Anse Chastanet in Saint Lucia is one of the Caribbean’s most distinctive resorts, with rooms scattered across a steep tropical hillside and tucked into gardens at beach level. The drama of the Pitons, the open-air room designs and the lack of cookie cutter layouts make it unforgettable, but they also make choosing the right room category more complicated than at a typical beach resort. This guide breaks down Anse Chastanet’s main room types, explains what the real-world trade offs look like for views, stairs, breezes, air conditioning and privacy, and offers practical advice on which categories usually provide the best value for different kinds of travelers.
Get the latest updates straight to your inbox!
How Anse Chastanet Is Laid Out
Understanding the overall layout of Anse Chastanet makes it much easier to choose the right room. The resort has 49 individually designed rooms, with 37 set on the steep, forested hillside below its sister property Jade Mountain and 12 in low rise buildings close to the sand at Anse Chastanet beach. The hillside rooms are tiered above each other among dense foliage and stone pathways, while the beachside rooms sit behind palm groves and tropical gardens a short walk from the water.
The hillside levels are connected by a network of stone staircases and a narrow internal road used by shuttle vehicles. The resort notes that there are roughly 100 steps from beach level to mid hillside areas, and guests often report climbing several flights to reach upper level Superior, Deluxe or Premium rooms. By contrast, the beachside block and adjacent Beach House are almost at sand level, with only a few steps between room terraces, the beach bar and the main restaurant at sea level.
Because of this terraced design, there can be major differences between two rooms in the same category depending on their exact placement. A Hillside Deluxe set lower down may trade some Piton view for easier access, while a Premium room high on the slope can feel dramatically open to the sea and mountains but require a more sustained climb. Booking by category gives you a set of likely features, but the experience will still vary slightly from room to room.
All categories share some essentials: king beds dressed with mosquito nets, locally made wooden furniture, ceiling fans, fridges, tea and coffee makers, in room safes and free Wi Fi. What really differentiates them are space, degree of open air design, view quality, air conditioning and proximity to the beach versus main facilities.
Standard Rooms: Flexible “Run of House” Entry Category
At Anse Chastanet, the Standard category functions as a flexible entry level option rather than a tightly defined room type. When you book a Standard room, the resort uses a “run of house” principle. In practice this means you might end up in a compact hillside room or in one of the simpler beachside units if space allows, and you may occasionally receive a complimentary upgrade into a higher category such as Superior Hillside or Beachside Deluxe if the resort is not full on your dates.
Standard rooms are among the smaller spaces on property and are often closer to gardens or tucked partially into the hillside rather than fully opened up to long range views. Many have more traditional three or four wall layouts with large shuttered windows and a balcony or patio. Guests who have stayed in this category frequently describe them as basic but atmospheric, with the same handcrafted woodwork and colorful textiles you see in higher categories, just without the sweeping Piton panorama.
In real terms, a Standard room can be excellent value in shoulder season if you primarily care about resort access and are willing to be surprised by your exact location. For example, midweek in May or early November, daily rates for Standard rooms often undercut Beachside Deluxe by several hundred US dollars per night on room only plans, while still including the same beach access, snorkeling, and boat shuttle to Anse Mamin. The trade off is that you cannot control whether you end up higher on the hillside with more stairs or nearer to the beach with less elevation.
Standard is a smart choice for budget conscious couples who plan to spend most of their day on the sand, diving, or exploring Soufriere rather than lingering in the room. It is less ideal for guests who have mobility challenges, are highly sensitive to heat, or want to guarantee a specific view or design style, in which case paying for a defined hillside or beachside category is usually worth the premium.
Superior Hillside Rooms: Character & Views Without the Top Tier Price
Superior Hillside rooms are the next step up and one of the most popular sweet spots for value. These rooms, around 400 square feet, are scattered at various heights on the hillside and come in octagonal or rectangular layouts. They typically offer partial to full views of the Caribbean Sea, the surrounding forested slopes, and in some cases angled glimpses of the Pitons, depending on their exact orientation.
