StolenTime by Rendezvous

If being positioned right next to an active runway and a cemetery, with horses running up and down the beach is your thing, StolenTime might work for you. For us, celebrating our honeymoon, it fell completely short of expectations.

To give credit where it is due: the food was very good, and the bedroom itself was quiet and comfortable.

However, we were expecting something special. What we found felt much more like a standard, mass-market package holiday destination. For a different type of trip, it might have been perfectly adequate, but it looks nothing like the romantic retreat promised in the promotional photos.

We stayed in a Garden View King, which sits in a row of dozens of cookie-cutter rooms. The room and maintenance issues were immediately apparent:

• The shower: Very poor water pressure, which we were told is simply "normal for the resort."

• The basin & fixtures: The shaver socket did not work, and the basin wouldn't hold water. It took two attempts for maintenance to fix the shaver socket, and while we were assured the basin was sorted, it still emptied itself within five minutes.

• Structural defects: Throughout the night, there was a bizarre, loud rushing sound that at first sounded exactly like an aircraft engine throttling up on the runway but never taking off. Shortly before leaving, I discovered the cause: a gap of a few millimetres between the window frame and the wall. The air conditioning was drawing outside air through this gap, creating a constant, disruptive whistle.

The all-inclusive package is decent for food, but do not expect a quality wine selection. Everything offered was at the very basic, entry-level end of Chilean wine. If you want anything else off the à la carte list, expect to pay upwards of $40+ a bottle. The evening entertainment also felt incredibly dated - one night featured a "Dancing with the Stars" style event that blasted music so loudly across the main area that we couldn't hear ourselves speak and were forced to retreat to our room.

The most disappointing element, however, was the service culture from management. Because of the unresolved room issues and the overall vibe, we decided to cut our stay short to return to our previous resort. Before leaving, the management team requested a meeting with us. We clearly outlined our disappointments, and their immediate response was effectively, "We delivered what you booked, so there won’t be a refund." We found this an unnecessarily defensive and combative stance - particularly since we hadn't even asked for a refund; we simply wanted to exit.

To claim they "delivered" is highly debatable given the unaddressed maintenance and structural flaws in the room, but more importantly, the resort is simply not the premium retreat it is marketed to be.

I do not want this review to sound like a mindless whinge; many guests there seemed perfectly happy. But as a couple in our 50s looking for a premium, romantic honeymoon experience, StolenTime missed the target entirely. We cut our losses and returned to Anse Chastanet, where we were greeted like long-lost friends and were actually able to enjoy our trip.

We will certainly not be returning.

What a wonderful holiday at Stolentime! This was our second visit, having been there originally 2 years ago, and we were hoping it would be as good as we remembered and it certainly was. It was great to see so many familiar faces and that is a credit to the hotel that staff retention is so high. Everyone at the hotel, in all departments, want to make sure that the guests are happy and enjoying themselves. The ethos of great customer service comes directly from the General Manager, Lisa and her team, who were very visible around the hotel and engaging with guests. The quality of the food in all three restaurants was excellent and always beautifully presented. A very wide range of drinks was available and having the champagne hour was an added bonus. The bar staff were excellent & quickly remembered your drink preference. In addition to the 3 restaurants, afternoon tea was served daily. So there was certainly no shortage of delicious food or drinks. So many staff really made our stay memorable including Dean (watersports), Joachim, Darren, Denzel, Miquel (entertainment team), Jacy, Matilda (restaurants) and so many more. During our stay we celebrated our wedding anniversary and it was made extra special with a specially decorated breakfast table and a bottle of champagne in our room. The hotel is situated on a beautiful sandy beach and having the watersports available was great. There was always something to do if you wanted to (Pilates, yoga, cookery demonstrations, archery….) but there was no pressure to do anything apart from relax and enjoy. Thank you to Lisa and all the staff - we will be back for visit number 3!!

Stolentime resort is at the northern end of Saint Lucia, about 1hr and 20mins from the main international airport, along a winding road, the upside is you get to see most of the Islands interior. Very lush rainforest set among the steep slopes. The resort mirrors the rainforest theme, with a lovely stream winding through established vegetation, creating a pleasant and relaxing atmosphere. There is also a formal pool and of course the stretch of sandy beach, which was litter free with shady spots to linger. The are several areas to eat, being all inclusive the choice is yours. The food was lovely, reasonably portioned on the Al a Carte days, but on the buffet days there was a huge selection of local and international dishes. The staff were very friendly and attentive, always smiling 🙂. My room was lovely and cool, a great retreat from the warmth, with a large balcony, bath and shower. There seems to be a huge selection of activities for the so minded, but if a walk in the morning is your thing, then a jaunt to the lighthouse is a must. If you’re missing a little retail therapy, Massey supermarket is a short walk, and they stock Waitrose goods (a British staple brand) for home sick guests. The one downside is the resort is located very close to the regional airport which has the odd early morning departure which flies over head on occasions. In summary, a great place for a stay long or short, and I am sure I will return soon.