Short Review

We stayed at Jade Mountain for seven nights in September and we ended up having very, very mixed feelings about the resort.

We had a Sun Sanctuary (J-1) which is the highest category and a full meal plan with some included activities.

The main feature of the resort certainly was the room (suite, sanctuary, whatever): around 2000 square feet of totally open space with a fourth wall missing. The entire south side of the room was open to the outside elements, provinding a fabulous view of the Pitons. The in-room pool was considerably larger than your average plunge pool; you could even swim a few strokes in it.

Even the bathroom area was not enclosed: it was raised roughly three feet above the rest of the room and it had a waist-high divider wall, but that was it. I would imagine that the totally open shower and toilet experience might be somewhat unnerving to the more clothing-conservative folks.

Apart from the raised bathroom area (which features dual sinks with vanities, a shower, a hot tub, and a toilet), the rest of the room is single, continuous area with a few furniture clusters. The bed was OK, but reading lights were nearly non-existent (we are too old to indulge the full week in activities not requiring reading lights).

We grew to dislike the open south wall because of a slight mosquito problem (not very bad; the bed had netting and the room was sprayed during turndown), at times considerable wind, and the constant noise from the run-off water from the pools. To us, the ideal solution would have been to have some sort of mechanism (sliding glass windows or even fabric dividers) to close of the room. However, I can imagine that some folks will love the open wall.

The decor was simple, stylish, and functional. No real complaints here, even though a bit more closet space would have been nice.

The food at Jade Mountain was uniformly very good, sometimes approaching excellent. Meals were served at the club located on the top floor of the complex. Room service was also functional and restaurants at the Anse Chastanet side of the resort were also available for use.

The esthetics of the building itself are quite another matter. The living spaces are located in a large, six-storey honeycomb-like complex that occupies a large swath of the mountainside.

To us, the complex was an eyesore from the outside. Seen from the sea, it reminded me of a giant battleship, and the inner courtyard was a mixture of a space station and Colditz. This may sound harsh, and opinions certanly will vary, but it is very hard to call it handsome or beautiful. The good news is, when you stay at Jade Mountain, you rarely look at the place from the outside.

Our major objection, however, was the service level -- and especially the activities provided. As Jade Mountain is a "resort within a resort" within Anse Chastanet, the activities and related services were the same as provided to Anse Chastanet. And the level of activities, amenities, and service were simply not anywhere near five-star level.

The relaxed, no-nonse, no-frills stuff that is fine at a three-star resort are simply not acceptable at a five-start resort, especially at these prices. In order for Jade Mountain to truly succeed, it must differentiate this part of the product from Anse Chastanet and provide a far higher quality experience.

A related issue is the beach: Jade Mountain uses the same beaches as Anse Chastanet, which is understandable and, as such, acceptable. However, the beach is quasi-private, at best. Boatloads of tourgroups from Soufriere and nearby resorts were brough to the beach daily, ending any illusion of exclusivity or privacy. Perhaps because of this, the service level at the beach varied between indifferent and outright rude.

The Jade Mountain complex was still a work in progress. When we were there, the place had been operating for a little less than a year. Construction was still ongoing, landscaping was not ready, and the surroundings were generally untidy.

Overall, our week at Jade Mountain was a disappointment -- especially given the off-off-off season price of roughly 11.000 dollars per week (two pax, full board and some activities).

One must admire Nick Troubetzkoy for a willingness to try something new and to take risks, but, unfortunately, this experiment does not work. Most of the flaws can be corrected, but it takes a lot of work and dedication. I hope the team is up to it.

Cheers,
T.