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Rendezvous is an up-scale all-inclusive Caribbean hotel resort set in the north of St Lucia that is designed especially for couples. It sits in magnificent gardens on a lovely, two mile stretch of beach just outside Castries, the capital, and it uses the best of its setting to fulfil its brief of ‘the romantic holiday’, in which everything is designed for couples to spend time together. As a hundred room resort with plenty of activity, the atmosphere is fairly upbeat, but there are many corners in the gardens where you can tuck yourself away in low key tranquillity if that’s your mood. The facilities are extensive, though. There is a spa with a beauty salon, extensive watersports and some land-based sports. Rendezvous manages to lift itself above the limitations of the typical all-inclusive formula, and it does well on its brief as a honeymoon or a romantic break. And it can also arrange a wedding in case the moment comes for that.
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KEY FEATURES
| Couples-only all-inclusive hotel, two restaurants, dine-around programme, bars including piano bar, some entertainment. Facilities include two pools, beach service, watersports (with instruction) including sailing, windsurfing and scuba, fitness centre with aerobics classes, lit tennis courts, golf driving and putting, archery, volleyball, bicycle tours, wedding co-ordinator (wedding package can be included). Air-conditioned bedrooms with four poster beds and balcony, direct dial telephones, CD player, clock radio, tea and coffee maker, safe, iron and board (no TVs in rooms). |
STYLE
| Modern Caribbean beach ‘resort’ style hotel, set in the trees behind Malabar beach. Quite a large hotel with some entertainment and good facilities, smarter than a typical ‘all-inclusive’ |
CLIENT PROFILE
| Couples only, of all ages including honeymooners. No children or triples |
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Although Rendezvous is not far from Castries, you would never know once you have turned off the main road to the north of the island. The hotel is hidden away in superb tropical gardens. As you approach you are swallowed into greenery, passing underneath the limbs of massive trees that literally drip with air-plants, and running between a block of rooms and a backdrop of jungle. Eventually you pull up at a porte cochere.
From here you will be led through the resort’s magnificent gardens, past hedges and borders bursting with tropical flowers, under more seemingly ancient trees, in particular one massive Saman tree. Eventually you come to Reception, near the front of the resort. You check in here, but it also works as the main centre for tours and activities and there is an internet station. Beyond here, you come to the sea and beach, dotted with palm trees, which opens up in front of you. To your left is the main stage, where the evening entertainment is held, and to your right is the main dining room - The Terrace - a large, open-air area that gives right onto the beach. Tables are sometimes set out on the sand.
Despite the slightly demure feel you get in the magnificent gardens, now you are at the beach area there is more of a sense of Rendezvous as active, upbeat hotel. There are 100 rooms altogether and so there are plenty of people around and there are activities by day. Then you can dance and sing until late at night, even join in the floor show. Rendezvous is a lively and busy hotel.
There are also plenty of facilities dotted around the resort. These are concentrated mainly to the south of the central area. Past the stage you come to the Piano Bar, which stays open until the last couple goes to bed (of course you don’t have to sing along, you can simply enjoy the piano music earlier on). If you would prefer a quieter evening, then you can go to Rendezvous’ à la carte dining room next door, which goes by the name of the Trysting Place. This has a more formal air than the Terrace, with candle-lit tables, armchairs and more elegant decoration.
Heading into the garden behind here, underneath the enormous saman tree, whose massive branches are furred with philodendrons and hanging with vines, you come to a swimming pool (not the main pool). It is used as a lap pool and for games and exercises. Next to it is the gym building, which also has a spa section. Attached to it are two al fresco treatment rooms – in the open air behind screens. You can also opt to have your spa treatment elsewhere around the resort or on the patio outside your room.
At the southern end of the hotel grounds are two tennis courts, which can be lit at night. Close to the beach here is the main pool, which has a swim up bar. And next to it is a gazebo on the sand. It is often used for weddings, but it can also be set up for a dinner for two. The beach itself is nice. The hotel has about 250 yards of good sand, at the centre of which you will find loungers and thatched parasols. Back at the main pool you will find the watersports hut, where you can get a kayak or a small sailing boat. As it is an all inclusive resort, you can expect some watersports to be included in the price. However, it is worth noting that at Rendezvous also offers motorized sports (water-skiing and tubing), free scuba instruction and a free daily dive.