Most Superior Hillside rooms incorporate Anse Chastanet’s signature open air ethos to some degree. Instead of sealed glass, you are likely to find wide wooden jalousie shutters that can be cranked open along one or more walls, plus high, beamed ceilings that draw in the trade winds. Some rooms may have a partially open fourth wall protected by a deep overhang and railing, while others retain all four walls but are so heavily ventilated that they feel semi open. There is no air conditioning in this category. Comfort comes from ceiling fans, the hillside breeze, and the elevation, which tends to be cooler than beach level, especially in the evenings.
Concrete examples from recent travelers can help frame expectations. Couples visiting in February or March, when nighttime temperatures in Soufriere often hover in the low 70s Fahrenheit, frequently report that Superior rooms feel pleasantly cool with shutters open and the ceiling fan on low. However, guests staying in August, particularly those not used to sleeping in warm, humid climates, sometimes find they miss air conditioning during still nights or afternoon naps. Some also mention the sounds of tree frogs, surf and early morning birdsong as charming but unavoidable in the open air design.
On a price comparison, Superior Hillside usually sits several hundred dollars per night below Premium Hillside and slightly beneath Hillside Deluxe, while still giving you a genuine sense of immersion in the landscape. For travelers who value character and are comfortable with open air living, it often represents the best hillside value, as long as you accept that you will be doing a fair number of stairs between your room, the beach and the restaurants.
Hillside Deluxe & Premium Rooms: Space, Drama and “Missing Wall” Designs
Hillside Deluxe and Premium rooms are where Anse Chastanet’s dramatic architecture is most evident. Both categories are larger, around 700 square feet, and occupy prime positions on the hillside with expansive sea or Piton views. The key difference is that Premium rooms are generally located higher and oriented directly toward Saint Lucia’s iconic twin peaks, delivering what the resort calls picture postcard views, while Hillside Deluxe may face more broadly out to sea or capture one Piton rather than both.
Premium rooms are the categories most likely to feature the famous “missing fourth wall” design, where the entire seaward side of the room is open to a protected, railing fronted terrace. Instead of sliding doors, the sleeping area flows directly out to a wide living space with a built in daybed or loungers and uninterrupted vistas of the Pitons and Caribbean. Bathrooms often mirror this open feel, with walk in showers that look out toward foliage or sea and only partial partitions. For many repeat guests, waking up to this open panorama is the single most memorable part of staying at Anse Chastanet.
Hillside Deluxe rooms can also be very open, although some retain more traditional walls with wide shuttered windows and deep balconies. Both Deluxe and Premium hillside options are naturally ventilated only. There is no air conditioning in these categories. Room temperatures are moderated by altitude and breeze instead. Travelers who stayed in open wall Premium units in the dry season frequently comment that the combination of elevation, fans and nightly cooling makes sleep comfortable, while those visiting in wetter, warmer months sometimes choose to close some louvers and rely on mosquito nets if the air turns very still.
These upper hillside rooms do require effort to access. Guests regularly describe walking up multiple flights of stone steps from reception or the beach to reach Premium levels, often using the resort shuttle when returning from dinner or in the mid day heat. In exchange, you gain a sense of seclusion that can feel almost villa like. For example, a couple celebrating an anniversary might choose a Premium room for three nights at the end of their trip, paying more than they would for a full week in Superior, simply to experience coffee on a terrace that frames both Pitons in the morning light.
Beachside Deluxe: Air Conditioning & Easy Access at Sea Level
All of Anse Chastanet’s true beachside rooms fall under the Beachside Deluxe category. These units are set in low rise blocks amid gardens just a few steps from the sand and share a similar layout and size, around 750 square feet. Instead of being carved into the hillside, they sit on or just above beach level, with coral stone or clay tile floors, wooden jalousie windows, and large patios or balconies that open onto lawn, palms and glimpses of the bay.
Beachside Deluxe rooms are the only standard room category at Anse Chastanet that offers air conditioning, aside from specialty units like the Beach House. The AC is optional and can be switched off if you prefer to rely on sea breezes, but for many guests visiting in the hotter months or those who are sensitive sleepers, this feature is a major deciding factor. A typical layout might include a fully enclosed bedroom with king bed and net, a sitting area with louvered windows on three sides, and a patio furnished with cushioned chairs where you can hear the waves at night.
