Situated on the exclusive south west-tip of St Lucia are the twin peaks of the Pitons, the islands best-known landmark. Rising dramatically out of the turquoise ocean to over 2,000 feet these mountains cradle the Val des Pitons at their base. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of outstanding natural beauty, and is also the location for a new five-star resort being constructed on the site of the original Jalousie Plantation.
Roger Myers, the former owner of the Cafe Rouge restaurant chain, bought the hotel in 2005 and is now spearheading a $100million transformation programme aimed at turning it into one of the Caribbean’s premier resorts. Managed by elite brand The Tides, part of the Viceroy Hotel Group, the resort will be rebranded at the end of 2011 as The Tides Sugar Beach.
Work on the project is well under way, and some of the major features have already been completed. These include a striking bar and club in the main building of the new hotel, where Roger Myers’ impressive personal modern art collection adds an uber-cool feel to the resort. Other amenities include two white sand beaches, beach club and lounge, gourmet restaurants, water sports centre, marine reserve for snorkelling, games room, children’s play centre and a swimming pool.
A focal point of the resort is the Rainforest Spa, which consists of tree house treatment cabanas connected by wooden walkways that snake up the side of the hill under the rainforest canopy.
The strong focus on detail and design extends to the hotel rooms, which are actually luxurious colonial villas incorporating individual plunge pools and vast terraces with incredible views. Architect Lane Pettigrew is responsible for the redesign of both the resort and the luxury Sugar Beach Villas that are nestled in small clusters among the 130 acres of rainforest around the resort. Butler stations for each cluster take care of the individual needs of each guest.
Each of the freehold hotel villas is available to purchase fully-furnished. Prices start at US$700,000 for a one-bedroom villa and go up to US$2.1million for a superior deluxe two-bedroom villa.
Owners are entitled to four weeks personal usage of their villa each year and will also receive a 37.5% share of the total room revenue, which will be pooled. The purchase price of the villa determines the points allocated to each owner in the pool. Owners will also benefit from a guaranteed minimum return of 5% until the end of 2012.
There are also 31 meticulously appointed Private Residences available to purchase. These secluded Residences feature open living and dining areas perfectly designed for entertaining, complete with infinity-edged pools. Each spacious detached island home affords spectacular Piton or oceanfront views and can be used as little or as often as you wish. If you would like to rent out your residence, The Tides will manage everything for you providing the best of both worlds; the seclusion of an exclusive island home and the five-star marketing and management to enhance rental when not in use. Prices range from US$3million to US$7million for a three, four or five bedroom residence.
A little further along the beach British Aristocrat Lord Glenconner, who originally discovered the site between the Pitons in 1982, has put his name to five contemporary freehold residences to be known as Glenconner Beach. These immaculate homes are positioned directly on the beach with uninterrupted views of the bay and the Pitons. Also designed by Lane Pettigrew with a modern twist on traditional Caribbean style with five or six bedrooms, the homes afford luxurious swimming pools and extensive terraces. Owners are also able to meet with Lane to discuss any minor alterations or changes to perfect their ideal Caribbean residence. Each has five or six bedrooms, with prices from US$7million to US$9million.
The Jalousie Plantation has enjoyed 20 years of successful operating history, with a proven demand for the resort and average annual occupancy rates recorded at around 70% for the last five years. The St Lucian Government is vetting new developments very carefully and has granted owners at The Tides Sugar Beach a 15 year holiday on income tax and a 50% waiver on annual property tax for five years.
Properties of this calibre, in terms of beachfront location and an elite hotel management brand are 30-40% more expensive in Barbados. The accessibility is also a key selling point with daily direct flights to St Lucia from the UK, USA and Canada. What’s more, the UNESCO World Heritage Status of the Val des Pitons ensures protection from neighbouring overdevelopment, giving Sugar Beach the exclusivity you would find in other wealthier Caribbean Islands such as Anguilla, St Barts or Mustique.