The BodyHoliday in St. Lucia is embarking on a $20 million renovation, scheduled for completion in September 2011. International Design Concepts will oversee the project, which will open up the resort to its surroundings while preserving its Caribbean style.
For the revamped arrival experience, the lobby will feature a cool and deep blue color palette with driftwood, mahogany, and beige accents. Giacometti-style artistic statues are positioned at the lobby entrance. In the center of the lobby area, clusters of upholstered seating are centered around a striking crystal chandelier (from the Tzar’s Palace in Russia), making for a convivial environment for socializing with fellow guests. A prominent 14-foot photograph-on-canvas landscape of tropical waters ushers guests from the lobby to the Cariblue courtyard. The color scheme includes natural rattan and wicker, lime green, and stark white.
Each of the resort’s five F&B venues will also undergo a series of updates. The Clubhouse, the center of the action at the BodyHoliday, will receive a complete facelift resulting in a pavilion, piazza, outdoor dining, infinity-edge pool, and boardwalk promenade. A new 360-degree, 17-foot circular Clubhouse Bar occupies a prominent location looking over the beach and out to sea, while the piazza is a multiuse space complete with pagoda umbrellas and casual bistro seating. A trickling natural stone fountain with blue glass mosaic tiles, local Soufriere stone wall with niches of orchids, and lantern-lighting glows as a cozy respite from the larger dining spaces. Outside of The Clubhouse, an oversized 200-year-old chaudière––characteristic of sugar-producing islands––has been creatively transformed over an inviting firepit. In addition, signature restaurant Cariblue will enclose its buffet area and add a classic wood and stone finish wine room to the main dining room.
In the new Penthouse Suite, a private entry staircase leads guests into an open floorplan with spacious living area, towering 11-and-a-half-foot ceilings, cove lighting, and a wet-bar. A free-standing wall unit divides the living and bedroom spaces with a 360-degree rotating flatscreen television for viewing on either side of the suite. In the bathroom, sliding frosted glass doors reveal a bubble chandelier that floats above a soaking tub for two with a view of the sea. The most striking element of the penthouse is the private Turkish-style hammam, which features a marble-slab heated massage bed, marble benches, and walls of mosaic marble. A steam room with a mosaic curved bench and rain-head shower offers guests a unique spa experience in the privacy of their room.
Also new to the resort will be a two-level infinity-edge pool, complete with underwater raised stone seating. The pool, tiled in deep cobalt blue porcelain, will provide guests with additional options for swimming, lounging, and water activities such as volleyball and scuba. Intimate cabanas-for-two contour the upper level of the pool, and the boardwalk features oversized specialty cabanas consisting of two daybeds and a center table.
