Royalton Saint Lucia

What is Royalton Saint Lucia?

Royalton Saint Lucia is a large all-inclusive resort in a private cove at Cap Estate, in the Gros Islet district at the northern tip of Saint Lucia. It welcomes families and couples, has a premium Diamond Club tier, and includes an adults-only section called Hideaway.

The resort opened in 2017 as Royalton Saint Lucia Resort and Spa. It is now listed as Royalton Saint Lucia, An Autograph Collection All-Inclusive Resort, and the Hideaway section is listed separately as Royalton Hideaway Saint Lucia, also in the Autograph Collection. They are not two distant properties. Hideaway is the adults-only part of the same Cap Estate site, so guests in the family areas and guests in Hideaway are neighbours. This page covers the resort as a whole, with the emphasis on the family-friendly main areas. If you are certain you want adults only, ask for Hideaway by name when you book.

Royalton Saint Lucia at a glance

Royalton Saint Lucia sits in a private cove at Cap Estate, in Gros Islet, on the north coast of Saint Lucia. The nearest town is the village of Gros Islet, with the Rodney Bay resort area a short drive to the south. The nearest international airport is Hewanorra, about 67 km away by road, and the transfer is long enough that you should ask your provider for a current journey time. The style of stay is a large all-inclusive resort with suites, twelve listed restaurants and a spa. It suits families, couples and groups, with Hideaway for adults only and the Diamond Club for a more private tier. Meals, drinks and many activities are typically included, and you should confirm the details at booking.

What are the three parts of the resort?

The main resort is the family-friendly area, open to guests of all ages, with a supervised kids club for children aged four to twelve at no extra charge, plus pools, a whirlpool and several bars. This is the part that suits multigenerational holidays and groups travelling with children, and it is worth reading our guide to family-friendly resorts if you are comparing options.

The Diamond Club is the premium tier. It adds butler service, a private pool and beach bar and grill, and a lounge for qualifying guests, subject to availability. Think of it as a calmer, more attentive layer inside the larger resort.

Hideaway is the adults-only section, for guests aged 18 and over. Guests there keep their own areas, including a pool and a beach with waiter service, while still having access to the facilities of the main resort. Couples who want a quieter, more grown-up atmosphere will find it the better fit, and it works well for a wedding or honeymoon at Royalton Saint Lucia.

What are the rooms, restaurants and spa like?

The resort is listed as all-suite, with categories that run from luxury suites to penthouse suites, and Diamond Club suites at the top. Beds, bathrooms and balconies vary by category, and some categories offer swim-out access to a pool, so choose by what you will actually use rather than by price alone.

Twelve restaurants are listed. They include a buffet called Gourmet Marché, Zen for teppanyaki and Asian cooking, Hunter Steakhouse, Armadillo for Tex-Mex, Grazie for Italian and Calypso for West Indian dishes, and C/X Culinary Experience, a seven-course chef's table with an extra charge. If you want to eat Saint Lucian food away from the resort as well, our guide to where to eat points the way.

The Royal Spa is a full-service spa with a hydrotherapy circuit. Water sports include snorkelling and watercraft rentals, and the beach has several bars, including the Sands Beach Bar and the Diamond Club Beach Bar and Grill. Prices, inclusions and which activities cost extra change, so confirm what applies to your booking.

What is near Royalton Saint Lucia?

The nearest village is Gros Islet, a fishing community that is also the administrative centre of the district, and our Gros Islet guide covers it. Every Friday evening its streets are closed for a street party known as the jump-up, with grilled fish, barbecue chicken, Piton beer and sound systems playing soca and reggae. The church of St Joseph the Worker, near the main square, is known for its colourful interior. A little further on, Pigeon Island National Landmark is joined to the mainland by a causeway and has the ruins of Fort Rodney, old barracks, walking trails and wide views over the bay. See our Pigeon Island guide for how to plan a visit.

South of the resort, Rodney Bay is the island's main resort and nightlife district. Rodney Bay has Reduit Beach, a long, sandy beach with calm water, and Splash Island, an inflatable water park just off the sand. Rodney Bay Marina has waterfront restaurants and sailing trips, and our beach bars and sunsets guide suggests places to end the day. For a choice of boat trips, read about catamaran sunset cruises. Irie Grill is one of the places visitors buy jerk chicken at the Gros Islet street party.

Golf is also close at hand. The Sandals Saint Lucia Golf and Country Club is at Cap Estate, and our golf and tennis guide explains how to arrange a round. If you would like to see other places to stay in the area, Cap Maison is a small luxury hotel nearby on the same northern headland, and Sandals Grande St. Lucian is a large adults-only resort on the Rodney Bay side.

The resort is a strong base because the north of the island packs the beach, the marina, the nightlife, the fort and the golf into a small area. You can spend a morning at Pigeon Island, an afternoon on Reduit Beach and an evening at the street party without a long drive. It is a better base for people who want to do lots in the north than for people who want to see the Pitons, which are a long way south.

Who is it for, and how do you get there?

Royalton Saint Lucia suits families who want everything on one site, couples who want the choice of a Hideaway stay, and groups who like the idea of many restaurants and a lively resort. It is less suited to travellers who want a small boutique hotel or a secluded villa. For that, compare it with the other hotels in Saint Lucia we feature.

Most visitors from the UK land at Hewanorra International Airport, around 67 km away. The resort does not run a shuttle service, so book a private transfer through your travel agent or the resort, and note that some packages include transfers. For airports, transfers and what to expect on the road, see getting here. The drier months from roughly December to May are the busiest, while the wetter months are greener and usually cheaper, as our best time to visit guide explains.

• Decide early between the family areas, the Diamond Club and Hideaway.
• Confirm transfers, premium dining charges and activity inclusions in writing.
• Plan day trips to the south as a separate full day.

Planning St Lucia holidays around Royalton Saint Lucia

Royalton Saint Lucia is one of the hotels in St Lucia we cover in detail, and the right choice depends on the kind of stay you want. Our guides to luxury hotels in St Lucia, all inclusive resorts in St Lucia and family resorts in St Lucia help you compare it fairly.

To build the rest of your St Lucia holidays, check the best time to visit St Lucia, flights to St Lucia and our St Lucia itineraries. Couples can read about a honeymoon in St Lucia or weddings in St Lucia as well.

To compare it with other resorts in the north, read about Windjammer Landing and Bay Gardens Beach Resort. Decide how long to stay with our guide to how many days to spend in St Lucia and check the best time to visit St Lucia.

Questions travellers ask