Pascal Mahvi, the developer of the Jalousie Plantation Resort & Spa, and hospitality expert Monty Zullo have announced a new community in the heart of the Val des Pitons on the island of St. Lucia. The Jalousie Enclave will be the only residential development on Jalousie Bay and the first green resort in the world that gives buyers the opportunity to own property in a designated World Heritage Site. The residential resort consists of 21 two or three-bedroom villas and 52 estates situated within a World Heritage Site designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2004. The 196-acre property is nestled in the Val des Pitons, on the edge of a rainforest and facing coral reefs along the coastline A protected marine park in the waters of The Jalousie Enclave's deeded-access beach offers some of the Caribbean's best dives. All structures at theJalousie Enclave will be built to LEED standards.. Low-hanging fruit trees will be planted to aid natural runoff and the resort will use filtered gray water in each home's toilets, solar-powered water heaters and some green roofs. Properties are sold freehold and owners have the option to rent or re-sell with no restrictions. Property management provides turnkey maintenance and staffing of trained butlers, maids and cooks for each estate. The Jalousie Enclave will also include a spa and two fine dining restaurants in the planned $7 million clubhouse, as well as a private club pool and lake. Each lot will come with membership to one of the seven new PGA courses. Ground was broken on the project this week and a soft open is scheduled for the end of 2010.

It's not often that an article on a hotel will send me scrambling for pictures. But a recent article in the Ottawa Citizen had me curious to check out Jade Mountain in St. Lucia. Perhaps it was the quote in the article that claimed some people burst into tears when seeing their hotel rooms. What kind of place provokes this sort of reaction? The gallery below will give you some idea.

Jade Mountain offers 24 unique rooms that have just three walls and are open to the Caribbean on the fourth side. Each one also has its own private infinity pool that drops off into the distance. The rooms are designed with an open floorplan that even includes the bathrooms. The overall effect is one of tranquil luxury designed to encourage the guests to never leave their rooms. The living areas of the rooms are finished with more than 20 different species of tropical hardwood flooring and trims harvested in an environmentally correct way and the iinterior walls are finished in a crushed blush toned coral plaster quarried in Barbados. The flooring exposed to the weather is finished in quarried coral tile from neighboring islands. In room facilities include fridge, tea/coffee maker, hair dryer, iron and ironing board but no television, radio or telephone and guests are asked to refrain from using their cell phones in public. Daily rates for November 1 – December 19, 2008 start at $1250.

Even Trip Advisor's reviewers rave about this place. The only caveat is that getting there often requires a wicked drive through hilly terrain. You can also get there by helicopter.

This winter the latest place to play in St. Lucia is Calabash Cove, a new boutique hotel resort set to open in December 2008. The resort offers three types of suites as well as nine teak and mahogany Water's Edge cottages, shown above, which have plunge pools, outdoor rain showers and hammocks as well as TV/DVD/hi-fi systems, refrigerators and coffee/tea makers, large patios and Jacuzzis. The suit offerings include the "Swim Up" suites which have private Jacuzzis and ar located just steps from Sweetwaters--the resort's designer pool with a 40-foot infinity edge, mahogany loungers and tropical refreshments provided by pool butlers. The swim-up suites afford private access directly from the patio of your room. Calabash Cove will also have a spa, fitness studio and full-service beauty salon as well as the Windsong Restaurant and C Bar. Rates at Calabash Cove range from $295-$895 per night and include the resort's island breakfast buffet. The entire resort can also be rented out for destination weddings for up to 52 guests for $50,000 per day.

If you are looking for a vacation that won't make your teenagers roll their eyes at you in dismay, The Landings St. Lucia has a possible answer. The all-suite resort, which opened last December on scenic Rodney Bay, has created the "Teen Island Vacation" package. The package includes accommodations in a harbor front villa residence with a plunge pool, daily breakfast at the Yacht Haven restaurant, a guided tour of the local rainforest including a zip line experience, a kayak and snorkeling trip to neighboring Pigeon Island National Historic Preserve, unlimited waterskiing and wakeboarding at the hotel's beachfront location and an in-room movie night with snacks and DVDs. The hotel also includes a 7,000 square foot spa with eight treatment rooms, relaxation rooms, a fitness center and a full-service salon which features a variety of service customized for teens. The summer rates for the package start at $310 per night for a Harbor Front Villa two-bedroom residence but be prepared to stay a while, there is a seven-night minimum stay is required.