Whether you need to detox like Amy Winehouse or chill out like Jordan after a week of jungle trails, James Litston finds that a BodyHoliday at St Lucia’s LeSport hotel guarantees VIP treatment

Every travel agent knows that site inspections – trailing round every conceivable room type, followed by the conference facilities – can be a real chore. But at LeSport, the all-inclusive spa resort on St Lucia’s north coast, I discover that site inspections can sometimes come with an unexpected twist. 

Having covered the rooms, restaurants, sports pavilion and the spa, we concluded our tour at the welcome gazebo. “And it’s here,” confided our guide, “that Miss Winehouse greeted our new arrivals by rolling around on the floor, pretending to be a cat.” 

Star attraction
Remember those paparazzi shots of the troubled singer crawling under tables to avail herself of other people’s half-finished drinks? Well, this is where they where taken.  Miss Winehouse” spent a month at LeSport earlier this year – but despite the stories of her antics, staff insist she was a charming (if challenging) guest with a good sense of humour and a kind heart.

Bearing in mind her much-publicised addictions, it’s no surprise that Amy chose LeSport for her extended getaway. The hotel’s BodyHoliday promotion encourages guests to “give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind”. The idea is that after seven days of spa treatments, good food, holistic therapies and fun activities – plus plenty of lounging in the sun– guests return home relaxed, rejuvenated and back in control of their lives. 

Relaxing schedule
The key to BodyHoliday’s success is Oasis, LeSport’s award-winning, on-site spa. Guests  get a spa schedule with one treatment per day, ranging from massages and wraps to exfoliation and hydrotherapy. Each of these is included in the price, providing a perfect introduction to a variety of spa disciplines. Spa aficionados might want more in-depth treatments, but there is an extensive menu of Ayurvedic, deep-tissue and other massages (plus acupuncture and reiki) at extra cost. 

The soothing daily therapies soon have my stress levels ebbing away and I can only just muster the energy to try some of the holistic, life-enhancing classes (also included in the price). I opt for a personal training session, followed by a stretch class and meditation.  I promise the instructor that I’ll make time to meditate when I get home; that way, the benefits of my BodyHoliday are likely to last a little longer than my suntan.  That, it seems, is the point of this place. No matter what clients want to experience here – be it relaxation or full-on rehab – LeSport offers a whole lot more than your average sunshine holiday.

Book it: Caribtours offers a week’s all-inclusive from £2,250 per person. Prices are for January 2010 departures and include flights and in-resort transfers, based on two adults sharing.
www.caribtours.co.uk