Mr & Mrs Smith

Boucan by Hotel Chocolat

St Lucia, Saint Lucia

A dessert island fantasy, Boucan by Hotel Chocolat in St Lucia seems made for chocolate lovers. The jungle-surrounded hilltop lodges – with views of the Caribbean Sea and Petit Piton peak – perch beside a cacao plantation that hosts classes and tours, with plenty of samples. The ultra-local restaurant serves some of the island’s best food, including chocolate in both sweet and savoury preparations. Though the hotel natural setting is relaxing enough to help you forget it all, cocoa is rarely far from mind: the superlative spa even uses homegrown pods in its massage treatments.

Need to know

• Rooms 14 lodges.
• Rates Double rooms from $370.37, excluding tax at 8 per cent.
  The price shown represents the lowest nightly rate for a double room available at this hotel over the next 21 days. Any price conversions from the hotel's local currency ($370) have been conducted using today's exchange rates from xe.com.
• More details Rates usually include a full English breakfast.
• Facilities Spa, gardens, free WiFi throughout. In rooms: iPod dock, minibar, Ren bath products.
• Poolside The 50-foot infinity pool is spectacular: lined in black quartz, the still water seems to perfectly mirror its views of the Piton Mountains and rainforest. The pool is surrounded by wood sunloungers and Adirondack rockers, and has cocktail service.
• Check-out 12pm, but flexible, subject to availability. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
• Children Leave them at home; this hotel is best for adults.
• Also Make your own chocolate in the Tree to Bar class, which starts with guests cutting cacao pods and ends with creating chocolate bars and truffles. There are also self-guided walks through the cocoa groves.

Food and drink at Boucan by Hotel Chocolat

• Hotel restaurant

  The open-air Boucan restaurant has 180-degree views of the Pitons, mood-setting candlelight throughout and a jungle soundtrack supplied by tree frogs and birds. Like the rest of the hotel, the restaurant specialises in cocoa – think nibs, pulp, powder, roasts, grinds and more – for dishes like local dorado fillet with red wine and cacao; confit duck with bittersweet orange-cacao sauce, and beef with dark-chocolate-port-wine sauce. The kitchen also uses tropical island ingredients, including coconut for a bread served with a choice of three cocoa infusions: balsamic, cocoa nibs in butter and basil-nut pesto.

• Dress code Though this is one of the island’s best restaurants, with top-tier food, the dress code is fairly relaxed. Opt for island-casual, including linen pants, maxi dresses and sandals.
• Top table Snag a table along the edge for the best views of the mountain peaks.
• Last orders Breakfast is served from 7am to 10am, lunch from 12pm to 2.30pm and dinner from 6.30 to 9.30pm; food is available poolside from 7am to 9pm.
• Room service A selection of sandwiches, salads and entrées – including fresh fish – is available from 8am to 9pm daily; the minibar in each room is stocked with local beer, rum punch, wine, water and soda.
• Hotel bar

  The hotel bar is open all day, from 8am to 11pm, with a blackboard listing the in-season fruits in drinks like rum punches, watermelon mojitos and passionfruit bellini. Deep sofas are arranged to best take in sunset views, with a soundtrack of calypso tunes and classic rock. True to the hotel’s name, the bar also serves chocolate-spiked cocktails, like a cacao-infused bellini, combining cacao pulp, prosecco, lemon verbena and soursop juice. There’s also a chocolate daiquiri.

   

Also worth knowing

• Weddings This property is suitable for weddings. More...

Boucan by Hotel Chocolat PO Box 312, Soufriere, Caribbean