http://www.hotelchatter.com/ Hotel Reviews, Hotel Ratings, Hotel Openings en-us Copyright 2008 - SFO Media 2012-02-14T11:31:37Z HotelChatter HotelChatter http://www.hotelchatter.com/images/hcwhite.jpg http://www.hotelchatter.com/ http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/3/3/17241/85214 <![CDATA[<P><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6193/Chocolattt2.jpg" class="top"> <P>We have a confession to make. Just over a year ago, while on a visit to the <b>Fond Deux Cocoa Plantation Hotel</b> on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia (see those awesome pics <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/3/124739/527/hotels/Inside_The_Fond_Doux_Cocoa_Plantation_Hotel_In_St_Lucia">here</a>), we inadvertently trespassed on the edge of a new hotel property. Don't worry&#151;a guard stopped us after emerging from a gingerbread-looking guardhouse. Where the heck were we? As it turns out, it was the <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Hotel+Chocolat/local/4783">Hotel Chocolat</a></b>, which just opened February 28. <P>The Hotel Chocolat isn't so named because it sounds pretty; the place is high up on the island, within the actual chocolate-producing, <b>18th-century Rabot cocoa estate</b>. The hotel was constructed here because its British owners are themselves crazy for the JetSetCD 2011-03-03T17:24:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2010/3/1/8381/34820 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6193/Bachelor3.jpg" class="top"> <p>We don't know about you, but the ABC Show <b>"The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love"</b> has us falling more in love with the romantic island of <b>St. Lucia</b> more than the hunky pilot who stars, and his three potential mates with whom he's traveled to this tropical place. Jake Pavelka, a pilot for Atlantic Southeast Airlines, is nearing the end of his reality television search for his love, and the cast and crew of the show have flown down to St. Lucia, known as a honeymoon paradise, for the final couple episodes <p>Amongst all the bikinis and sunset smooching, we get glimpses of Jake's fabulous "Fantasy Suite" at <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/10/30/131233/12/hotels/Guess_the_Hotel_Revealed_Jade_Mountain_In_St_Lucia">Jade Mountain Resort</a></b>, which we visited ourselves JetSetCD 2010-03-01T09:29:58-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/3/124739/527 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6193/AngelinaVilla.jpg" class="top"> <p>Have you been digging our recent tours of <b>St. Lucia</b>'s <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/1/232644/810/hotels/Inside_Anse_Chastanet_In_St_Lucia_Oh_To_Be_A_Snowbird">Anse Chastanet</a> and <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/10/30/131233/12/hotels/Guess_the_Hotel_Revealed_Jade_Mountain_In_St_Lucia">Jade Mountain</a> resorts, but perhaps the prices or beachside locations aren't up your alley? Well, while we were on the island and jumping from active volcano to scuba diving, we came across <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Fond+Doux+Holiday+Plantation/local/1586"><b>Fond Doux Estate</b></a>, a working cocoa plantation that also functions as a boutique hotel comprised of several individual villas scattered around the lush grounds. <p>It was a complete surprise to be walking through foliage just short of a jungle&#151;with starfruit, cocoa pods, banana bunches and ginger lilies all around&#151;and then to emerge into a clearing with the cheery yellow cottage, <b>Angelina Villa</b>, you see above. This house, over 200 JetSetCD 2009-11-03T13:49:10-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/1/232644/810 <![CDATA[<!-- Start of Brightcove Player --> <div style="display:none"> </div> <script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></script> <object id="myExperience47495188001" class="BrightcoveExperience"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /> <param name="width" value="486" /> <param name="height" value="412" /> <param name="playerID" value="4862856001" /> <param name="publisherID" value="1321358962"/> <param name="isVid" value="true" /> <param name="@videoPlayer" value="47495188001" /> </object> <!-- End of Brightcove Player --> <p>Forget Disney World&#151;when you wish upon a star, this is where you hope you are. Following our visit to the uber-luxe <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/10/30/131233/12/hotels/Guess_the_Hotel_Revealed_Jade_Mountain_In_St_Lucia">Jade Mountain</a></b> resort on the Caribbean island of <b>St. Lucia</b> last week, we headed down the hill a bit to peek behind the doors at <b><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Anse+Chastanet+Resort/ian/122110">Anse Chastanet</a></b>, owned by the same folks and with the same impressive views of the Pitons, but a tad older a property JetSetCD 2009-11-02T09:24:20-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/8/25/10446/3112 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/hilltopdreamladera.jpg" class="top"><p> While the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/8/23/23431/1731/hotels/Hotel_Bel_Air_s_Upcoming_Renovations_Mess_With_Bride_s_Dream_Wedding_Day_">Hotel Bel-Air</a> is definitely out as a venue for brides looking to get married before 2011, the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Ladera+Resort/ian/179170"><b>Ladera Resort</b></a> in <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotels/country/lc?page=6">St. Lucia</a> is in. Coming in December, the hotel will step up their romance factor, allowing couples to say "I do" inside its new Paradise Pavilion. Okay, so the name is kinda hokey, but we&#146;re grooving on the visual, even if we&#146;re not quite ready to walk down the aisle. <p> Perched 1,100 above the sea, the open-air wedding venue sits along the property&#146;s rainforest ridge. Sounds lush and lovely, right? <blockquote><p> It&#146;s crafted in Ladera's signature rainforest style, with terracotta flooring, columns milled and richly polished from tropical greenheart wood, as globetrotting gourmet 2009-08-28T16:57:50-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/