Almond Morgan Bay Beach Resort Hotel, Castries, St Lucia
Hotel Information
Recent Price: £427
Deluxe Pool/Garden View rooms are located on the ground floor with pool or garden views.
Hotel Class:
Hotel Description:
Within 22 acres of garden, overlooking its own palm-fringed beach, this attractive resort is popular with couples and families who appreciate the extensive facilities and spacious grounds. Standard rooms have a king-size or 2 twin beds, bath/shower, air-conditioning, satellite TV, tea & coffee-making facilities, hairdryer, iron & ironing board and a balcony or patio with garden viewDeluxe Pool/Garden View rooms are located on the ground floor with pool or garden views.
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Almond Morgan Bay Beach Resort Hotel Reviews
" I went to Smugglers Cove for 2 weeks... "
Submitted By: Miss S J Restorick
I went to Smugglers Cove for 2 weeks with my family for my sister's wedding. They had been struck by a hurricane just 6 weeks before we arrived, so were a little concerned about this having an effect on the place.
However, all repair work had been finished, they are currently still refurbishing some apartments since change of ownership. Lovely big rooms, all ground floors brightly painted in beautiful gardens. Service was excellent for the first week, but staff did seem to struggle a little with the influx of guests in the second week.
There were 4 restaurants on site, but not all open every night. For 2 weeks all-inclusive, the menus did get a little repetitive, but food itself was excellent. The private beach was wonderful, so good to swing in a hammock in the evening looking out over the waves.
I didn't use any of the facilities such as gym or racquet club or massages, but they were available. The swimming pools were good, especially having an adult only one, as although I was there with children, I appreciate that relaxing can be easier without kids jumping in all around.
The wedding itself was wonderful, resort organiser was available and helped it all go smoothly. Even the rain stopped before the ceremony and didn't start again till after the pictures. Don't let rainy season put you off, it's not rain, but liquid sunshine as I was told by a pirate on the Brig Unicorn (lovely day out on the pirate ship from Pirates of the Caribbean).
Take super strength insect repellent, and reapply often. Would definitely go again, Virgin are one of the best tour operators, even the in-flight beef stew was a reasonable portion and tasted good. Highly recommended.
However, all repair work had been finished, they are currently still refurbishing some apartments since change of ownership. Lovely big rooms, all ground floors brightly painted in beautiful gardens. Service was excellent for the first week, but staff did seem to struggle a little with the influx of guests in the second week.
There were 4 restaurants on site, but not all open every night. For 2 weeks all-inclusive, the menus did get a little repetitive, but food itself was excellent. The private beach was wonderful, so good to swing in a hammock in the evening looking out over the waves.
I didn't use any of the facilities such as gym or racquet club or massages, but they were available. The swimming pools were good, especially having an adult only one, as although I was there with children, I appreciate that relaxing can be easier without kids jumping in all around.
The wedding itself was wonderful, resort organiser was available and helped it all go smoothly. Even the rain stopped before the ceremony and didn't start again till after the pictures. Don't let rainy season put you off, it's not rain, but liquid sunshine as I was told by a pirate on the Brig Unicorn (lovely day out on the pirate ship from Pirates of the Caribbean).
Take super strength insect repellent, and reapply often. Would definitely go again, Virgin are one of the best tour operators, even the in-flight beef stew was a reasonable portion and tasted good. Highly recommended.
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- Date of Holiday:Oct 2007
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Virgin
" My boyfriend and I have just returned... "
Submitted By: Miss J Gault
My boyfriend and I have just returned from 10 days at the Almond Morgan Bay Resort, St Lucia. We had a fantastic holiday even though there was some building work going on which we were not told about by our tour operator!
Firstly the rooms; they were spacious and clean, the bed was huge (I didn't see my partner the whole holiday!!) and the bathroom was in very good condition.
The beach was not huge, however there were still enough sun beds to go around. There were 2 main pools and I children’s pool; these were all very clean and needed as it did get very hot!
The included water sports were absolutely fantastic, I ended up waterskiing 3 times a day, it was brilliant!
