Fabulous Stay!

We had a wonderful time at the Smugglers' Cove and Spa. The people were courteous and very nice. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The food was delicious, always something different to try. Kids had a huge club area, their own pool (there were 4 others!) and many activities. We loved it.

Tired resort needs tlc

hard to give a review on a property that is being torn down and replaced with a new facility and name. The property itself is one of the largest of any that I have seen in the Caribbean. It will be interesting to see the new hotel when it opens in fall of 2016

Nice resort

And nice resort for being dated, the grounds were clean as where the rooms. Food was very good and the staff that was left where helpful. The sunsets where very beautiful, it will be interesting to see the new resort being built in 18 months as will be the price, very nice island...

Good food, small portions

Nice resort however, rooms were in need of a makeover. Food was very delicious but small portions at the restaurants. Nice resort if you're looking for a more quiet type of vacation. Horse ride on the beach was awesome!

Paradise of the Past

Recently stayed for one week at Smuggler's Cove, St. Lucia. From an overall value perspective the price was right. We would have been disappointed had we paid more. Some of the downside will follow in this review. Our room was upgraded, apparently. All that meant was that we had a vaulted ceiling. The fridge didn't work, the air conditioner/split wasn't up to par, the shower didn't give us a spray large enough to get the soap off of us. My sister tried to change the spray setting and the head [... read more] fell off. This turned out to be a blessing since more water was able to come out of the spigot. The tea kettle required an adaptor that I had to get from the front desk and I feel certain most other people would have given up trying to find an outlet that the thing fit since it didn't exist. The "in room safe" was nice to have. Anyone travelling to the North end of the island should be prepared for a long ride twisting and turning throughout the mountainous terrain. If you suffer with motion sickness do yourself a favour and take something before getting on that bus. They will not stop and our ride turned into the "Vomit Comet". Four people vomited and there was no way to clean them up and the bus driver wasn't about to stop. And then they expect a tip for the great ride? Sure. There was no restroom on the bus we were on. The Sunwing rep was good enough to put me at the front of the bus on the way back. Bless her heart. On the resort the walkway's were difficult to walk on especially for my sister who had a bad knee because they were pitched, uneven and cracked. One woman fell because she tripped on the broken sidewalk. The resort itself was very clean, our room was acceptable but the tub was dirty looking however the age of it may have factored in. The room was tired and the faucets pitted, but since they were tearing the place down who cared clearly. Service was VERY slow at the bar's. If you were lucky you might get one of the better server's like Vince, Keitha(female), Joanne, and Javin. Getting drunk would never happen since you couldn't get drinks quickly enough. I have been to many countries like Aruba, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Europe. NEVER in my experience have I been treated with such disdain by the female staff at the bar or in some of the restaurants. Tipping made NO difference and finally I gave up. The older woman who worked the bar on the day of our arrival would not serve me. She saw me walking away eventually and chased after me telling me " I am coming baby". Several days later I approached the bar in the morning and the same old lady server saw me, was likely three feet away and she turned to the younger co-worker and told her to tell me that the bar didn't open for fifteen minutes. How absolutely inappropriate when she works in the service industry. The new owner would be wise not to hire her back if they believe in customer service. I wanted to tell her what I thought of her nasty attitude but was afraid I would be punished by the other's. The resort was closing on April 11 for good and many staff were likely upset over this. Some didn't let it impact how they treated you, and I don't know if that is what her issue was but considering I hadn't ever uttered a word to her other than telling her it was okay I would wait my turn to get a drink as I could see she was serving others, she seemed to have some issue with me. Asking for service was an anxiety provoking experience when there were female bartender's and server's for the most part. The look they would shoot you was something I have never experienced. At the bars you couldn't even get water until they would put out a carafe which would empty quickly. St. Lucia is much like Aruba, hot, hot, and hotter. Water one would think could be made available freely. As for ice there was no access to it other than at the bar. The entire process in the restaurants was disjointed. Three different people offering water and no one knowing what their role was. Goodness help you if you asked for a second helping of a dish you enjoyed. My sister and I were shocked at the nasty look we got for asking for another melon salad while seated in the Italian restaurant at lunch time. This added to the disappointment while sitting in the Al a carte for lunch, and was more often than not the experience in the buffet. Several times we left without getting our food let alone drinks. Juices were watered down. The quality and selection of the food was AMAZING for the first four days. We didn't find any need to go to the al a cartes, then it appeared they were providing less and less selection as the days went on. They offered mimosa's on Easter and a few other days. We arrived for breakfast at 8am one morning and were told there was no champagne left. Easter day the male server was happy to provide you with a glass full. Bryan was pleasant and joyful. The last day we were there the woman gave me and my sister the equivalent of about an ounce of champagne and one of orange juice. Then we saw men walking in with glasses full. Clearly some form in inequality existed. Sadly, while at the airport we spoke with a young couple who stayed at Sandal's for their honeymoon and she also could get no service at the bars. Not a warm and fuzzy feeling that makes me want to ever go back to St.Lucia. Pools at the resort were gorgeous. The beach was very short for walking in my opinion. There were plenty of chairs to lounge in so seating wasn't an issue. The bugs were awful however I think this is generally all over in St. Lucia. On our resort people were so bitten up by mosquitoes they were sick. Most of the bites I observed looked like chigger bites. Some thought sand fleas however they never observed them while being bitten so I suspected that it was indeed chiggers.This is no fault of the resort. The rotten attitudes of many staff including one girl who worked in the tuck shop, was totally the fault of management. There were many who don't deserve to work at a resort. They likely shouldn't work with human's. Management had to know what their staff could be like and failed to reign them in! Again I think staff did what they wanted for who they wanted, when they wanted, and that is not acceptable. Plans for the new and improved resort include a six story building in the location of the current pools to overlook the beach. Honestly the set up with the bungalows was great. The place really was a paradise of the past. The sky scraper idea I think will destroy what the resort was meant to be and could be with some TLC and new staff. So I think sending customers to a resort that you know is closing is a major faux pas on the part of any travel agency. If Smuggler's Cove was staying open would I suggest people go there? Honestly, I don't know. The attitudes turned me off completely and I would rather spend my holiday where I am made to feel welcomed.

