The Saint Lucia resort that can solve all wedding guest list dilemmas

If clients’ budgets allow and they desire that honeymoon hibernation experience, Serenity could be the one for them. Chin shows me one of the private villas, which leaves me wondering if I can get away with abandoning my husband and children for a night. Serenity’s 36 villas are indoor/outdoor sanctuaries; entering through a high wooden gate lends them a secret garden feel and, once inside, everything else fades away. They have private plunge pools, soaking tubs, rain showers and custom-made four-poster mahogany beds.

Butler service here is standard – butlers call guests at home before their arrival in Saint Lucia to introduce themselves. They conduct in-suite check-in and are on hand to organise the likes of private moonlit dinners and in-villa spa treatments. There’s even a privacy box for undisturbed meal service, so in theory your clients could enter their villa at the start of the holiday and not emerge until the end. But then they’d be missing out on Serenity’s Greathouse Restaurant experience, which serves high-quality global cuisine in an elegant dining room with an open kitchen and local artwork adorning the walls.

Reader, I confess that my husband and I do abandon our children to have a date night here. But they are having the time of their lives at a glow party overseen by the very capable Coconut Bay kids’ club team, so zero guilt is experienced. After our exquisite dinner, we peek outside, where couples are nursing after-dinner drinks, lounging in comfy chairs by the pool, which is glowing a midnight blue. This would be an appealing spot at any time of the day, with aqua day beds in the water, shaded private cabanas, and a poolside cocktail and hors d’oeuvre service.

“We need to come back and stay here, just the two of us,” I sigh, as we withdraw to our alternative universe – and collect our children.

Time to play

The fun is infectious at Splash, unashamedly aimed at families and hedonists, with its trio of water slides, lazy river, lagoon-style pool with swim-up bar, and non-stop programme of entertainment. It has the feel of a holiday camp or a larger cruise ship, and my children love it, particularly the foam pool party, where they embrace the fun like a supersized bathtime with lashings of bubble bath.

The kids’ club area, bigger than any we’ve encountered so far, has a pirate ship playground, a splash pad that is turned on twice daily and all kinds of toys and activities. “We’re proud to have the island’s largest kids’ club, and there are no fees, it’s all included,” Chin says, as we peek inside a nicely cooled room, furnished with cots for napping babies.

Coconut Bay boasts a long-list of Saint Lucia “uniques”, says Chin. “We’re the only resort with a kite-surfing school, a petting zoo and a paintball facility, and we have the island’s largest selection of Caribbean rum in Peter John’s bar.”

If child-free adults want to dip in and out of the fun, but not commit, they can stay in the Harmony wing, and nip across to join any activities they wish, perhaps a cocktail-making contest or the daily rubber duck race in aid of charity. Alternatively, parents can deposit their kids in the club and enjoy the adults-only a la carte breakfast at Veranda, open until 11am. Then they might opt for a stroll along the beach hand-in-hand or to spend some time in the Sanctuary Spa. This year there are six new oceanfront cabanas where couples can enjoy a full body massage while listening to the sound of crashing waves. 

Coconut Bay’s all-inclusive dining has a great deal of choice, which plays well into the multigenerational sales pitch. There’s buffet dining, a la carte, inside, outside, oceanfront, and the quirky Jerk Treehouse for a very casual lunch near the Splash pool. We pre-book the fine dining venues of Calabash, which has a contemporary Caribbean menu, and Silk, which offers a Saint Lucian twist on Asian cuisine. These two restaurants do a good job of blending fine dining with child-friendly service, dishing up chicken nuggets and activity sheets, which keep our pair busy while we savour more sophisticated cuisine.

Private event venues are also available as part of the resort’s group packages. Wedding packages start with the pared-back silver, which caters for more intimate weddings. The number of inclusions is increased with gold and platinum, then pearl tops the lot, catering for 36 guests with a private dinner reception on Eternity Beach and a host of other extras such as a DJ for three hours and private catamaran sunset cruise for up to 36 guests.

“We have the space, the facilities and the expertise here to make it a happy wedding for everyone,” says Chin, showing off a smart-looking wedding gazebo in a secluded beachfront setting that was newly constructed last year.

There’s another advantage to note – the Atlantic Coast location lends a little extra breeze, which might help sway brides who are concerned about sweltering in the heat.

If we hadn’t already said our “I dos”, I’d seriously be considering gathering the clans in Saint Lucia, because this resort has something for every member of the most extended of families. Although wait, they also have a True Love Vow Renewal package – I wonder what my husband will say…

Book it: Tui offers seven nights’ all-inclusive at Coconut Bay Resort & Spa, from £1,726pp (two adults and two children sharing a family area double room). Seven nights’ all-inclusive for two adults sharing an adult’s area junior suite starts from £2,871pp. Both packages include flights from London on 5 March 2025 and transfers; tui.co.uk

Coconut Bay Beach resort & Spa’s Silver wedding package is free for up to four guests including the bride and groom, then $15pp up to a maximum of eight guests. The Pearl package is $10,499 for up to 36 guests including bride and groom, then $149 per person for each additional guest; cbayresort.com/weddings

Caribtours offers seven nights’ all-inclusive at Serenity at Coconut Bay from £4,149pp, based on two sharing, including return flights, private transfers and access to a UK airport lounge; caribtours.co.uk