Wednesday

For a man rarely at a loss for words to describe a resort, there was only one that came out of Thom’s mouth when we stepped out of our shuttle and looked up at the newly-debuted Jade Mountain on the isle of St. Lucia. One word, two times.

Thom uttered the first “wow” as we stared in awe at the Caribbean’s newest resort, a masterpiece by architect Nick Troubetzkoy, who, with his wife Karolin, created it as a “resort within a resort” in their classic Anse Chastanet Resort. A nod at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, Nick’s latest architectural marvel rises from the dark mountain, a five-story series of private “infinity pool sanctuaries.” Illuminated like the Queen Elizabeth 2 Cunard liner in a midnight bay, stainless steel pylons glowing from lights hidden beneath the wooden railings.  Our awe grew as we walked across a private bridge way to our suite, JE1.

But when we opened the door, it was the 272-degree panoramic view from the open air room and the moonlight that left us almost speechless. In one corner were the dark silhouettes of the iconic Pitons. But directly in front of us a full moon glimmered in a silver staircase on the sea below. It came up in a straight line and crept into our room through the open “fourth wall,” shimmering on our 900-square-foot infinity pool, shining on the polished purpleheart wood floors and coming to rest on the mosquito-netted king size plush bed on the far side of the room. If I reached out, I half expected I could touch the “Sea of Serenity” on the surface of the moon.

And once more, a simple and heartfelt “wow.”

Thursday

Jade Mountain, with its tri-level room rate categories depending on the size of the infinity pool, the square footage of the room and, of course, the views, is really unique among the luxury resorts. There is, of course, the concept of providing guests with everything a resort offers within the walls of their private retreat. You’ve got your own personal check-in and concierge service, your own private pool (a cool plunge pool), incredible views of the sea and mountains (suites that end with “1” are on the end and have the best panoramas), and your meals are brought to you by room service. Even the spa comes to you, complete with portable massage tables.

“You could really spend your entire vacation here,” Thom remarked this morning as we enjoyed breakfast on the patio. Some guests, we later learned, do just that. The record number of days a couple has stayed cloistered? The general manager wouldn’t say, but we got the impression it was quite a few.

But beyond that there is stunning architecture, Nick’s own creative genius still yet to be fully realized. All the showers and pools have different colored tiles hand-poured from recycled glass. The showers reflect with the shiny side of these handcrafted tiles, while the pools gleam with the rougher, iridescent side. Even the unfinished spires rising from the flying walkways are unique. Nick has hinted at capping them with beautiful sculptures inspired by guests’ suggestions.

Saturday

The 600-acre, 49-room Anse Chastanet Resort has been the place to go on St. Lucia since Nick and Karolin built their first individualized bungalows back in 1974 on a hillside above two private beaches. We visited once before and enjoyed our time exploring the property, dining on Indian cuisine at the Trou au Diable Restaurant and Caribbean fare at the Piti Piton and Treehouse Restaurant.

Which is why this time, despite the draw of simply soaking up luxurious seclusion in Jade Mountain, we did manage to get out from time to time yesterday and today, mountain biking on the property’s jungle trails, enjoying a sunset champagne cruise, and even visiting the local volcano vents. Coming back to Jade Mountain after biking today, I realized I hadn’t had any beach time and promptly enjoyed a few stolen moments in a chaise lounge on the beach. But then it was the long, steady climb back to our hilltop retreat (403 steps, but who’s counting). Anse Chastanet veterans know all about the epic stairs and either resign themselves to a nice calf and quad workout, or take advantage of the complimentary shuttle running between Jade Mountain, the resort and the beaches below.

The effort, of course, was worth it. This evening we sat watching the sunset, knowing the moon would soon be rising to visit us again. The ceiling fans and amber lights keeping the insects at bay and giving a soft hush to the dusk, we looked out at the world from our own resort and said, for the umpteenth time, the mantra you hear at Jade Mountain if you listen closely enough: “Wow.”