Author: Rachel
Site: https://ourvacationinglife.com/
A Complete Review
My family and I took an amazing vacation to St. Lucia for 11 days. We stayed at Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa and have all the details you need on this resort. Should you stay here? Is it worth it? Read this review of Coconut Bay St. Lucia to find out!
We love to travel, that’s no secret. My husband and I know how important it is to travel as a couple, and we also know there are tons of benefits of traveling that we want to give to our kids. We’ve gone on family cruises, been to all-inclusive resorts, taken unbelievable trips to Iceland, and partied in Vegas with the best of them.
Any time we go away I try to retain as much information as I can so as to give the most thorough and comprehensive review of a location as possible. Keep reading to learn everything about Coconut Bay St. Lucia and whether or not you should book a trip for your own family.
Overview of Coconut Bay Resort In St. Lucia
St. Lucia stole my heart way back in 2008 when my husband and I visited for the first time. We had just gotten married and wanted to honeymoon in paradise, and it was nothing short of a dream vacation. St. Lucia has remained a very special place for both my husband and me ever since.
We’ve come back to this wonderful island on Caribbean cruises and have done tons of various excursions in St. Lucia that I would do over and over again.
15 years later we wanted to show our children our favorite place on earth. We obviously couldn’t stay at the same adults-only resort that we honeymooned in, but I came across Coconut Bay in my research and decided to give it a shot.
And boy, am I glad I did.
Coconut Bay St. Lucia is an all-inclusive tropical resort that spans 85 acres and has a mile of private beach. They have 250 rooms, split between the family-friendly Splash side and the adults-only Harmony side.
Finest Punta Cana has a similar set up, with an adults-only side and a family-friend side.They also have a sister resort next door, Serenity at Coconut Bay, which is an exotic couples-only luxury retreat.
The location appealed to me, being only minutes from the airport and also local to tons of various attractions, including the breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage site of the famous Piton Mountains and the world’s only drive-in volcano, Sulphur Springs.
The resort itself has the island’s largest waterpark, which actually consists of a long lazy river and 3 awesome water slides. I predicted my kids would have a blast at this resort and I can confidently say I was right.
So the big question to answer is, “Would you go back to Coconut Bay St. Lucia again?”. Generally, we don’t like to repeat vacations, as we prefer to experience as much variety in life as possible.
With that being said, YES I would absolutely go back to Coconut Bay, in a heartbeat. And my entire family agrees.
“Between the water slides and the Jerk Treehouse, I could stay here forever!” – Brooke, age 11 (at the time)
Where Is Coconut Bay St. Lucia?
Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa in St. Lucia is located a mere 1.4 miles from Hewanorra International Airport. The drive takes approximately 5 minutes, and the resort provides free transportation to and from the airport.
The transportation is completely stress-free; the resort is expecting you, so you simply locate the Coconut Bay booth outside the airport and they take care of you from there.
Upon the sad day of checking out of the resort, they schedule your ride back to the airport for you as well. The entire experience was very smooth.
The resort is located in the far southeast of the island of St. Lucia. There are tons of sights and activities within driving distance from Coconut Bay, including Sulphur Springs, the world’s only drive-in volcano.
Address: Vieux Fort, St Lucia
Phone: 758-459-6000
What We Loved About Coconut Bay St. Lucia
- The food! The Jerk Treehouse really was the star for me. I’m pretty sure I ate here every single day, which is most unlike me. My kids also loved Flip Flops, and my husband’s favorite was Calabash. We very much enjoyed all our meals, and would rate the food 5/5 for an all-inclusive resort.
- The entertainment! The Caribbean Night was an unbelievably good time, and we were fortunate enough to experience it twice. The entertainment staff always had daily activities planned for both kids and adults, so there was never a dull moment.
- The pools and water park! We spent SO much time in the various pools, the lazy river, and going down the water slides. It was a blast!
- The vibe! Coconut Bay St. Lucia has a fantastic culture about it. It feels true to the Caribbean, and the people make you feel welcome and like you’re part of the family.
- The sustainability! This resort really makes being environmentally conscious look easy. Between the sea turtle conservation efforts and the water retreival programs I was very pleasantly surprised by the sustainability aspect here.
What We Didn’t Love About Coconut Bay St. Lucia
- The beach. Given that the resort is located on the Atlantic side of the island, the water is a little rough and there’s a sargassum issue. This is not exclusive to Coconut Bay; it’s almost everywhere in the Caribbean. The staff does a great job of clearing it away as fast as possible, but it still can be problematic.
- The rooms. Although they were clean and well-kept, they could use an update. Families could also use the option of having suites with separate bedrooms, since as it stands currently you’d have to book two connecting rooms to get that sort of privacy. That being said, very little time is spent in the rooms so it’s not a deal-breaker.
- The balcony. The balconies off the rooms are quite small, so if you have more than 2 people they are impractical. They fit only 2 chairs and a small table, rendering them less than useful for families. We only used ours to dry our wet swimsuits.
- The WiFi. We had premium WiFi included with our concierge package and the connection was very iffy at best most of the time, unless we were in the room. We’d keep getting kicked off and have to renter our code, and it was overall just a pain, if it would connect at all.
