Sandals Regency La Toc

Sandals Regency La Toc calls itself the "Emerald of the Caribbean." The lime-green façade with its white gingerbread detailing is a surprise upon arrival, springing up from a lush, green-forested canopy. Opened in 1993, the resort is the most established of the three Sandals on St. Lucia. It's also the least stylish, with decor in the lobby and in some of the rooms in need of updating.

Like all Sandals resorts, La Toc caters to couples and honeymooners, offering an all-inclusive vacation with bottomless cocktails, several dining opportunities, and the convenience of partaking in a variety of activities from water sports to casual games of croquet.

Guests may choose La Toc over other resorts on the island because of its golf. The sloping nine-hole course is a fine opportunity for new couples to introduce their spouse to the sport, as it is a casual setting that requires the guidance of a local caddy. Other gathering spots at La Toc include the main oceanfront pool, which offers cascading waterfalls, a swim-up bar, and steps that connect directly to the Pavilion restaurant and a bar with nearby billiard tables. As the day progresses, and the drinks starting flowing, the noise level at the pool rises. The scene is slightly calmer, but no less dramatic, at the Sunset Bluff pool which also has a swim-up bar, cascading waterfalls, and stunning views of the sea.

A few steps below the main pool, separated by a fortress like stone wall, is a pleasant half-mile crescent of brown-sugar sand bordered by crystal Caribbean blue water. Despite its calm appearance, guests need to be wary of a rip tide and pay attention to the posting of flags -- the red flag means no swimming. Most camp out in hooded lounge chairs (there are no umbrellas) and order drinks via their private butler; guests can also jump into an ongoing volleyball game. The public beach is prone to rouge vendors and the occasional local businessperson peddling excursions.

La Toc's mature grounds and flowering gardens are a major asset. Meandering paths lead to romantic gazebos where guests can arrange couples massages or private dining. The oceanfront cabanas with oversized day beds and pergola tops draped with breezy fabric are a hit with couples who want to lounge, and cost a daily fee that includes concierge service.

The entrance to Sandals Regency La Toc is deceiving. A turn off a busy highway is just the beginning of a mile-long drive through forested grounds sloping toward towering lime-green façade with its white gingerbread trim. The resort sits on an established 210-acre estate with rolling hills leading to dramatic cliffs, and a half-mile crescent shaped beach hugging the clear blue Caribbean waters.

• 10-minute drive to Castries
• 15-minute drive to George F. L. Charles Airport
• 15-minute drive to Sandals Halcyon Beach Resort
• 20-minute drive to Rodney Bay Village
• 25-minute drive to Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa and Beach Resort
• 65-minute drive to Soufriere
• 65-minute drive to Hewanorra International Airport

The resort's 331 rooms and suites fall into 19 different categories with three levels of service. Guests of butler-serviced rooms and suites are given a cell phone that allows them to dial up a dedicated butler to assist with their needs -- from unpacking luggage, to ordering drinks at the beach or pool, to booking spa treatments and dinner reservations, to arranging a private dinner at the oceanfront gazebo. Butler-serviced guests are truly VIPs, with lounge chairs reserved for them poolside, priority reservations at La Toc and Kimono's, 24-hour room service, and private airport transfers. These rooms are located throughout the property, with the most luxurious being the Millionaire Villas Suites. Set on the highest point of Sunset Bluff, the suites feature private pools and whirlpools and rotating 46-inch plasma TVs. The Sunset Bluff Oceanview One-Bedroom Butler Suites and Sunset Bluff Honeymoon One-Bedroom Butler Suites were added in 2016 and look the most contemporary. All have spa-like bathrooms with freestanding soaking tubs.

Club Sandals is the resort's second tier of service. It allows access to a team of concierges and a private 24-hour club lounge, an air-conditioned haven where guests can meet with the concierge to plan their stays. Club Sandals guests also receive chilled towels and champagne at check-in, weekly hosted cocktail parties, martini evenings, and wine tastings. Rooms have well stocked bars and mini-fridges, as well as room service. Guests in the lowest tier of rooms do not have butler service or access to Club Sandals, but they are still able to access everything on property.

Rooms vary in decor and color palettes, with those in Emerald Village featuring traditional colonial Caribbean style, with four-poster beds, carved mahogany furniture, pineapple and parrot lamps, and rugs with palm frond patterns. Rooms located in Pitons Village are set in bright blue buildings and feature a more modern look with neutral and cool blue color palettes, wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, nautical artwork, marble floors, and bathrooms with oversized vessel sinks and smart glass-tiled showers. Rooms within the Sunset Bluff enclave display touches of Creole Caribbean style with gingerbread trim, carved mahogany furniture, beach-inspired artwork, and accents pillows in bright blues and yellows. Bathrooms are more traditional with dark green marble vanities and matching tile work in the showers.

All rooms come equipped with king-sized beds, air-conditioning, mini-refrigerators stocked with beverages, coffee and tea facilities, free Wi-Fi, and tile floors.

The resort's nine-hole golf course satisfies the one amenity that certain guests will miss at most other resorts on St. Lucia. In addition, La Toc has a dedicated diving school with a pool just for those looking to get scuba certified.

A spa with columned outdoor terraces for massage, outdoor whirlpools, a salon, and beachside couples massage treatments cater to those seeking romance and pampering. A full menu of water sports as well as random outdoor activities such as ping-pong, lawn chess, basketball, tennis, billiards, croquet, and shuffleboard are scattered around the 210-acre property.

In the evening, after dinner at one of La Toc's nine restaurants, the focus turns to a rotating schedule of themed nights, including a late-night chocolate buffet. Beer enthusiasts and sports fans head to Cricketer's Pub, a dark and cozy place with a line-up of unique beers and ales while those seeking a quieter atmosphere head to the nautically themed Herbie's Piano Bar.

Founded in 1972, Sandals La Toc Golf Club was acquired by Sandals in 1993. The course was designed by Richard Kolan and features a series of nine holes that wind through a lowland valley lined with mango, apple, cashew, and magnolia trees before ascending to the dramatic hole 7, a par-5 that reveals ocean views from the tee box. A clubhouse features a small but adequate golf shop and an outdoor terrace that overlooks the course.

Golf at Sandals La Toc includes greens fees and PGA-certified golf clinics, once a week.

The following are for an additional fee:

• PGA Golf lessons
• Mandatory caddies
• Optional Yamaha golf carts
• TaylorMade club rentals for men and women
• Adidas golf shoe rentals