St. James Club Morgan Bay, St. Lucia

darrinm554 wrote a review March 2023
Bracebridge, Muskoka District, Ontario

St James, St Lucia

We had a wonderful time at St. James Morgan Bay. Staff was courteous and family. Food was delicious and fresh. Baked goods and desserts were amazing definitely return but they are closing at the end of March 2023 and will be rebranded as a SECRETS Resort.

Date of Stay: February 2023

mjbrown210 wrote a review March 2023
Long Valley, Morris County, New Jersey

Management is letting the place go

Four of us just stayed here for a week. I’ll start with the negatives: While the resort itself is nice, the dining options are awful. Only a few of the restaurants are open each night, and you have to book them four days in advance. The bookings are made each day at the front desk at 8:00am, so you have the get there early before the restaurants get snatched up by others. While the food itself is mediocre, the variety is a joke. I’m not a picky eater by any means, but even I had a hard time finding something to eat. The Palms, which is the buffet, has the most bizarre selection. Not much basic like chicken fingers, fries, burgers etc. Instead, it’s things like grilled goat and fish for breakfast. (Although I will say the breakfast omelette station was great). Definitely not a place to go if you have young children or picky eaters. We ended up eating off the resort for the last few dinners.

In addition to the food issues, it seems management doesn’t care much about the upkeep of the resort. There were no facial tissues in the rooms or anywhere, they were out of many things at the bar, and basic upkeep of the rooms seemed to be neglected. Our room had a very slow draining shower, so water would overflow onto the floor. There was also an excessive amount of bugs in the room. I know it’s the tropics, but it was way more than other resorts I’ve stayed at in the Caribbean.

Despite this, the resort itself is very nice. All the staff are amazing and super friendly, despite the fact they’re clearly short-staffed and overworked. They make sure to keep your drinks full (and seem to pour heavy which was welcomed lol). I got a massage which was excellent. The rooms, while dated, were clean.

While overall, we enjoyed our stay, I can’t say that we’d come back. They’re shutting down at the end of April to renovate and are rebranding as a secrets. I’m guessing that’s possibly why management is letting the place go. Hopefully the new resort keeps the current staff, as they’re the saving grace of the place.

Date of Stay: March 2023

wowojulie wrote a review March 2023
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England

Lovely relaxing break

My husband and I spent a week at St James’s Club in March and enjoyed ourselves relaxing in the sun. We were originally in room 703 which was on the ground floor and didn’t feel very private as there was no partition between our patio and the grass/paving that all of the guests had access to. We requested a change of room (4 times!) and were moved to room 721. This was on the next floor up and provided the privacy we wanted.

The room was clean, a decent size and had a really comfortable bed. The shower was good and there was plenty of storage space both in the bathroom and the bedroom.

The main buffet restaurant (Palms) had a fairly good selection of food. Breakfast was my favourite with smoked salmon and freshly made omelettes and other bread items. Lunch had a good selection of salads to choose from (plus hot food choices) but I could have done with maybe tuna or cheese or some cold meats to accompany my salad. Dinner was OK providing the food was hot - sometimes it was a bit lukewarm. I would have preferred a wider variety of choices like I’ve had in the past but that was at larger resorts.

The pier restaurant was great - good service and good food. The Italian restaurant was OK but the Bambou restaurant needed some improvements. Bread baskets had to be requested (other tables had them), service was slow, they ran out of sparkling wine then ran out of Sauvignon Blanc. Both of which were being served at the Palms!
We heard from several guests that the resort was due to close down soon for a refurb so maybe they’d reduced staffing levels prematurely.

Most of the staff were very friendly and there was a good choice of beach/pool activities if you wanted to join in. The beach was right next to the pool terrace and there were plenty of sunbeds. A few more parasols and tables (on the beach) would have been good.

This was our first time in St Lucia and we’d definitely go back but would try another resort as St James’s Club was on a busy road which wasn’t conducive to going out for a walk to explore.

