Sure, Saint Lucia may be touted as a honeymoon paradise, but that doesn’t mean MICE planners should write it off for incentivized trips and corporate retreats. Home to volcanic mud baths, bountiful reefs and waterfalls, meeting planners ought to be eager to host groups in Saint Lucia. Not to mention, this Eastern Caribbean island offers direct flights from eight major U.S. cities—Miami, New York, Chicago, Boston, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Atlanta and New Jersey—making the woes of international travel a thing of the past.
Lodging & Meeting Space
Marigot Bay Resort and Marina overlooks the world-known mega-yacht destination and movie set for the 1967 Dr. Doolittle film. Guests are just feet away from the newly renovated marina while still feeling tucked away within the resort’s property that features luxurious accommodations and renovated meeting spaces that embrace Saint Lucia’s eco-friendly environment. Since the resort and marina work hand in hand, the marina’s Saltwater Services can help arrange all seaside excursions to depart directly from the resort’s dock.
By the Numbers
Hotel Rooms: 124 plantation-style deluxe rooms and suites Four On-Site Restaurants: The Grill at 14⁰61⁰, The Brut Bar and Pool Bar, The Rum Cave, Hurricane Hole Meeting Spaces:
- Boudreau Room—indoor room ideal for banquets up to 100 guests
- Lower Pool and Observation Deck—outdoor event space for 70 to 250 guests
- Palm Pavilion—open-air structure for up to 250 guests
- Alexandria Dining Room—private room for small meetings and dinners up to 12 guests
Lay of the Land… and Sea
With 238-square miles of island, there’s no shortage of group activities that cover everything from adrenaline-pumping rainforest zip lining to serene sunset sailing.
Sunset Sail Properly introduce attendees to Saint Lucia with a sunset cruise past the island’s most recognizable twin Piton mountains. Guests will depart on a chartered catamaran directly from Marigot Bay Resort & Marina before kicking off the trip with a rum punch in hand as they watch the sun sink into the Caribbean Sea.
Distillery Tour Speaking of rum punch, watch how the liquor is made during a guided tour of St. Lucia Distillers, the only distillery on the island that been around since 1972. Visitors will learn about its cultural significance and see what it takes to turn molasses into rum before sampling more than 25 varieties, including lime citrus and coconut cream liqueur.
Land & Sea Excursion The Soufriere land and sea tour is arguably the best way to witness Saint Lucia’s main attractions. Attendees will disembark by boat for the bustling town of Soufriere where they’ll join local guides on an expedition across the island’s iconic landmarks, including botanical gardens, Diamond Waterfall and sulfur mud springs. They’ll even have the opportunity to lather in the volcanic mud locals claim makes you look 10 years younger. After a Creole lunch, guests will head back on the boat to snorkel at a nearby cove.
Canopy Tour For those who don’t handle the sea well, take to the treetops for a thrilling zip line through Saint Lucia’s luscious rainforest. Treetop Adventure Park and Morne Coubaril Estate Historical Adventure Park are two highly acclaimed canopy tours on the island that will take groups soaring past jungles, mountains and beaches.
Group Activities Marigot Bay Resort & Marina hosts a wealth of programs sure to get teams interacting with one another. From rum cocktail classes, where mixologists teach guest how to recreate the island’s signature rum cocktails, to a coconut experience, where attendees learn about the significance of coconuts in lives of Saint Lucian while sipping on freshly cracked coconuts, there's a program sure to intrigue any attendee.
Bean-to-Bar Cocoa Experience Cocoa is an essential part of Saint Lucia’s culture. During the bean-to-bar experience at Hotel Chocolat, visitors will journey through a cocoa plantation to graft plants and pick ripe cocoa pods. They'll then mix and pour their own chocolate bar infused with local spices found on the property.
