My boyfriend and I stayed at Crystals June 21-29. We had a lovely time. Sure…it is not a five star hotel but Crystals offers a different experience. It was just what we wanted. We stayed in the Calabash Cottage and it felt like our special, private retreat. It was beautiful. The view was wonderful and we used our private plunge pool every day.
Yes, the road to Crystals was very rough but I wouldn’t say it was any rougher than the road to Anse Chastenet . We rented a four wheel drive (Monica made the arrangements) and we are so glad we were able to get around the area relatively easy…bumpy roads and all. Monica and Martin were very gracious and we spent several evenings having drinks with them and the other guests. Monica was truly concerned about the comfort of her guests. She made some wonderful suggestions of places to go and restaurant we might enjoy (we loved Gee’s).
Like others have said…Crystals is in a rainforest so we had a few visitors like tiny tree frogs and a couple of friendly geckos. Honestly, they were quite charming and never felt invasive. I know ALL the hotels (including the four and five star resorts) in the rainforest have these little visitors. Never once did we see any signs of rodents, mongoose, or opossums while we were there.
Breakfast was delivered daily to our room so that was nice. All of the staff was friendly and helpful. Monica had two sweet dogs (Storm and Sasha) who loved to play (only if you wanted to play).
Again, if you are looking for a 4-5 star hotel with all the luxurious amenities, Crystals may not be for you but if you would like a lovely, private, personal experience, Crystals may be a perfect fit. We plan to stay here again and will recommend to our friends. We loved Crystals.

My new wife and I actually found Crystals accidently when we were looking for a place to have both our wedding and honeymoon. After finding Crystals on the internet and checking out the pictures, I contacted the property directly. The first time I spoke with Monica (owner and operator) I explained to her what we were looking for and she in turn told us what she could do to accomodate our requests. After she explained everything, I couldn't wait to book our trip there. We booked the Sugar Cane room, and upon our arrival couldn't be more pleased!!! Monica booked a rental car for us and we were met and escorted from the airport to the resort. Which was a blessing because we would have never been able to get out of the airport on our own. When we pulled up to Crystals we were met by hugs from Monica and Martin and escorted up to the treetop bar for rum punch and to discuss the detail plans for the wedding that we were also having there. Monica was very interested in what kind of colors we wanted and any other details that we wanted to incorporate. Honestely after seeing the pictures from some of the previous weddings that she had done we told her that we didn't have anything specific that we wanted except for chocolate cake and left the rest totally up to her to decide. Neither one of us regret the decision at all. Both the wedding and the reception were more beautiful than we could have ever imagined!!!!!!! The entire staff was so great!!! Everyone goes out of their way to make sure that you feel like part of the family!!!! I am diffently going to miss the morning chats with Arlett!!!! Breakfast was brought to us every morning and I don't think that I have ever had fruit that fresh!! Halfway through the trip we were already planning our next trip back. In short this place is a true find and my wife, Bri, and I feel very lucky and privilaged to have been able to spend our special day in such a beautiful place with such great people!!!!! Thank you again to Monica, Martin, Arlett, Ross, Naomie and everyone else that made our trip truely a once in a lifetime experiance!!!!!!!!!!!!! If anyone would like to see more pictures just let me know we have hundreds....

We had a wonderful time. The accommodation was lovely and the views were fantastic. The staff ensured that our dream holdiay was all it should be. I recommend it to anyone who would love to have a get away from it all holiday.

Our past vacations in the Caribbean have included visits to the Cayman Islands, St. John and three of the Bahamas Out Islands. St. Lucia is now our favorite destination.

We had a great time at Crystals in April 2008, thanks largely to our hosts, Monica and Martin. Visiting St. Lucia and staying at Crystals requires a sense of adventure. You will drive across terrible roads, meet local people and do more than just lying on a beach. If this doesn’t describe you, it would be better to look someplace else.

TRANSPORTATION:
We were met at the airport and driven to Crystals in a jeep we arranged through Monica. This is a great idea—it gives you time to adjust to driving on the left and also lets you absorb the culture of the island. Soufriere can be a little intimidating at first (don’t believe the guide book’s description of the town as “picturesque”), but you can have one of the Crystals people take you into town to you to show you around and help you buy groceries.

ATMOSPHERE:
In some ways, Crystals is a bed and breakfast—you share drinks many evenings with the other guests. The atmosphere is definitely casual. That’s what we enjoyed most—the feeling that we were staying with a group of friends in an incredible location.

BEACHES
There are two main beaches in Soufriere and a few smaller ones. ALL beaches are public property—even those connected to the big resorts. Jalousie Beach had the best snorkeling and a good beach. Anse Chastenet and Ance Cochon were at the end of another rough road. For snorkelers, Hummingbird Resort at the bottom of the hill rents equipment at much more reasonable rates than the big resorts. You can take you equipment with you to the other beaches.

ACTIVITIES:
There’s a lot to do in St. Lucia, which is why we had a great vacation. We took a rainforest tour; a 4 hour sailing trip that included drinks and snorkeling; visited the Botanical Gardens; and stopped at the Fond Deux cocoa plantation. Crystals was great at taking care of the details for us.

RESTAURANTS:
We were served breakfast in our room each morning, a very nice touch. When we headed out for the day, we chose a different restaurant each time. The Hummingbird at the foot of the hill is a good all-around restaurant and also has live music occasionally. La Haut has great views of the Pitons, but so-so food. Lunch at the Fond Doux Estate was enjoyable. The Mango Tree Restaurant in Stonefield Estate, off the main highway, had good food and a great view.

By far our favorite restaurant was Debbie’s Restaurant, a 30-45 minute drive back towards Vieux Fort, but well worth the trip. Debbie’s emphasizes fresh, locally grown food. Our main courses came with 11 side dishes! This is a fantastic place in terms of food, service and price.

We normally like to visit different places in the Caribbean, but we’re already wishing we were back at Crystals. Thanks, Monica and Martin, for the best vacation yet!