The bulk of the bedrooms are set in an arc behind all these facilities, overlooking the gardens, though others are set to the north of the main dining room, where they stand closer to the beach, right among the palms. The resort is also slightly quieter at the northern end. There are several categories of rooms in the resort, but they all have air-conditioning and some outside space. Inside, they are decorated either in a bright Caribbean colour scheme or in more subdued, warmer tones. They are furnished with reproduction antiques in polished hardwoods and they have classical prints on the walls.
With the elegance of its gardens it is no surprise that Rendezvous is popular for weddings (in fact the hotel offers a complimentary wedding with a seven night stay). They offer a wedding ‘package’ which can be tailored and there are several locations around the grounds which make a lovely location. On the beach, certainly, but also under the huge saman tree.
Although Rendezvous sells itself as a hotel centred directly on couples, it is also clearly a lively upbeat resort. It offers an all inclusive plan, but it is far subtler than the typical all-inclusive. The staff are careful not to be in your face, and you won’t find them shouting to get people to join in the pool volleyball. It is quite possible to have a quiet holiday there – and of course a romantic one – by tucking yourself away and enjoying the facilities that are designed for couples. |
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Beach & Swimming
Rendezvous is set on a nice stretch of sand, Malabar Beach. There is a stone revetment in the water just offshore, which has grown the sand outwards off the beach and given protected areas for swimming. The hotel is the only hotel on this section of beach, which extends for two miles in all, south-west down to Choc Bay along the airport runway and north-east as far as the point opposite Rat Island, which you will see in the bay. It is excellent for walking, particularly in the calm of the early morning and of course at sunset, which is visible for much of the year from the northern end of the beach.
There are two large pools at the hotel. The main pool is at the southern end of the hotel grounds, just off the beach. It is free-form in shape and has a swim-up bar. A second, lap-pool is set next to the gym and spa building inland. Pool volleyball and water exercise classes are held in this pool.
The hotel offers service to the pools (and to the beach). You simply raise a flag and a waiter will come to you. |
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Sports & Recreation
Rendezvous offers plenty of sports and activities, all of which are included in the all inclusive price. There is a watersports hut on the beach where you can get kayaks, windsurfers and small sailboats. Then there are several motorized sports including waterskiing, wake-boarding and tubing.
For qualified scuba divers a daily dive is included in the rate and if you have not dived before then they are happy to put you through a Resort Course (an introduction to scuba). More advanced courses from the same instructors are available at extra cost.
There is an open-air gym with bicycles, elliptical and running machines, weights machines and free weights. They also run exercise classes.
There are two floodlit tennis courts with rackets and balls. You might also want to try archery or golf at one of their clinics. Finally, there are bicycle tours off property if you would like to explore the island a bit. |
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Staff
The Pavillion Spa is attached to the gym building which sits at the heart of the resort, next to the second pool. Treatments are generally held in the open-air in screened ‘rooms’ attached to the building, but you can also choose to take your treatment in your room or elsewhere around the resort, including on the beach. Treatments include Swedish massage, aromatherapy, foot massage, neck, shoulder and scalp massage and a couple’s massage. You can even take a couples lesson in massage so that you can continue to massage one another at home. |
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The Rooms
There are several different categories of rooms at Rendezvous. Most overlook the gardens from one and two-storey blocks, but in the north of the resort, the rooms are set slightly closer to the sand, first in a three-storey block and then beyond here in a handful of beachfront cottages.
All rooms are air-conditioned and have some outside space, a patio or a veranda. Inside, they are decorated in bright Caribbean colours (mostly, some are a little more subdued) and they have a mix of wooden and marble floors. They are decorated with classic West Indian prints and sometimes with statues of Rodin’s lovers. Most also have four-poster beds, often king size. Rooms have coffee and tea makers and a CD player, but they do not have televisions. |
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Dining
There are two principle options at Rendezvous. The main dining room, the Terrace and the Trysting Place, their smarter à la carte dining room. The Trysting Place is open only for dinner.