In real world terms, Beachside Deluxe significantly reduces the number of stairs you need to climb in a typical day. You can walk from your room to the main beach restaurant, dive shop and water taxi dock in under two minutes on mostly level ground. Guests who are divers often favor this category, since it allows them to roll out for morning briefings without a steep ascent afterward. Travelers with mild mobility issues or concerns about knees and hips also tend to find these rooms more practical, especially when staying for a week or more.
Price wise, Beachside Deluxe often sits between Hillside Deluxe and Premium, sometimes on par with the latter during high season. It usually carries a noticeable premium over Superior Hillside, especially in winter months when demand for AC is highest. For example, in January, it is common to see Beachside Deluxe priced several hundred dollars per night above a Superior room on the same meal plan. Whether that jump is worth it depends primarily on how much you value guaranteed air conditioning and beach proximity over dramatic lofted views.
Views, Stairs, Airflow and Privacy: The Real Trade Offs
Choosing between hillside and beachside at Anse Chastanet comes down to which mix of views, stairs, airflow and privacy matters most to you in everyday use. The upper hillside categories, especially Premium, deliver the most striking vistas. From many Premium terraces you can see both Gros Piton and Petit Piton rising from the sea with no nearby rooftops or pathways in the frame. Hillside Deluxe and some Superior rooms still enjoy generous sea views, but foliage and angles can partially frame or filter them. Beachside Deluxe units, in contrast, usually look onto gardens with the sea glimpsed through trees rather than a full elevated panorama.
Stairs are a constant on the hillside. Guests staying in upper Deluxe and Premium units typically climb and descend tall exterior staircases several times a day, unless they coordinate with the shuttle. If you enjoy incidental exercise and like the idea of being nestled into the forest, this can feel like part of the experience. If you are recovering from an injury, traveling with someone who tires easily, or simply prefer not to arrive at dinner slightly winded, being at or near beach level is more comfortable. The resort itself notes that the property is not suitable for those with serious walking or cardiac difficulties, which is an important consideration when comparing room types.
Airflow and climate comfort are strongly linked to category. Non air conditioned hillside rooms are designed to capture trade winds through open walls and shutters, and many guests relish sleeping with the sounds of surf and tree frogs instead of a compressor. Others, especially in humid months or those unaccustomed to tropical nights, feel more rested with the controlled environment of a Beachside Deluxe. Privacy also varies subtly. While all rooms aim to be visually private, open wall Premium units can make some guests self conscious about showering or using the bathroom in such an exposed layout, even though neighboring rooms generally cannot see in. Beachside Deluxe and more enclosed Superior or Standard rooms offer more conventional separation between bedroom and bathroom, which some couples prefer on longer stays.
In terms of everyday noise, the hillside tends to be dominated by natural sounds and the distant clink of dishes from the Treehouse restaurant, while beachside brings you closer to the low hum of beach activity, passing boats and occasional evening music from the bar. Neither area is party oriented, but if you are especially sensitive to sound, an upper hillside room away from main paths can feel slightly more secluded.
Which Categories Offer the Best Value?
Because Anse Chastanet’s atmosphere is so tied to its architecture and setting, the “best value” category is not purely about price. It is about which room type aligns with the kind of stay you envision without making you pay for features you will not use. For many travelers who are comfortable without air conditioning, Superior Hillside is the standout value. It delivers open air Caribbean character, authentic wood and stone finishes, good to excellent views in many units, and reasonable space at a noticeably lower nightly rate than Beachside Deluxe or Premium. If you expect to spend days on the beach and evenings lingering at the hillside restaurants, this category lets you experience the resort’s personality with a relatively modest outlay compared to the upper tiers.
Beachside Deluxe can be the best value for guests with specific priorities. If you know you sleep poorly without AC, or you anticipate spending much of your time diving, kayaking or simply enjoying the beach, the price premium may be justified by the ease of stepping out onto the sand and returning to a cool, enclosed room. A pair of avid divers visiting in late June, for instance, might reasonably choose Beachside Deluxe over a similarly priced Premium Hillside, trading iconic Piton views for easier mornings and guaranteed climate control between dives.
Premium Hillside, while usually among the highest priced non suite options, offers strong value for shorter special occasion stays where the room itself is central to the experience. Couples celebrating a honeymoon or milestone anniversary often book three or four nights in Premium, then move to a more economical category if they are extending their trip elsewhere on the island. The cost of a few nights is offset by the memory of coffee on an open terrace where the Pitons are framed like a photograph, something Beachside Deluxe simply cannot replicate.