The food made the holiday for us. My boyfriend didn't like the idea of all inclusive as he hates buffets; the food here however was almost all A la Carte, and fantastic at that!
The only downfall of the holiday was the evening entertainment. There was only one band that played almost every night and didn't have a great selection of songs. I just hope you like the song Red Red Wine, because you will come to know it very well!!! Saying this, the kids there loved it as the band did get them all up dancing. We just sat by the pool bar out of harms way and chatted to the other couples trying to stay away from the stage!!!!
All in all I would definitely recommend this resort to couples and families alike, there is enough for everyone!
Firstly the rooms; they were spacious and clean, the bed was huge (I didn't see my partner the whole holiday!!) and the bathroom was in very good condition.
The beach was not huge, however there were still enough sun beds to go around. There were 2 main pools and I children’s pool; these were all very clean and needed as it did get very hot!
The included water sports were absolutely fantastic, I ended up waterskiing 3 times a day, it was brilliant!
The food made the holiday for us. My boyfriend didn't like the idea of all inclusive as he hates buffets; the food here however was almost all A la Carte, and fantastic at that!
The only downfall of the holiday was the evening entertainment. There was only one band that played almost every night and didn't have a great selection of songs. I just hope you like the song Red Red Wine, because you will come to know it very well!!! Saying this, the kids there loved it as the band did get them all up dancing. We just sat by the pool bar out of harms way and chatted to the other couples trying to stay away from the stage!!!!
All in all I would definitely recommend this resort to couples and families alike, there is enough for everyone!
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- Date of Holiday:Oct 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" After having made the decision to go... "
Submitted By: Dj3
After having made the decision to go to St Lucia I picked this property based on two things, the first being price and the second being intrigue. I had been to St Lucia before and last time I had done a twin centre at Le Sport and Jalousie Plantation. I knew Almond Morgan Bay was newly refurbished and had been renamed so I decided to give it a go.
We booked Virgin Atlantic flights, the hotel I booked through a travel agents booking scheme (as I am an agent) and we hired a jeep on arrival at the airport. To drive in St Lucia you need a driving permit which can be issued by car rental companies or by the police. You must show this permit if stopped. It costs 54 Eastern Caribbean dollars and is quickly issued. The road from Hewanorra airport in the south of the island to Almond Morgan Bay is full potholes. The roads are very winding and hilly so a 4 wheel drive really is necessary. The driving time to the hotel is 90 minutes and you really can’t go wrong as there is only one road on the island that practically circles it.
We were greeted on arrival with ice cold towels and a rum or fruit punch. Then were taken to our room by buggy and were pleasantly surprised. The rooms are extremely large and are pleasantly decorated, the beds were larger than average and the furniture was white wicker. There was a fridge, a coffee maker, iron and ironing board and a safe for which there was no charge. We also had a small balcony with furniture. Air conditioning was free and operated from the room not centrally thankfully.
There were 4 restaurants on site, and guest services had already made us a reservation for the first night at the Bambu, this served Asian/Caribbean food.
There was also a snack bar - the Plum Tree Bar & grill, this served a choice of Pizzas, hamburgers etc from lunchtime through till early evening. It also had a self service ice cream and drinks bar. Beside the Plum Tree there was a swimming pool, this snack bar was well away from the other restaurants and although we went to see it we never used it as it was popular with families and children.
There was also a seafood restaurant, this is set on a jetty, and personally I can say we had our worst meal here but it may just have been our choice.
The best by far was Le Jardin the French restaurant, this was the only indoor restaurant, fully air conditioned and adults only. I had a wonderful meal in here (Malay Lamb and Coconut rice) not very French but wonderful nevertheless. Reservations were required at all but one restaurant, the one serving continental dishes and this was operated on a first come first served basis.
There was a main pool for everyone and an adults only swim up bar. Sun beds were ample in numbers both at the pools and on the beach - however we did go in October.