The Terrace is open for all meals and it has a nice open aspect looking onto the beach. It is mostly buffet style and there are themed lunches and dinners - French, Far East, Tex Mex – and then one night a week there is the Grand Beach Barbecue, which is laid out on the sand. A steel band plays as musical background. It is possible to arrange for a private table on the sand any night (at extra cost), or you can go the whole hog and get them to set up a slightly more romantic setting in one of the gazebos.
The Trysting Place is Rendezvous’ fine dining restaurant. The setting is calmer and more subdued than the rest of the resort, with white tablecloths and candles on a backdrop of classic prints and curtains. The cuisine is French and continental at base and it is nicely presented on the plate, so in the calm atmosphere it makes a very nice dinner for two. You are asked to make a reservation for the Trysting Place. |
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Weddings
Rendezvous does a lot of wedding business and they have wedding co-ordinators that will liaise with you over the planning of your day. They will make sure to cover the legal regulations and then oversee all the arrangements on the day for you. The hotel has a standard wedding ‘package’, which includes all the legal and registration fees, a decorated arch and sparkling wine at the ceremony and dinner for two on the beach, but they can also add to the package with special requests that you may have. They can of course cover all the other things that you are likely to think about during your day – hair-dressing, a spa package, a cake, flowers and then you might want a photographer or a videographer. If you are bringing people in for a reception then you can also arrange a steelband for entertainment. When you finally get back to your room you will probably find that the housekeeping staff has decorated your room with tropical flowers.
The hotel offers a free wedding if you stay for seven nights. There are a number of different locations for the ceremony. The most typically Caribbean ones are the gazebo near the pool and on the beach, but you might want to consider holding the ceremony under the hotel’s extraordinary and enormous saman tree at the heart of the resort. |
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Children
As Rendezvous is carefully steered to be a resort for couples, children are not allowed at the hotel. The minimum age is 18. |
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Rates
| | 20 Jan- 29 Mar 2008 | 30 Mar- 17 May 2008 | 18 May- 25 Oct 2008 | 26 Oct- 29 Nov 2008 | 30 Nov- 20 Dec 2008 | 21 Dec- 03 Jan 2008-09 | | Garden View | 240 | 216 | 198 | 210 | 192 | 276 | | Verandah Suites | 270 | 240 | 222 | 234 | 216 | 306 | | Seaside Suite | 282 | 252 | 234 | 246 | 228 | 318 | | Luxury Ocean Front Room | 288 | 258 | 240 | 252 | 234 | 324 | | Ocean Front Cottage | 312 | 282 | 264 | 276 | 258 | 348 | | Luxury Ocean Front Suite | 330 | 300 | 282 | 294 | 276 | 366 | All rates are in US$ per person, per night, based on double occupancy (couples only made up of one male and one female) and are on an all-inclusive basis which includes: breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, all alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages including premium brands, wine by the bottle at dinner, land resort sports and watersports including motorized watersports (snorkelling trips to the Marine Park/Pitons extra US$35-40 per person), scuba boat dives for certified divers and PADI Discover Scuba Diving resort course for beginners including all equipment (excludes wetsuit hire of US$6 per day, Marine Park/Pitons dives US$60-70 per person, night dives US$60 per person, and PADI certification courses available from US$250 and must be pre-booked), unlimited tennis with on-site Tennis Pro, Manager’s Cocktail Party every Wednesday evening, nightly entertainment, and taxes and gratuities. Spa services additional charge. All rates subject to change without notice and apply to bookings originating from the UK and Europe. A three night deposit per person is required to secure all reservations with the balance due 21 days prior to arrival. Cancellations received within 21 days of arrival will incur a loss of deposit. |
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Special Offers
FREE Room for Second Week - Couples staying for 14 nights between 30 Mar-20 Dec 2008 will receive 7 room nights FREE of charge on a room only basis with a compulsory all-inclusive food and beverage supplement of US$125 per person, per night payable during the 7 free nights. Offer valid for stays of a minimum of 14 nights only and applies to bookings originating from the UK or Europe.
