If you're not going to take full advantage of an AI, I would go to the Royal. It's a great hotel. I've stayed there, and many others. You're right on a great beach, Reduit, and within easy walking distance of dozens of restaurants and bars. I think you'd really enjoy it. Let me know if you have other questions, I'd be happy to answer.

Think about the new Plantation at Cotton Bay. It's the same owners of Rendezvous, LeSport, La Source in Grenada, and now the Jalousie Plantation. It'll be brand spanking new in May and you don't have to do AI like at Rendezvous or LeSport and LaSource.

There's media about this soon to be opened resort (do a Google query). Michael Bryant used to be the GM at LeSport years ago, and he discusses all the features of the new resort. Kevin Snaggs is a great guy and used to be at LeSport also; he'll be the new GM at Cotton Bay. I'm thinking that the Management for the above mentioned properties are FINALLY getting it - their other properties are very much in need of rennovation and better customer service in general. A branch of their company also owns the major rum manuf'g plant on the island also, so hopefully bucks are getting pumped into the properties; i.e., LaSource is now closed until rennovations are complete in 2006.

We agree with the spa lady. Rendezvous is dated and in need of a major overhaul. You are correct, we couldn't eat or drink enough to make AI worth it. Pay as you go, then you can control the tempo. Otherwise, AI controls you.

We stayed at the Rex St. Lucian and I do not recommend any Rex resorts. We had clothes stolen out of our locked room, which I went back to find the sliding glass doors open and realized that night some of my husbands clothes had been stolen, including 3 new pair of underwear out of the drawer, two expensive shirts and an expensive pair of sandals. Amazing it happened the day before we were to leave. Nothing was ever done to compensate us. We did AI. The food and drinks are expensive, but I don't know what the Rendevous offers. The beach in front of the Rex properties is public and the vendors try to sell anything from jewlery to drugs to prostitution. What a mess and they hound you. I will never visit St. Lucia again. It is beautiful but we were very disappointed.