St. Lucia Tourism Soars to New Heights

February 1, 2006 - St. Lucia's tourism product continues to thrive in 2006 with new direct service on Air Jamaica and United Airlines, 900 new hotel rooms available by spring - in addition to the existing 4,335 – and the 15th Anniversary celebration of the St. Lucia Jazz in May. In addition, St. Lucia's overall tourism arrivals increased by 6.5% from 2004 to 2005.

Airlift
Air Jamaica reintroduces non-stop service Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays from New York's JFK International to St. Lucia, effective February 23, 2006. United Airlines adds a Sunday morning direct flight from Chicago starting February 5th through April 30, 2006. Delta Airlines announced on December 1, 2005 daily non-stop flights to St. Lucia from Atlanta, increased from five times a week. Additional St. Lucia service from North America includes daily direct routes from Miami on American Airlines; US Airways' non-stop Saturday service from Charlotte, North Carolina and weekend service from Philadelphia; BWIA's connecting weekly flights from Miami and New York; and American Eagle's daily flights from San Juan.

Hotel Openings
Coco Palm opened July 2005 and is the second property of the newly formed Coco Resorts located in the heart Rodney Bay Village. Coco Palm features 83 guestrooms, 12 of which are suites, and is the first boutique style hotel to open on the island. Rates start at just $125 a night, allowing travelers on a budget to spend less on a hotel and more on discovering St. Lucia's culture, cuisine and many diversions. This Caribbean chic hotel includes meeting facilities; Wi-Fi throughout; two restaurants, Ti Bananne Caribbean Bistro and Bar and Kafe Kaiso (open 24/7 with live entertainment); a large free form swimming pool and a poolside bar. For more information log on to www.coco-resorts.com

Coconut Bay Resort & Spa opened in the spring of 2005 after a $15 million dollar renovation to the former Club Med site. Located on the southern shore of the island, this all-inclusive resort features a full-service spa; three restaurants and bars; 254 guestrooms all with ocean views with a separate sitting area and private balcony. The resort houses three swimming pools and a water park featuring a lazy river, waterfalls and exhilarating waterslides. For more information, log on to www.coconutbayresortandspa.com.

St. James' Club St. Lucia reopened as Almond Morgan Bay Beach Resort on November 16, 2005. The resort is set on 22 scenic acres just north of St. Lucia's capital, Castries, and will offer guests an ideal all-inclusive family vacation. The renovated property will include, six swimming pools, a fitness centre; four a la carte gourmet restaurants; four bars; a Kid's Club that for newborn babies and children up to the age of 16 years of age; a full service spa with treatments including massages, facials, manicures and hydrotherapy treatments. For more information, please visit www.almondresorts.com.

The five-star Discovery at Marigot Bay Spa Resort and Marina in Marigot Bay is scheduled to open in May 2006. The 124-room new luxury boutique hotel has 57 suites -- 30 with private plunge pools -- and 67 deluxe rooms and is managed by Sonesta International Hotels. In addition, the property will feature restaurants and lounges; Lapli Spa; a Zen garden; fitness center; a 60-berth marina; and a marina village with shops, cafes and yachting facilities. For more information, please visit www.discoverystlucia.com.

Sunswept Resort's Plantation on Cotton Bay is scheduled to open in April 2006, and will be the first five-star luxury villa resort in St. Lucia. It promises guests total luxury and pampering, combining barefoot elegance with designer styling, gourmet food and first- class golf just steps away. The 74 spacious accommodations range from one-bedroom suites to four-bedroom villas with guest cottage. For more information, visit www.sunsweptresorts.com.

Anse Chastanet Resort introduces 24 exclusive Infinity Suites, scheduled to open in June 2006. The luxury Infinity Suites will act as a "resort within a resort" with their own reception area, concierge services and the Jade Mountain restaurant. Located on the highest point on Anse Chastanet hill, every suite will include a bedroom, living area and a personal infinity pool. Built to be in harmony with nature, the rooms have only three walls to allow for an unobstructed view of the Piton Mountains and Caribbean Sea. For more information, visit www.ansechastanet.com.

Calabash Cove Inn & Sanctuary, a five-star boutique resort with ocean-view villas, is slated to open in the fall of 2006. The property will be located just 10 minutes from Rodney Bay, a popular marina filled with great shops, restaurants, bars and nightlife. Calabash Cove will offer 23 luxury mahogany and teak villas featuring air-conditioned bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms; an outdoor shower; cable TV; DVD player; kitchenette; a spacious living room; an oversized patio with hammock; plunge pools and adjoining balcony. The hotel facilities will include a concierge desk, a piano bar, an ocean view restaurant, library, music room, boutique, private beach, outdoor pool and spa. For more information, please visit www.calabashcove.com.

