Coco Kreole St. Lucia

Hotel Information: Styled like a plantation house converted to a country inn, this St. Lucia hotel offers moderately priced lodging and a tranquil ambience for travelers seeking poolside relaxation and walking-distance access to Rodney Bay Village's many restaurants. Guests enjoy full access to all facilities at an adjacent 83-room partner hotel.

Amenity highlights: A small rectangular pool fronts the hotel. Guests also may use a 52-m (170-ft) freeform pool up four short flights of steps at an adjacent partner hotel, Coco Palm. Although many guests walk from the hotel to the public beach, the hotel also offers a beach pass, valid for guests at both Coco Kreole and Coco Palm hotels (surcharge). The pass includes a scheduled shuttle ride to and from the beach, use of a beach chair and umbrella, and access to non-motorized watersports. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available throughout both this hotel and the partner hotel and on both hotels' poolside sundecks.

Insider tip: Locals and visitors gather at various spots on Friday nights for outdoor music and food. Many St. Lucians rank the fish fry at Anse La Reye, a central-coast town 25.5 (16 mi) south of the hotel, as the island's best, perhaps because food stalls serve lobster.

Coco Kreole offers 20 guestrooms in a two-story yellow building (no elevator) styled like a Caribbean plantation house. Courtside rooms overlook the parking lot while poolside rooms have a pool view.

Decor includes yellow walls, white fretwork, crown molding, pale tile floors, and brightly colored fabrics. Small bathrooms contain stall showers without tubs or shower/tub combinations.

Compact refrigerators contain complimentary bottled water (on arrival only). Telephones are cordless. Televisions with U.S./international channels, CD players, and VCRs (rental videos available) are supplied. Wireless Internet access is complimentary.