Fourteen hundred miles southeast of Miami, in a Caribbean nation you've likely given little thought, where the locals speak a patois you won't understand, a game you know nothing about is helping to morph the island into an incentive destination you can't ignore.

When, in 2004, St. Lucia was selected as one of four West Indian nations to host the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the government committed 57 million Eastern Caribbean dollars ($22 million U.S.) to related improvements and sweetened the pot with incentives for development. The news came at a time when the island's economy was becoming more dependent on tourism; the result has been a small boom in development. With better roads and new resorts and golf courses, this naturally beautiful volcanic island is becoming much more attractive for groups.

"A year ago for incentive groups, I had Jalousie Plantation Resort [to recommend] and that was all," says Simone Champaigne, CEO of SNC Destinations, a Sunrise, Fla.–based company that helps U.S. groups plan trips to St. Lucia, Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. "When I found out everything that's going on, I was like a kid at Christmas."

With all the projects either underway, recently completed or scheduled to break ground soon, the most remarkable fact might be that each offers an experience unique on the island—a quiet property in the valley of the Piton mountains; a resort in a tranquil bay with high-end shopping and dining; an enclave of villas with 36 holes of golf nearby; twin properties near a lively, up-and-coming dining district.

"[The island will] have a variety of options, something for just about any group," says Allen Chastanet, former head of the tourism ministry and now managing director of the Coco Palm and Coco Kreole hotels.

Down by the Bay
"This is the most beautiful and most photographed bay in the Caribbean," says my normally shy driver, as we wind downhill to Marigot Bay. He says it proudly with absolutely no hint of irony or indication of hyperbole. To him, it is just a fact. The bay, about 20 minutes south of Castries, cuts into the western coast of the island like the upturned corner of a smiling mouth. The location that made it a strategic outpost for the British and French navies also makes a great photo. Brilliant blue water snakes into the green hillsides; a white sandy beach juts out, dotted with made-for-a-postcard palm trees; and yachts, sailboats and catamarans sit at the ready.

Soon, incentive groups will be able to do much more than stop by for snapshots. This summer, British developer Doubloon International will finish a project converting the locale into a reward destination unlike any other on the island. Its anchor is Discovery at Marigot Bay, a 57-suite, 67-room Sonesta-managed resort. Like many of the island's developments, the suites are being sold as condominiums to investors, and so are outfitted with full kitchens. The design is modern Caribbean, with clean lines, integrated kitchens, slate flooring and dark rattan furniture. Each room has a large porch with a view of the bay, and 30 have private plunge pools. The property also will have a spa with combination indoor/outdoor treatment rooms, a Zen garden with Japanese soaking tubs and a tree house for small events. In the shadow of the suites, Doubloon is developing The Shops at Marigot Village, and the Rainforest Hideaway restaurant has already earned a strong reputation locally.

Hermina Danzie, who operates destination management company Carib Travel, based in the capital city of Castries, eagerly anticipates the coming changes on the island, including the opening of Discovery. "We recently used Rainforest Hideaway for an evening for twenty-five," she says. "It has a great view of the sea and wonderful ambience at night."

Discovery isn't on the sand, but a one-minute boat ride across the bay will put sun-worshippers on a gorgeous beach. The location lends itself well to marine excursions, from dinner cruises to day trips to nearby Martinique or St. Vincent. When I sat for lunch with Discovery's public relations manager, Molly McDaniel, a party of four sitting near us paid their bill and stepped from their table into a dinghy, sputtering off to a yacht anchored nearby.

"Nicholas Cage just put in a bid to buy that place," McDaniel said, pointing to a house less than a hundred yards from where we were sitting. If your goal is to make winners feel privileged, this location fits the bill.



Near the Nightlife
Opened in July of 2005, the Coco Palm is perhaps the best value on the island for incentive groups. Though it's not an over-the-top luxury hotel, service, accommodations and food are at a very high level; and rates begin at $145, even in high season.

The 83-room Palm is the second property developed by Allen Chastanet, the first being the Coco Kreole, a 20-room boutique hotel next door. A group could seamlessly combine the two properties for a total of 103 rooms. The hotels share a pool, and several of the Palm's rooms open directly onto its deck. The beach is a two-minute walk away.

The Palm currently has a conference room that seats 150, a smaller meeting room and a boardroom. "We've held events there for local companies, and the meeting space is very airy, very tropical," says Carib Travel's Davies. By spring of 2007, a conference center will be added next door, along with 20 to 40 more guest rooms and several retail shops.