The water sports centre was open daily and all water sports were free including the lessons. Almond Morgan Bay is situated in Choc Bay and it is not called Choc Bay for nothing. If you are a scuba diver the visibility in the water is not good at all. My husband scuba dives (I just sun myself) so we took a drive to Anse Chastenet for the day, this hotel has its own marine reserve and has some fabulous offshore reefs. (Obviously it has a dive centre) It’s about an hours drive from the Almond back towards the airport. It’s free to get in for the day and it has a wonderful restaurant on the beach. The road leading here from the main road is a very bumpy dirt track and also requires a four wheel drive.
The Almond buildings are colourful and each is no more than three storeys high, however the resort is quite spread out and if you are elderly or have walking difficulties i would suggest you request a room near the main restaurant and pool area because otherwise there are some extremely steep slopes, not to mention the steps up to your room.
All in all this is not a totally up market hotel however it is a very good economical choice especially for families on a budget, for which holidays can be extremely expensive.
The staff were friendly, the rooms were spotless and for what we paid I have no complaints. It is also worth adding that I had read many reviews on this hotel (on other sites) that mentioned a strong smell of sewage about the resort. Apart from the odd hint on the odd occasion I think they must have rectified this problem.
Throughout the resort anything that did require payment, US dollars were as widely accepted as Eastern Caribbean dollars.
Lastly when leaving the island don’t forget there is a $22 per person departure tax payable and this includes children so remember not to spend all your money!
We booked Virgin Atlantic flights, the hotel I booked through a travel agents booking scheme (as I am an agent) and we hired a jeep on arrival at the airport. To drive in St Lucia you need a driving permit which can be issued by car rental companies or by the police. You must show this permit if stopped. It costs 54 Eastern Caribbean dollars and is quickly issued. The road from Hewanorra airport in the south of the island to Almond Morgan Bay is full potholes. The roads are very winding and hilly so a 4 wheel drive really is necessary. The driving time to the hotel is 90 minutes and you really can’t go wrong as there is only one road on the island that practically circles it.
We were greeted on arrival with ice cold towels and a rum or fruit punch. Then were taken to our room by buggy and were pleasantly surprised. The rooms are extremely large and are pleasantly decorated, the beds were larger than average and the furniture was white wicker. There was a fridge, a coffee maker, iron and ironing board and a safe for which there was no charge. We also had a small balcony with furniture. Air conditioning was free and operated from the room not centrally thankfully.
There were 4 restaurants on site, and guest services had already made us a reservation for the first night at the Bambu, this served Asian/Caribbean food.
There was also a snack bar - the Plum Tree Bar & grill, this served a choice of Pizzas, hamburgers etc from lunchtime through till early evening. It also had a self service ice cream and drinks bar. Beside the Plum Tree there was a swimming pool, this snack bar was well away from the other restaurants and although we went to see it we never used it as it was popular with families and children.
There was also a seafood restaurant, this is set on a jetty, and personally I can say we had our worst meal here but it may just have been our choice.
The best by far was Le Jardin the French restaurant, this was the only indoor restaurant, fully air conditioned and adults only. I had a wonderful meal in here (Malay Lamb and Coconut rice) not very French but wonderful nevertheless. Reservations were required at all but one restaurant, the one serving continental dishes and this was operated on a first come first served basis.
There was a main pool for everyone and an adults only swim up bar. Sun beds were ample in numbers both at the pools and on the beach - however we did go in October.
The water sports centre was open daily and all water sports were free including the lessons. Almond Morgan Bay is situated in Choc Bay and it is not called Choc Bay for nothing. If you are a scuba diver the visibility in the water is not good at all. My husband scuba dives (I just sun myself) so we took a drive to Anse Chastenet for the day, this hotel has its own marine reserve and has some fabulous offshore reefs. (Obviously it has a dive centre) It’s about an hours drive from the Almond back towards the airport. It’s free to get in for the day and it has a wonderful restaurant on the beach. The road leading here from the main road is a very bumpy dirt track and also requires a four wheel drive.
