Hideaway at Royalton Saint Lucia

I went to resort with my family and at check in asked about booking restaurants as we had 12 people. I was immediately introduced to Estrella R who took my phone number and WhatsApp account. She immediately went to work on getting us nightly reservations, made sure my dad's BD celebration was extra special and kept in touch daily. She was so friendly and made the vacation experience extra special. BIG SHOUT OUT TO ESTRELLA.

The staff throughout the resort had such a negative, miserable attitude that I will never return. Any simple interaction filled me with dread because I knew I’d have to endure a “pissy” response. Check-in was slow and unorganized; waiters/waitresses would fuss at you; spa personnel was dismissive. The waitresses at the Armadillo restaurant were the rudest service people I’ve ever encountered. They were at a level of disrespect that will forever scar me from Marriott properties. Please review any video from the night of Aug 7.

Our stay at Royalton Saint Lucia was filled with so many wonderful experiences, and honestly, the PEOPLE are what made our vacation so memorable!

From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by Zeniah, the beautiful young lady who checked us in and later checked us out. She was warm, welcoming, and such a pleasant first impression of the resort.

Since our assigned butlers were not on shift when we arrived, Butler Travis stepped right in and took care of us. He showed us around our room and gave us a little tour of the property as he walked us over toward the dining area for our first evening at the buffet. It was a wonderful way to begin our stay.

Then there were our AMAZING butlers, Kaysha and Jesse! They took phenomenal care of us throughout our stay. Whether we had a question, needed assistance, or simply needed some direction, they were there. We truly appreciated their attentiveness and the care they showed us.

Now, we absolutely HAVE to give a special shout-out to Teddy, Jason, Oniel, and the very kind woman whose name unfortunately escapes us, who gave these “Aunties” rides to and fro on those carts! 😂 Y’all were lifesavers! Our little legs would have had us late for dinner a couple of nights without you. Every ride was appreciated!

Cindy, the bartender at the Diamond Club, was another standout. What a beautiful spirit! She was so pleasant and personable, and she makes some of the BEST beverages. Thank you, Cindy, for adding a little extra sunshine to our vacation.

We also have to give a special thank-you to the young lady who worked at both the Diamond Club Grill and the food truck. I unfortunately didn't get her name, but she prepared the grilled chicken breast that I paired with rice and peas and slaw, and let me tell you—it was SOOO GOOD! She was always pleasant, and I wish I had gotten her name so I could properly recognize her here. Hopefully, the Royalton team knows exactly who we're talking about and gives her our thanks!

And then there is our Sista Raynelle! Listen, Raynelle got us together with our excursions and was an absolute pleasure to work with. She has to be one of the most personable sales representatives we encountered, right alongside Mr. Charm himself, Lawson! Those two make a GREAT team. They were personable, funny, engaging, and made the experience feel less like someone trying to sell us something and more like having a conversation with people we'd known for a while.

Vina was also on her A-game! She made sure we knew about transportation to the Friday night Street Party and was ready to help us with excursions as well, although Raynelle beat her to it. 😂 We appreciated Vina's attentiveness and willingness to make sure we were taken care of.

We also want to recognize Coco, who took us out on the jet skis. What a nice gentleman and so knowledgeable about the area! I especially appreciated how comfortable he made me feel when it was my turn to take control and actually drive the jet ski. Having someone who is knowledgeable, patient, and reassuring makes such a difference when you're trying something like that, and Coco was all of those things. Thank you for making that experience such a good one!

David is another impeccable member of the Royalton team who deserves recognition. He works in security, helping ensure that guests are safe while still being able to relax and enjoy their time at the resort. Every encounter we had with him reflected professionalism and kindness. Security may sometimes be one of those behind-the-scenes roles that guests don't think much about, but the feeling of being safe while you're away from home matters. David represented his role and the resort extremely well.

We also want to thank our tour guides with Prime. Although we ultimately weren't interested in what was being offered, they were still very kind and courteous, which we appreciated.

