My husband and I use TripAdvisor and went to Discovery feeling optimistic because of the generally positive reviews we had seen. We were not disappointed. We have just returned from a fantastic stay at Discovery, in Marigot Bay in St Lucia. It is situated on the western part of the island away from the more tourist intense resorts in Rodney Bay. We recommend staying on the top floor with a bay view. The hotel has all the right touches. Rooms are spacious, immaculately cleaned, with all the necessary amenities - a perfect place to chill after a day on the nearby small beach (Labas) which is accessed via a courtesy boat ride, which takes about two minutes, or complimentary watersports or trips elsewhere. It was admittedly low season and so fairly quiet, but the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful and made you feel welcome. The resort has two restaurants - Boudreau and Hurricane Hole. There is an excellent swim up bar in the large main pool as well as a separate, smaller, infinity pool. The resort lays on boat trips to other beaches (eg. Anse Cochon or Jalousie) as well as organising paid trips and cruises through the concierge. The hotel is probably very different over the holiday season, but for a quiet and relaxing break in luxurious surroundings, and for fans of all things marine and boat related, you can't go far wrong staying in this excellent hotel in the picturesque Marigot Bay. Transfer time from Hewanorra airport is about 1 hour because of the roads rather than the distance. Places like Soufriere and the Pitons are very easily accessed by asking the resort to book a taxi-guide or boat-guide. The area is somewhat secluded but there are other local restaurants if you fancy a change. Rooms have cable TV, multi-region DVD player, Nespresso machine (you can buy pods from reception), bath robes, powerful hairdryer, mosquito net, decent complimentary toiletries and insect repellent (!!) and a shower with decent water pressure. The balconies are reasonably sized and equipped with table and changes for an aperitif overlooking the bay if that is what you fancy. There is also a very good spa on site (Lapli) which uses Espa products.

We reviewed many hotels before deciding on the Discovery at Marigot Bay, and we were very pleased with our choice! The resort is beautifully appointed, quiet, relaxing, and far enough away from "civilization" to provided much-needed respite.

Service is mostly attentive (with one notable exception, on the overnight shift), and our needs were accommodated easily. Staff is outgoing and friendly. The concierges are extraordinarily helpful, even when they are off-duty. The rooms are a nice size and have all of the touches you'd expect from a high-end hotel. I loved the free bottles of water, super-plush towels, and giant closets.

The hotel is not a mega-resort (which was perfect for us). Fellow vacationers were respectful and generally friendly. We saw very few families and/or kids, which helps keep some decorum on-site.

You will need to grab a taxi virtually everywhere you wish to go off the hotel's property (and not accessible by the water taxi in the Bay). Get to know a local taxi driver, take his phone number, and call him every time -- they are more than happy to get to know you, drive you anywhere you wish to go, and often they will give you a spontaneous tour. Totally worth it!

Oh, and eat food where the locals eat. You'll find that it's much tastier. Case in point -- eat at JJ's at the top of the hill above the hotel. It's brilliant!

We got back two days ago and already miss this hotel. Even after reading all of the reviews and seeing pictures we were still surprised and delighted upon arrival. We are very picky and just loved this place! This really is the nicest resort on the island, and we toured a few. The room was amazing, the service great, and the food at all of their restaurants were delish. Yes, it's pricey, but it's worth it.

The AC works well, the pools are gorgeous (loved the little pool by the bar the best), and everything that we needed was quickly received. We went across the bay and hiked up the trail above the Rainforest Hideaway-- great view from there! We were there for two weeks and were never bored, although we did venture out quite a bit (taxis and buses).

We found the St. Lucian people to be (for the most part) unfriendly unless they wanted something from you ($$$). About half of the island is unemployed, so there is a lot of loitering and people looking to make a buck. We found a few really nice locals, and they were the ones who were working hard and really giving back to their society. We loved the resort, but won't be back because the islanders were so unfriendly, and at time, rude.

We took buses a few times (know how much you need to pay before you get in or they'll try to get more...) and had some great success. Taxis are very expensive on the island, but we found a driver who we really trusted and gave us good deals: Alista, a 26 year old local who is at the taxi stand by the Marigot Bay shopping area. We can't recommend him enough.

The only real downside to this resort is the location. The bay is quite polluted and I didn't want to swim in the water there. Just take a trip to Jealousie beach (45 min.) with their water taxi for a great beach. It will cost you $20 US per chair to rent a lounge on that beach. The views are gorgeous, but not having your own beach right there is a bummer. Plus, to go anywhere you need to take a cab or a bus. The remoteness was nice at time, though.

Our one complaint was check-out. Be prepared for an incredibly complicated bill, some inaccurate charges, and amounts in both EC and US dollars. We took four tries to get the bill right with them.

Do go:
Razmatazz Indian food in Rodney Bay
"Jump Up" in Gros Isle
Waterfall, Pitons, and volcano tour to Souffriere
Hurricane Hole for burgers and drinks
Mygo's at sunset for Piton beer and fried calamari

Don't go:
Zip line tour-- just boring and expensive.
Doolittle's restaurant across the bay
Friday night fish fry
The spa-- they are not well trained and it's overpriced

If you are looking for a place to stay in the Caribbean, stay here. Discovery is on the side of Marigot Bay, with the rainforest on one side, mangroves on the other and the sea straight in front of you.

The buildings have been designed with a nob to South East Asia. Think the grand wooden houses of Thailand or Malaysia - all dark wood and shaded balconies. The rainforest comes right up to the back of the site, so it looks as if it's emerging from the trees, but this is several levels above a jungle hut.

Although the buildings have a traditonal look from the outside, on the inside they are high spec. Flatscreen TVs in every room, Bose sounds systems, coffee machines in the bedroom and a fantatstic kitchen appoiinted with chrome applicances and halogen uplighters. The bathrooms are huge, with walk-in drench showers and stone floors to keep them cool, and the full height built in wardrobes give you enough space to stash your stuff.

The modern touches are nicely offset by the traditional furnishings, with dark wood floors and huge balconies with plunge pools.

There are two excellent pools, a large bar and an excellent restaurant. The beach at the mouth of the bay can only be reached by boat and there is a free ferry that will take you over there. Sailing boats etc can be hired and are free to hotel guests. The staff are extremely efficient and friendly.

There are five good restaurants lining the bay too, all within walking distance or a two-minute ferry ride, and a marina village next to Discovery has shops and a small supermarket.