Ladera - St. Lucia - Resort Details

Ladera was once part of Rabot Estate, one of Soufrière's oldest and most famous cocoa plantations. In 1982 it was transformed into the unique resort it is today.

Taking full advantage of its natural surroundings, Ladera offers a unique design in guest accommodations. The 9 villas and 23 suites all have an "open wall" - the west side of each unit is left open to expose the breathtaking view, and the orientation of the buildings maintains complete privacy. The villas and suites are constructed of tropical hardwoods, stone and tile, furnished with 19th century French furniture or replicas, wicker and accessories crafted by local artisans. All units are decorated with local artwork and feature magnificent views of the Pitons and Caribbean Sea.

Included Amenities and Services: Infinity pool and deck • Ti Kai Pose Spa • Beach shuttle service throught the day to Jalousie Beach and Anse Chastanet Beach with beack towels and snorkeling equipment • Dasheene Restaurant • Saturday morning Soufrière market tour followed by a cooking class with recipes • Fitness center with cardio and strength training machines • WiFi in all suites and villas • Guest computer in lobby • A fully stocked library is located at the main bar • Board games • Boutique with a wide range of items from tropical clothing and magazines, drugstore items and much more • Daily breakfast • Daily Afternoon Tea service • Portable DVD players available for in-room movie viewing • Nightly turndown service

LOCATION
Ladera is located on the southern end of Saint Lucia, just outside the port town of Soufrière, approximately 40 minutes from Hewanorra International Airport. It sits on a forested ridge at 1,100 feet overlooking the volcanic Piton Mountains and the Caribbean Sea.

ACCOMMODATIONS
The 9 villas and 23 suites, each with a private plunge pool, overlooking the famous Piton Mountains, a UNESCO World heritage site, the Caribbean Sea and the Soufrière valley. Ladera is know for its distinctive eco-lodge architecture, built with Caribbean timbers and modeled on luxury tree-house living, and a relaxed, barefoot lifestyle. Villas and suites were intentionally built without a fourth wall, yet are designed to be sheltered, safe, and completely private. The design affords spectacular sunset views and unobstructed star gazing at night.

Eight luxurious Dream Suites complement the Villas and Piton Suites. Introduced last year, the Dream Suites are larger, have two levels of living space, they also feature the famously unobstructed views and are designed in Ladera's elegant tropical architecture, using polished hard woods, crisp white linens and colorful tile and stone work by local artisans. A private deck and a spiral staircase lead to a private plunge pool.

DINING
Dasheene Restaurant and the T'cholit Bar (pronounced Choleet) offer some of the best dining in the Caribbean and by far the best views. The open-air dining room features breathtaking vistas of the rainforest, the dramatic Piton peaks and the Caribbean Sea below. Dasheene's elegant decor uses natural fabrics and woods to complement the birds-eye view of the island from the 1,100-ft. ridge in southern Saint Lucia. The menu features innovative interpretations of Saint Lucian and Caribbean specialties, based on local produce, fresh fish and colorful presentations.

* Breakfast (for hotel guests only), 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
* Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
* Dinner, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
* Sunday Brunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
* Daily Afternoon Tea (for hotel guests only) 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Room service is available from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Guests from other parts of the island are always welcome for lunch and dinner. Dinner Reservations are required. Restaurant attire is casual yet elegant, gentlemen are requested to wear long pants and collared shirts. Jackets are not required. No shorts, tank tops, or beach footwear is permitted in the evening. In-room dining is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast and Afternoon Tea are complimentary for registered guests. Entertainment is available five nights a week from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

SWIMMING POOL
The main pool and deck area are located below the restaurant and bar overlooking the Pitons and Caribbean Sea. Dasheene restaurant's full menu is available poolside.The infinity pool was used in the filming of "Superman II" and was the first of its kind in the Caribbean.

SPA & FITNESS
Ti Kai Pose Spa: To make your spa experience with us truly memorable, Ti Kai Posé is pleased to offer you the following:
* Enjoy your selected spa treatment in the comfort and privacy of your suite or villa.
* Relax pre-treatment or at any time during your stay, in the new mineral soaking tubs located in the serenity of our spa gardens.
* Take your massage outdoors; select any one of our massages and book it as a Rainforest Massage. This indulgent version of our in-spa massages pampers you outdoors, beneath a tent, in the lush, tropical gardens around the Spa.
• Treatments: Spa packages, massages, facials, body scrubs & wraps, manicures and pedicures, waxing, tinting, bronzing, hair braiding

As part of Ladera's complimentary services, guests may also enjoy the new mineral soaking tubs in the spa gardens, conveniently located beside Ti Kai Posé Spa. These gardens draw their restorative waters directly from the source at the Diamond Mineral Baths near Soufrière. Originally built just before the French revolution in 1785 (with funds from King Louis XVI), it is rumored that the Diamond Mineral Baths were frequented by Napoleon's Empress Josephine.
Ladera guests may include a mineral soak as part of their pre- or post-massage routine, or simply use it to relax after a day hiking or spent at the beach.

Garden Gym: Fitness center with cardio and strength training machines

TELEPHONE / INTERNET Rooms are not furnished with telephones, however a private phone room is located at reception.A two-way "FireFly" radio system allows guests to communicate with reception and the restaurant for in-room dining or other requests.Complimentary WiFi is available in the rooms and public areas. A guest computer is also available.

ELECTRICITY 220 volts, 50 cycles (square, three-prong plug). Adapters and transformers available for guests.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING...

2010
Recommend Magazine / A Stunning St. Lucia Resort
"This stunningly minimalist resort dutifully captures the romantic allure of its breathtakingly beautiful location high on a hillside ridge overlooking St Lucia’s iconic Piton peaks, combined with a jaw-dropping panorama of a white sand beach and the sparkling Caribbean Sea..."
2009
Discover / Super View
"This stunningly minimalist resort dutifully captures the romantic allure of its breathtakingly beautiful location high on a hillside ridge overlooking St Lucia’s iconic Piton peaks, combined with a jaw-dropping panorama of a white sand beach and the sparkling Caribbean Sea..."
2008
Forbes Traveler / The Caribbean's 15 Best Hotels
"It may seem silly to fly all the way down to the islands and not stay anywhere near a beach, but that’s always been Ladera’s trump card. Perched on a jungle ridge 1000 feet above sea level and surrounded by the remains of ancient volcanoes, the St Lucian resort blows you away with its rainforest setting, fresh mountain air and vertigo-inducing views of the famous Piton Peaks and the distant Caribbean. All of this made even more intense by the fact that none of the rooms have western walls—they open right onto nature and sheer drop-offs."