What exactly is the Certificate of Excellence? According to this TripAdvisor press release, it “celebrates hospitality excellence and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor.”

The press release continues: “Winners of the Certificate of Excellence are located all over the world and represent the upper echelon of businesses listed on the website, with only the top 10 percent receiving the prestigious award.”

“To qualify for the Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months.”

Marigot Beach Club management would like to extend heartfelt thanks to guests for rating our business so highly, and to our staff whose hard work in keeping guests happy is very much appreciated.

On 1st May 2013 see Rob ‘Zi’ Taylor and TC Brown at this free jazz event at Doolittle’s Restaurant and Bar, Marigot Bay, St Lucia – bring your friends and family!

See you there?

How about this for a last minute special offer?

Until 30th April 2013, all double room occupancy categories are as low as US$90 per night.

In the package:

To find out more, please see this PDF file with more details and information about how to book.

The Great Pink Sea Snail from the movie Doctor Dolittle (1967)

When Rex Harrison stood on the shores of Marigot Bay in 1967 filming the above scene from the movie Doctor Dolittle, neither he nor his colleagues had so much as an inkling that the fibreglass mollusc would become the subject of a mystery that would not be solved for almost half a century.

The movie was dogged with bad luck, which included upsetting locals on location both in Castle Combe in England and on Marigot Bay in St Lucia; production costs were three times the movie’s original budget, and the film’s revenue after release was only half as much as the film cost to make.

The timing of the Great Pink Sea Snail scene couldn’t have been worse, too. Children in St Lucia had been badly affected by a gastrointestinal illness, caused by freshwater snails; the appearance of the giant movie prop was seen as a great insult to the suffering of these children, and locals reacted angrily, throwing rocks at the prop. According to local legend, when filming finished the snail was dragged out into the Caribbean Sea and sunk, to be lost forever.

But, as so often happens in local legend, the story wasn’t quite correct. Perhaps the snail was dragged out to sea originally, but certainly part of it remained right here in Marigot Bay, or was washed in by the tide; and this large piece of fibreglass snail shell lay hidden in the mangrove swamps for nearly five decades, forgotten it seems by all and sundry.

Fast forward to February 2013, and a local villager by the name of Spadaro is reminiscing with Marigot Beach Club owner David Shimeld about the shooting of the snail scene. Spadaro was about three years old when the movie was made, but had memories of playing in the giant shell before it disappeared. One thing led to another, and Spadaro was persuaded to lead a search for the prop. And, to David’s surprise and delight, a large chunk of the shell was recovered from the mangroves last week.

Spadaro with the piece of shell from Doctor Dolittle’s Great Pink Sea Snail, recovered from mangroves at Marigot Bay in 2013

What does the future hold for this wonderful relic from the much-loved classic children’s movie? It didn’t take David long to decide. The shell will take pride of place on the wall at our restaurant and bar which, if you didn’t know already, is called… Doolittle’s!

A special dinner with the one you love is the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, especially when you’re dining al fresco overlooking the calm, clear sea on one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful bays.

At Doolittle’s Restaurant and Bar we like to do our bit to help patrons enjoy the perfect romantic evening, and that’s why we’ve put together a special Valentine’s menu featuring three delicious courses that will set the scene for romance.

To find out more, please download the Doolittle’s Valentine’s Menu (PDF, opens in new tab/window).

Saint Lucia Jazz

Saint Lucia Jazz has become one of the major events on Saint Lucia’s calendar, and one of the most anticipated annual events in the Caribbean.

During the month of May, the island dances to the beat of jazz when music fills the air and tourism takes on a whole new meaning to all.

What started as simply a marketing event to boost St Lucia’s tourism industry during a low period, has developed into a truly Saint Lucian festival.

The premiere musical festival in the English speaking Caribbean – Saint Lucia Jazz – takes place between April 30 and May 12, 2013.

Saint Lucia Jazz 2013 special at Marigot Beach Club & Dive Resort

Stay 3 nights or more between April 30th and May 12th, 2013 to qualify for this amazing Saint Lucia Jazz special offer for only US$155.00 per person per night.

The offer includes:

*Lunch and dinner do not include any alcoholic beverages, shrimp, steak, lobster or any other shellfish/seafood.

To book, please call us on +1 758 451 4974 or email info@marigotbeachclub.com – please make sure you mention the Jazz special offer at the time of booking.

The Pitons, St Lucia

Tropical rainforest, Caribbean sunshine, spectacular dive sites and romance combine to make St Lucia the holiday destination that dreams are made of. Here’s some useful information to bear in mind before you visit.

The Caribbean island of St Lucia is warm, beautiful and friendly – and is also one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the world. Popular with divers, adventurers and couples seeking a romantic getaway, Saint Lucia is a true paradise and an idyllic holiday destination.

If you’re planning a visit to St Lucia, it’s worth knowing a bit about the island before you visit. Here is some useful information about the island to note before you travel.

1. Geography and people

At just 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, St Lucia is a small island which is part of the Windward Islands in the Caribbean Sea, between Martinique (21 miles away) and St Vincent (26 miles). The island of Barbados is 110 miles away, to the south east of St Lucia.

The island’s climate is sub-tropical, with tropical showers between June and November. These showers are usually sudden and over pretty quickly.

St Lucia is an independent democratic nation and is part of the British Commonwealth. While English is the official language of the island and is spoken very widely, St Lucians also speak a French Creole – Kweyol – commonly known as ‘Patois’. The vast majority – some 80% – of St Lucians are Roman Catholic. In common with the UK, St Lucians drive on the left hand side of the road, and mostly use three-pin square plugs on their electrical appliances – so remember to bring an adaptor when you visit the island from a country that doesn’t use three-pin square plugs.