The Almond buildings are colourful and each is no more than three storeys high, however the resort is quite spread out and if you are elderly or have walking difficulties i would suggest you request a room near the main restaurant and pool area because otherwise there are some extremely steep slopes, not to mention the steps up to your room.
All in all this is not a totally up market hotel however it is a very good economical choice especially for families on a budget, for which holidays can be extremely expensive.
The staff were friendly, the rooms were spotless and for what we paid I have no complaints. It is also worth adding that I had read many reviews on this hotel (on other sites) that mentioned a strong smell of sewage about the resort. Apart from the odd hint on the odd occasion I think they must have rectified this problem.
Throughout the resort anything that did require payment, US dollars were as widely accepted as Eastern Caribbean dollars.
Lastly when leaving the island don’t forget there is a $22 per person departure tax payable and this includes children so remember not to spend all your money!
-
- Date of Holiday:Oct 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Booked Independently
" The reception area is pleasing to the... "
Submitted By: Mr M Paddock
The reception area is pleasing to the eye and you are welcomed with a drink. The staff are pleasant enough. The rooms are ok they have been re-furbished to a good standard.
The drinks at the bar are supposed to be "premium Brand" ? If you ask for a branded drink it is frowned upon by some members of staff who are keen to give the locally produced versions to guests.
The Rum which comes in a bucket tasted a bit wet to me so I asked if it had water in it the reply came yes as it is considered "too strong for the tourists". Orange juice seemed to be non existent in the bars in the evenings and the staff could be seen watering down what they had to make it last.
Their version of Baileys (a popular drink there) was guarded as they only had so many bottles per day and often ran out.
The Main bars close at 11pm but the staff had the bottles cleared away and would ignore guest 15 minutes before last orders. Overall not good.
The restaurants,
Best on site is Le Jardin the food was well cooked and had variety. The other restaurants are hit and miss, Bamboo an "Asian" themed place gives portions so small that you can not help but laugh they do not taste authentic either.
The fish restaurant can't remember the name had such a bad meal that I never went back, they have a non fish dish on the menu but be prepared to be laughed at by the waitress if you order it. The dish I ordered came out totally wrong but I tried to eat it anyway but on my first mouthful I crunched into mussel shells, needless to say I did not carry on but sent it back to the kitchen. The Chef came to have a chat after the table was cleared and apologised, I asked how he could let food go out of the kitchen in that way his reply "I was elsewhere doing something"
Breakfast was good and with a wide variety.
You may be reading this and think I am a serial complainer, I am not I have spent five weeks in St Lucia this year and holiday on other Islands in the Caribbean, St Lucia is a beautiful island and nothing can change that but ones overall enjoyment can be tainted if you have chosen the wrong resort.
The resort purports to be of higher class than others and has strict dress codes, after having been there for two days eighty Polish travel agents arrived and took over the pool bar during the day and behaved like football supporters shouting and drinking and making people feel very uncomfortable they also flouted the rule regarding dress and wore what they wanted during the evenings contrary to the resorts rules.
The rules which are posted all over the place are a little strict but if all are trying to comply it is bad that the management said nothing to those who clearly had no intention of respect in that direction. I was informed that the Travel Agents were there on a free visit.
I complained at the time to the rep from Virgin who could not have cared less.
I am not the only person to have had these views but many people do not complain they just say they will. I feel so strongly about this holiday I had to say something.
In the end it turned out to be a very expensive B&B as we went out for the days and evenings.
I have stayed in better 3 star accommodation and felt less like being in a holiday camp.
The drinks at the bar are supposed to be "premium Brand" ? If you ask for a branded drink it is frowned upon by some members of staff who are keen to give the locally produced versions to guests.
The Rum which comes in a bucket tasted a bit wet to me so I asked if it had water in it the reply came yes as it is considered "too strong for the tourists". Orange juice seemed to be non existent in the bars in the evenings and the staff could be seen watering down what they had to make it last.
Their version of Baileys (a popular drink there) was guarded as they only had so many bottles per day and often ran out.
