CUCKOO FOR COCONUT BAY, AND SERENITY
With Air Canada flying three times weekly to Saint Lucia this summer, there’s no time like the present for Canadians to take advantage of the amenities of the island’s sibling resorts, Coconut Bay Beach Resort and Spa and Serenity, travel agents were told at a Toronto event Friday.
Close to 20 agents were treated to a “working lunch” at an airport-area hotel, hosted by Canadian BDM Suzanne Fleming and resort marketing VP Natalia Greene, the latter who informed guests that Serenity had recently earned two prestigious TripAdvisor awards for 2023: No. 1 luxury resort in the Caribbean, and No. 3 hotel overall, while Coconut Bay snagged a new Good Housekeeping travel award (based on inspections, not voting).
The event was supported by Air Canada Vacations with area sales manager Dianne Pedroso detailing tour operator deals – and incentives – for agents to book the two side-by-side properties, which benefit from being located “two minutes – maybe three if you stop at the stop sign” – from the airport, which Greene pointed out allows guests to get to the beach quicker and stay longer than if transferring elsewhere on the island (but rarely subject to any noise).
Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa
The top-end four-star resort – “not all four-star resorts are created equal,” Greene emphasized – offers “two worlds” on an expansive 35-hectare oceanfront setting (with 1.6-km-long beach) on Saint Lucia’s south coast, close to many island attractions. The resort’s 250 air-conditioned rooms are shared between adult’s only Harmony and family-friendly Splash wings.
Facilities and amenities include nine restaurants, seven bars serving premium brand spirits, five pools (including two at Harmony), a full-service salon and oceanfront spa, the island’s largest waterpark, supervised Kidz Klub, free in-room Wi-Fi, concierge service, nightly entertainment, themed dinners, and full-service weddings including the exclusive Eternity Beach setting.
Sports and fitness offerings include a kitesurfing (in season) and windsurfing centre, tennis courts, basketball courts, snorkeling, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, paintball, fitness centre, and daily activities including yoga and Pilates classes and turtle watching (in season).
Last fall the resort completed a US$6-million makeover that included enhancements to guest rooms, the CocoLand Kidz Klub, the Wedding Centre, sports courts, main bar area, resort lobby, hallways, and more.
Serenity
Luxurious Serenity, meanwhile, boasts 36 plunge-pool butler suites – each unique – featuring four-poster mahogany beds; in-room personalized bar (fill out the wish list before arriving); outdoor patio and shower; and more. The resort has its own pool, restaurant, and bar, and reserved beach cabanas – ideal for a picnic lunch packed by guests’ personal butler.
Greene noted that Harmony guests can split stays between the two resorts – especially ideal for a family wedding at Coconut Bay and honeymoon at the even more luxurious Serenity, she suggested – though reminded that while guests at the latter can play at the former, reciprocal benefits don’t extend both ways.
Elaborate wedding packages are available at both resorts, with an onsite wedding planner to handle all the details, and agents can also learn about a host of incentives, including free nights for bookings, by registering at cbayrwards.com and serenityrewards.com.
While Air Canada is flying thrice weekly in summer, service expands to five times a week in the fall and daily for the winter. WestJet and Sunwing also fly to Saint Lucia.
Early booking rates are also currently in effect, with Greene advising that clients should take advantage, not just for the rates but to get space. Serenity, she warns, is often booked out four months in advance.
First published at Travel Industry Today
