Rabot Hotel from Hotel Chocolat

Rabot Hotel sits on the 140-acre Rabot Estate in the south-west of Saint Lucia, about ten minutes by road from Soufrière. It is a working cacao estate owned by Hotel Chocolat, with rainforest, cacao groves and the Pitons all in view.

There are 25 rooms across the Lodge and Luxe Lodge categories, set into the rainforest. Rabot Restaurant serves a cacao-led menu using cacao from the estate and seasonal produce from around the island, and the Beauté de cacao spa uses estate ingredients in its treatments. Club Boucan has a black quartz infinity pool facing Petit Piton. For couples who want a venue with a real story behind it, this is the one.

The hotel offers three ways to marry. The Hotel Takeover books all 25 rooms for at least three nights with breakfast, includes a reception meal for 50 guests at Rabot Restaurant and gives the bridal party the spa to get ready in. The Intimate Wedding gives you a Luxe Lodge for three nights and a private candlelit dinner. A tailor-made version is built with the hotel's planner.

Ceremonies can be held around the estate against rainforest, cacao grove, mountain or sea backdrops. Legal processing, lawyer and registrar fees and the Justice of the Peace are covered, along with a bouquet, buttonhole and coordinator. Ask the team about the music curfew.

With all 25 rooms in a takeover, most of a 50-guest wedding can sleep on the estate if guests share. Ask the team what suits anyone beyond that.

In-house guests get the Tree to Bean part of the Project Chocolat tour free, with an upgrade to make their own bar. There is also yoga, chocolate and rum pairing, a herb garden visit, trips to Soufrière market and outings on the hotel's private boat. The Sulphur Springs and Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens are nearby. Rabot says it is about 45 minutes from Hewanorra International Airport.