Date of Stay: March 2023

PyrfordPeople wrote a review March 2023
Woking, Surrey, England

Fantastic 10 nights away, loved it

We had an absolutely fantastic 10 nights away. All staff were an absolute credit & couldn’t do enough for us.
We were so fortunate to be upgraded to a sea view room in 700 block, really really nice. Bathroom was modern & bed large & very comfy.
We honestly didn’t have a bad meal. Everything was tasty & good variety.
We were last here 14 years ago with our children, when it was Almond resort, so it was lovely to finally return.
I do hope the wonderful staff are there when we come back under the new set up (when it becomes an adult only resort)

Date of Stay: March 2023

D3045DApeterr wrote a review March 2023

Amazing experience and stay

The food, facilities and staff were all brilliant. A special thank you to sam and dexter from activities and zakim bob and tiqad from water sports, for being so friendly and making us feel so welcome!

Date of Stay: March 2023

S2133COtamarad wrote a review March 2023
Castries, Castries Quarter, St. Lucia

Visiting St. James for the second time with my partner.

Although it was only for the night but I really did enjoy my short stay at St. James Morgan bay. In which I decided to return with my partner which he did enjoy. Would like to thank Dervin and Ervin, thank you so much for going out of your’ll way. Upon arrival this lovely security lady greeted us with her welcoming smile and greeting wish I’d remembered her name but. A warm thank you Latoya, Camaren,Kendal,Tricia and David from bars. Thank you guys for the lovely cocktails. To the restaurant staff miss Juliana thank you, you made my afternoon. Silvinus the security who kept us entertained while we were by the beach. Morgan who always greet us with a smile and kept us entertained girl you’re full of life. How can I forget my lovely front desk guy Sylvester if I remembered right. Sylvester thank you for you patience. You all were amazing. We will be back.

Date of Stay: March 2023

Happiness54642613625 wrote a review March 2023
United Kingdom

Disappointed

We were disappointed with the food and the choices. The menus were the same every night and limited. The food was below average. The buffet was also limited and generally below average. We also doing the service very slow. Our room was tired. The bathroom needed attention and the curtains were stained. The resort has been sold so it is closing down for refurbishment. It just felt as though they were running everything down.

Date of Stay: March 2023

Travel299510 wrote a review March 2023
United Kingdom

I cried with happiness. Actual heaven on earth

My partner and I stayed here from 20th- 27th Feb 2023 and had an amazing time. The vibe is relaxed. The people who work here are the most beautiful and kind angels and the sea is made of pure healing magic. We loved the buffet and if you like your veg and fish and fruit then you can heal your body and mind in just one week. Guys… there are hummingbirds in the garden…! The beauty and nature and fresh sea air is unmatched. It’s not five star but amazing value and we are already planning on returning. Thank you so much to all the amazing staff at St James! Oh and you can swim around to cute little empty beaches. It’s s dream…. Xxx

Date of Stay: February 2023

steveeF1404OV wrote a review March 2023
Plymouth, Devon, England

Wow wow wow

Wow this place is so beautiful and so are the staff . From the minute you arrive you are made to feel so welcome. Latoya behind the bar Samanfer doing the Aquafit both great people and made me laugh. Shame Samanfer was taken off Aquafit for a few days just wasn't the same. Our room was amazing open the door onto the patio on the ground floor and almost onto the beach. I really hope with the takeover by Secrets things don't change to much and that it doesn't become too expensive. This place definitely has my heart. Thank you St James Club for making us feel so welcome

Date of Stay: March 2023

757ingec wrote a review March 2023

A great winter Get-Away.

Wonderful relaxing vacation.
Be prepared though to get up early to put towels on beach/pool loungers and line up to make dinner reservations ( can only book 3 days at a time).
Found lots of interesting activities on site, definitely a destination to check out!

Date of Stay: March 2023

stevebN4771TN wrote a review March 2023
Hayling Island, Hampshire, England

The hotel is falling on hard times, but we still had a lovely holiday.

