In late August 2024, Mr. and Mrs. My Vacation Lady took our family (6 adults and 4 kids- ages 6, 6, 4 and 3) to St Lucia on our first all inclusive vacation.  We had vacationed at many all inclusive resorts, as had our children, but this was the first time, we took all of the grandchildren to an all inclusive resort at the same time.  The little ones loved it so much that they didn’t want to leave!  It was such a success that we already are planning next year’s all inclusive family vacation.

Where did we stay- Coconut Bay Resort in St Lucia

 

What  made  this  vacation  so  great?

  • First of all, the pools and water park (slides and lazy river) were the biggest hits.
  • The Splash pool had a swim up pool bar where kids could order their own mocktails.  Virgin dirty bananas and strawberry daquiris were their faves.
  • While the Kidz Klub offered fun daily activities for kids in 3 age groups, our kids really didn’t participate in activities other than the evening dance parties and indoors when it was raining.
  • It was 5 minutes from the airport.  In St Lucia, that’s a huge deal since most of the other resorts are an hour or more to get to from the airport to the resort.
  • The food was very good.  Many times the food is so so at moderate priced resorts but we were very surprised at the quality of the food served in all restaurants.  The buffet had a small kids area which varied daily for all meals but the pasta station and dessert stations were a hit.  Every day, we all had ice cream with different toppings for dessert at both lunch and dinner.  It did take us a couple of days to figure out that they also had cotton candy at the same dessert station.
  • Three out of 4 a la carte (sit down waiter service) restaurants were kid friendly.  We especially enjoyed Silk where the kids could get chicken nuggets and fries with their wonton soups and spring rolls.
  • There were 2 casual poolside restaurants- the Jerk Treehouse (fabulous jerk chicken) and Flip Flops.  This was “the” place for pizza, burgers and salads but also, it was the snack spot.  Popcorn and nachos were available all day.
  • It never felt crowded.  The pools had plenty of room for the kids to toss a football and not get in other people’s way.  The busiest time in the pool was during the foam party (which they absolutely LOVED)
  • Family friendly rooms- the rooms with king beds also came with a trundle bed, which was perfect for our grandkids.

Some things for you to consider before booking this resort:  

  • There are 2 sides to this resort- Splash (family friendly) and the adult only Harmony side which had it’s own pools.
  • The beach is a bit of a walk away.  While the resort is oceanfront, the swimmable beach is about a 7 minute walk from the main pool area
  • The sun is much stronger than it is in the US so pack sunscreen and then pack some more.  A bottle of sunscreen at the gift shop was $25.  OR better yet, bring a UVF protection swim shirt.  We ended up buying them at the boutique ($40 for adult sizes) after all 3 of the men got sunburned even with #50 SPF
  • The rooms are dated.  They eventually will renovate the rooms but that may not be until 2026.  The rooms were clean but basic
  • Most of the electric plugs were British plugs (Type G).  Bring some adapters with out if you need to charge multiple devices at a time.
  • Air conditioning during meals- this was my biggest problem.  The buffet is not air conditioned.  While it had ceiling fans all around, it was HOT, another reason for so much ice cream!  For me, it was uncomfortably hot.  Yes, it was August but clients who were there in early May mentioned that as well.  Their Italian restaurant is open air, and while there was a free standing air conditioner unit and fans, it was hotter inside than outside.
  • Dining reservations- we arrived on a Wednesday about 4pm and couldn’t get reservations in any of the a la carte restaurants for the first 2 nights.  They don’t take advance reservations and with a party of 10, we were only able to have dinner in the buffet or the 2 casual restaurants for the first 2 nights.
  • Lounge chair saving- the story of most resorts.  There was one shaded area with about 2 dozen loungers.  People threw down towels and left.  They might have used the chairs for a few minutes and then they sat empty for the rest of the day.  If you wanted to reserve these chairs, you needed to get down to the pool before 7am.  The pool attendants didn’t clear the towels of unused loungers.
  • There are no life guards at the pools or the beach.  The beach (on the Atlantic side vs the Caribbean) was a bit wavy and we didn’t feel comfortable with the kids going in.

Would I recommend this resort to families— YES, as long as they realize that Coconut Bay is not a 5 star resort.  You’re not getting luxury here but rather and great family friendly resort that you and your kids will love!

Let the team at My Vacation Lady help you plan your next family vacation!