Didn't love it....at all.

We moved here after 7 days at Ti Kaye and boy was it a shock. The entrance, lobby and pool area look and are very nice but when you get up to the room it is a different story.

The remodel money obviously was used in the public areas only. The bedspread looked to be new and there was a new chair but that was it.

The room was large in size but we had to be moved because our a/c didn't work and the first night was spent in muggyville. The hotel did offer to replace the fixture but it was 10pm and we were tired.

The bathroom was just plain gross. We actually wore our beach shoes while in the shower. If you are just looking for a place to crash this is okay (I am sure nicer than some others) but after being spoiled for 7 days (and only a $50 difference in rate between the two hotels) we were expecting more.

I would not stay here again. The food was also so-so. The breakfast was bland and soggy and the lunch that we had (only because it was raining so hard we couldn't go any place else) was non descript.

Next time we are in Rodney Bay we will look for a boutique hotel or home to rent. This just wasn't us.

Great staff. Always cleaning!

We just got back last night from St. Lucia. We were there for a week on a trip booked through Tradewind Tours. The hotel is very nice for budget accomodations. The rooms were a great size, though the shower was a tad small.

Through Tradewind, we had a tour rep set to meet with us on the morning after our arrival. We almost skipped the meeting, but I am so glad we didn't. The first thing we did was arrange for the return of our rental car. The 2 hour, white knuckle drive in from the airport was enough for us. MANY blind hairpin turns with people passing you on the turns. Also, the roads are full of potholes. It was much better to arrange transportation than to worry about dying on vacation while driving.

Birgit, our rep, asked what things we wanted to do, then arranged it all, including a personally guided full day tour to Soufriere and the area. We had lunch at Ladera Resort (Dasheen). I cannot say enough about how wonderful that was.

My only complaint about the area was in regard to loud car stereos in the area. The hotel is at the end of a street which must be a local cruising location. Several nights I was kept awake by excrutiatingly loud car stereos. I even called down to the front desk to ask what could be done. I don't know what he did, but it did get better. This is the same on the beach as well. We could not really escape the loud music, especially on the weekend. Locals drive up to the beach area to hang out. We went to Pigeon Island via ferry for $10 US and loved the quiet, beautiful beach. You have to go there!

Oh yeah, the vendors can be very annoying when you are trying to enjoy your peace and quiet. They usually say something like, "I want you to have this as a gift", then proceed to tell you about the kids they have to support, blah blah blah. It got old telling them no, but it usually worked by just saying it once.

Americans, don't expect to find Sharp Cheddar Cheese anywhere. Everywhere uses white cheddar in dishes with cheese. My favorite Rodney Bay restaurants were The Lime and Spinnakers. Don't expect fast service as well. Everyone is on St Lucia time.

Overall, I had a fabulous time and would not hesitate to recommend the hotel. I wanted to have a massage before leaving, but the Spa was getting some renovations on the last days of our trip.

Wonderful choice!

The Village Inn and Spa is in a great location. While the beach a minute's walk away is not the best beach I've ever seen, it's certainly not awful. It's definitely big and, thus, not very crowded. Besides, the hotel's pool is a fun diversion because of its unique design and is very convenient to any guest room. The breaksfast (included) is hearty and of good quality. The staff is very friendly and accomodating.

From the hotel, you can easily walk to shops, restaurants, and a grocery store. This is not something that can be said for most of the hotels in St. Lucia. Many of the large resorts are very remote. At those resorts, you need to love the setting and the stuff you're paying for because you will have to pay extra to visit any place else on the beautiful island. Meanwhile, the Rodney Bay area where the Village Inn and Spa is found is really a great spot for tourists on vacation and provides a good base from which to see other areas. Sunlink Tours just down the street provided me with a host of great tours that were reasonably priced and included transportation from the hotel. If you are looking for a good, clean hotel that is located within walking distance of a lot of different things, this is a wonderful choice and you will not be disappointed.

Great stay! won't dissapoint

We stayed at the Village Inn and Spa because of a dissapointing arrival at another hotel ( REX PAPILLON). We were so happy to stay at a very clean, newly renovated, and friedly hotel. The pool and jacuzzi were great. We were footsteps from the beach. The rodney bay area is very open and public. So even if you stayed at a hotel on the beach you will still have locals and other hotel goers around you. This area was great compared to others because you could walk around and there were hotels and bars in close walking distance. We loved our stay at the Village Inn and Spa, we woudl return there if we returned to St. Lucia.

Excellent Experience!