This is our 12th visit to the hotel Morgan Bay in it's various guises over the years. It is sad to see it about to change from a family run / small chain to a major chain - Hyatt - for it to add to the Secrets resort group. I think the character will change significantly and will be aimed at the short stay American market, rather than the longer stay UK market where it has long been a favourite.

The rooms are showing their age but are more than adequate and are waiting for the upgrade to happen. Housekeeping do their best to keep them clean and tidy every other day.

There have been some changes at the hotel since our pre-Covid stay in May 2018. Most for the good. Sadly a lot of the original staff were let go during Covid and haven't returned having found alternative careers. The one big negative is the food quality and choice has definitely dropped. No longer is there a change in menu every few days at the Bambou, like from Asian to Caribbean as it was. The Palms is barely average for breakfast, the fresh fruit, eggs and smoothies being the best. The lunch menu is always the same and always quite poor as is the evening meal if you are unfortunate enough not to have found a seat in the others. The Plum Tree has definitely gone down, now serving only burgers hot dogs and a potato roti (meant to be a chicken roti). Le Jardin is still as good as ever as is Morgan's Pier. The Treetops pizza and pasta restaurant was also very good and the pasta dishes served up were a good size and hot.

One big complaint is the tasteless 'something' portrayed as roast chicken breast. It is like rubber, hard to cut and worse to chew. It was like a tough halloumi. No texture at all, no fibres and it appeared in all of the restaurants like they were trying to get rid of a load of it before they closed. I would say it is reconstituted and shaped. How the chefs can serve it up is a worry. Under orders no doubt. It is almost like they have no pride in their craft. All food should be presented with care and actually be good to eat. If they can do it in Le Jardin and the Pier they can do it everywhere.

By far the best place to eat was the BBQ Pit and Grill for lunch run by chef Christopher. He makes the best spicy BBQ sauce I have ever tasted. Choice between jerk and plain grilled chicken and jerk and plain grilled fish, burgers and hotdogs. The choice of salad is very good and fries if needed. All of it is served with a great smile like he is proud of what he is presenting and rightfully so - it was excellent. I really hope he is taken back when the resort reopens in December this year. He is great.

As with all closures, some staff aren't happy about it which I fully understand. But to let it show is hard to take. However there are some who deserve to stay and I sincerely hope they do. So to name but a few: the ever bubbly Genevieve and Gemel are top of the bar staff list. Sandra too. Thomas the pool man always had a smile and happy. The supervisor at the Pier Shana? (sorry forgotten your name) is very good. Morgan was an able assistant to Christopher. Importantly, Theresa keeps the bars running smoothly with help from Bartholomew and Davidson. Denver in reception recognised us when we checked in and welcomed us back. All of the watersports team were fabulous - no need to name them - they are all great. Actually one stands out - Bob. Thanks for the sailing lessons!!

We really hope to return to our little bit of paradise as long as we aren't priced out when it becomes a Secrets resort. GM please take note :)

Date of Stay: March 2023

A7978HOtanyas wrote a review March 2023
Reading, Berkshire, England

They are in receivership so book elsewhere

Do NOT expect too much!!!! We spent £6,000 on a 10 night all inclusive at St James. The pics on website looked amazing, our travel agent told us it was a fantastic place to go. So we booked up to go and spend my 50th birthday there.

However, on arrival when shown our Ocean View Suite. We were told it was the top accommodation at the resort. It was the furthest one away, right by the main road. Very very dated inside. Not at all like the pics on their website. And certainly NOT worth £6,000. This is advertised as a 4* resort, it is barely a 2/3* resort.

They advertised they have 6 restaurants that on site, however, these restaurants are NOT open everyday and unfortunately you end up most days eating at the Palms restaurant buffet, nicknamed as the Trough, the food is DISGUSTING there, the only good part is the omelettes at breakfast as the omelette chef is fantastic. The coffee is sooooo strong, u can hardly drink it. Tip - AVOID the Palms at all cost if possible. The BBQ hut by Morgan’s Pier restaurant is great. Morgan’s pier restaurant is also wonderful.