Future Property Openings
DCG Properties Ltd. and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announce plans for a Westin Hotel to be the centerpiece of the 554- acre Le Paradis, a new luxury condominium and real estate development on St. Lucia's secluded East coast in Praslin Bay. The 232 guestroom resort will feature conference facilities for up to 600 persons; more than 100 luxury condominiums and deluxe residences; international health spa with 26 treatment rooms and a Greg Norman signature 18-hole golf course managed by Troon. Additional resort components include a 40-slip marina, marina village, upscale shopping boutiques and more. The Westin Hotel is scheduled to open by August 2007.

Bay Gardens Ltd., owner of the award-winning Bay Gardens Hotel, and its sister property Bay Gardens Inn, will embark on the new Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa on famous Reduit Beach. The first phase of construction on the Caribbean-French and Georgian plantation- style four-story buildings, are scheduled for completion by November 2006. The new property will consist of 80 deluxe rooms; 40 one- and two-bedroom suites; restaurant; beach bar; lobby bar; lagoon-style pool with swim-up bar; executive floor with lounge; spa and Jacuzzi. Rooms will be equipped with flat screen TVs, high- speed Internet access and wireless connection throughout public areas. The second phase will feature 40 one-, two-, and three- bedroom condominiums for sale adjacent to the hotel, with commencement in early 2006. For more information, visit www.baygardenshotel.com.

The St. Lucia-based SunSwept Resorts acquired the Jalousie Resort & Spa from Hilton International effective May 31, 2005 and is now named The Jalousie Plantation. The property is located along the Caribbean coastline and set between the beautiful Piton Mountains. Surrounded by beaches of white sand, the property includes 65 villas, 35 villa suites and 12 additional guest rooms. Renovations to the existing villas and guestrooms are being planned and a center of well-being will be created after the completion of the renovations in 2007. For more information, visit www.sunsweptresorts.com.

The Landing, a $165 million villa resort development project on the north shore of Rodney Bay St. Lucia, will break ground in November 2005 with the first phase slated to open February 2007. The 19-acre waterfront SunSwept Resorts property will include yacht moorings and slips; a beach club; water sports; lounge; helicopter transfer to/from major airports and nearby islands; a restaurant; fitness club; spa; concierge service; swimming pools; tennis courts; reception area; and 500 rooms in 228 one-, two- and three-bedroom villa units. For more information, visit www.sunsweptresorts.com.

Sandals Resorts International announced plans to expand the company's family-themed Beaches Resorts brand to St. Lucia. This $80 million resort will be the first Beaches in the Eastern Caribbean and the fourth Sandals-owned resort on St. Lucia. Located on picturesque Pigeon Island next to the causeway, the new resort will feature 300 rooms and suites with ultra all-inclusive amenities. For more information about Beaches Resorts, visit www.beaches.com.

Events
St. Lucia Jazz celebrates its 15th anniversary scheduled for May 5th -14th, 2006, with special programs and festivities to be announced. Since its establishment in 1992, St. Lucia Jazz has grown in magnitude and stature to become one of the preeminent Jazz festivals in the world. St. Lucia Jazz features multiple shows daily, including acoustical, new age and straight-ahead jazz, soul, fusion and R&B. Unique to St. Lucia Jazz are the festival's "fringe" events, which are held in a variety of locations and venues around the island. For more information and updated about St. Lucia Jazz, please visit www.stluciajazz.org.

Hotel News
Ti Kaye Village, a tranquil 33-cottage cliff-top boutique resort in Anse Cochon, names James Nobel the new head chef of Kai Manje and Ti Manje restaurants. Nobel trained at Westminster College, London and the University Colleges of Cambridge and arrives from the prestigious Cotton House on Mustique. The already extensive wine list is expanding to 100-plus bins in the resort's unique glass- enclosed and climate-controlled wine room, making it the largest and most diverse on the island. Additional resort refurbishments feature new poolside teak lounge chairs and umbrellas; a new relaxation deck including television lounge and game area and free high-speed internet access in the main bar. For more information, please visit www.tikaye.com

For information about the island of St. Lucia, call (888) 4- STLUCIA, or visit www.stlucia.org, the official site of the St. Lucia Tourist Board.

SOURCE St. Lucia Tourist Board.