Bridal

Ladera is one of those wonderful hideaways that sneak up on you. Quite invisible from the winding road, suddenly you find yourself in a wonderfully romantic hilltop retreat. Taking full advantage of its spectacular natural surroundings high up in the hills of St Lucia, each of Ladera’s 32 suites has an ‘open wall’ inviting one of the world’s most breathtaking views into your suite. The island’s soaring Pitons (a World Heritage site) are right there in front of you. Each suite is completely private and safe, despite its open nature and features its own private pool or plunge pool 1100 feet up above the Caribbean Sea. Alongside the luxurious linens and the usual hairdryers and fluffy bathrobes, there are binoculars for wildlife spotting and a star chart.

Dasheene is the hotel’s restaurant, and one that is raved about throughout the region for both its cuisine and its location. Where else can you find hummingbirds buzzing round your table and the site of the Pitons and ocean laid out in front of you? Try the sugar cane shrimp and lamb curry with coconut risotto.

Ladera’s Ti Kai Posé spa (in local patois means ‘little house of rest’) features indulgent treatments inspired by St Lucia’s volcanic history and the lush rainforest that surrounds this peaceful retreat. The four treatment rooms are in keeping with the same intimate design and scale of Ladera’s suites. Treatments are also available in the privacy of your own suite. Couples can also try the new Mineral Pools in the spa gardens. Drawn directly from the source at the Diamond Mineral Baths near Soufriere (French for sulphur) where it’s rumoured that Napoleon’s Empress Josephine bathed. A mineral soak is a great pre-massage relaxation or simply a great way to wind down after a day on the beach or hiking.

A five-night honeymoon in a Petit Piton Suite with plunge pool costs from £1721 per person with flights, private air-conditioned transfers and access to a private lounge at Gatwick. Honeymooners receive a bottle of chilled Champagne on arrival, one-hour couple’s massage at the Ti Kai Posé spa, an excursion to the mineral baths and dinner for two at Dasheene Restaurant. The same honeymoon package in a Hilltop Dream Suite costs from £2151 per person.