We wanted to have a private dinner on the beach on my birthday. Which we did, it was lovely, service great, food great, however it came at a huge cost of $300 US dollars!!! Pretty much £300. The suite was dirty, outdated, doors on balcony has their locks broken, the bathroom is very old and it’s clear to see management do not care about it at all. The beach BBQ was also dreadful, however the fire eaters/dancers was fantastic. When u arrive at hotel you HAVE to book the restaurants for the next 4 nights and be prepared that you likely will not get to go to the ones you want to!

The Treetops pizza and pasta restaurant is terrible, food has no taste, pizza base so hard, you feel your teeth might break eating it, service is atrocious in there and staff in this restaurant do not care at all!!! There is a little shop on site that does nothing but takes advantage out of all guests by charging ridiculous amounts of money, example a small bottle of after sun lotion = $21…….. they make the prices up as they go and the shop staff do not care about doing it!!! The other little shop selling handmade items is wonderful and staff in there truly lovely people. The music at the pool bar is repeated again and again and again and actually feels as though it’s a staff party everyday and not a resort for guests to enjoy.

There is one woman who does the fitness aqua size in pool each morning and she shouts constantly and continues to turn the music up and up so guests are not able to enjoy a restful holiday. Whenever she got microphone out, we would have to immediately move as she was just soooo loud.

There were some truly wonderful staff, Dwaine on bar was just the best there and a true asset to the place. So friendly, accommodating and his main priority was helping and assisting guests.

The Spa staff are also truly amazing, friendly and the 3 massages I had whilst there were wonderful. I had one on my birthday and the lady decorated the room with birthday posters and balloons for me and as I left, I came out to a waitress waiting In reception with a glass of champagne for me.

Latoya also was wonderful as were the guys at the green hut by the water sports where you collect your towels. Wonderful guys.

After few days we heard that the place is closing down as it’s been bought by Secrets and will close in couple weeks time until end of 2023. However on our last day, we discovered that St James club has gone bust and is in receivership!!! Might explain why some staff just could not be bothered to smile or help you in any way!!! And also might explain why some staff just want to take advantage out of guests and charge ridiculous amounts of money!

80% of the staff were truly wonderful, however the rest were not!!!!

My birthday was wonderful and I am truly grateful to the staff that made it that way for me, thank you. However, I’m very pleased the place is changing hands as it’s clear to see things need to change for the better.

I wish good luck to the wonderful staff there and I truly hope they find alternative employment and are treated with respect. Myself and my husband told the great staff what we thought of them and we tipped them well to show our appreciation. You know who you all are, so from us both, THANK YOU so much.

Date of Stay: March 2023

931leighannen wrote a review March 2023

Some Stand Out staff!

The resort is closing in 15 days to convert to a new resort. Much of the staff was pleasant but you could tell they were not happy. The Watersports were great and the guys working made sure we had fun! Aloysius, Luther and Garvey.
Some of the bartenders that were Super Friendly and always cheerful were Dwaine and Lybert. Genevieve was so sweet and always happy as well! I hope all of them are able to find great jobs in St Lucia! They all deserve them!

If you are considering coming to stay between April 1-15. I would rethink.

Date of Stay: March 2023

7Family7 wrote a review April 2023
Calgary, Alberta

WOW Resturant Staff and great facilities

The best part of this resort is the restaurant and grounds staff. The lobby staff needs to take some lessons from them. It's not that they were all that bad, it's just that they didn't know how to smile and greet the guests. It's hard to believe that they all got out of the wrong side of the bed, so it must be that their manager is sleeping in his office.
They promised you to have a bottle of water in your room, but it wasn't there when we arrived. The bed was great, the pillows were a little firm but okay. They had no Kleenex in the room. a very nice beach and plenty of lounge chairs. Lots of bars to get your libation. They had plenty of activities to join in. Great facilities. The food was good and plentiful.
I would go again..