The Main bars close at 11pm but the staff had the bottles cleared away and would ignore guest 15 minutes before last orders. Overall not good.
The restaurants,
Best on site is Le Jardin the food was well cooked and had variety. The other restaurants are hit and miss, Bamboo an "Asian" themed place gives portions so small that you can not help but laugh they do not taste authentic either.
The fish restaurant can't remember the name had such a bad meal that I never went back, they have a non fish dish on the menu but be prepared to be laughed at by the waitress if you order it. The dish I ordered came out totally wrong but I tried to eat it anyway but on my first mouthful I crunched into mussel shells, needless to say I did not carry on but sent it back to the kitchen. The Chef came to have a chat after the table was cleared and apologised, I asked how he could let food go out of the kitchen in that way his reply "I was elsewhere doing something"
Breakfast was good and with a wide variety.
You may be reading this and think I am a serial complainer, I am not I have spent five weeks in St Lucia this year and holiday on other Islands in the Caribbean, St Lucia is a beautiful island and nothing can change that but ones overall enjoyment can be tainted if you have chosen the wrong resort.
The resort purports to be of higher class than others and has strict dress codes, after having been there for two days eighty Polish travel agents arrived and took over the pool bar during the day and behaved like football supporters shouting and drinking and making people feel very uncomfortable they also flouted the rule regarding dress and wore what they wanted during the evenings contrary to the resorts rules.
The rules which are posted all over the place are a little strict but if all are trying to comply it is bad that the management said nothing to those who clearly had no intention of respect in that direction. I was informed that the Travel Agents were there on a free visit.
I complained at the time to the rep from Virgin who could not have cared less.
I am not the only person to have had these views but many people do not complain they just say they will. I feel so strongly about this holiday I had to say something.
In the end it turned out to be a very expensive B&B as we went out for the days and evenings.
I have stayed in better 3 star accommodation and felt less like being in a holiday camp.
-
- Date of Holiday:May 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Virgin
The resort itself to us was a bit of a let down, there are four restaurants and you must book for dinner every night, the dress code is collard shirts/polo shirts & trousers for the men, for the ladys smart, but not evening dress. Which was fine if people stuck to it, but our son told us that during there last couple of days when all the Americans arrived this rules lapsed altogether.
We had a room with a sea view which was stunning, it was clean, if some what tired looking, the cleaning staff are two loverly ladies and will see to all your needs. The children in our party enjoyed the kids club facility and this was well supervised at all times.
Staff attitude was at times off, but that was only a few and did not spoil the holiday/wedding for us. There was one occasion in Bamboos when the waitress there had a really bad attitude, so much so I ended up wearing some of my lunch because she wasn't watching what she was doing when she put my plate down, the consequences of that were orange oily gravy like stuff on my white linen trousers, I was not a happy person I can tell you.
The entertainment is basic but good, the dancers are fab, but I would have like to see a proper steel band and may be some Limbo dancing, still we cant always have what we wish for.
There is an Almond Tree down by the beach that a very nice man named Joy sits under, there you can book a wonderful day out with him as your guide, we went to the Pitons, Volcano, and the waterfall, he made the whole day come alive and his sisters cooking is out of this world, the best we ate in the whole of our stay in St Lucia.
As I said we were there in February this year, they had just finished building 3 new blocks behind the restaurants, beautiful looking blocks but as the staff are pushed to the limit now, I don't imagin it will be a very plesant being there from now on, there was talk of turning the Palms restaurant into an evening buffett style to cater for all the extra people for evening meals, in all that heat I wouldnt like to think of all that food sitting around for a few hours.
They have excellent beach facilities for you, but you have to book for everything as it gets really busy, the only thing you have to pay for if you are all inclusive, is the jet ski's. Everyone enjoyed the banana boat rides, and it was safe enough for the children in our party to go out on with out one of us being with them.
Would I go to St Lucia again, yes, but not to Almond Morgan Bay, I can see it getting very overcrowed, and all you will see is more and more blue sunbeds, and trust me we saw enough of them during our stay.