BodyHoliday Saint Lucia

While BodyHoliday Saint Lucia touts itself as a wellness resort, it doesn't follow the rigid regimen found at resorts such as Canyon Ranch. BodyHoliday is not about detoxing (although that is an option) -- it's more about re-connecting, getting back on track with a fitness regimen, and trying something new all while enjoying the warm sun and private surroundings.

The hotel underwent major renovations in 2011 and 2014 through 2015. The result is a cohesive design that's organic, inviting, and stylish. A serene lobby with vaulted whitewashed ceilings, tree-trunk tables, soft-textured sofas in soothing neutral tones, and Alberto Giacometti-style statues sets the stage for arriving guests. A 14-foot photograph-on-canvas landscape of the Caribbean guides guests from the lobby down to the hotel's social center, where an open-air restaurant faces the sea.

A wine salon enclosed in glass is used for private tastings while additional dining options include a deli, a buffet, and a fancier Asian restaurant set in the cliffs above the beach. A very social afternoon tea at the modern and brightly appointed (lots of orange fabric) Clubhouse brings guests together for snacks and tea from an escorted cart. The Clubhouse also features a circular bar and an adjacent lounge finished with oversized sofas in cool colors, TVs, billiard tables, desks for working, and shelves stocked with games and books; it's an ideal retreat for rainy days.

Guests at the resort run the gamut from overly enthusiastic fitness buffs who like to take full advantage of the daily classes to water sports enthusiasts looking to explore local reefs to the mellower yoga crowd. No matter what the preference, BodyHoliday offers the opportunity to indulge in a favorite sport or try a new one. Golf, tennis, and scuba lessons are included in the rates.

The biggest indulgences happen at the enormous temple-like wellness center. The hilltop palace features a salon and more than 30 treatment rooms tucked away among artful reflecting pools, lush gardens, and enticing terraced spaces, all of which are designed for relaxing and rejuvenating.

The resort is located in a secluded spot on the northwest tip of St. Lucia, a stunning location that's sheltered by Pigeon Island National Park. The resort is built into a hillside overlooking a small, crescent-shaped white sand beach.

• Five-minute drive to St. Lucia Golf and Country Club
• Six-minute dive to Rodney Bay Village
• 20-minute drive to Castries
• 15-minute drive to George F. L. Charles Airport
• 80-minute drive to Hewanorra International Airport
• 85-minute drive to Soufriere

The resort's multi-story, French-Caribbean style buildings, housing 154 rooms in eight different categories, are built into the hillside and overlook the property's gardens and beach. While not large, the rooms are appointed with well-proportioned mahogany and wicker furniture, and finished with neatly tailored soft goods in sea glass colors, whimsical dragonfly prints, and quality fabrics. Artwork hangs on sky blue, pale yellow, and cream-colored walls, offering a mix of up-close photographs of Caribbean items (sea grass, rippling sand) and fitness-inspired bronze sculptures that mimic the large statues in the hotel lobby.

Garden Rooms are the smallest, but have king-size beds and chic furnishings. Luxury Rooms offer the same garden views but with more square footage and king-sized or two queen-sized beds. Luxury Ocean View rooms are similarly equipped, but offer views of the Caribbean from covered terraces. The most spacious and more luxurious rooms fall into the Beachfront and Luxury Beachfront categories -- and you can hear the waves from the balconies. These rooms have more contemporary bathrooms with twin glass sinks set on travertine vanities and separate make-up vanities. Balconies are furnished with wicker armchairs and footrests. The resort also offers suites, including a penthouse with its own private spa.

Most of the rooms at the resort come with stone tile floors, four-poster mahogany beds with rattan headboards, and mahogany desks and side tables. All of the rooms are air-conditioned and come equipped with iPod docks, safes, a selection of pillows from the pillow menu, and white cotton robes for lounging and wearing to appointments at the Wellness Center.

BodyHoliday hums with activity from morning to late at night. While it is not the largest all-inclusive resort on the island, it is one of the best equipped and certainly the most sport- and fitness-oriented. From the beach, guests can partake in a variety of water sports. The resort also offers three pools, golf and tennis instruction, archery, a modern gym, and a nifty fitness trail that winds through the hilly property marked with stations where guests perform specific exercises -- everything from gymnastics to calisthenics.

The resort also boasts the largest and arguably the best spa on St. Lucia, as it has received top honors several years running for being the best spa in the Caribbean by Spa Finder. The hilltop palace is a shrine to wellness, offering a daily list of special treatments such as acupuncture and Buqi healing (to remove negative chi). While some treatments are extra, there's a variety of treatments available to guests that are part of the all-inclusive plan.

The five restaurants include TAO, offering renowned Asian fine dining; Cariblue, the main buffet restaurant; and The Deli, a casual spot on the beach.

The all-inclusive rate does not include some bar drinks, some dishes at TAO Restaurant, some spa treatments, extra scuba sessions, and golf.

It does include:

• All meals (dinners are a la carte service as well as a barbecue grill)
• A selection of wines, bar cocktails, and drinks by the glass (including premium brands)
• A program of a daily 50-minute spa treatment (excluding your arrival and departure day)
• Beach and pool service
• Water sports (motorized and non-motorized)
• Scuba diving (shore dives) and scuba diving lessons (Discover Scuba)
• Group lessons at Golf Academy
• Tennis, including group classes
• Yoga, tai chi, Pilates, spinning, fencing, cycling, morning walks, archery, and volleyball
• Aerobics, water exercise, fitness, dance, and stretch classes
• Evening entertainment
• Soft adventure programs

The resort's Coubaril Golf Academy offers two PGA professionals as well as equipment rentals, free lessons, driving nets, several chipping areas, and putting greens. The St. Lucia Golf and Country Club, located close to the resort, is an 18-hole, par-71 course that plays 6,685 yards from the blue tees. Guests can play the course for an additional fee.