Jade Mountain

Extraordinary Views

Jade Mountain in St. Lucia is an extraordinary architectural resort built around open-air sanctuaries, private infinity pools and uninterrupted views of the Pitons and Caribbean Sea.

All photography by David Lewis Taylor exclusively for UnnamedProject.com

A Galaxy Sanctuary, located on the south-western corner of Jade Mountain is open on two sides and the large infinity pool overlooks the Caribbean Sea.

Jade Mountain

Open Walls, Infinity Pools And The Pitons Beyond

All photography by David Lewis Taylor exclusively for UnnamedProject.com

Some hotels are built to frame a view. Jade Mountain was built to remove everything that gets in the way of one.

Perched high above St. Lucia’s southwestern coast, Jade Mountain remains one of the Caribbean’s most extraordinary pieces of architecture. Designed by architect and owner Nick Troubetzkoy, the resort climbs the hillside in a series of sculptural concrete and stone structures, all oriented toward the Pitons and the Caribbean Sea.

The 29 open-air “sanctuaries” are the defining experience. Many have only three walls; some have two. No conventional windows are separating the room from the landscape, and no television to compete with it. Instead, the architecture opens directly onto the mountains, sea and sky.

Each sanctuary is designed around the view, with an infinity pool extending toward the horizon. In the water, the distinction between pool and Caribbean seems to disappear, with the Pitons rising dramatically in the distance.

It is an architectural idea that still feels remarkably fresh. Jade Mountain doesn’t try to imitate its surroundings or disappear into them. It creates a structure that seems to grow out of the hillside while deliberately leaving its most important wall missing.

Below the resort, Anse Chastanet curves into the coast with a beautiful crescent of beach and clear water, while the larger property extends through tropical forest to the more secluded Anse Mamin. Snorkeling, diving, sailing and exploring the surrounding landscape provide plenty to do, although the architecture makes a compelling argument for doing very little.

From the infinity pool in the foreground to the view of the Piton, the sanctuaries at Jade Mountain Resort seem infinite.

Where The Architecture Disappears And St. Lucia Takes Over

Back at the Jade Mountain Club, the view remains the main event. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or a late cocktail all unfold high above the Caribbean, with the Pitons providing an almost impossibly dramatic backdrop.

Jade Mountain has been around for years, but its central idea hasn’t dated. In a world of increasingly polished resort architecture, there is something wonderfully direct about a hotel that simply removes the wall between you and one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Caribbean. Jade Mountain.

The beach at Anse Chastanet is shaded by tall Palms and a canopy orange flowers on the Flamboyant Trees.

Waiters preparing for dinner at the Jade Mountain Club.

A resort designed to put nothing between you and the Caribbean.

At my early morning breakfast, I felt as if I was waking up with the Pitons. With each sip of locally grown coffee, the light on the Pitons and the bay became more pronounced as the sun rose over the eastern mountains. With an extensive menu of offerings that included seafood delicacies, fine baked goods, a bevy of rich sauces over eggs, gorgeous fresh fruit and berries, and delicious health and energy selections I found the temptations overwhelming. There’s an air of friendliness and casual comfort during breakfast at the Jade Mountain Club which is welcoming, relaxing, and remarkable in light of the precise service and formal presentations. James Beard award-winning chef Allen Susser has created ‘Jade Cuisine’ for the Jade Mountain Club. Executive chef Stefan Goehcke’s innovative fusion of the Caribbean’s richly diverse cuisines with seasonal and local products and produce is elegant in its refrain as the chef allows the inherent flavors to prevail over secondary seasonings. Dinner is a marvelous affair, often lasting nearly 2 hours and including an amuse-bouche, fine wines and spirits, and divine desserts. My course selections included the Caribbean flared Foie gras with plantains, truffle risotto, and then a delicate sautéed Lionfish – each dish was perfect! Highly personable, to the guests who want to engage, and respectful of guests who want romantic privacy the wait staff seems to move with seamless synchronicity through the open-air dining room. Cocoa trees are grown on the resort’s estate and at the onsite chocolate lab, the cocoa is processed into the chocolate served, and sold, exclusively at Jade Mountain. Needless to say, I choose a chocolate dessert to cap my culinary experience. The Chocolate Laboratory offers guests the opportunity to participate in making chocolate and chocolate fanatics can indulge themselves with chocolate body treatments at the resort’s spa.