NICE RESORT... BUT!

THIS HOTEL IS BEING SHUT DOWN SATURDAY APRIL 11/15 . THE FOOD WAS AVERAGE & THE HOSPITALITY WAS TO BE DESIRED. I HAVE TRAVELED TO A FEW COUNTRIES AND HAVE NEVER BEEN TREATED SO RUDELY AND SEEN SO MUCH DISORGANIZATION. THE SERVICE I WOULD RATE ONE STAR.

One of our many great vacations

The resort is beautiful our room was in a perfect location close to everything. The food and drinks were one of the best that we have had at an all inclusive (and we have stayed at various 5 star resorts). Considering this resort is closing in a couple of weeks the majority of the staff were helpful and friendly.

Great Resort

The rooms were very clean, excellent food and the accommodation was great. Employees gave a great service and were very helpful. The pools were great and enough chairs to lounge, but the beach was not the greatest.

Horrible resort

no wonder why the place is closing down.horrible service. Nice beach and pools. But low class resort. Rude staff. No wifi. To use Phone for local calls there's a charge.the island itself is gorgeous. Won't go back

Loved it here!

Never seen such a beautiful layout for a resort, the bungalows were adorable. Sad to see it being changed starting in April. Awesome Staff, food and service. Thanks to Andreas for fun karaoke and crazy 8's :)!! OH and Elfrida for the perfect BBC's! Great entertainment too! Dancers were so talented! Fire eaters were fantastic. Long bus ride to the resort but it's just like a free tour of the beautiful lush island. Oh and BUG spray is needed. Those mosquitoes were quite hungry at night.

Nice resort, too bad it's closing!

Nice resort in the northern part of the island at approx. 90 min from international airport. The resort is one the first in St.Lucia, unfortunately it needs a lot of TLC.. The resort has been bought by Blue Diamond and is going to be knocked down!! It is estimated that the construction of the new resort will take anywhere between 18 to 24 months to rebuild. Those wishing to go to Smugglers Cove better go real soon because the resort is closing in April! I liked my stay, the staff was really nice [... read more], the food was very good but the beach was very rocky, please be careful!!! If the resort is revamped and the beach is fixed expect to pay big bucks to return to the resort...

Good vacation, some things they need to iron out

The resort is gorgeous, brand new. Lobby is amazing and lobby bar is huge with a great view of the ocean. Rooms were big and nice, shower was awesome. Food at the a la carts us very good, dinner at the buffet is terrible with absolutely no labels. Hotel only lets you book 3 a la carts which I did not like. Pools are gorgeous. resort was not staffed properly yet so there was very long lines for everything... Food, drinks, money exchange, etc. beach was absolutely gorgeous.

Okay resort

This is a three star at best. The staff was great, and the food was satisfactory- something for everyone on the buffet. The beds were okay but the room had ants In the bathroom. Nice towels! Need water shoes to wade into the sea as the shoreline is full of rocks. Good nighttime entertainment but no dance club.

It was a great resort.

The grounds were kept clean and tidy; the food was excellent (good variety); the rooms were clean but they need updates; and the people were friendly. The view of the ocean was beautiful. To bad that they are tearing down this hotel.

Great value off the beaten path

The 46 acre property is fantastic and offers an opportunity to get away while still onsite. The room we stayed in was small but clean and functional. The food was good at all four restaurants. Nightly entertainment was diverse and fun. Can't wait to see the planned revamp.

Go NOW while you can!

It is an affordable, clean, quiet 3.5 star resort with delicious food! A great "home base" to discover the most beautiful island in the Caribbean! Long (1.5 hrs) but beautiful drive to the resort. Unfortunately the 5-star Royalton Resorts chain has bought it and will be demolishing all the existing buildings, as of May 2015, and rebuilding. It will NOT be affordable anymore. Book now! My family would have loved to go back next year. :(

Great resort

The hotel is great . Just had a little trouble with the room in the beginning but everything got settled in a day. Staff very attentive and friendly. Beach is beautiful but there was a shortage of chairs on the beach but once you got settled it was fantastic. Food also was great.

Awesome

The food was excellent at the buffet and the reserved restaurants. My husband and I enjoyed full body massages, worth every penny. The staff were friendly and always smiling. We would go back in a heartbeat.

Great Stay!

My boyfriend and I really enjoyed our stay at St.Lucia! The food was fantastic along with all the super nice people we met. The beach was absolutely beautiful, quiet and everything was super clean. Not a huge resort but perfect for what we were looking for.

Hard to believe they are closing!

We had a wonderful time in beautiful St Lucia. The grounds are nice at Smugglers Cove. The rooms were clean and staff very friendly especially since they have no job by April. When you get your room, check that the lock on sliding door works and you have a bar to go across it. One couple in our group had money stolen because sliding door lock did not work. The food was very good at all the restaurants. The Asian was our favourite! They could use more loungers at pool and beach. Banana boat was f [... read more]un free entertainment. This will be a beautiful location for the rebuild, but I'm pretty sure we won't be able to afford it! Glad we had the chance to visit now