La Dauphine Estate

Secluded property on the small plantation. More than a hundred yes old, but Very well maintained. People who manage and work on the farm are amazing, very polite, knowledgable about the property and the surrounding nature. There is no AC, but none is needed since it’s actually gets pretty cold, at night, due to the altitude, and we are in the dry season now. Breakfast ($25pp) or/and dinner($45pp) can be requested and is very fulfilling. You can pick grapefruits, oranges, lemons straight from the trees around the house.

The estate is lovely and is located amongst enough activities to fill a week in the Soufriere area of St Lucia. The owner, and couple of staff we met were lovely. However a few things were a little disappointing. The whole estate was only staffed by a gate security guard - there was nobody to talk to in the morning or evening when we returned or to show us the grounds. All on-site food had to be pre-ordered one or two days before. The shower was awful and the one by the pool didn't work. Overall it was a beautiful setting but more of a self-catering set up, in a house that could do with some improvements (basics in kitchen, better shower, games/music/books) to make it more welcoming and homely in the absence of staffing and services that we had to drive to.

Historic and beautiful house. Charles, estate manager gave us the wonderful tour of the plantation and its history. The property itself is well maintained and surrounding by lush green forest that made our stay peaceful and relaxing.

The cottage, pool and entire property was beautiful! Thank you Antonia and Charles for a pleasant visit to your beautiful island and plantation!

We absolutely loved our stay here! The property is dynamite, beautiful surroundings. There was a little confusion with check in as they couldn’t find our reservation, however it was quickly resolved. We were the only guests on site so our family had a lots of privacy. Antonia is there if you need anything and prepared some lovely meals. Charles gave us a tour of the plantation and is very well informed of the history of the Estate. We would definitely stayed again of given the opportunity! If your looking for other dinning options the resort close by has good food at Bamboo restaurant.

Property was very quiet and beautiful. The flora was incredible and the farm manager Charles took time to talk to us about was he grows there and the process for preparing cocoa beans. It was wonderful to get to learn from him. The pool was quiet and peaceful and the property manager Antonia checked in to make sure our needs were met. The only thing I would say is bring food and water because it’s about a 10-15min drive to the market and most of the food options nearby are hotel restaurants.

The location is incredible; and the plantation beautiful. It’s very private, safe and quiet. The pool is stunning; as well as the view. Chateau Lafitte was a great option with two young kids. Antonia was accommodating and helpful.

We had a fabulous three days at La Dauphine staying in Chateau Lafitte. The property was perfect for our needs and Antonia made us feel very welcome when we arrived. The setting on a working plantation is simply stunning and we were very lucky to meet Charles the estate manager who was frankly inspiring to talk to. His knowledge and passion for managing the plantation including the Cocoa production was just so interesting to hear. We used this as a base to visit the south and hiked Tet Paul (great views) and Gros Piton (tough but enjoyable hike), along with the volcano mud baths and nearby waterfalls. We loved the tranquility of staying on the estate and the pool was great to relax in taking in all the views of the plantation. Highly recommend in combination with their sister property, Villa Beach Cottages in Castries.

Wonderful pool and natural setting. Very helpful staff that were on-site daily. Security on site during evening. Stayed in Chateau Lafitte and it was suitable for 4 people in two bedrooms. Would recommend the big house if you can get it. Get the location of a good inexpensive local restaurant from George the night watchman. Stay away from the resort restaurants (Bamboo, Ladera), and those along the water in Soufriere. Mama Rose's in Laborie also good.

The place is beautiful during the day: the plantation is amazing, full of vegetation, birds and sounds. The pool is stunning and the best part of the estate. Rainforest walk from the back of the garden provides beautiful views. Antonia and Charles are friendly and helpful, although we had to vacate early despite the place not being booked from the same day. Charles provided us with lots if into about the chocolate making, the history of the island and its economy. There was a guard George during night time most nights. The weak aspects are (we stayed in the Chateaux Laffitte) the tired conditions of the house and the amount if creatures that share the house with you. It is a plantation in the rainforest so it could be expected but for us it was just too much, especially with the gigantic spiders walking on the paths, lizards eating flies in the house, cockroaches, moths, ants etc. We were terribly bitten by ?sand flies one evening on Sugar Beach so if you go there, go to the water and then leave and do not stay on the chairs on the right side. Nights are very noisy because of crickets and frogs and this is beautiful and disquieting at the same time, especially as you struggle to fall asleep worrying that the mosquito nets may not protect you. So if you are a nature lover and do not mind lots of creatures then the place is magic. You can see beautiful birds including hummingbirds and the estate team is friendly. But for us it was more challenging than expected. Pool is 5*.