What To Wear at Coconut Bay Resort
Tropical all-inclusive resorts have a different vibe during the day than they do at night. For a complete list of what to pack, check out our all-inclusive packing list.
By day, much of your time will be spent in a swimsuit and coverup. At night, things get slightly more formal.
Known as “resort casual” this can be sundresses, shorts and a top, slacks, and sandals. Formal dinners require long pants and collared shirts for men, and dresses or pants/skirts and blouses for women.
Here are a couple of examples of night time attire at Coconut Bay.
Arrival and Check-In
Upon arrival at the Coconut Bay Resort, we were handed refreshing cool towels scented with my absolute favorite smell in the world – lemongrass! Adults are given a delicious welcome cocktail, and the kids get a welcome mocktail of their own.
We had purchased the concierge package, so we had a private check in. It was all very smooth and well organized.
Our concierge, Dahlia, had already made dinner reservations for us at the restaurants which require reservations, and we also added a private anniversary dinner to our schedule since we were celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary.
Our concierge explained everything in detail to us, asked which bottles of alcohol we would like for the room and what types of drinks the kids would like in the room. She gave us our room keys (which are convenient bracelets), walked us up to our room, and had our luggage brought up behind us. Dahlia did a fantastic job of welcoming us to the resort!
Speaking of the resort, it is GORGEOUS. It is so lush and green, with coconut trees everywhere you look. There’s tons of flowers and vegetation, everything is clean and well-kept, and it truly feels like a tropical oasis.
There’s a big bar located in the lobby area and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it. There’s a rotating staff of bartenders, all extremely capable at making whatever drink your heart desires, but our favorite bartender was Tyron.
He knew we were celebrating our 15th anniversary so he went about creating 15 shots for 15 years. That was our goal anyway, but I think we only made it to shot number 9. We had our special dinner to get to that night, after all!
Tyron always wanted us to have a good time if we were at his bar, and his fun-loving personality ensured we did.
Splash vs. Harmony vs. Serenity
Coconut Bay St. Lucia is divided into two sides – Splash and Harmony. There also is a separate resort called Serenity at Coconut Bay.
The Splash side of Coconut Bay is the family-friendly wing, consisting of colorful rooms overlooking the resort. Splash has the waterpark, pools, restaurants, bars, and even an entire paintball course. Adults aged 18+ staying at Splash are free to visit the Harmony side of the resort.
The Harmony side of Coconut Bay is the adults-only wing. Here, adults can relax in paradise without having kids running around. Every room has a private patio or balcony, and there are pools, bars, and restaurants on this side of the resort as well. The gym and the spa are also located on the Harmony side. Harmony guests can freely go between the Splash and Harmony wings.
Serenity at Coconut Bay is a luxury couples-only resort right next door to Coconut Bay. There are 36 spacious suites with plunge pools, butler service, and tons of little extras to make your stay even more special. All Serenity guests also have access to Coconut Bay’s pools, bars, and restaurants.
Our Room at Coconut Bay Resort
We booked a Splash Concierge Premium Oceanview room, which is situated on the 4th floor. The view was absolutely amazing, but more than that, there was this unbelievable floral scent that wafted up from the flowers growing below. It was incredible, and if I could bottle this fragrance I would.
The rooms are clean and spacious, with plenty of closet space for clothes, and drawers for belongings. The sliding glass door led out to a small balcony with two chairs and a small table.
I do wish the balcony was larger and could accommodate all 4 of us at once. Even better would be if there were chaise lounges out there.
If there were 2 bedroom suites available we would have booked it, but that type of accommodation is not an option here. There’s no privacy in a room like this, and as kids get older you’ll likely need to book two connecting rooms instead.
The Restroom
The bathroom was small but functional. There’s no vent or fan, which means stink and steam have nowhere to go, so that could be improved upon. There was a small, heavily screened window in the bathroom, but whether from design, defect, or user error, I was unable to get it open.
The shower is very small, but the water pressure is great. The vanity is large and there’s a shelf below the vanity to store our stuff so it doesn’t clutter up the countertop.
They replenished our toiletries daily, and we always had plenty of towels. My husband and I also were given bathrobes and slippers for use during our stay, which our daughter actually wound up using instead.
The day we arrived, we had a large plate of fruit waiting for us in the room which was great. Every day a plate of some sort of delicious snack was dropped off too.
There were these absolutely delicious sweet breads stuffed with coconut, a variety of cheese with crackers, pita chips with a dip of some sort, and a piece of chocolate cake and a bottle of champagne for our anniversary.
The Pools at Coconut Bay St. Lucia
There is no shortage of water fun at Coconut Bay. Between the water slides, the lazy river, the main pool with the swim up bar, and the other pools scattered throughout the resort, you’ll never find yourself searching for a place to cool off.
There was a fantastic foam party in the main pool, and we very much enjoyed our time spent at the swim up bar.
We spent a large part of our time in the lazy river and enjoying the water slides, which are extremely fun. Speaking of the slides, one of them is completely enclosed and even goes underground!
