Rick&Leah
Last reviewed
Jul 28, 2001
Just returned from a week at Windjammer Landing. Easy to get lots of info on resort from its website and from www.stluciatravel.com, so here are our impressions:
resort is very well situated on a pretty bay north of Castries, convenient to city or Rodney Bay. Beautiful location on a very steep hillside with villas tiered up the hill above the beachfront reception, shops, restaurants, pools, tennis, etc. Villas are very mediterrean-looking with plaster walls, tile floors, open balconies, full kitchens, etc. We had villa 52 on third (upper) tier. 2 a/c bedrooms and plunge pool. Its our personal favorite and owner Ms Lynn Cram sez the same because of level, open plan and spectacular views. (I think 51 and 57 have similar plans) Its a hike down or up if you don't want to wait for the usually very prompt round-the-clock shuttles. Some villas are older, more cramped, with lots of narrow stairs, but still very cute. New places are even higher, 'way up top of hill. more modern, but I still liked ours best (we saw quite a number of units because we took the "time-share tour.")
We took all-inclusive, which we considered a bargain in spite of some arcane rules about drinks (house brands but premium brands extra, inclusive wine by glass but not by bottle) and some extra-cost entres in restaurants. They give you an ID card, but nobody ever asked. Just sign your room number. We considered the food superior to Norwegian Cruise Line or Washington banquet food. Actually pretty good. Very generous and varied breakfast buffet in Josephines, all-day lunch stuff and drinks at Jammers Beach Bar, and elegant evening dinner in Mango Tree. All three facilities are in open-air pavillions right on the beach grouped around the swimming pool. Lovely setting. Mango tree would like you to wear long pants or bermudas but everyplace else was pretty laid-back about T-shirts and sandals. If you don't want to "dress" you can get a number of Mango Tree dishes at Jammers along with your burgers and jerk wings. Up the hill is Papa Don's Italian. Excellent veal, pizza, etc, but not open every night in summer. No ocean view, but in pretty garden. Best meals were Caribbean-bar-b-que/steel band night at Josephines. Grilled meals, chicken, fish, ribs, etc. By the end of the week we'd gone through the menus and were about worn out. Food is pricey if not on all-inclusive, but you do have a kitchen. They have a small, expensive, limited grocery store, so stock up at Julians in Rodney Bay or Castries. (See my report about driving in StL for tip about Castries car park above Julians.)
Gift and clothing shops are typically pricey, and be sure you price women's stuff by the piece. Don't assume stuff on the same hanger is a set.
Staff were universally warm and friendly (even the grandmotherly waitress in Josephines who gave us the third-degree about our son's and his lady's marital status--its a long story.) Place is much smaller, more intimate than mega-resorts, but still isolated by gate from St. Lucia. Roving guards on beach and through resort, but we had no/no problems anywhere on island.
Great, high-energy exercise instructor. She had my wife and a pool-full of folks jumping through a tropical downpour.
Nice, clean, but not super beach. Water fairly cloudy but they take you around the point for free snorkeling (still pretty cloudy.) If you're on all-inclusive water-skiing is free too. Local guys show up to offer extra-cost jetskis. Once a week they have a great cat sail down to Soufriere for tour and snorkeling in much nicer Anse Cochon below Ti Kaye Resort. $90 US a person, but worth it. You only pay $20 US per if you take the time-share tour.
When we were there, resort was half-full. Lots of honeymooners, but also families with little kids or teenagers. They have a great kids program so the kids didn't bother folks. Lots of Brits, but they didn't bother folks either.
You could happily spend a week on-site, but they have a Suntours desk and will organize whatever you want. Resort is VERY HARD TO FIND from the main road. One very tiny sign if you're coming from Castries, but don't try it at night. Very rough, potholed approach road. Why can't these mega-buck resorts manage to post signs!? Mrs Cram said she'd been trying.
Great place for a family if its in your price range, and also great for a romantic get-away for two. Not as big and slick as Sandals, but very sophisticated and friendly. Kind of like a medium size cruise ship. Windjammer was recommended to us by a US Coast Guard captain who knows the Caribbean, and he was right.