Anse Chastanet: Hillside Romance

by Paris Permenter & John Bigley

If the two of you are looking to put as little as possible between the Caribbean and yourself, St. Lucia's Anse Chastanet may just be the place. Here the barriers between guests and the great outdoors are frequently as minimal as three exterior walls.

The vision of architect Nick Troubetzkoy, this hillside resort rises from a quiet bay and palm-lined beach to offer views of St. Lucia's spectacular twin Piton mountains. The architect-owner designed this singular resort to scale the hillside with guest accommodations that offer unique features that offer visitors open-air showers, trees that sprout right up through guest rooms, and open walls where views are uninterrupted by windows or screens.

"We are for anyone who wants to find the true Caribbean away from the crowds and the commercial places," explains Karolin Güler Troubetzkoy, director of marketing and operations.

Ecotourism Retreat

To ensure the continuation of that tranquility, Anse Chastanet recently worked with the government of St. Lucia to declare the underwater region around the resort a marine park. "This is the first time in the Caribbean for public and private sectors to get together to make rules for marine preservation," explains Karolin Troubetzkoy. Spear fishing and damage to the coral is prohibited in the marine park.

Anse Chastanet offers lovers a stay that combines the experience of camping with the luxury of a fine resort. "I used to say that this is not the place to go if you want a home away from home--we try to provide a different experience," says Troubetzkoy. This hillside resort strips away the barriers between resort and nature. Here walls give way to scenic vistas and tiny birds make chattering roommates.

The resort atmosphere is pure St. Lucian. Anse Chastanet's owners work to preserve the island's natural and cultural resources. "Our allegiance is to the island," points out Troubetzkoy. The resort utilizes island-made furnishings, cloths, foods, and artwork both to offer the guests a genuine island experience and to nurture the culture and economy of St. Lucia.

Favorite with Lovers

Twosomes make up a large part of the resort clientele. "We have never in our marketing pinpointed couples, but the resort naturally attracts couples," notes Troubetzkoy.

Anse Chastanet is perched on the edge of the hillside, which translates into steep steps that wind from beachside to the main reception and dining area to the hilltop bungalows above.

The simple guest rooms are decorated in West Indian style, with furniture that is produced on St. Lucia, usually from the Soufriere region. Beds, chairs, and couches are covered in a simple madras, the national cloth of St. Lucia, and covers are changed every three months to provide a different look for frequent return guests. Rooms are all oversized, ranging from 900 to 1,600 square feet.

Amenities include hair dryers, refrigerators, coffee makers, and ceiling fans. Although they're not always necessary, for guests' convenience mosquito nets are provided, along with electric mosquito coils. Telephones are not available in rooms; an outdoor bank of phones for guest use is located near the main office. Guests check for messages on a chalkboard posted nearby.

Rooms range from beachside, most popular with divers, to hillside in categories of superior, deluxe, and premium. The superior hillside rooms are the original accommodations at Anse Chastanet and were recently renovated. Booked for guests requesting privacy, these rooms have screens and louvered windows.

Up the hillside, deluxe rooms offer the trademark Troubetzkoy style, with two or three exterior walls and nature incorporated into the design such as in room 14B, which features a tree in the open-air shower.

One-of-a-kind shower stalls are also a part of the premium hillside rooms. "We always try to incorporate a view from the shower," says Troubetzkoy, a view that in room 7F can be enjoyed by means of a mirror that reflects the Pitons in the distance. The rooms in block 7 offer the best views of the twin peaks.

Resort Amenities

Troubetzkoy describes the Anse Chastanet guests as "the kind of travelers who can entertain themselves." Recreation at this resort primarily focuses on watersports. A SSI Platinum Pro dive shop offers beach and boat dives as well as night dives twice weekly. Free snorkel equipment, windsurfers, and sunfish are available for guest use. "Another Slice of Peach" canoe takes visitors to Soufriere or visitors can remain on property and enjoy a game of tennis. A tour desk books excursions to Castries, the volcano, and the rain forest.

Three restaurants provide both fine and casual dining. Trou au Diable on the beachfront serves lunch daily as well as a Creole buffet dinner twice weekly. The Treehouse offers fine dining, with Creole and continental entrees accompanied by an extensive wine list. The Piton Restaurant offers daily breakfast along with views of the mountains. And lovers shouldn't miss the bar: its signature drink, Stairway to Heaven, is made with the local Bois Bande liqueur, which island residents swear is a potent aphrodesiac.

For more on this unique resort, see http://www.ansechastanet.com.

Copyright Paris Permenter and John Bigley