This hotel was wonderful! Given the economical price, I was concerned about what I would arrive to, but in the end it was better than I had expected. The hotel staff were very friendly and helpful with any of my travel needs. My room was very comfortable and had a beautiful view of the inside court and pool, which had flowers draping down the balcony's. The maid staff was also terrific!

I did not select the meal package. Our first day included a special welcome dinner which was absolutely delicious, but, I was glad to have not purchased the meal plan because there are so many great restaurants to try...Buzz's (Great Shrimp), Capones (Wonderful Italian - amazing Calamari and Toffano Pie, Charthouse (Good Lobster and Ribs), Spinnakers (Great bar and grill right on the beach - perfect spot for catching sunsets)

The beach (Reduit) was beautiful and was only a minute walk from the hotel as described in their write up (I had wondered if that was an exageration, but it really was a minute or less).

Be forwarned though that the beach is not as wide as some other Carribean locations and depending on how the light hits the water, you may not see that beautiful aqua blue green water like the pictures...but it is there given the right light and angle

I travelled in late March/Early April 2004 and the weather was wonderful...sometimes a bit too hot in fact.

A great way to see the Island is to line yourself up with a local cab driver. We saw the whole island and places we wouldn't have seen otherwise by doing the. The cost was also quite reasonable - i.e. $120-$160 for the entire day of driving.

We also went on the Catamaran ride that took us to Soufriere and all of the main island attraction...i.e. volcano, plantation, waterfalls etc. It was a great to see the coastline from the water - absolutely breathtaking!

La Dera/Dasheene (sp?) is a restaurant not to be missed. I repeat...not to be missed! The view is unbelievable.

All in all, it was a wondeful holiday and I will definitely return to St.Lucia and the Rainbow/The Village Inn and Spa

Great Value

The Rainbow is a very reasonably priced hotel. The all-inclusive package is wonderful and cheap enough to eat out if the meals get boring. There are breakfast and lunch buffets and dinner alternates between buffet and menu nights. The wine is good and the drinks keep flowing. It is an easy walk across the road to a beautiful beach where chairs can be rented for $5 per day (you must negotiate price!). Rooms are large and have a veranda with French doors overlooking a beautiful pool. It is walking distance to restaurants, bars and shopping. I'll definitely stay there again!

Wonderful vacation!

The Rainbow hotel was fabulous. Friendly staff, nice rooms with verandas, close to beach. Restaurants, bars and shops are within walking distance. The location is the best! Cheryl at the tours desk is very knowlegable and helpful and will set you up to see the island. We'll definitely go back to beautiful St Lucia and will stay at the Rainbow.

Perfect

A great hotel in a great location. Just got back from a week at the Rainbow in St Lucia, the hotel is in a perfect location just across the road from the beach and a close walk to some great restaurants. The breakfast buffet is good and don't miss the happy hour at the pool bar, the cocktails are just what you need after a hot day on the beach and the waiters really friendly and a good laugh to chat to. Check out the all-day-happy-hour bar next door, a local haunt with 2-4-1 drinks all day (and night).

Wonderful hotel!!

We have just returned from our trip to the Rainbow Hotel and it was a wonderful experience! This was our third time to St Lucia but our first time to the Rainbow. We cannot say enough good things about this place!

The staff are all friendly and very helpful. We had the standard room, which was clean, comfortable and beautifully decorated. The shower is somewhat small but adequate. The pool is great and very well maintained. The breakfast buffet was excellent. The dinners we had there were very good. There are many other places to eat within a short walking distance. The ocean beach is just across the street and is a beautiful section of beach both for swimming and playing. Weather was great with only an occasional shower. We would highly recommend the Rainbow Hotel to anyone!!

We love St Lucia!

Stayed at Rainbow through an Air Jamaica package in January 2000. We had a ground floor room with 2 queen beds across from the pool, a stone's throw from the bar. I wouldn't recommend the location because of noise, but had no problems with the hotel otherwise. Had a plumbing problem that was fixed promptly. The ability to change money at the front desk was very convenient.Had only one dinner at the hotel's restaurant. Didn't like the food and thought it was overpriced. Maybe the food's better now.We ate a lot at the restaurant next door that sat near the water. Ate many breakfasts there. Ate a lot of dinners at the Chinese restaurant down the street -- it was a bit pricey though. Rainbow is well-located in the Rodney Bay area. Grocery stores, restaurants, banks are all very accessible so that's one thing in its favor. Loved the bakery at the mall. The KFC was good for snacking.All in all, on another visit to St Lucia we'd certainly consider staying at Rainbow again.