Almond Resorts' Morgan Bay Upgrades

Travel Agent was recently on site in St. Lucia to see the renovated Smugglers Cove. Almond representatives also showed off their original St. Lucia property, Morgan Bay Beach Resort, giving us a glimpse of what Almond's second all-inclusive will look like when it is again fully operational. 

 Waterfront dining at St. Lucia's Morgan Bay Beach Resort MorganBay underwent a similar transformation in '05 when Almond purchased the long-standing property and poured about $25 million into it. Now, it is investing another $15 million to put in 25 additional Deluxe Rooms, scheduled to be complete by late July.

Smaller and more intimate than the 60-acre Smugglers Cove, Morgan Bay, at 20 acres, currently has 75 One-Bedroom Suites and 25 Deluxe Rooms. Onsite are tennis courts and an array of water activities, including scuba diving, jet skiing and banana boats. All water sports are included.

We recommend the Standard Rooms; Standard Room number 723 was impressive, with a floor-to-ceiling window and a small balcony overlooking the swimming pools, plus a full-sized bed.

Almond Vacations, the in-house tour operator of Almond Resorts, is now being handled by Travel Impressions. Travel agents can book either via Almond Vacations or their favorite of the eligible tour operators, which include Mark Travel, Apple Vacations and American Express. There is a 10 percent commission available to agents.

Pathways wind around its 20 acres

Amenities for Kids and Couples

Smugglers Cove has attracted more families since it reopened in February, while MorganBay tends to host more couples. Both resorts, however, work for both types of clientele. MorganBay, for example, has both facilities for children and romantic beach settings for couples. MorganBay has a Mini Club for children up to 24-months old, a nursery for children ages two to four, a Kids Club for children five to 12 and a Teens Club for those 13 and up.

Also, the property is doing its share to help St. Lucia's farmers. In an effort to be environmentally friendly, as all Almond Resorts are, MorganBay entered into an agreement to buy produce only from local farmers to ensure a better quality product and to avoid flying in imported fruits and vegetables. Each farm works to a calendar contract and plants its crops according to the purchase requirements of the resort.

Almond's Environmental Programs Director Loreto Duffy-Mayers works with the St. Lucia Department of Agriculture to keep tabs on the organic growing methods used at the farms on the Almond suppliers list and to grade each one.

MorganBay is about five to 10 minutes away from the island's major airport. It has a doctor on call and nurses on property from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The small fitness center is open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

All Almond Resorts offer a 10 percent commission to agents. For booking information for any Almond Resorts property, call Reservations Manager Scott Bulger at 800-4ALMOND, ext. 126.