St. Lucia wasn't at the top of my list when I was initially planning our holiday, but once I started comparing resorts and found The Body Holiday on the travel sites I was sold. It did not disappoint and met all our expectations. We've been to two other all-inclusive resorts and this was definitely our favorite. We liked that it was on the smaller side and everything was pretty much in the same area, which just happened to be right along the beach! There were so many things that we loved about this place! There is SO MUCH to do, yet you don't have to do any of it. You can spend all day at the beach reading a book and drinking whatever you wanted and not even get off your chair (seriously), or you can get going at 7am and have a day booked steady with activities both in and out of the water. And the best part is IT'S ALL INCLUDED! Yes there are extras that you can choose to book and pay extra for, but you don't need to. There was enough to keep us busy for a whole week and we didn't spend a penny extra (except to buy some gifts for the kids). There is really something for everyone, from the hard core fitness fanatic to the meditating yogi. The spa was amazing, as were the therapists! Where else can you go and get a spa treatment every day at no extra cost? Yes, I'm sure it's all a part of the initial cost, but we even thought that was great for what you get and where you are. I recommend booking your spa treatments before you even go if you have your heart set on certain times, but they are quite flexible. The food was great and the service was wonderful! Lot's to choose from. You can eat healthy if you want or you can have burgers and pizza. The staff were great. It seemed like they really cared and enjoy their jobs. We loved the fact that gratuties were included and we didn't have to worry about tipping. They accept it if you give it, but they don't expect it, which is nice. We didn't leave the resort the whole week, except to go on the Sunset Cruise the resort offers, which was lovely. Just beware it turns into a bit of a party boat on the way back. There are lots of excursions you can book if you want to see more of St. Lucia though. It is a long drive from the airport (1 & 1/2 - 2 hrs), however we took it as an opportunity to see some of the island, which is quite beautiful. If I had to find something negative to say it would only be that we thought there could be better nightly entertainment. At other resorts we've been to and a cruise we were on there was always nightly entertainment that you could sit and watch. Here there was a live band a few nights and a DJ a couple nights I think, so you certainly could listen to the band and dance if you wanted. One night there was a steel drum band playing outside the restaurant which was nice. There was also a piano bar to sit and visit in, but that was it. Nothing to really just sit and watch. It wasn't a big deal though, just a minor complaint. We did love the place though and we will be going back. We highly recommend The Body Holiday to ANYONE, no matter what type of holiday you're after.

We thoroughly enjoyed our week at the Body Holiday. Our travel was mid-November and the weather was great except for one day of heavy downpours. You are in the rainforest afterall!

Food was very, very good. Many fresh options that made your body feel healthy. The experience at Tao was top-notch and the service was excellent. The other restaurants were of very high quality and selection as well.

The fitness classes were great and I took advantage of many of them. The resort provides you with a schedule of events for the week so you can plan your day and how busy (or restful) you'd like to be. I took advantage of the run clubs in the morning to explore other parts of the island.

We also took advantage of the daily spa treatments that are included as part of your stay. The full-body massage was the best although they were all excellent. You can purchase additional spa treatments beyond the inclusive ones but I truly felt that it was unnecessary based on what you get included as part of your trip.

The rooms were okay -- nothing overly special as we've seen at other resorts but you were not in your room very often anyhow. The fridge does not come stocked but if you ask them to bring a bottle of water or champagne, they are happy to do so. The beds were very comfortable and our view of the bay was an amazing thing to wake up to each day.

Everything at the resort is approached with your health and wellness in mind...from the food to the fitness classes to the spa offeringsd.

We also went to nearby Rodney Bay (10 minute taxi ride) where we departed for a half-day deep sea fishing trip - go with Exodus fishing company. Expensive, but truly the best (Captain Tom and his team are excellent fishermen).

Because the resort is on the north tip of the island and the main airport is on the south end, you can either take a taxi (2.5 hours on a single lane windy road) or do what we did and take the helicopter transfer. We booked directly through St. Lucia Helicopters and had a great experience. It was amazing to see the island by air and fly over the rainforest on your way to the resort, and do the West Rim trip on the way back to the airport that flies up the coast and right by the Pitons...the famous mountains of St. Lucia.

Overall, the Body Holiday was exactly that - we came home feeling refreshed and recharged. We highly recommend it to anyone looking for a remote getaway.

We went on holiday with very high expectations because of all the great reviews and had a fantastic time. Just after we got back the hotel was named best all inclusive in the World. I am not surprised as the BodyHoliday is far better than the other 'all inclusive' resorts that I have stayed at. We will definitely be returning!

Room

We had a luxury ocean view room on the 3rd floor with a great view over the bay. The room was spacious and comfortable. It was kept spotless throughout our stay with towels, water and milk replenished and a turndown service every evening.

Food and drinks

There is plenty of choice available at every meal and the quality is very good. We ate in Tao twice during our stay, the food and service was amazing with the chef taking the time to come over and speak to us. I particularly enjoyed afternoon tea on the terrace - the scones and cakes were delicious. The included wine was good quality and drinks at the bar premium brands. I'm not sure where the reviewer who said that there was banana in most of the desserts was eating as I don't think I had one dessert with banana during my entire stay!

Beach and pool

No problems with availability of loungers or towels at this resort! The drinks service was excellent and the Pimms punch that was brought round was a lovely touch.

Spa

The wellness centre is beautiful and we enjoyed all the treatments. We took advantage of the on-line registration service to book everything in advance and were able to easily change a couple of treatments on days where we were going out for other activities.

Activities

I went on a few of the morning walks which was a great way to see a bit more of the area and used the gym which was well equipped. We also went on the pitons hike which we arranged through the activities desk. The climb is hard work but worth it for the amazing views. The lunch at a local restaurant was delicious and we learnt a lot about the island from our driver during the journey.

Tips

Rooms on the higher floors have a better view of the bay

Bookings for Tao are 48 hours in advance and it gets booked up very quickly - book on the way to the morning walk or breakfast

Take a large bag for the beach so you can fit everything in including your robe for the spa

Register on-line and book your treatments in advance - I booked the scrub for the start of the holiday to prepare my skin for the sun and the facial and aloe vera wrap for the end of the week so went home with my skin at its best.

Keep an eye on the activities board outside the clubhouse for extra classes

If you are flying with Virgin the V Room at Gatwick is great and you will also be able to take advantage of the 'check in - chill out' service for the return journey

We spent 10 nights here for honeymoon & loved every minute. It is an amazing resort & while we expected it to be really good, we didn't realise just how amazing it would be.

Highlights

Food is amazing, lots of healthy options, everything home cooked daily. There is plenty choice, so no problems with variety. All restaurants are really nice, Tao is lovely for that little bit of extra service.

We loved afternoon tea, really nice time of the evening when the resort winds down, thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the terrace having afternoon tea followed by some sparkling cava while watching the sunset- bliss!!!

The spa is fabulous, the daily inclusive treatments were total heaven. These treatments are full 1 hour treatments with qualified therapists.

The service is exceptional. Every single staff member that we came across was friendly, professional & really went the extra mile for us- they really do know how to treat guests.

Piano bar- we went here every evening for a pre dinner drink & listened to the piano man do his magic, so enjoyable.

One of the main things that we enjoyed about the resort is that it is not too big or too small. There are numerous other all inclusive resorts nearby, with lots more restaurants/ bars / night clubs etc... howeverTheBody Holiday was perfect for us- lots of variety without being too big, but not so small that everyone knows you.

When researching resorts online it can be hard to decide what a resort will really be like when you get there- but trust me this resort is just perfect- no complaints whatsoever & can't wait to return someday.