FREE Night/s - Book a minimum of 7 nights and receive 1 night free or 14 nights and receive 3 nights free for stays between 01 Apr-27 Oct 2008 and 09 -26 Dec 2008 inclusive. Offer applies to bookings originating from the UK or Europe and cannot be combined with any other offer.
Complimentary Weddings - stay at Rendezvous for 7 nights or more and receive your wedding FREE of charge, including the services of a wedding specialist to handle all the arrangements. Items included free of charge include: Marriage Licence, legal fees (in St. Lucia), Registrar’s fee, sparkling wine reception, service of witnesses (if required), decorated wedding arch/table, specially decorated dinner table for the wedding couple, special breakfast in bed the following morning, couple’s massage and a special gift. Optional extras not included: photographic and video services, music, flowers and wedding cakes. Offer valid year round.
Honeymooners – will receive a welcome fruit basket, tropical flower arrangement and a bottle of champagne.
Early Booking Discounts – Receive a US$200 per person discount for stays of 7 nights or more booked before 29 Feb 2008 for stays from 18 May-20 Dec 2008 Or US$275 discount per person for stays of 14 nights or more booked by 07 Apr 2008 for stays from 29 Jun-31 Aug 2008. Offers apply to bookings originating from the UK or Europe and cannot be combined with the free week/nights offers. |
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How to book
If you wish to make further enquiries or a reservation, please use the WEB LINK or DIRECT EMAIL ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page to make contact with Rendezvous, or if you wish to telephone them, their telephone number will be revealed if you click on the CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER link |
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UK Tour Operators
If you wish to book through a tour operator or travel organiser, please follow the TOUR OPERATOR link below.
See List of UK Tour Operators
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Locality
Rendezvous is located just to the north of Castries, St Lucia’s main town. Its entrance is quite close to the end of the runway of the northern, ‘local’ airport, but only small planes use the strip and they will not bother you. Castries is a pretty Caribbean town with some venerable old buildings around Derek Walcott Square. Try Kimlan’s for simple local fare. For excellent French food nearby you should go to the Coal Pot.
Most of the activity around the island is about fifteen minutes drive to the north of the hotel, around Rodney Bay. There is plenty to do there by day (on the beach) and night, when the street heaves with people out enjoying themselves. Good restaurants include The Edge, Buzz and The Charthouse. Beyond Rodney Bay, Pigeon Point is well worth a visit both for the historical aspect and for the beach. And beyond here is the Cap Estate, the location of a number of villas and the homes of wealthy St Lucians and the leading golf course on the island. In this area you will find Rendezvous’ sister hotels, The BodyHoliday at LeSport and Cotton Bay Village, where Tao and Piano Piano also make a good option for dining out. |
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Meet & Greet
If you are travelling independently, taxis are usually available at the airport, but one can be arranged for you by the hotel at your expense. It is worth putting in the request at the time of booking. If you are flying into Hewanorra in the south of the island then the ride from the airport is around fifty or sixty minutes, depending on the traffic around Castries. If you have an option (for instance if you are flying within the Caribbean), it is much better to fly into George FL Charles Airport at Vigie near Castries, which is very close by. Alternatively, if you would prefer to be taken care of from the minute you arrive at the airport, with helicopter or limousine transfers, a Concierge Service is offered by St Lucia Representatives.
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
While there are plenty of tours on offer through the hotel, if you want to explore the island independently, the best option is by hiring a car, which is easily arranged. If you are not travelling in peak season and you don't think you will want a car for more than a day or two, hotel reception will be able to assist you. Otherwise, we recommend you book in advance via your travel organiser or direct with Drive-A-Matic or Cool Breeze Car/Jeep Rental, who will deliver to the property and issue your St Lucian driving licence, price EC$54. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or be collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day.
Be aware that around the St Lucia Jazz Festival in May and around Christmas there can be a shortage of cars in St Lucia, so you are advised to book a car well in advance. Also book early if you want one for a week or more because the pre-booked rates can be better. Taxis are readily available through the reception at the hotel, through drivers who remain on property. Local bus services do pass on the main road and so you can always catch a bus into Castries or up to Rodney Bay. |
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