Women lead the way at Bay Gardens Resort in St Lucia
Bay Gardens Resorts in St Lucia is the Caribbean’s largest female-owned and operated resort chain. This collection of authentic hotels and resorts on this lush island is a haven for honeymooners and adventure seekers.
The four-star Bay Gardens Resort is a place where you can experience true adventure, relaxation, and refreshment. Bay Gardens was founded by an influential female Joyce Destang, a St Lucian entrepreneur who began her career in the hospitality industry in 1995, when she opened her first property, the Bay Gardens Hotel. One of the most accomplished female entrepreneurs in the Eastern Caribbean, Mrs Destang received an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2005.
She has paved the way for women to succeed at the Bay Gardens Resorts chain of hotels. All three of Mrs. Destang's general managers are women, as are 80 percent of the resort group's management team. She also champions local talent and has invested over EC$60 million in St Lucia, employing more than 350 people — all Caribbean nationals.
The secret to her success she reveals is being inclusive and catering to all demographics: “At Bay Gardens we treat everyone the same. We value our women leaders and we employ local people, and promote diversity at all levels of the company.”
Honing her entrepreneurial skills in real estate and retail after retiring from teaching, she launched the 45-room Bay Gardens Hotel in 1994 growing it to five properties with some 240 rooms over 25 years which includes Bay Gardens Hotel (87 rooms and suites) Bay Gardens Inn (33 rooms) Bay Gardens Beach Resort & Spa (78 rooms and suites) Bay Gardens Marina Heaven (33 rooms) and Waters Edge Villa’s (two villas – four rooms each)
All the properties are distinctively located in the Rodney Bay Village- the island’s hub of activity with a range of restaurants, bars, shops, and other the most vibrant nightlife you can imagine.
Staying at Bay Gardens
As one of the few family-friendly resorts in St Lucia, the properties offer a range of amenities and activities that are suitable for all ages. All properties feature a range of rooms and suites as well as private villas. The Koral Kidz Club is ideal for children between the ages of four and 2 years as it offers supervised activities for children while parents enjoy some alone time or lounging at the pool.
Splash Island Water Park is the Caribbean’s first open-water sports park and features a trampoline, climbing wall, monkey bars, and a swing. Guests staying at Bay Gardens Resorts get unlimited use of the water park which is also open to non-resident visitors and locals who pay a fee. Incidentally, Splash Island was also founded by a female entrepreneur, Mrs. Julianna Ward-Destang, continuing the tradition of female ownership and management.
Bay Gardens Resorts is ideal for beach weddings, elopements, and vow renewals, the resort chain offers an array of indoor and outdoor wedding venues steeped in the tropical beauty of St. Lucia. There is a wonderful gazebo where couples can exchange vows. The team will personally work with guests to create and customise their dream wedding package. For those seeking relaxation, there is the luxurious La Mer Spa and Salon, as well as a business centre to mix business with pleasure. There are a range of relaxing treatments such as massages, facials, and aromatherapy and Ayurveda Treatments.
Evening entertainment includes steel pan music, saxophonists, and fire-eating dancers. Meanwhile by day, guests can enjoy exhilarating tours such as waterfall excursions, hikes, snorkelling, ziplining, and trips to the world-renowned drive-in volcano and sulphur springs mud baths. There’s also a business centre for those who need it.
For travellers who prefer a more relaxed escape, the Bay Gardens Resorts’ all-inclusive experience is perfect. Spa treatments, non-motorized watersports, and access to Splash Island Waterpark are all included in this package. Children eat and stay free when booking the all-inclusive experience, as well as access to the Dine Around programme featuring some of the best restaurants in Rodney Bay Village. The restaurants champion fresh and local ingredients, authentic Caribbean menus, and international favourites, each restaurant offers guests the opportunity to experience the island of St Lucia through their tastebuds.
A special wellness-focused experience has been tailored for the Bay Gardens Resorts that will be launched in September. “September Weeks of Wellness” will feature a range of activities geared at promoting relaxation and rejuvenation. An appetising, yet nutritious menu will be curated to perfectly complement the weeks’ activities.
Bay Gardens Resorts has received multiple industry awards and is widely recognised for outstanding customer service. Bay Gardens brand continues to invest heavily in the environment, education, sports, youth development and cultural preservation of the local communities. The chain’s decisions and choices are driven by sustainable tourism and its three Green Globe-certified properties are testaments to their efforts. With this certification, Bay Gardens is equipped with a framework to conduct a comprehensive assessment of its environmental sustainability performance, allowing the company to monitor improvements and continue to maintain its certification and it is St Lucia's only Green Globe Gold-certified hotel chain, awarded after being Green Globe certified for five consecutive years. Education and youth development is the focus of Bay Gardens. School feeding programmes, donations of school supplies, hosting school visits, and the facilitation and training of junior chefs are just some of the ways in which they have given back.
St Lucia is a magical destination you will want to visit again and again. Explore the majestic peaks of the Pitons, trek the rainforests surrounding them and bathe in the hypnotising blue-green waters of the Caribbean that hug the dazzling white beaches. Immerse yourself in the volcanic mud baths and sugar plantations, St Lucia has it all. The island’s landscape, people, customs, and cuisine are legendary and Bay Gardens is the place to stay.
Book a stay at Bay Gardens https://www.baygardensresorts.com.