The Beach at Coconut Bay St. Lucia
Coconut Bay is on the Atlantic side of the island. As a result, the water is typical of the Atlantic Ocean – can be choppy, relatively murky, and brings in copious amounts of sargassum at times.
That being said, it’s still really quite lovely.
The resort has workers constantly and quickly removing the sargassum as it washes up, keeping the beach as clean as possible. It’s not a perfect system but they really do a good job. Some resorts don’t even bother cleaning up the sargassum, which blows my mind.
A short walk down the beach brings you to Paradise Beach, which has plenty of lounge chairs and shady huts. There’s also a bar where you can quench your thirst. We did some snorkeling in the water here, and although it’s not crystal clear we were able to see quite a few different fishes.
The Food at Coconut Bay Resort In St. Lucia
There is no shortage of food options at Coconut Bay. Between the buffet, the sit-down restaurants, and the casual spots, you’ll always find something good to eat.
There’s a wide variety of options, ranging from Caribbean flavors, to Italian cuisine, to Asian options, and so much more. There’s gluten-free foods, allergy-conscious offerings, vegetarian menus, and even options for picky little ones.
Coconut Walk
We had breakfast at Coconut Walk every morning. There’s a variety of options including pancakes, scrambled or hardboiled eggs, made-to-order omelets, breakfast meats like bacon and sausages, a variety of fresh fruits, fresh made-to-order smoothies, and more.
Lunch has deli meats, sandwiches, salads, pastas, and stir frys. Dinner has a changing menu with pastas, tacos, a grilling station, and a variety of international cuisines.
Shekina here became fast friends with our son, and really made us feel like part of the family. We all got big hugs from her when we left and I’ll definitely miss seeing her every day.
Jerk Treehouse
Easily my personal favorite, the Jerk Treehouse is open from noon – 5pm daily and is delicious.
You can get jerk chicken, pork, sausage, or fish, which are all amazing. The sides include rice and peas (known in the US as kidney beans), fried breadfruit, plantains, and festival (which is like a fried cornbread).
I had lunch here every day, and Sharnil even wrote down the recipe for the jerk marinade for me so I can make it at home!
Flip Flops
Flip Flops is open for lunch, and is also the late night spot to grab a bite to eat. Here you can get made to order pizza and burgers, plus salads, wraps, and fries. The fish tacos are amazing.
Calabash
Calabash has a Caribbean fusion type flavor, and is one of the restaurants that require reservations. It’s also one of the few restaurants that has a dress code.
Men must wear long pants and elegant shoes. Women get away with more because we have a wider variety of clothing options, but need to look presentable as well.
This restaurant was my husband’s favorite. He had a beef tenderloin and said it was fantastic. My daughter very much enjoyed her chicken dish, and I had the Pork Chop, which I found a bit dry but very flavorful. My son loved his steak!
Silk
Coconut Bay’s Asian restaurant was wonderful. I had a delicious Mahi Mahi, and my husband and son both got beef and broccoli, which was one of my son’s favorite meals during this trip. My daughter tried a crispy sweet and sour pork which she also loved.
For appetizers we had shrimp dumplings and veggie spring rolls. I could’ve eaten a hundred dumplings, they were that good.
Trattoria
Next to Flip Flops is the Italian restaurant, Trattoria. It’s more casual than the other restaurants that require reservations but you still need to be dressed appropriately.
The absolute STAR of our meal here was the macarons we had with dessert. In fact, our server brought us out an entire plate of macarons to go, which we brought back to our room for a late night snack!
The arancini were amazing, and the chicken parm was a big hit. We all loved our meals, and our server was truly fantastic.
La Luna
For our 15th anniversary, my husband and I had a private dinner at La Luna. La Luna overlooks the ocean, therefore the view is incredible. You each pre-pick your menu and it comes out in courses. There is an extra charge to dine here.
Everything we had was phenomenal. The salad greens are all locally grown in Coconut Bay’s own greenhouses, and they make their own dressings from seasonal ingredients. It was truly delightful, and a great way to celebrate our anniversary.
Veranda
Veranda is an adults-only restaurant located on a balcony of the main building. We didn’t eat here, but the menu offers delicious-sounding choices such as grilled beef and coconut shrimp, lamb chops, and the catch of the day.
The Greathouse
The Greathouse at Serenity is an upscale adults-only restaurant with gourmet menu items. There’s an additional charge to dine here.
The menu consists of tantalizing items such as escargot, fig and saltfish salad, fennel crusted striploin, and pan seared scallops.
Entertainment and Activities at Coconut Bay St. Lucia
There is no shortage of entertainment and activities at Coconut Bay. Between themed dinner nights, games, competitions, and dance parties, you’ll never find yourself bored while you’re here.
We participated in paper boat races, cornhole tournaments, musical chairs, a mixology contest and many more activities. Gillie kept everyone completely engaged and having a great time, and she was friendly and cheerful every time we saw her. She truly made sure everyone was having fun!
Our absolute favorite night was Caribbean night. The food was fantastic, but the entertainment stole the show. A steel drum band starts the night (is there anything more Caribbean sounding than a steel drum?!) and there are fire breathers, stilt walkers, singers, and dancers….
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