This hotel has the best view in the Caribbean.
Jade Mountain Club, Saint Lucia
When Lesley Paull says it’s her favourite hotel in the world, it must be something special.
At the end of April, I travelled to Saint Lucia (easy connecting flights via Toronto) and took the opportunity to visit the iconic Jade Mountain resort. Some places take your breath away, but Jade Mountain manages to do it every single time you turn your head. Perched high above the island’s southwest coast, this breathtaking property blends organic architecture with nature in a way that feels spiritual.
I was expecting to be amazed at Jade Mountain, but words and photos don’t do it justice. No telephones, no televisions, no clocks. The silence is a luxury in itself, you are removed from the outside world in the best possible way. From it’s position on the hillside, you can almost touch the clouds. There’s just breeze, birds, and the sound of waves below.
There are no standard hotel rooms at Jade Mountain. Instead, you’ll find 29 vast, open-air sanctuaries (as they are appropriately called) with no fourth wall, each one framing the Pitons and Caribbean Sea like you’ve stepped into a dream. It truly is the best view on the entire island, and the best part is that it feels like you have it all to yourself.
The journey to your sanctuary begins with a walk across your own personal sky bridge, and leads you to a large wooden door. From the moment you step inside, fresh island air greets you. You walk up to the view and expect there to be glass, but there isn’t. There’s nothing separating you from nature and it’s really amazing and something totally different.
Lesley told me that the Jade Mountain is hard to describe, and after visiting, I totally understand why. It’s a feeling more than a place.
“The air has been cleansed by crossing countless miles of Atlantic Ocean. This air is the world’s purest. If only you could bottle it and take it home with you. ”
Dining at the Jade Mountain Club (the resort’s exclusive, guests-only restaurant) is an equally serene experience, with a farm-to-table menu that highlight the island’s fresh produce and vibrant Caribbean flavors. Our dining companions were a pair of island birds who perched next to us as we enjoyed the view. The drinks were divine and every bite was magic.
Add in an arrival-in-style by helicopter (yes, they even have a heli-pad) and round-the-clock butler service and Jade Mountain begins to feel less like a hotel and more like you’ve died and gone to heaven.
Guests have access to two secluded beaches, with crystal-clear Caribbean waters and loungers ready and waiting. The on-site spa offers treatments that draw on Saint Lucia’s natural ingredients, and the option to have your treatment in your private sanctuary.
Days spent in Saint Lucia can be as tranquil or adventurous as you like. If you can bring yourself to leave your sanctuary, Jade Mountain is just minutes from the picturesque village of Soufrière with activities ranging from hikes up the Sulphur Springs volcano (we did do the mud bath, and it was surprisingly rejuvenating) to sunset catamaran cruises (watch out for pods of dolphins!), snorkeling or scuba diving in nearby marine reserves, or even a chocolate-making tour in the rainforest (of course Jade Mountain has their own chocolate farm).
It’s a rare kind of place, and one that will leave you longing to return.
Written for Paull Travel by Morgan Winter, May 2025
