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78 79 able to look directly outside at the spectacular view.With the exception of the gym, spa, kitchen and offices, ev- ery building has an open wall – the restaurant, the rooms, the reception are all open walled. Additionally, our guests can also have their spa services in their suites. Ladera was the first to pioneer the three-wall concept in St. Lucia and in this part of the Caribbean. The genius way in which the rooms were constructed, allows them to co-exist with the wind, rain and sunlight patterns without affecting our guests. Architec- turally, it fits in with the natural environment as it was done purposefully and beautifully. ” Ladera was once part of the Rabot Estate, one of Soufrière’s oldest and most famous cocoa plantations. The resort was originally founded by John DiPol, an American architect THE LADERA RESORT who visited St. Lucia, and, according to Mariatte, “fell in love with the country and this location and could not pass up on the opportunity to own a piece of paradise. He built a restaurant and named it Dasheene after the tropical root crop, dasheen, which was prev- alent on the estate. He then built a little villa with an open wall and that’s how the concept came about in 1982,” she continues. “One of the friends who visited him in St. Lucia was Mr. Ralph Hooper who, in 1988, became the sole owner of this property up until today. It’s grown from having one restaurant and a villa to now having a fine dining restaurant and 36 villas, along with a main house and a cottage where the owner stays.” Ladera, most of whose guests come from the U.S. and Canada, markets itself as a “romantic, paradise getaway.” “We have no television on the resort, so it’s a perfect way to disconnect,” says Mariatte. “We do offer free WiFi throughout the resort so people can stay connected if they wish to, but the idea is to disconnect from the real world. It’s ideal for honeymooners; it’s ideal for people who want to elope as we do offer one-of-a-kind wedding packages. It’s ideal for people who want to reconnect,maybe celebrate an anni- versary or delayed honeymoon.Many of We are a luxury, boutique resort, the first Forbes 4-star rated in St. Lucia, and so our clients are mostly professionals and business people who want anonymity or to disconnect from the pressures of the real world. DALY MARIATTE GENERAL MANAGER