After spending 2 disappointing days in St. Lucia and being fed up with rude people, high prices and lacking facilities, it was nice to come to JJ's in gorgeous Marigot Bay.

Now, this hotel is not what I am used to for a vacation, but it was better than the others we stayed at in St. Lucia and the staff was VERY friendly, from the maid to the desk clerk to the servers. Everyone there was very friendly.

We were traveling with our 2 teen boys so we got an apartment that had a large bed and then a twin bed and a sofa bed. It was tight, but it worked well for us for 1 night. The room wasn't really an apartment though, it only had a mini-fridge that really didn't work and the A/C SUCKED. Even after being on "high" for 20 hours, the room was still smoking hot.

But the view. It's amazing. The room has a patio and you can see all the way down into the bay. Let me warn you, the walk to the apartment from the main part of the hotel is on a STEEP, bumpy road. After nearly dying the first time I walked it, I drove up and down each time after that, which was kind of a pain.

The bungalows do not have this great view but they are not at the top of the hill either.

The hotel had 2 pools, one in the middle of the bungalows which was cute and the other in the middle of one of the restaurants which was weird but funny when all the drunk people started jumping in it at the end of the night.

We happened to be there on JJ's birthday (you'll know it's him from the giant gold JJ emblem around his neck) so after dinner everyone there was really drinking a lot and partying. It was very entertaining and our boys, 14 and 13, thought it was hilarious.

Again, be prepared for the steep, pot-hole filled road leading to the hotel. It was almost impossible to find the desk clerk, but when she finally showed up, she was great. Very nice and helpful. They need a buzzer or something so the staff knows when someone is waiting, we waited forever!

From the main area of the hotel, you walk back on a bride that is over this strange swampy area to the back part of the hotel. The boys loved climbing on these weird trees that grow in the mud/water, depending on the tide, and dodging the yellow sea crabs.

This back part of the hotel is basically built on a dock over the water and is a the main bar and restaurant. It's all open-air and has a great view of the entire bay. JJ's place also seems to be a primary point for boats to tie onto and then drive into town for supplies.

There is no beach here. In fact, the only beach at Marigot Bay is this really small beach area on a sort-of peninsula. You have to take a water taxi to get to the beach for $10EC/RT. Again, kind of a pain to lug all of your swimming stuff all the way down the hill from the room and then onto a boat to cross the bay just to lie on the beach and swim in the water.

And if anyone offers to take you on a snorkeling trip, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY. We did this the morning we were leaving. The guy charged the 4 of us $60USD and drove us on this tiny fishing boat in the super choppy ocean and it took forever. Then he pulled into this silly area saying it was a reef. It was not a reef and the water was so rough that the visibility sucked and I got seasick. Not a fun 2 hours.

JJ's actually had fair prices on the food and drinks, and the menu, while still small, had much more typical tourist food. I was so happy to finally get a cheeseburger and fries! After 7pm they also have pizza which was OK, but still a little strange. Who puts canned corn and hot dogs (they call it sausage) on their pizza?? I guess maybe St. Lucians do. I really don't think they know how to cook in St. Lucia.

We met some interesting people that had been traveling on a huge boat that was docked at JJ's, and then saw some really stupid, drunk east coast rich kids act like total idiots. It was a very entertaining night.

So, overall, JJ's was still not the standard type of vacation hotel I am used to. The apartment rooms had very limited facilities and are very far from the main area of the hotel and ages away from the beach. But the staff is the nicest we encountered in St. Lucia and the food/bar prices are fair. Our boys had fun swimming and exploring and there weren't locals hanging around staring at us and making us nervous the way they did in the other areas of St. Lucia we visited.

If we do go to St. Lucia again, which is highly unlikely, we will definitely stay at JJ's again.