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Cap Maison Resort & Spa

Tried and tested by our Travel Director, Kelly Baldwin - December 2022

Hacienda-style Cap Maison is the classiest place to stay in northern St Lucia, and with two excellent restaurants, it is the best hotel for foodies anywhere on the island. The clifftop location is also a big selling point, while the beach is a pretty cove at the bottom of a long flight of steps.


Location

Near the northern tip of St Lucia, in the posh Cap Estate area; Rodney Bay Village, St Lucia's only resort, is 10 minutes' drive away. The views – particularly from the Cliff at Cap restaurant – are sensational, taking in Pigeon Island down the coast and Martinique on a clear day. Cap Maison's doesn't have direct access to its 'own' beach. Instead, you walk through a door at the side of the property, then down a flight of 92 steps, to bring you to Smugglers Cove, a pretty, 75-metre wide beach of tawny sand backed by cliffs and jungly undergrowth. The hotel has a bar/restaurant here, and provides sun loungers and water-sports, but locals come here too (all beaches on St Lucia are in fact public).


Style and Character

Cap Maison's look is Spanish Caribbean, with arches, courtyards and fountains, eye-catching Hispanic tile-work and terracotta urns, and meticulously tended tropical gardens with springy lawns and colourful flora everywhere. The property has something of the feel of a private residence, as much as a hotel: for example, the bar near the reception is on an honesty basis.


Service and Facilities

The hotel is privately owned by a local family, and the owners are much in evidence. Ross Stevenson, the long-serving English general manager, runs a tight ship. There's a smart, compact spa and gym, two swimming pools (the main one enjoying the clifftop views, the other in a courtyard setting), and down at Smugglers Cove some complimentary water-sports equipment (kayaks, bodyboards for gentle surfing, a Hobie Cat, snorkels).

  • Parking

  • Restaurant

  • Room service

  • Bar

  • Laundry

  • Pool

  • Spa

  • Free Wi-Fi

  • Fitness centre

  • Beach

Rooms

The accommodation comprises 49 rooms, suites and villas, spread over 10 two-storey, whitewashed blocks. With cedar-wood floors, Jalousie shutters, splashes of colour in jolly cushions and pretty hand-painted Mexican tiles in bathrooms, along with wicker-furnished terraces, everything is tasteful and elegant. The lead-in Garden View Rooms are fairly modest affairs, while the top-of-the-range Oceanview Villa Suites come with a swanky kitchen, private pool and rooftop terrace. Some units are more private than others: ask.


Food and Drink

Cap Maison's strongest suit. Under the very experienced British-born chef Craig Jones, the open-air Cliff at Cap is a strong contender for St Lucia's best restaurant. The far-reaching sea views compete for attention with the innovative Caribbean/French cuisine. A serious wine list is on offer (there are regular wine-tasting evenings), and drinks can be taken on Rock Maison, a wooden deck on a rocky outcrop at the base of the cliffs, to which champagne is delivered in a basket on a zip-wire. Breakfasts, served at the Cliff at Cap, are buffets in high season, à la carte in low season.

Cap Maison has a second restaurant, The Naked Fisherman. On a deck directly behind Smugglers Cove, it doubles as a beach bar, but the food is much more sophisticated than the casual set-up suggests. It's open lunchtimes and some evenings.


Access for guests with disabilities?

There are two adapted ground-floor rooms, and ramped access to the Cliff at Cap. However, there is no disabled access to Smugglers Cove.


Family-Friendly?

Yes. The spaciousness of the villas is ideal for families. However, the atmosphere is romantic and grown up.


It's easy to understand why Cap Maison is a consistent winner in Conde Nast's Readers Awards and considered 4th of the top 25 Hotels in the Caribbean!


Speak to Kelly today if you're interested to book your stay or learn more about Cap Maison Resort & Spa.




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