U.S. News and World Report recently listed their picks for the 12 Top Caribbean Beach Bars and a concept that one of our team members here at coralrange, Kashmie Ali, envisioned and executed during his tenure at the helm of The Landings, St. Lucia made the list!
“The idea to build a beach bar at this particular property grew out of a need,” said Kashmie Ali.
“While there was a traditional bar in the lobby of the hotel (traditional in that it was long and faced a wall of bottles) and another (facing a wall) in the beach restaurant, there was no bar on property where a majority of the guests preferred to spend their time – near and on the beach taking in the picturesque views that St. Lucia is known for, particularly this area near Pigeon Island National Park. We wanted to keep the feeling of the bar casual yet upscale to easily convert from day to night and to be of use to diners and beachgoers alike.”
The main challenge for Ali was how to create a fun yet upscale beach bar at a 5-star luxury resort and restaurant. Utilization of space was important as several parameters had to be taken into consideration:
- Not obstructing the views of the tables in the restaurant
- Being convenient to the kitchen
- Ensuring flow of both staff and guests
- Not blocking access to the beach
- Conservation of the natural landscaping
“The bar was designed with timelessness in mind, using an angular yet circular shape to allow for sweeping views from each seat and an unobstructed F&B flow. The seating was done to promote social interactions – you can look across the bar at other guests and still maintain comfortable conversations with those on either side of you,” explains Ali.
If you go and visit Turquoise Beach Bar at The Landings, St. Lucia today you’ll see that it was constructed of polished concrete with broken bottle chips mixed within the concrete giving it a chic and up to date look (plus, the bar sparkles in the sunlight, mirroring the ‘turquoise’ reflection of the shimmering ocean). To keep it authentic to the location and the island, the wood used around the bar was sourced from coconut palm trees.
The signature cocktail that Ali and the team there imagined for the opening of Turquoise Beach Bar was dubbed ‘Sweet Euphoria’ and it was conceptualized as an experience in and of itself between the guest and bartender in that much like a luxurious vacation in the Caribbean, it could be anything you wanted it to be.
Get in touch here or at hello@coralrange.com.
Photography by Mikkel Paige
