My husband and I stayed at Crystals for 5 nights in late February 2023. Normally we stay at high-end all-inclusives when we visit the Carribean and Mexico (solely for the ease), but we were going to celebrate our 20th anniversary (a few months early) and wanted something special and unique. Crystals hit the mark!

We stayed in the Papaya Villa, and it was more than enough room for the two of us. Clean, well-appointed and the views! Hands down the view from Papaya was the best we could have gotten anywhere on the island, period. Everywhere from inside the main room were views, views and more views. Absolutely stunning!

Every person working at Crystals cares about you and you feel like you are the only people there. Service is outstanding from the staff, whether you are staying at one of the villas or there for dinner and drinks. Our villa and our pool and deck area were cleaned daily. Breakfast was delivered every morning at the time we set, and featured so much variety, we hardly felt we could get through it (but we did). This is included in your stay. Note: They bring the food, but you will use the dishes/glassware for serving (they will clean the dishes with the daily housekeeping, but we always washed up right after eating to prevent bugs).

Dinner at Treetops is wonderful, indian-fusion-inspired and again in the most unique, tree house-type setting. It's a fixed menu every night ($70US/person - and worth every penny), but changes each night. You will not get bored. We ate twice while there. The bartenders (Hamilton and Ted) at Treetops restaurant are the best, and again, deliver a unique experience - every drink is custom-made for you, there is no bar menu, but instead you tell them what you like and they deliver the most amazing cocktails (of course you can get beer, wine, etc. if that's your thing), and drink prices are very reasonable (a huge plus!) You can mix and mingle with others if you like (guests, bartenders, or the owners Monica and Martin). It felt like we were a guest in their home.

We must mention their concierge Bradly and his team, specially Jonavin. Badley took care of everything transport/excursions. When we first arrived (we came by a different transport from the airport), he came up to our villa to check on us and set up a time the next day to plan our stay. This being our first time in St. Lucia, Bradley asked what we were interested in doing, and he arranged the most amazing custom adventures (complete with an the best rum punch and Pitons!) and made fantastic recommendations for beaches to visit (we went to Paradise Beach - affordable and great snorkling) and Anse Mamim (expensive, and we knew this going in, but worth it).

Here are some helpful (we hope) tips:

- The walk to Papaya Villa is a steep path, and may be a problem for someone with mobility issues. We walked around the grounds to see the outside of the other villas, and some seem more accessible. Papaya does have steps and stairs in the main bath/bed and in the main living area. Just something to consider.
- This is not your typical hotel-type setting: When we arrived, we were taken immediately to our villa (it was about 4pm) upon getting out of the cab. They came to us later to see how we were settling in, take care of room balances, set up breakfast, etc. You didn't have to leave the villa to do anything and there was no waiting. It was an unconventional "check-in" but it got us to the villa and those view even quicker!
- The kitchen is fantastic, and well-stocked. But if you plan on cooking, try to do so while there is daylight because there is little lighting above the stove. We cooked in 3 nights and it was already dark each night by the time we got around to it; wasn't impossible, but would have liked more light. There was dish liquid (no dishwasher), and we washed everything right away (again, didn't want to tempt bugs). The sponge had definitely seen better days, I would have brought my own, but it worked.
- Bugs: They are there, mostly outside, and honestly it was not a problem at all (we did keep things tidy/cleaned/organized in gallon ziplock bags) and we brought Off! mosquito coils and burned those from late afternoon until they went out. Not one bite the entire 6 days we were there. And we kept the sliding doors open all day bc of the breeze. Never used our DEET or Off bug spray, just the coils.
- They provide bar soap and dish liquid, but nothing else. Bring your own shampoo/cond/lotion. Not a big deal, but we ran out of our tiny travel items and had to pick something up at the grocery after an excursion one day.
- We knew this was off the beaten path, and while breakfast was delivered each day and there is a restaurant on site (closed on Thursday and Sunday), we knew we'd need snacks/something to eat if we ended up not going out for dinner off-site after a beach day or excursion. I brought snacks and easy things to make for dinner (frozen pre-grilled chicken and rice for staples) in our luggage. Our driver stopped at the grocery on the way from our airport transfer (it's only 10 minutes away) and we bought bottled water, rum, fruit juice mixers, and a few other staples and we were set. The rum is cheap here, and delicious.
- Know going in that this is set in the rainforest, slightly remote and different from from your typical resort and you will have an amazing experience.

We loved Crystals, it's unique setting, wonderful staff and owners that made this the most memorable vacation. We hope to be back!