Resort Within A Resort To Open At Coconut Bay In Saint Lucia

Serenity at Coconut Bay, an adults-only luxury all-suite resort, will open in Saint Lucia on March 1, with 36 units carved out of the Coconut Bay resort. Featuring large suites and butler service, the property will offer introductory rates starting at $699 per suite per night for bookings through December 31; it will be available for booking on December 1.

Serenity, which comprises 36 villa suites, is just the first expansion being planned for the resort, which has just 250 rooms  set on more than 100 acres. “We could easily build 1,000 rooms and that is our longterm master plan,” said president and CEO Mark Adams at a press conference in New York last week. “Every room has a coconut tree, because they all offer interior and exterior spaces. Every room has a plunge pool and waterfall. And all furnishings were made locally.”

The rationale behind Serenity, said Adams is: “There is no way a 36-room boutique resort could have five pools, a large spa and fitness center, and 10 restaurants. Because Serenity is part of Coconut Bay we are able to do that.”

While Coconut Bay has nine restaurants, Serenity’s Greathouse restaurant will be available as part of the rate only to guests of that property (although a la carte access for Coconut Bay guests is under discussion). “We want it to be the best restaurant on the island,” he said, “and eventually the best in the Caribbean.”

There will be many kinds of butlers to “do anything you need to customize your island experience,” including a sunglass butler and a pillow butler.

The 36 Serenity units are in eight buildings with suites of various sizes. According to Natalia Greene, who heads up marketing, target markets are honeymooners, small destination weddings and incentive groups. She said the resort was determined to keep rates under $1,000 per suite per night year-round to compete against other island all-inclusives, including the three Sandals on Saint Lucia. Greene said the butlers can arrange anything for guests—from dinner on their patio or on the beach to private kite-surfing lessons to local excursions. Each suite will include 1,200 to 1,900 square feet of space.

Other amenities include: oversized soaking tubs, glass-enclosed rain showers for two; personalized wet bars; high-end cosmetics; hammocks, complimentary wi-fi, Bose entertainment centers. Public spaces include the 3,000 square-foot Serenity Pool with an 85-footlap pool at its center and in-pool lunge chairs

Greene said the existence of resorts like Anse Chastenet and Jade Mountain demonstrates the demand for luxury product on Saint Lucia.

Rates at Serenity through December 31 start at $699 per suite per night for the smallest suites, $769 for the mid-sized suite and $879 for the largest suite. Those rates will be valid for travel through 2017.