Date of Stay: March 2023

A8732BMkens wrote a review April 2023

Great holiday!

The location, beach, pool, bar/food and staff were fantastic. Lots of choices. Food and drinks were plentiful. Room was dated but we understood changes are coming. We recognize you can’t please everyone but we feel staff went above and beyond to please everyone. Although we witnessed a large group that found things to complain about instead of enjoying the island life and culture!

Date of Stay: March 2023

Navigator288340 wrote a review April 2023

A Proper Holiday!!

We’ve just returned from 2 weeks R&R at the all-inclusive St James Hotel, Morgan Bay.
It’s beautiful. The hotel sits in a tropical landscape that runs into a palm shaded beach, with sunbeds at the ready to top up the tan or even watch the evening sunsets. There are lots of bars, with plentiful liquid refreshment, and restaurants open from early to late. Swimming pools, tennis courts, gym, aerobics, sailing, water skiing and more… all available and in good quality facilities, all of which is organised in a friendly caring atmosphere by the amazing staff.
In fact, summing up, even with the stunning location and excellent facilities, it will be the staff who we praise the most. Whenever, whoever we spoke with they always listened, and always with a smile that made us feel we were the important guests in the resort! Good clean rooms, excellent table waiting, perfect bar service, and fabulous support with the activities, all served up with that Caribbean feeling of happiness. Too many staff to mention… but from memory…thank you ‘Sea Bob’ for the Hoby Cat round Rat Island and 1st skiing in 20 years. Marina, Diana, Chrisiana, Dalia, Stanley, Lisa and Davidson for top bars and dining. Sam for the events and fitness with Dexter. Tennis coach Gizelle… serving aces on court and behind the bar! Thank you all so much for making our holiday so much fun and something special.
What would I change? Not much, keep a bar open on the sea front during the evenings. Maybe the fish dishes could have been better…
Take care of yourselves and watch out for our return!

Date of Stay: March 2023

BeaJones98 wrote a review April 2023
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England

Outstanding & long awaited holiday

We have just spent an incredible 2 weeks at St James after having the holiday booked for 2020 and it being re-scheduled due to covid.

Firstly, We absolutely cannot fault the place or the staff and are in fact baffled by the negative reviews that we had seen before flying out here, as we seem to have had a completely different and very pleasant 2 week holiday.

The rooms are spacious, very clean with lovely modern, large and bright bathrooms. The beds are absolutely massive and ridiculously comfortable.

The resort itself is on the nicest beach we have had whilst staying at a hotel, with plenty of umbrellas and sunbeds to use. The watersports team are fab, I’d like to name bob especially. Whilst on topic of watersports, the joy cruise is an absolute must, we did it on our last week and agreed it made our holiday!

The hotel is laid out perfectly with the pool and main bars in the middle but only steps away from the beach. The restaurants and rooms surround the pool area meaning you are NEVER far away from anything. The swim up bar was a hit for cooling off with a vast cocktail menu. I’d like to shout out dwain as being the best barman on the resort, he goes above and beyond for all guests and if he’s out of anything that you have asked for he will do what he can to get hold of it- and more than often does!

The food and restaurants can’t be faulted, which is where we were are confused by the negative reviews on these…we only ate at the hotel buffet twice in the 14 nights and one of those was when we first arrived at 5pm, and both times there has been a good selection of delicious foods. Booking into the a la carte restaurants hasn’t been an issue once considering being a group of 6 adults. The food has been delicious, Morgan’s pier has been our favourite but the pizzas and lasagne in treetops (the Italian) were also fab!