The Standard category can sometimes be the best value per dollar if you are flexible and traveling in lower demand periods. A solo traveler visiting in May who does not mind whether their room is hillside or beachside, and who plans to be out exploring most days, can save significantly by booking Standard and letting the run of house system place them, occasionally benefiting from complimentary upgrades when the resort is not full. This approach is less suitable during peak holiday weeks, when room assignments are tighter and upgrades rarer.
Practical Booking Tips and Room Request Strategies
Once you have chosen a category, a few practical steps can help fine tune your experience. When reserving a hillside room, mention whether you prefer easier access over the very highest viewpoints. Guests who note that they would like a lower or mid hillside location due to knees, mobility, or simple preference sometimes receive rooms that minimize stair climbing while still delivering good views. Conversely, if you are fit and value the most elevated vantage possible, you can request an upper level Premium or Deluxe placement knowing that more steps come with the territory.
If you are booking Beachside Deluxe and have strong feelings about sun exposure, you may wish to request a room with either morning or afternoon light on the terrace. Some beachside patios are more shaded by trees and eaves, which can keep the interior cooler but limit sunbathing directly outside your door. Others receive more direct sun and a slightly brighter interior. Explaining whether you prefer a cooler, shadier feel or a light filled room when you book can guide the staff in choosing a good match.
Travelers booking in the warmest months who are undecided about AC can consider splitting their stay. One common tactic is to spend the first part of a trip in a Superior or Hillside Deluxe to enjoy the open air design and broad views, then move to Beachside Deluxe for the last few nights to indulge in air conditioning and a different perspective on the property. This approach also spreads costs, as the hillside categories often price more gently in off peak weeks than the limited beachside stock.
Finally, consider your broader Saint Lucia itinerary. If you will spend time at another resort with flat grounds and conventional rooms, you may want to lean into Anse Chastanet’s most distinctive hillside experiences, such as a Premium open wall room, even if it means more stairs. If Anse Chastanet is your only stop and you mainly want a relaxed, easygoing beach holiday with minimal physical effort, then locking in a Beachside Deluxe or even a Standard at or near beach level may offer a more seamless week overall.
FAQ
Q1. Which Anse Chastanet room category is best for first time visitors?
For most first timers who are reasonably mobile and comfortable without air conditioning, a Superior Hillside room offers the best balance of cost, character and views.
Q2. Do any Anse Chastanet hillside rooms have air conditioning?
No. Standard, Superior, Hillside Deluxe and Premium hillside rooms are designed for natural ventilation with shutters, ceiling fans and open air elements instead of AC.
Q3. Are Beachside Deluxe rooms noisy because they are close to the bar and beach?
Beachside Deluxe rooms are near the main beach area, so you will hear some beach activity and occasional music, but the overall resort atmosphere is quiet and relaxed.
Q4. How many stairs should I expect if I book a hillside room?
You can expect roughly 100 steps between beach level and mid hillside areas, with additional flights to reach the highest Deluxe and Premium rooms, though a shuttle is available.
Q5. Is the open wall Premium design private enough for a honeymoon?
Yes. Premium rooms are positioned to avoid direct sightlines from paths and neighbors, so they feel secluded, though they are open to natural sounds and breezes.
Q6. Which category should I choose if I sleep hot or am sensitive to humidity?
If you know you sleep better in cool, controlled air, Beachside Deluxe is the best choice, since it is the only standard category with air conditioning.
Q7. Are there any room types without many stairs that are still on the hillside?
Some Standard and Superior rooms sit on lower hillside levels with fewer steps, but availability varies, so you should request easier access specifically when you book.
Q8. Do all rooms at Anse Chastanet have views of the Pitons?
No. Many hillside Deluxe and most Premium rooms face the Pitons directly, while other hillside units overlook the sea or forest and beachside rooms mostly view gardens.
Q9. Is the Standard category too basic compared to the others?
Standard rooms are simpler and often smaller, but they share the same handcrafted style and resort access; they are a good value if you are flexible on exact location.
Q10. What is the best value option for divers who plan to be in the water most days?
Divers who prioritize easy beach and dive shop access along with air conditioning usually find Beachside Deluxe to be the most practical and comfortable choice.