The Coco properties' location on Rodney Bay makes them ideal for a group that prefers proximity to a vibrant local scene over a remote getaway. Rodney Bay is an up-and-coming area, with more than 15 restaurants in close proximity, making it perfect for a dine-around evening. For fine dining, groups of up to 67 should book at The Edge, chef Bobo Bergstrom's waterfront restaurant. Or attendees can venture off and sample scenes that range from karaoke to laid-back bar to night club.

Ocean Drivers
St. Lucia currently has just one spot for duffers—The St. Lucia Golf Club (SLGC), located on the northeast tip of the island; but three major projects together promise to change the face of golf on the island and in the Eastern Caribbean overall.

All of the courses should be completed by the end of 2007. The SLGC's second 18-hole course, designed by Jack Nicklaus will sit near the original course, adjacent to Body Holiday at LeSport and Plantation at Cotton Bay. Body Holiday is a spa property, aimed at individual travelers, and Plantation is an all-villa project scheduled for completion by the end of 2006. The two properties are managed by Sunswept Resorts, which recently took over Jalousie from Hilton International. Plantation will have 209 accommodations in 74 buildings. The smallest buildings are three-bedroom units, each with a its own bath and enough privacy that planners can feel comfortable placing winners together in a villa. Each building has a large living room, kitchen and terrace, making them great for group dinners or cooking classes. The location on the Atlantic Ocean side of St. Lucia means slightly rougher waters, good for windsurfing of kitesurfing. Finally, a five-treatment-room spa and rooftop restaurant add to the options.

That SLGC course will be followed by one from Greg Norman, as part of the Le Paradis project on the eastern side of the island, which will include the 232-room Westin St. Lucia, opening in late 2007. And to the south, an Arnold Palmer course is under development as part of Sapphire Cove, a mixed-use project that will include a conference center, marina and hotel.



Change Travels Fast
While St. Lucia's capital, Castries, is in the north, its soul is in the south, near the town of Soufrière (which was the seat of government until it was destroyed by fire in 1955). The south is home to the island's best natural wonders—the iconic Piton mountains, a drive-in volcano, hot sulphur springs and the rain forest preserve. The resorts here are some of the island's oldest, but they're hustling to make improvements as competition grows.

Between the two Pitons sits Jalousie Plantation, a resort with 112 villas on 325 acres. The downhill drive to the resort gives some of the best views on the island. Now under the management of Sunswept Resorts, Jalousie is getting some upgrades that will help keep it top-of-mind for incentive planners. Improvements scheduled for the next year include soft renovations to the villas (each of which has a private pool) and a new spa. Sunswept also plans to improve the property's now-scant scuba operation, probably to stem the flow of dollars to nearby Anse Chastanet Resort.

The waters near Soufrière are considered the best for diving, and Anse Chastanet is currently the island's top resort in the south for active travelers. The scuba experience starts with a reef just 10 yards from the waterline, and three dive boats can take incentive winners further out. Other activities include snorkeling, sea kayaking, hiking and biking.

Less than a five-minute boat ride from the resort is the quiet beach of Anse Mamin, leased by Anse Chastanet. Just a few yards inland, lush vegetation rises up on the site of a former sugar plantation. This is where the resort runs Bike St. Lucia, which in 1999 debuted "jungle biking," a tropical sister to mountain biking. I biked the central loop with course designer Michael Allard, who in retirement still offers consulting help. On a top-of-the-line Cannondale F800, I zipped past bamboo stalks, giant mahogany trees and vibrant jungle foliage. The main trail accommodates beginners easily; more adventurous types can wander off on one of the eight other loops, each marked by degree of difficulty.

"It's always a work in progress," Allard says of the course. The first law of the jungle is extremely rapid growth, requiring meticulous maintenance. It also means that in a matter of weeks, a brand-new loop can look as though it's been there for years. Allard, who tested bike routes around the world before building this one, has a flair for the theatrical. His visions for the course include a large swimming hole, a banana-tree grove and rock climbing.

Anse Chastanet is a technology-free getaway resort (think wake-up knocks instead of wake-up calls) with 49 three-walled rooms. It is adding a 30-room extension, The Infinity Suites at Anse Chastanet, due to open by fall. The breathtaking Infinity Suites are actually set out from a high hillside, rather than cut into it, so guests walk across bridges to their rooms. Twenty-four of the rooms have large private pools; all have an open fourth side with arresting views of the Pitons. On the upper levels a whiskey bar, pool and rooftop terrace make up the common areas.

"St. Lucia has abundant natural assets with the volcanoes, mountains, rain forests and beautiful coves, but we haven't been able to find the rooms for a big group," Danzie says. "That's changing very fast." Whenever incentive groups are ready, Danzie and her colleagues are more than prepared to wow incentive winners with adventures on land and at sea, an intoxicating local culture and superb cuisine. This page is protected by Copyright laws. Do Not Copy