Jonelle also deserves recognition for providing us with great service accompanied by a genuine smile. Those little interactions matter when you're away from home, and hers did not go unnoticed.

As for the resort itself, one thing we really appreciated was that there was something for everyone. There are plenty of places throughout the property where you can simply sit back, relax, enjoy the beautiful surroundings, and have some quiet time. But if you're looking for something a little more lively and social, you can definitely find that too. We loved having the option to enjoy the resort at whatever pace we were feeling that day.

And if you're there on a Friday night, GO TO THE STREET PARTY! It's a great opportunity to get off the resort, see how the locals unwind, enjoy the atmosphere, and experience a little more of Saint Lucia. We had a good time and definitely recommend experiencing it at least once while you're there.

We have to give a special shout-out to Merl, our taxi driver for the Street Party! Merl is known for her kindness and patience, and we certainly experienced both. We also learned that she is the ONLY woman driver for the resort, which made us even more excited to recognize her here. Thank you, Merl, for taking such good care of us and getting these Aunties to and from our Friday night adventure safely! ❤️

We would also like to take a moment to recognize our driver, Aussunta. She was extremely knowledgeable about Saint Lucia and took the time to share information about the island with us along the way. More importantly, she made a genuine effort to ensure that we were comfortable, enjoying ourselves, and having a great experience. Having a driver who doesn't simply get you from one destination to another, but actually adds something to your experience of the island, makes a difference. Thank you, Aussunta!

One helpful tip when you're out enjoying the island: if you're patronizing the local vendors, bars, or restaurants, be prepared to possibly receive Eastern Caribbean currency back as your change. Don't let it catch you off guard. Go, enjoy yourself, support the locals, and take in the experience!

Another little tip for future guests: PACK THE BUG SPRAY! 😂 Apparently, the Saint Lucian insects enjoy meeting those of us who come to the island for vacation/holiday just as much as everyone else does. Consider yourself warned and come prepared!

And of course, we have to talk about the FOOD! We tried several restaurants during our stay, and Dorado, the Steakhouse, and Hibachi were definitely among our favorites.

But we also have to add Calypso to that list! We saved Calypso for our final dinner reservation, and what a delicious way to end our vacation. Calypso serves local cuisine, and the food was SO GOOD. This one is a must-try! You're in Saint Lucia—you HAVE to experience some of their local dishes while you're there. 😉 Don't travel all that way and miss out on the flavors of the island!

Unfortunately, there was one experience that put a very sour taste in our mouths. Maria, the supervisor for excursions, displayed extremely poor customer service during an issue involving our scheduled private transportation.

My sister and I rushed through what had been a delicious breakfast at Dorado because we wanted to make absolutely sure we were on time for our first excursion. Prior to our scheduled time, we had already notified the appropriate people that we might need additional time. Nevertheless, we made the effort to rush our breakfast and get to our designated pickup location on time.

We then discovered that our private driver was running late. The frustrating part was that this information was not communicated to us until AFTER we had rushed through breakfast and made it to the pickup point. That was disappointing enough, but what made the situation considerably worse was Maria's response.

There was no attempt to be accommodating, understanding, or even particularly apologetic. Instead, we were met with sarcasm and what felt like a smart response to a situation that we did not create. We weren't asking for anything unreasonable. At the very least, we expected professionalism, empathy, and an acknowledgment that the communication could have been handled better. Her response fell far below the level of customer service we experienced from so many other Royalton team members.

Thankfully, that interaction does not define our entire stay because there were simply too many wonderful people who went out of their way to make us feel welcomed, cared for, safe, and entertained.

To Zeniah, Travis, Kaysha, Jesse, Teddy, Jason, Oniel, Cindy, Raynelle, Lawson, Vina, Coco, David, Jonelle, Merl, Aussunta, our unnamed cart-driving angel, our wonderful Diamond Club Grill/food truck lady, and everyone else who showed us kindness during our stay: THANK YOU!

You helped make our Saint Lucia vacation one that these two “Aunties” will definitely remember. ❤️🌴🇱🇨