East Winds

Style

Caribbean crush

Setting

Gros Islet idyll

There’s a breezy bygone charm to overhauled St Lucia all-inclusive resort, East Winds. You might find yourself sipping planter’s punch beneath coconut palms, taking afternoon tea in the Bamboo Lounge, or swaying to the sweet sounds of soca at sociable beach barbecues. A 21st-century glow-up, featuring Earth-kind measures, seasonal dining and stellar service, enhances the resort’s insouciant old-school magnetism. Prepare to be blown away.

Facilities

Rooms

30, of which 26 are standalone garden cottages.

Checkout

Noon, and check-in is at 3pm. You can check out an hour or two later, subject to availability, but please request this at least 24 hours ahead.

More Details

Rates include all meals and drinks.

Also

Three of the resort’s Superior Cottages are wheelchair-friendly, and there’s step-free access to the pool, restaurant and Bamboo Lounge. A concrete pathway takes you most (but not all) of the way down to the beach.

Hotel Closed

East Winds battens down the hatches for peak hurricane season during September.

Fitness Center

Free Internet Access

Laundry

Pool

On-Site Restaurant

Room Service

Spa

At the Hotel

Concierge, boutique, and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: air-conditioning and ceiling fan, cable TV, espresso coffee machine, cafetière and kettle, tea-making kit, minibar, kimono-style bathrobes, slippers and Molton Brown bath products.

Our Favourite Rooms

The smart money’s on Deluxe Cottages, where spacious sunken showers have sweet little windows overlooking the garden, and it's a mere hop and skip from your spacious terrace to the resort's secluded sandy beach. Oceanfront Rooms are your more purse-friendly option for a seafront setting with a sociable, shared lounge.

Poolside

The resort’s striking hot-pink-and-orange palette brings a splash of Seventies style to sultry afternoons spent lounging by the pool, where a self-service bar is set to become full-service later this year (open from 8am until 6pm daily).

Spa

Shrouded by lush foliage and serenaded by native birdlife, the East Winds Garden Spa is a sweet sanctuary for body and facial therapies. The spa uses local organic oils, and herbal teas are prepared by the resort’s resident naturalist.

Packing Tips

Pack for pursuits of both the land and sea variety: an underwater camera for papping hawksbill turtles on snorkeling tours around colorful coral reefs; trail-ready footwear and a daypack for rainforest forays.

Also

Bring a mindful dimension to your oceanfront downtime with guided sessions at the resort’s yoga and pilates pavilion; there’s also a gym on the way, due to open in October 2025.

Children

East Winds welcomes little Smiths aged eight or older, with cottages that can sleep three or four; but the resort’s cosseting calm means this feels like more of an adults-only stay.

Gallery

Food & Drink

Top Table

Arrive early to bag one of Bird of Paradise’s beachfront gazebos. Your reward: widescreen technicolor sunsets to dine for.

Dress Code

Smart casual, which means tailored shorts, collared shirts and closed toes for Mr Smith. Don’t miss the opportunity to zhuzh up your threads with hand-block cotton kaftans and other accessories from the Anthologist shop in reception.

Hotel Restaurant

Bird of Paradise lives up to its exotic name, thanks to flamboyant fabrics, plentiful plant plumage and a restaurant team dressed in resplendent Caribbean prints. Seafood stars — much of it fresh from St Lucian waters — and nowhere more so than at the beach barbecue held each Friday night and soundtracked by live music.

Hotel Bar

Dazzling with classic Caribbean touches including botanical-print cushions, potted native orchids, and a bespoke rattan birdcage centrepiece, the Bamboo Lounge is a laidback spot for traditional afternoon tea, and card games at cocktail hour. The Sunset Bar shakes things up with lively soca and calypso music until late on weekends and a cocktail list that includes the resort’s signature East Winds Dream — a punchy blend of orange, pineapple and grenadine laced with local rum.

Last Orders

The Sunset Bar stays open until midnight. Repair rum-fogged nights with a reviving breakfast, served from 7.30am at Bird of Paradise.

Room Service

You can order a selection of dishes to your room between noon and 9pm.

Planes

International arrivals touch down at Hewanorra Airport, around 37 miles away in the south of the island. Private transfers can be arranged for $135 one-way for up to four people. Caribbean island-hoppers on regional flights may arrive at George FL Charles Airport, which is four miles and a $30 cab ride from East Winds.

Automobiles

Driving on St Lucia is an undeniably scenic but often hair-raising experience, thanks to the island’s steep ascents, blind bends and apparently fearless locals. For those undeterred, cars are available to rent at the airport and in resort, and there’s free parking near the East Winds reception.

Worth Getting Out of Bed For

A diminutive resort by St Lucia standards, East Winds is living proof that size doesn’t matter, with a bounty of activities available across its 12 acres. We’re talking gentle watersports like kayaking, windsurfing and snorkeling; guided tours of the resort’s diverse flora and fauna by the resident naturalist, and chef-led Caribbean cooking classes.

There’s rum-tasting at the laidback Bamboo Lounge and a chance to mix your own sundowners at the Sunset Bar. And so to the morning after the night before, when the opportunity to heal mind, body and hangover at the yoga and pilates pavilion should prove restorative.

Hit up the resort’s ‘good vibes’ concierge to sign up to off-resort pursuits. You can join a boat trip south along the coast for stellar views of the Pitons; take a dip in Soufrière’s sulphurous mud springs; or make a different kind of mess crafting your own artisan chocolate bars at the historic Howelton Estate.

Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt

This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .