St Lucia is a fantastically quiet island. That's because developers have been unable to build on most of it due to the mountainous rainforests. Windjammer Landing is one of the island's best resorts and has the trophy cabinet to prove it. There are awards for the food, the rooms and 'Most Romantic Beach' from Bride magazine.
How they rate it
"What you come to the Caribbean for is the sun, the sea, the fun and the food. And they are all
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there by the lorry load at Windjammer," says Roger Alton in The Independent. The rooms are "spacious, inviting and comfortable". Every suite has fantastic views and the villas have their own private plunge pools. The service is impeccable, "rarely have I felt so keen to hand over a wad of dollars for room service at the end of the stay".
The menu
The resort has five restaurants, all with a different theme, including Caribbean seafood at the Upper Deck and upscale Asian and Creole meals at Dragonfly.
The cost
A double room costs from £113, room only. For more, visit www.windjammerlanding.com, or call 00 1 758 456 9000.
Ti Kaye Village
Think of the Caribbean and you probably think of big, expensive resorts that cut you off from local life. But you can avoid them with a stay at Ti Kaye Village. This is a secluded resort a mile from the main road on the west coast of St Lucia. The hotel has recently added a new spa offering treatments including massages and facials. For the more active guest, sea kayaking and scuba diving are on offer, as well as visits to the nearby harbour villages.
How they rate it
"As visitor numbers to the island have soared, getting 'off the beaten track' is increasingly hard to do. So this resort is a gem worth remembering," says The Daily Telegraph. Ti Kaye means 'little house' in Creole and there is a "village-like feel" to the 33 ocean-facing cottages. All the rooms boast a "pretty and contemporary feeling", with large beds, iPod docks, spacious balconies, outdoor showers and hammocks. Ten of the villas have private plunge pools.
The menu
The hotel restaurant is called Kai Manje, meaning House of Food. It serves "delicious local food" and there is a complimentary cocktail party and Creole buffet every Wednesday.
The cost
An ocean-view room costs from £117. Visit www.tikaye.com, or call 00 1 758 456 8108 to find out more.
What the travel writers are saying
The summer holidays are upon us and it's time to start entertaining the children. If you have not booked your summer holiday yet, consider one of these hotels with special rooms for children.
Hotel Plaza Athne in Paris is offering "a little girl's dream come true", says Emily Kent-Smith in The Independent. It's a Barbie suite decorated completely in pink with child-sized Barbie furniture and a Barbie gift. "It's a princess's play pen in the heart of Paris." The Barbie suite costs from €1,600 with an interconnecting deluxe room for parents (Plaza-athenee-paris.com; 00 33 1 5367 6665).
Scandic The Reef is a Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired hotel where children can enjoy "a flume-filled water world, a play room, cinema and menus created by Jamie Oliver". Children stay for free at the Danish hotel just outside Frederikshavn. Family rooms cost from €90 (Scandichotels.com; 00 45 98 43 32 33).
For a children's treat closer to home, try The Dorchester in London. The famous Mayfair hotel has installed canopies decorated with Beatrix Potter characters in its family rooms, complete with a name board. Junior guests are also presented with a chocolate painter's palette, biscuits and a Dorchester rubber duck. During October, half-term tea-time stories will be performed by English National Ballet dancers in the Promenade salon. The family holiday package costs £405 for two interconnecting rooms, including a hamper full of goodies (visit Thedorchester.com; 020-7629 8888).
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