Harbour Vista Inn

My wife and I had to leave our cruise ship because my wife had developed severe bronchopneumonia and required hospital treatment. The Port Authority booked us in to the Harbour Vista Inn (HVI) as virtually the only available accommodation in the Castries area. I did not reach the HVI until gone midnight on Christmas Eve/Christmas morning but was welcomed by James the owner. I was booked in for a couple of nights initially as the length of my stay was an unknown quantity but this was not a problem for James. He was incredibly friendly, personable and most of all flexible. I had to move rooms 3 times and spent 1 night on a mattress in the office which was not a problem for either of us. The HVI is set on the hillside above the ferry terminal shanty town and overlooking the whole harbour and is a little hard to find because the road to it is temporarily cut. Although there were a lot of barking dogs and noisy cockerels, not uncommon overseas, the location was really lovely and quite peaceful. Yes, the accommodation is a little basic, but very clean, comfortable and easy going. Throughout the whole of my stay of 8 days, James was very attentive and concerned, providing a very tasty breakfast every day and an evening sandwich in extremes. However, for me, the biggest plus was that William, an old school friend of James, lived close by and he provided a thoroughly reliable, safe and secure taxi service whenever I needed it. Travelling daily to sit with my wife all day would have been extremely difficult if I had had to rely on taxis which, in any event, were non-existent over the holiday period. More importantly, William at no extra cost, frequently made quite large diversions so I could go to the bank, supermarkets for food and drink not provided by the hospital, pharmacies and even another hospital to get supplies not available at the main public hospital. And, having brought my wife and I back to HVI when she was eventually discharged he stayed with us the next day for 3 hours when we returned to complete the discharge process and then a day later drove us on the one and a half hour journey to the main airport for our medical repatriation flight home. The care, attention and I am not afraid to say love we received from James and William was fantastic and eased what was a most traumatic event for both of us. We are indebted to James and William and really cannot thank them enough. As an aside, the HVI is ideally suited to and frequently used by backpackers and independent travellers using the inter-island ferry. It is ideally suited to that. Again, our heart felt thanks to James and William.

James (property manager) was so incredibly helpful. Assisted with organising taxis, gave us lots of information about what to do and where to go. We stayed here for one night before we took a ferry to Martinique (only a 10 min walk to the port) and one night on the way back, and he even kept our big suitcases safe for us so we only took smaller bags with us. The property is a great location for the ferry. The rooms are basic but really clean and have fridge kettle etc. To note, there aren’t really restaurants around, we had KFC for dinner because we arrived about 5pm and most things in Castries shut.

We had two separate, one-day stays at this property at either end of a trip to Martinique. The property is located close to the ferry terminal and Castries (10-15 minute walk). However, it is at the top of a steep climb which would not suit everyone. That said, the views are great! Rooms are fully equipped, but basic. Breakfast is available if requested. It would have been nice if there was tea/coffee included, but I suspect the owner would arrange this, if asked. Great for a stopover or for travellers on a budget.

What stood out for me, above everything else, was James, the owner of the property. Nothing was too much trouble. Whilst the rooms might be quite basic, and yes, you have to share a bathroom, the place is spotlessly clean throughout. In addition, the kitchen has everything you might need. And of course there is that AMAZING view across the harbour. Whilst the walk up the hill, to reach the property, is an inconvenience, it’s well worth it. Only a five minute walk to the ferry, this budget accommodation is a great choice for your springboard to or from the island of St Lucia.

Petit hôtel familial très bien placé . 8 mins à pied du centre ville. 5 mins de la gare maritime. Nous sommes allé chercher un repas a emporter au resto philippin en ville que nous avons mangé sur la terrasse, face a la vue incroyable. Nous recommandons.