My husband and I have recently returned from a wonderful 9 night holiday at East Winds.
Gareth and his team make the whole experience an absolute pleasure. Every member of staff is helpful, efficient and very smiley.
We have never booked an all inclusive holiday before, and, before I had read the reviews of East Winds, thought that 'all inclusive' was only for large, more unappealing (to us) hotels. East Winds couldn't be further from that image.
This hotel and management seem to have the balance of service just right.
The accommodation is charming, kept very clean and well stocked with clean towels (which also mean't a clean supply of beach towels every day) which isn't always the case.
We met some lovely people whilst we were there, and I think the fact that the hotel resort is very small and intimate and that everything you could possibly want is included in the price of the holiday, it really lends itself to making friends and socialising if that is what you want, and if you want to just be by yourself - I certainly didn't ever feel this would be a problem.
It rained quite a lot whilst we were in St Lucia, and although at first it was a little disappointing (as April should be the driest month), we soon got into the mindset that ok we would probably get wet at some point during the day - but it didn't stop us from thoroughly enjoying our stay and we still did everything we wanted to do.
As you can surely tell - we would recommend this hotel to anyone wishing to stay somewhere with lovely surroundings, on a nice beach with very personalised service.

J & M

Our highest praises for the East Winds! As owners at the adjacent resort, Windjammer Landing, we often frequent the wonderful East Winds Inn. Although we can not comment on the quality and atmosphere of the rooms, the food and beverage, as well as the service, is 5 star through and through. Frankly, the best on the island! Both in our 30's, we have been to St. Lucia 7 times and can comment with some authority. Chefs Didier and Vincent are amazing and can hold their own against the best around the globe - truly! During a recent dinner, Vincent prepared duck with some sort of Thai curry something or another, which was absolutely the best we have ever had! The Friday night BBQ's are fun and delicious, The rack of lamb on Easter was superb, the risotto with spring asparagus and Parma ham was amazing, and the wines and bubbly are all well-picked and free-flowing. Add some nightly, low-key, quality entertainment and you are in a different world. Thanks always to our friends who work so hard to achieve perfection - Sebastian, Christine, Hanna, Ellie, Mousey, Windel, Titus, et al. The Canadian owners, George and Marilyn, along with the British GM, Gareth are extremely detail oriented which shows all around the resort and enhances the great experience of the East Winds. Great Job all! Can't wait to see you and toast again next year with a night cap in the Austin Powers Lounge!
JP.& Sarah
Tallahassee, FL USA

First of all, apologies for the delay in posting this review. It had always been our intention to do it as soon as we got home, but we've been rather busy adjusting to married life! My husband and I recently had the pleasure of spending our honeymoon at the truly wonderful resort of East Winds Inn on the beautiful island of St Lucia. We stayed for 12 nights but would have happily stayed much longer! We stayed Room 27 which was one of the Ocean View Rooms in a suite of rooms which used to be the Horlicks family holiday home. Whilst these rooms are smaller than the other rooms, it was perfectly big enough for the 2 of us and what a view every morning! We also had the suite lounge area which was a perfect spot to sit and watch the sun go down.

What makes East Winds so special is a combination of things - wonderful staff, beautiful setting, incredible food, stunning grounds and a charm that I find hard to put into words. Whilst we were there, we were fortunate enough to meet George and Marilyn Reti, the couple who bought the resort a couple of years ago. They have created a luxurious and professional resort, whilst maintaining the local character which makes East Winds so personal. One of the things that struck us was how the staff were encouraged to be themselves - not only were they extremely helpful and attentive but they also became our friends. From the guys behind the bar, the girls and guys in the restaurant, the guys in the kitchen, to the girls in Reception and all the grounds staff and the very talented thatcher man - you all know who you are! There really was a genuine tug at the heart-strings when we came to leave.

Whilst I'm not going to go into detail about all the wonderful food we ate whilst we were there (I'd be here all day!), I do feel the need to respond to a previous review. In our opinion, the choice at breakfast was extensive, both hot and cold, and my hubby is a real breakfast fan! The quality of food produced at all meal times was of a very high standard and for 2 real foodies to have nothing to complain about, speaks for itself! Whilst the BBQs were delicious, the creations that Didier, Vincent and the team came up with on the other nights were inspirational and beautifully presented - a real mix of French gastronomy, local culinary expertise and little flash of the unexpected - and for those of you visiting the island and not fortunate enough to be staying at East Winds, there is the possibility to book yourselves in to come and taste the delights of the kitchen.

As some of the other reviews have mentioned, the average age of the clientele at East Winds is certainly older than us (I'm in my 30s and hubby in his 40s) but this certainly didn't mean that there was no fun to be had! One example of this happened one night just before we left. That particular night the entertainment was 2 singers and the very lovely pianist - who learned Stairway to Heaven during our stay just because my hubby asked for it! Unbeknownst to us, Marilyn had arranged for the staff to move a couple of tables after dinner for a bit of a boogie in our honour! It wasn’t only the guests who were dancing, we even got some of the guys out of the kitchen and from behind the bar to show us their moves!

We met some real characters during our time at East Winds and made some wonderful friends. We spent some very entertaining afternoons and evenings chatting with the staff and other guests, whilst sipping away at the cocktail of the day! For us it was the ideal place for a honeymoon - you can be as sociable or as private as you like. I know George and Marilyn are keen to promote the resort as a honeymoon destination and if our experience is anything to go by, they are absolutely right to do so.

If you're looking for an idyllic little piece of heaven, where you will be fed mouth-watering delights and welcomed with such warmth and character that you'll find it hard to leave, then East Winds is the place for you.

Exactly one year later I went back to East Winds and the place, and it's phenomenal staff, are even better than ever. It was a treat to see so many familiar faces - and best of all they remembered who I was! I again took my camera equipment with me to document this beautiful and lush place, and again had no trouble taking thousands of unique pictures in the week I was there. I noticed the numerous changes made including a new look to the open air seaside restaurant, as well as the bar and furnishings in the Bamboo Lounge. It was a refreshing change to be able to check my email while sitting in the architecturally unique room (rather than couped up in a hotel 'business room' as I'm used to doing. This year I stayed in one of the 'superior' rooms and it definitely lived up to it's name. I had close access to the pool, the beach, and the restaurant/lounge area. One of the other things I noticed about East Winds is the feeling of space. Everywhere you go on the property you have lush gardens, meandering pathways, and the sounds of the ocean lapping at the soft sandy beach. It was nice to have lots of beach to choose from when deciding where to plant myself for some much needed sunshine. Also, the food...ah... the delicious blend of local cuisine and more exotic favourites. I have to compliment the entire culinary team as I never left the table unsatisfied. If you're the kind of traveler that appreciates an authentic, understated kind of elegance - this is the place for you. I'm already planning my return in 2009 - only next time I'm going for two weeks!