a conveyor belt. It was all organized so well, and when the day arrived I felt like a million bucks. It was a fairytale wedding, that we shall never forget. My husband-to-be was very nervous, but Pamela looked after him and helped his nerves with a stiff whiskey! In fact, she kept checking on us the whole time, and even after the wedding, she would acknowledge us, calling us by our names. The whole day was fantastic. We left the children with a babysitter that evening, and the arrangements for that were spot on. Overall, we had a fantastic time, the food was great in all restaurants, and as for The Volcano song...well we bought a copy of it, and are still playing it and doing the actions with it now! We can't wait to return. The only thing I would change would be to go before rainy season starts June first, because it can rain! 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? This is a wonderful hotel. Visited: June 2003 Posted by nben My family and I went to St. Lucia for the first time at the beginning of June for two weeks, and what a lovely time we had. After booking our holiday a few months before going, I frequently checked via the internet for other guests' reviews of this hotel. Sometimes after reading bad reviews, I thought that I had made a big mistake in booking this hotel. But on our arrival at the hotel, we were greated by such lovely and friendly St. Lucian people that we decided we had made the right decision to stay at Club St. Lucia. We had a really lovely fortnight stay, and the kids loved the Magic Action Team, the entertainment staff, who spent hours making sure that everyone had a good time. Thanks to Joseph, Boniface, Jerry, Fat Boy and Kennedy - to name just a few. We hope to see you all again next year.We recommend that you try this hotel yourself. It's brilliant for a good family holiday. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? A great hotel and island. Visited: June 2003 Posted by gwestall My family and I have just returned from our third stay at Club St. Lucia. It is a most wonderful place to go and experience. My children really enjoyed spending part of the day and evening with the all-included kids club. The staff was brilliant with them and never appeared to get fed up with some of the children who sometimes were giving the aunties and Uncle Garvin a hard time. It gave my wife and me a well-deserved break from our children knowing that they were being well cared for. The main thing was that they were enjoying their holiday, too. Don't listen to the moaners who place bad reviews of this hotel. After all, it is a three-star hotel and not a five-star, so you get what you pay for. If you want a five-star hotel, go and pay double the price of Club St. Lucia. My family and I hope to return to St. Lucia next year. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? You get what you pay for. Visited: June 2003 Posted by lisal1961 My husband and I went to Club St. Lucia for the price. When we first arrived we were told that they shut off the water between 12am-4am everyday. That wasn’t a problem for us, but for some people I guess it was. The food was okay. The beach was okay, but nothing to write home about. The pools were all nice. The adult pool was especially nice for the people that had no children. You can go topless there if you want. Our room was nice. It was in the hummingbird section. The other rooms didn't seem that nice. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was just wonderful. Visited: May 2003 Posted by dwatt I recently returned from a wonderful time at Club St. Lucia. It was my first experience at this resort, and I assure you I will return as soon as possible. The St. Lucian people working in the resort could not be more helpful and friendly. And when out on tours around the simply beautiful island, all of the people whom I met were wonderful and friendly. When I booked a tour to go into Casteries, I wondered, as a female on my own, whether I would be safe. There was no problem there, as I found that all the locals were just as friendly as everyone I had already met on the island. I never felt that I was at risk of my personal safety anymore than I am at home in the UK. Take my advice - come here and try Club St. Lucia yourself. 1 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? It was everything we expected, and a lot more! Visited: April 2003 Posted by susaneobrien We came for a one-week stay with our four-year-old son, and were a bit skeptical because the room rate was so low. We opted to stay in a "family suite" which consisted of a fairly large room with a king-size bed and an adjacent room with two pull out sofas. The bathroom was huge with two sinks and lots of counter space. Our toilet leaked when it was flushed, but it was repaired the next day. The room was in good condition and the air conditioning worked well. The main restaurant, the International Restaurant, served three delicious, varied buffet meals. Even my son, who is a very picky eater, always found something good to eat. It was easy to access the bars to obtain awesome frozen fruit drinks or whatever else we wanted. The desserts were incredible. What my son enjoyed most about the resort were the many kiddie pools (three in all) and the water slide. He spent hours in them each day. The beach was nice, but not spectacular. It consisted of about 1/8 mile cove with brownish volcanic sand. It was hard to stand or walk in the water as there were rocks of various sizes which hurt your feet that started as soon as the water began. The snorkeling on this beach was fair, but there was an adjacent beach called Smuggler's Cove which was owned by Club St. Lucia that was very good for snorkeling and swimming. There was also a kids discoteque on the property which started right after dinner, and various shows began at 9:30 p.m. - if you can stay up that late. For guests without kids, there was a separate pool area and jacuzzi reserved for adults only. Also, there was an adult-only bar, squash and tennis courts, fitness room, and two restaurants that required reservations and didn't seem to have kids. It seemed that 99 percent of the people here were from England. We only met one family from America, and that was it. And it seemed that the resort was pretty full. I don't know why more Americans don't come there. The major drawback was the length of time (1-l/2 hours) it took to get from the airport to the hotel. Because we flew with frequent flyer miles and didn't do an air/hotel package, land transportation to the hotel wasn't included, so we rented a car for the whole week (it cost $330) with Cool Breeze Car Rentals. So, we could take off whenever we wanted to see other parts of the island. St. Lucia was, by far, the most beautiful island I've been to. It was very lush and mountainous, with decent roads which very rarely were straight. It was not overpopulated at all. The locals were friendly and no one seemed very poor or desperate like in other places I've been. This resort was a real find! 3 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Club St. Lucia is a wonderful hotel. Visited: March 2003 Posted by kathykatie I have been to Club St. Lucia five times. During the five years I have been coming here, the hotel has changed hands three times. With each new managment, some things have changed - some for the better, others not. But, this hotel is the most wonderful place I have ever been to. The rooms are set in little blocks of four, which means that there are not too many people staying in the area around you. The restaurants all offer a high quality of food with many choices. So, whether you are a vegetarian or not, there is always a choice available. The evening entertainment is varied with local guest bands, fire eaters, limbo dancers and steel bands (not forgetting the wonderful shows that the Magic Action Team) do). The swimming pools are all kept in good repair and the water is tested throughout the day ensuring the high quality water that guests expect. The opportunity is here if you want to learn water skiing, sailing and sail boarding, all within the price of your holiday. The water sports department staff is all very friendly and helpful, and they never seem to get fed up with teaching the guests how to ski. All in all, Club St. Lucia is paradise - go try it yourself and enjoy. 0 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful? Club St. Lucia is a perfect mid-priced all-inclusive resort. Visited: January 2003 Posted by mousehouse If you are ready to visit the "Simply Beautiful" island of St. Lucia, Club St. Lucia is an ideal choice for your accommodations. We were here in January for a photography workshop and are ready to go back next year! The staff is friendly and attentive to your needs. The rooms are large, colorful, and comfortable. Your room location choices range from standard to deluxe oceanview. Additionally, the resort location is ideal. You will be close to the shopping area of Castries, the town marketplace, watersport activities, or an array of sightseeing choices within the island. Whether you choose to spend a lazy day within the beautiful beach area cove, swim at one of the five pool areas, or to venture out sighseeing on the island, you'll return to your choice of bars, and a great evening meal, (with choice of restaurants) and fun night time entertainment. You can select from buffet-style meals, (the choices are varied and very good!)or a la carte at Oriental, Italian, or oceanside candlelight Caribbean style dinners. I would recommend this resort to couples, families with children, or anyone wanting to enjoy this beautiful island. 2 users found this review helpful. 0 found this review unhelpful. Did you find this helpful?

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