Ladera is truly the most unique and serene location I have been to and I am happy to have experienced it. While stunning with the views and wonderful staff, there were some issues that may deter travelers from visiting.
The location: The resort is located in Soufriere which is about 45 minutes away from the international airport (UVF). This means that once you land after however many hours you have traveled to get to St. Lucia, you have another hour-ish to go (depending on traffic and yes, there will be traffic). The resort is located on a ridge so the breezes are nice but it means it is also quite steep. You will get a workout depending on where your suite is located and sometimes you can get a butler/driver to get you places but it is unreliable. For example, the driver who brought us to view the onsite wood workshop left the vehicle behind and completely disappeared. We had to trek the steep slope up to get back to the main thoroughfare of the resort. If you have mobility issues, there are no accessible locations and walking up a flight of stairs, steep slopes, and a lot of inclines is on the menu. Please be mindful that most of the suites do have steps or stairs to access the bedding.
The location is beautiful and there are a ton of breathtaking vistas and views of the Pitons and other mountains. You can observe Sugar Beach below, stargaze without any obstractions, and enjoy the local wildlife. Since all the rooms have an open wall concept, the wildlife WILL visit you. If you are scared of lizards, frogs, bugs (i.e. mosquitos, bees, moths, butterflies, ants), birds, cats, and bats, you will have a visitor at some point. I found it incredible but I'm not scared or weary with such creatures and critters. Just be mindful that your room is a part of the naturescape and try to save a moth every now and then from the pool!
The Suite: I wasn't in Paradise Ridge or any of the Hilltop Suites however, I had amazing views and a nice in suite pool to relax in. The bathroom was spacious but there was no door for the toilet or the shower so it could be awkward if someone wants to shower and the other needs to use the lou. You get some closet space with an iron and ironing board. There are lovely shampoos and soaps that you can use which was appreciated! In the bathroom you can also find binocukars and a compass star chart which made me most excited for stargazing and birdwatching! My suite was the perfect size with a couch, dining table, a loft upstairs with a bed, lounge chairs and a small closet. The only thing is that some of the wooden pieces were showing their age and beginning to break with some pieces barely hanging on. The mosquito net over the bed also looked like it saw better days and had several small holes that would defeat the purpose of trying to stop the mosquitos and other night critters from nipping at you while you sleep. The bed itself is quite firm which I enjoy but I can see those who prefer a medium or soft mattress disliking. Just be aware that the mattresses are likely all a bit tough and the bed frame is HIGH. I had to a jump each time to get on and off the bed because of my short stature. There were some wooden elements that were a bit worriesome that if I touched it incorrectly the handle would come off but I know that the suites are getting updated and everything is made from natural wood so things age.
Noise levels: It is peaceful and most are mindful of their neighbors. You hear a LOT of insects and whistling frogs at night but the hotel provides ear plugs and eye masks. I didn't use them as I didn't mind the night song but oh gosh, the morning birds were LOUD! My husband and I were up with them and we didn't mind but again, this can be offputting to some. Additionally, the wood panels are the only insulation so you hear your neighbors, the restaurant music, and for whatever reason a party at the Sugar Beach Resort. Sound travels so just beware.
Dining: Probably my least favorite part of the trip at Ladera was dining at the only restaurant onsite, Dasheene. The staff are very nice and accomodating! I have a ton of food restrictions and they really went out of their way to ensure I had something to eat. The thing though is that every meal at the restaurant is a time sink. It takes over two hours to get an appetizer and main course. No one comes around to refill your glasses and trying to flag a staff member to order or ask for something is quite difficult regardless of whether you are there for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I found dinner to be the slowest where you reserve a time and have to wait 20ish minutes to be seated even though the restaurant is not packed. I believe the slow/long wait times for food is due to the size of staff/kitchen and those ordering room service. It felt like room service was prioritized in ordering so I ended up having the majority of my dinners in my room because the service was faster. However, while I got my food relatively quick, the quality...I was not very impressed. My dishes were either lukewarm or cold by the time they arrived. Sometimes the taste was off or the food combination did not make sense. Often times, an ingredient was out of stock (seasonal mango and papaya for my vacation) but if you selected the picnic option, you would get the fruit(?). It didn't make a lot of sense to me. Also, any tomato sauce for a pizza will have random vegetables. There are big pieces of celery or edamane and it just is strange.
I found Dasheene is best at breakfast and really needs a new pastry chef. The desserts were mostly inedible. There are a LOT of mousses on the menu which is not something everyone enjoys. Every mousse I did try were overwhipped so it was more of a thick icing. Additionally, the muffins or small cake slices were over whisked so they were very dense and unpleasant to eat. The fruit flambee was not flambeed but the ice cream was fine. Hotel Chocolat which is uphill from Ladera has an incredible chocolate softserve so if you want dessert that is close by just go there.
Again, the staff were all so lovely at the restaurant and I truly appreciated all the effort. It just got boring quick since the menu options do not change much.
Staff: Like I mentioned, the staff are very pleasant and lovely! I enjoyed all my interactions with them. I did find that there were instances of confusion though. For example, you would ask one staff about something on the proporty and another staff member would say another. Housekeeping could be hit-or-miss with some going above and beyond for turn down service while others it took over an hour to come and then they did the bear minimum to get out. Just know that if you request a time for some service, you will get it 30 minutes to 1 hour later so request a bit earlier than we meant to!
Excursions: There are quite a few available through the Concierge office for guests to participate in which is quite nice. However, Ladera's website does not accruately provide some information for select excursions. For example, descriptions about the ATV experience could be further from reality. We were told we would get a tour and drinks/food, enjoy some off roading on new Yamaha machines...well...no. In reality, we had two unenthused tour guides on their phones the whole time with no instruction on how to properly use the machines. The helmets were sprayed down right there and then for use and were broken (the visors did not pull down so you got a full face of dirt, rocks and dust in your eyes and nose). The "Yamahas" were barely hanging on Suzuki models with questionable reliability. They were very difficult to move and the guides refused to elaborate on instructions. I felt uneasy and uncomfortable so I rode passenger. Again, no instructions were provided and we went through a small river and just made to mimic. We were brought to a couple of spots but the third location was very seedy and we just wanted to leave. I was relieved upon return to the resort but I believe the resort should be aware of who runs their advertised tours. For a good amount of money, it felt like I was jipped. Other excursions such as the Grand Garden Estate hike were beautiful and as advertised. I found the Soufriere experience fun but nothing spectacular as described on the website.
As a unique concept for a hotel, it is very lovely especially for a nature lover. The dining and excursions have room for improvement. I don't fault the resort's room(s) for having imperfections - it's like all a part of nature! That being said, staying a whole week got tiring and some of the excursions left us feeling underwhelmed despite the beauty surrounding us.