A beautiful house on a historic cocoa plantation, where you truly feel at home in this paradise of a place. The house is large, cozy and comfortable and its wraparound veranda offers stunning views of the plantation at all times so you experience complete privacy. The fresh smells and sounds of the jungle surrounding us calmed our senses as we drank our coffee in the hammock. The pool is right at the house and it too is surrounded by jungle, fruit trees, and the songs of birds. Antonia, the housekeeper, is AMAZING. Her kindness won't be forgotten, and the same goes to George (our security man), and Charles the Estate Manager. A more fine and genuine group of people are hard to find in this world. We loved our stay, loved the place, and loved the people...we will be back. If you're looking for a surreal place surrounded by privacy and beauty, where you litetally live in a place of stunning history and where you meet three superb caretakers - this is the place for you!

It was a wonderfully relaxing little cottage on an active cocoa farm. Clean, comfortable and charming! Be sure to talk to Charles, the manager, and ask him about St. Lucia.

We arrived here first as the first stop of our 3-stop vacation - we had a great reception and intro to the place - we had a quick dip in the pool, then went for dinner to a nearby restaurant. In the morning we had our breakfast prepared there at the property, had some fresh local fruit, drove to the nearby town to do a quick grocery shopping, then relaxed at the pool the rest of the day. All in all, we had a wonderful time there, the property manager gave us an intro of the history of the place, as well as the cocoa plantation that is producing over 22 tons of cocoa beans a year - all while hosting guest at the property. When we left the property manager gave us a nice bag of fresh fruit grown at the estate - it was really a great touch to top it all off. What a wonderful couple of days at this exceptional place!

Our family of husband, wife and 2 kids stayed for 3 nights at Chateau Lafittte in La Dauphine Estate. We were the only renters, as the main house was empty during our stay. We thoroughly enjoyed the estate surroundings and having access to the fantastic pool. Chateau Laffitte is the small guest house outside the main house. It has a spacious living room, a small but functional kitchen, two moderately sized bedrooms (no A/C) with lots of storage, and one adequate bathroom. Charles, the estate manager, was very helpful and went out of his way to make our stay comfortable and memorable. When we unexpectedly had two flat tires (beware of the pothole ridden roads, rental car companies won't fix flats for you), he had our tires replaced and got us back on the road. He also gave us a fantastic tour of the estate cocoa facilities. Thank you, Charles! Antonia provided daily housekeeping services, which was very helpful. On the downside, it took us a night to get used to the sounds of the forest and the bugs still got us despite the mosquito netting. Also, the wifi signal didn't reach Chateau Laffitte. We had to do the short hike up to the pool area every time we needed to connect or make a wifi call back home. If there had been other guests, this might have been a significant issue.

We had a wonderful stay at La Dauphine. We stayed in Chateau Laffitte with 4 adults and it was perfect. The location was central to great hikes, beaches, and close enough to town for good dinner spots. The highlight was undoubtedly the service (including an impromptu tour of the estate's cacao production). The homey feel and the infinity pool were the cherry on top. Thanks for a great stay!

We loved La Dauphine and wished we could have stayed longer. Wonderful walk up the mountain on the estate. Excellent restaurants nearby.

Our family had a fabulous stay at La Dauphine. While it is not for everyone, it was perfect for us. It is a unique hideaway on a plantation in the St. Lucian rainforest. If you need or expect a standard or fancy hotel, I would not recommend it. But if you want a special experience and are a curious traveler, La Dauphine is the place. The highlight of our stay was the time that Charles spent with us giving us a tour. He was by far the most knowledgeable person we met on the island, and he shared with us the history of the island, the plantation, and his own family. We were all spellbound by his explanation of the many crops grown on the plantation, and his careful demonstration of how to grow, harvest, and use cocoa and coconut is something that will be remembered. Our kids were enthralled. We hope to return to La Dauphine.

Beautiful plantation and privacy was amazing venue. Fresh squeezed grapefruit and orange juice...picked from the trees in the plantation. Lovely, relaxing infinity pool...day and night

Very kind staff and a beautiful getaway. The house is well suited for families with a rented car for travel. However, it is fairly remote with one restaurante within walking distance with a narrow road, so I would plan for this factor when arranging travel. The staff was very kind and the location was genuine, quiet, and relaxing.

The hotel communicated very well via email, and arrange a drive who picked me up at the airport and took me to the hotel. We arrived and the drive carried my 50 lb bag with scuba gear up 50 stairs to a empty hotel, boarded up, with no one around. After 10 min he called someone and they told him someone would come let me in in 10 minutes. A very nice woman came and opened the door and said here is your room. I asked where is everyone and she said they all checked out this am. I asked if anyone is on site or coming back and was told no., but a security guard is someone on the property. I ask where and he was not identified. I asked about food or a restaurant and it was a half mile walk, down a mountainous road... and no car or driver. I asked about a telephone and was told is broke that morning.... I am a single female and was not going to stay on a empty property in a remote area by myself so I immediately asked the woman who met me to help me find a driver to another hotel. She was very accommodating but when I later talked to the manager of this hotel she informed me that this was the way I booked it and no guarantee of anyone on site or phone etc. Really....