Secrets St. Lucia Resort & Spa

Dining covers a buffet, five a la carte restaurants (French, Italian, Pan-Asian fusion, seafood and steakhouse), a creperie, a grill and a cafe, with premium drinks and waiter service at the pool and on the beach. The resort has only two pools, one of them the Preferred Club infinity pool, which makes the Club upgrade more consequential than at most Secrets properties; Club guests also get a private lounge, their own breakfast and lunch restaurant, an exclusive beach area and butler service on request. Rooms include a balcony or terrace, and swim-out rooms are available. Beyond the beach there is a water sports centre, tennis and pickleball, a fitness centre, the Secrets Spa, 24-hour room service and nightly shows in an open-air theatre. The common complaints are a compact beach, a hilly layout that guests say has no elevators, and a buffet that trails the specialty restaurants.

It suits couples who know the Secrets formula from Mexico or the Dominican Republic and want it on a more dramatic, mountainous island, and who will pay for Preferred Club to get the better pool. Anyone with limited mobility should ask about room placement before booking. Airfare to Saint Lucia generally costs more than to Cancun or Punta Cana, and most flights land at Hewanorra, about 90 minutes away; Rodney Bay's restaurants, Pigeon Island and the Castries market are the easy outings nearby, while a Pitons day trip takes planning.