Le Francois

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Le Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa

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MoDean
MoDean
First Reviewer
5 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
4
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Editor Pick

Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa

  • August 22, 2005
  • Rated 5 of 5 by MoDean from New York, New York
Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa

To get to Cap Est Lagoon Resort & Spa, a Relais & Chateaux resort, you drive through the affluent town of Le Francois, down a long road enveloped in banana trees, to an inconspicuous gated entrance. Except for the breeze ruffling through palm fronds, it’s a quiet drive onto the beautiful, understated grounds. Upon arrival at the main building, you’re handed a cool washcloth and poured a glass of iced tea with mint. You can literally feel the motion of the day settling into stillness.

And that’s all before you’re shown your room. The moment I stepped into mine, I began planning to barricade myself inside when check-out day came. The furnishings were inspired by a mix of African and Asian design and upholstered with colorful native fabrics. The bamboo and Martinican mahogany, tiled floors, mosquito net draped over the bed, and wide swathe of windows along the back wall that revealed a tranquil view of the ocean all gave the room a clean, exotic, peaceful feel. I could immediately see the distinct downside to staying at Cap Est: you’d never want to leave your room.

Even the most basic Garden suites are lavish, but if you can swing it, book a Deluxe suite to enjoy my two favorite features. First, it’s not often you come home from vacation raving about your hotel room’s shower, but this one was outdoors. And yes, it was totally private, surrounded by an 8-foot grass-and-reed "wall", edged by flowers and plants, with a huge silver showerhead that simulated rainfall—all underneath the open sky. The second thing? My suite had a private outdoor plunge pool looking out to the ocean. I jumped in as quickly as I could find my swimsuit and floated in an afternoon rain shower. I’m pretty sure it couldn’t get much better than that.

For the foodies, the on-site evening restaurant, La Belém, has been written up in many a travel and food magazine. Its 3-Michelin-star chef creates an innovative seasonal fusion menu that’s worth the stay alone. A typically inventive dish I enjoyed there was designed around the notion of "three eggs"—a salty sea urchin egg covered in a creamy yolk mixture and topped with caviar. I loved that the dish had a creative concept behind it beyond culinary technique—it was the thinking woman’s gastronomic experience. For lunch, the beach café La Campeche served up simpler island fare.

And if you ever drag yourself out of your room beyond mealtimes, you can lounge in the sun on two small beaches or by the side of the gorgeous resort pool, and the Guerlain spa comes highly recommended as well. The irony is that, when you can take midnight dips under the stars in your private pool and watch the ocean sway itself awake from your deck in the mornings as you sip an espresso from the in-room machine, you don’t even need all the fabulous extras.

From journal An Unexpected Gourmet Turn Along the Beaten Path

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