2. Getting to St Lucia

There are two airports on the island. The international airport – Hewanorra at Vieux Fort – is served by a number of international airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, British Airways and Liat. The second airport – George F L Charles airport at Castries – is the airport for inter-island flights.

Cruise lines and local ferries tie up daily at Port Castries (the island’s main sea port) and Soufriere. Cruise ships anchor at Pointe Seraphine and La Place Carenage. There are marinas at Marigot Bay and Rodney Bay; unsurprisingly, St Lucia is a very popular destination for sailing enthusiasts.

3. Getting around the island

Minibus is a popular mode of transport for getting around St Lucia – but there isn’t a scheduled timetable, so knowing when to expect a bus can take a bit of practice! The minibus/bus is a very cost effective mode of transport, with fares ranging between EC$2.50 and EC$8.00 depending on the route.

Car is also a popular way to get around the island, with car hire available at several locations around St Lucia including airports, hotels and car hire outlets in the island’s main towns. Taxi, too, is a popular and convenient way for tourists to travel, although of course this can be a fairly expensive way to get around if you’re making many trips.

One of the nicest ways to see Saint Lucia is by taking a water taxi trip. Fares vary depending on the operative and the length of the trip. Ask your water taxi operative to show you the bat caves – this is really quite an experience!

4. Shopping in St Lucia

There are several great places to go shopping in St Lucia, the majority of these being in Castries and Rodney Bay. Castries Market, Pointe Seraphine and La Place Carenage – all in the island’s capital, Castries – are all highly recommended. Many of the island’s larger hotels have shops, boutiques or market stalls of one kind or another.

Duty free shopping is available at Pointe Seraphine and La Place Carenage (remember to show your passport), and at Hewanorra Airport’s departure lounge. The duty free allowance into St Lucia is 200 cigarettes or 250g or 50 cigars, and one litre of spirits or one litre of wine.

5. Money matters

St Lucia’s currency – the Eastern Caribbean Dollar, currency code XCD – is linked to the US dollar at a rate of US$1 to EC$2.70. You’ll find that US dollars are accepted in many shops, bars and restaurants around the island, and often you’ll see prices listed in both US and EC dollars – so do make sure you know which is which before you order.

Banks on the island are open from 8am to 2pm Monday to Thursday, and from 8am to 5pm on Fridays. Major international credit and debit cards are widely accepted around St Lucia, but should you find you need to withdraw cash during your stay, there are plenty of ATMs around the island.

Tips are not automatically added to bills, but it is customary on St Lucia to tip bell hops, taxi drivers and other service providers about 10-12% of the bill.  On hotel and restaurant bills a government tax of 8% is added, while a 10% service charge is also applicable (sometimes these are included in the price you’ve been quoted, so if in doubt it’s best to ask).

Compliments of the season to all of our website visitors, restaurant patrons and hotel guests!

If you’re going to be in the Marigot Bay area this Christmas or New Year, why not book in at Doolittle’s for a Christmas Eve dinner, or join us for New Year’s Eve where there will be delicious three-course meals at great prices as well as fire eating, limbo dancing and a massive fireworks display.

We’re also hosting a wine and cheese party on Christmas Eve.

To find out more, please click the links below to view our special menus (PDFs, open in new tabs/windows).

We wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year, and look forward to seeing you again soon!

As well as all the delicious food available at our restaurant, Doolittle‘s, we’ve recently added something new and very exciting to the eating options at Marigot Beach Club and Dive Resort.

Our new eaterie, “Gourmet Pizza”, does exactly what it says on the tin. The mouthwateringly tasty pizzas on offer at Gourmet Pizza are way beyond what you’d find at any high street pizza chain. We source fresh, local ingredients – many of them organic – and arrange them on a delicious home made thin crust base.

You can choose to eat in or take away – ideal for those evenings when you’d like to chill on your veranda instead of socialising at the bar – and with a great range of toppings to choose from, there’s something to suit all tastes.

If you’d like to see what’s on the menu at Gourmet Pizza, please visit our eating and drinking page and scroll down to the blue box where you can download the menu in PDF format.

We’re delighted to announce that we are now accepting advance bookings for Marigot Beach Club Spa and Wellness Retreat, for guests arriving on or after 1st December 2012.

Over the past few months we’ve been working on constructing new buildings that will soon offer a variety of health and wellness treatments including infra-red sauna, hydrotherapy, flotation tank and steam room.

In addition to these therapies, we’ll be offering a range of other healthy activities including yoga, meditation, pilates, water aerobics and much more.

The menus at Doolittle’s have also been adjusted to offer a wider range of healthy and vegetarian options, and over the coming months we’ll be introducing a super-healthy raw food menu for those guests that enjoy (or want to try) the huge array of benefits that a raw, living diet can offer. What’s more, we’re launching a fresh juice bar where your juice is pressed while you wait, and a gourmet pizza parlour where the emphasis is on tasty, healthy, organic ingredients.

As if all that wasn’t exciting enough, we’re also thrilled to welcome on board some wonderful healthy living experts who will share their views and advice with our visitors by publishing a series of exclusive articles on the blog at our new health retreat website, which you won’t be able to read anywhere else. The first of these special guest authors is Alynn Davis, an acclaimed raw food chef, nutritionist, personal trainer and lifestyle coach – visit the new blog now to read Alynn’s first article.

To find out more about what’s on offer at Marigot Beach Club Spa and Wellness Retreat, to see our treatments price list and to read the first guest blog post, please visit the retreat’s website at www.marigothealthretreat.com.