As amazing and stunning as the resort is, our holiday wouldn’t have been what it has without the outstanding and wonderful staff here. They work ridiculously long shifts but have the energy, patience and smiles of saints! In particular, Bob, Dwain, Sam, Genevieve, Harold, Joy and Gazzele have been absolutely fabulous! I can only hope that as many or the staff are kept on during the changeover to secrets as possible as each and every one of them are an absolute asset to the place.

Overall, we’ve had a fortnight to remember and a wonderful holiday making many memories! Well done guys!!

Date of Stay: March 2023

ScubaTer wrote a review April 2023

St. James Club (Secrets) Morgan Bay St. Lucia

A beautiful resort located on a beautiful beach, with some great rooms. I was impressed with what was supposed to be a partial ocean view, ours was a full view and the room was clean and large. The staff on the resort were all very open and friendly, the front desk staff not so much. The resort is changing over to a Secrets and the management staff in place are terrible. Restaurants were being cancelled after bookings were made, activities that were available one week were cancelled the next, such as pickleball and yoga. Staff were leaving, food was often cold and only 2 restaurants were kept open each day. When you go to southern Carribean islands you expect some good rums, St. Lucia has some excellent rums, Bounty, but this resort uses alcohol from Mr. Boston. How crazy is it to ship in rums when it is made in country. unfathomable. If this is the way a Secrets will be run then I won't be going to one any time soon.

Date of Stay: March 2023

christopherjones7 wrote a review April 2023
Cambridge, Gloucester, Cotswolds, England

The best time

We arrived late March a family of six adults for two weeks in a beachfront room, check in was smooth and efficient and room was lovely and spacious/clean on the second floor with an amazing view! We ate in all restaurants and have no complaints with our firm favourite being Morgan’s pier. Service was slow at times but that’s a management (staffing) issue and sometimes expected in the Caribbean from past experience. The majority off the staff were an absolute joy to be around and a big shout out to all the breakfast servers/Kennedy Gardner/Genevieve pool service/Giselle tennis coach/Dwaine on cocktails/Nicholas sunset bar/Harold Jacaranda/Bob on water sports and finally Samanfer the star of the show for bringing the energy and laughter every day! The coffee shop was great,The joy boat cruise is a must! We did notice things beginning to change during our 2nd week in terms of what was on offer due to the imminent closure which to me shows poor management on their behalf! (Guests are guests) All in all the beautiful resort and the staff mentioned above made the holiday so special and we wish them all the best in the future!! The new management would be foolish to let these guys go, they are your biggest asset!

Date of Stay: March 2023

aas868 wrote a review April 2023
Trinidad and Tobago

Lovely food, beautiful grounds and beach

My family had a short Easter stay at St. James. It was our first time here and it was well worth it.

We landed in the George F.L. Charles Airport (the older/regional airport) and the hotel was around a ten minute drive from same so it was primely located for us. If you are travelling from Hewanorra International Airport however, you are looking at over an hour drive to get to the hotel.

Nonetheless, we found that the food was generally lovely, great variety of foods and we appreciated the local fruits (mangoes/bananas) and food (salt fish/breadfruit/green fig) that were served. Shout out to Bob/Alph at the water sports area, both of whom were also friendly and accommodating in addition to Thomasia and Hermanda for their hospitality at the Palms restaurant/cafe.

Our room was also close to all amenities and from the looks of it, the bathroom and flooring were updated. We had no problems with the air conditioning/hot water. The beach is amazing, always calm, albeit not your typical white sand beach, the water was always refreshing.

The cons I would say involved; a long wait time in particular at the seafood restaurant (which had the best food in my opinion), we found that the service at the bar was sub-par with unfriendly bartenders, front desk could also be friendlier, the Grill shack (my word)...the food was burnt (many times that we tried it) and the reception was always unfriendly there.

Notwithstanding, better management/staffing, more restaurants opening on a nightly basis to ease the wait times, greater variety of food options available during the day (between breakfast - lunch and then again between lunch-dinner), together with a better variety of drinks at the bar would make this hotel close to perfection.

We still look forward to returning once re-opened.

Date of Stay: April 2023