A fantastic fortnight at the Royal in April 2008. This was a first family holiday in the Caribbean and we now understand the people who go back to the Royal over and over again (met one family there on 14th consecutive holiday!) Just some reasons why we liked it so much:

- extremely clean water and beach, lovely thick soft sand, and loads of loungers and shade for hotel guests (Reduit Beach is half a mile long and never got crowded when we were there)
- beach is only a couple of steps away from the well-designed swimming pool area (with hammocks, island in the deep end with mangroves and waterfalls, big shallow end, swim-up bar)
- good quality bar/beach food (eg v filling baguettes, salads, burgers etc around £6-£8 mark, and more sophisticated options as well)
- Happy Hour 5-7pm: great cocktails (less than £2) to watch sunset with
- lovely lawns with tropical flowers, hummingbirds, palm trees, general sense of elegance and care
- big suite and balcony (seaview suite on first floor), maid service twice a day
- filter coffee machine, fridge in room
- really nice and helpful staff, especially at Reception (Hi Dania!)

Can't comment on breakfasts/dinners or Chic because we ate out all the time: massive advantage of Rodney Bay is range of good value restaurants within 5-10 minutes' walk of each other (personal favourites: desserts at Buzz; garlic nan and basically everything at Razmataz; pancakes/maple syrup at Spinnakers on the beach; cocoa tea and breakfast at Ti Bananne). Evening meals tended to average around £10/head for us (two adults/two kids of 9 and 6)

Didn't even try spa, watersports on beach or kids' club at sister hotel Rex St Lucian next door (which is a step downmarket). Favourite excursions: Soufriere/Pitons (incl lunch at Dasheene and snorkelling in bay), walking the Barre de l'Isle rainforest trail, Pigeon Island.

Not a top-notch boutique hotel a la Ladera, and not an action-packed all-inclusive, we just felt this was a very high quality hotel in a superb location. We all want to go back.

This is our fifth time of returning to the Royal, all that I can say is that we have already made plans to go back next year.
What makes the Royal so special for Marion and I are the guys that run this place from Narissa at front desk and Joseph the bar manager down through to Troy and the pool bar crew they all go that extra mile to make sure that your stay is as perfect this time round as it was the first time and I cannot thank them enough, We know how hard it is to get the balance right because we own and run a 5 star establishment in Oban Scotland

We stayed at the Royal from 3/18/2008 - 3/22/2008, on a spur-of-the-moment trip. Given some of the reviews, I was somewhat apprehensive about the property. Thus, we kept our expectations low. These misgivings were mostly unfounded, however, and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.

I'll begin by saying we did not utilize the food service very much, as that seemed to be the chief complaint among previous visitors. We had burgers and sandwiches at the pool bar one night, and they were tasty, but moderately slow at about 30 minutes for delivery. We also had sandwiches there for lunch on the day of our departure. We were in a bit of a hurry, and they did accommodate us somewhat; it still took a little longer than I would have expected for what we ordered. Regarding the beverage service: Troy and the rest of the bar staff were very good, no complaints there. There are several restaurants within short walking distance. We tried the Buzz (nice, pricey at $140 US for two adults, two children, though we had drinks and dessert), and Cafe Claude (several visits, about $45 US for breakfast). The Edge looked very nice, but I wouldn't recommend it for those with small children/picky eaters.

The staff at the property was polite and helpful, though not overtly friendly. There was a major northerly ocean swell event forecast during our stay. I commend the management on their proactive decision to move us and other guests to higher floors in case there was flooding (which there was not). We packed our bags so as to be moved after lunch, but they had not been moved when we came back from the beach for the day. A call to the front desk quickly rectified the situation. The staff did seem to be preoccupied with the weather threat. Since they are used to near dead-calm conditions on their beach, I think they were a little too quick to raise the red flags at the beach, which indicate no ocean swimming. I was a little put off by the fact that I always seemed to have to go searching for bottled water, since it was never left in our room by housekeeping. I would buy water at a local market next time (Peppers Market is just around the corner).

The room decor, noted as "dated" by some previous guests, was fine; not the latest-and-greatest, but in good condition. The rooms and the property seemed to be very clean. The beach solicitors were a little annoying, but everyone there is just trying to make a buck, so I suppose a little empathy is in order.

The beach was nice--supposedly one of the best on the island--but not nearly as nice as some I have seen. If you are from the US, think south/east Florida coast (Palm Beach, Miami). I read descriptions of "sugar-white" beaches, but I didn't see one anywhere (say, like Florida panhandle, Alabama gulf-coast). It may have been due to the surf/weather conditions, but I noticed some trash being washed up. Nothing really bad, but hearing that this was the best that St Lucia had to offer gave me pause.

At about 90 minutes, the ride to/from the main airport in Vieux Fort to Castries/Rodney Bay is long and twisty. If you have travelers that are prone to motion sickness, I recommend taking appropriate measures. You might want to ensure your prospective ride has air conditioning, too. The fare is supposed to be fixed, but we paid $220 EC up and $200 EC back, minus tips.

We rented a car one day, and drove down the west coast to Soufriere. Driving is challenging, of course. If you are not comfortable driving on the left-hand side of the road and the right -hand side of the car, I wouldn't recommend it. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. Signage is almost non-existent, and the city streets are very narrow and confusing. I received "navigational assistance" from locals a couple of times, and they were appreciative of a little remuneration. We found ourselves driving back north after dark. We felt very uncomfortable driving through Anse La Raye at night; I would not do that again. The drive is that much more challenging at night, punctuated with the occasional pedestrians nearly invisible on the side of the road.

Actually, after the drive we were much more appreciative of the relative sanctuary offered by the Royal and its environs. At current rates the value offered by the property is questionable, but I consider it a relatively safe choice. The area in which the property is located makes it worth a small premium. If your expectations are at the Ritz/Four Seasons level, you will be disappointed. In the US I would compare it to a Hyatt/Crowne Plaza property. I'll give it 3.5-4 stars, but just a little effort in the friendliness and food-service could easily make it a solid 4.

Back at the Royal for the 9th time in 17 years. Just as wonderful as ever since went on honeymoon in 1991. The Staff is brilliant and very helpful. Troy makes wonderful cocktails! The rooms are very clean, large and the Beachfront Suite is just the best for relaxing and watching the sun go down.

Hotel food is wonderful - the squid at lunchtime, mmm.

Super restaurants within a short walk (some very short) from the hotel - Buzz, Charthouse, Razmataz to name some.

We flew with Virgin Upper Class, transferred by helicopter and arrived and the hotel very quickly. Normally, you would have at least one small complaint when on holiday....no we didn't!

Can't wait to go back! Again and again......

Paradise - definitely.