Our experience at the Cap Est was a very positive one - the setting is beautiful as the resort lies within a charming laguna, with crystal clear waters and immersed in vegetation. The main area of the resort is simple, with basic tropical style furnishings (lots of wood, flowers, bamboo etc with an oriental touch such as incense burning). The staff are polite, and discreet - not too straight jacketed for a 5 star hotel. I found them to be just right for the caribbean setting.
The suites vary a lot - most have gardens, some are on the main pool, others have outdoor jacuzzis and showers, it depends on what you are willing to pay. Generally very spacious suites. We were two adults and a 9-year old so we got a double with extra bed - it turned out to be a suite with rather large living area, and the extra bed was within this area. The sleeping and living area were not divided, but at night we drew a large heavy curtain which was nice for some privacy. Nice bathroom with bathtub and large separate shower. The amenities are high quality.
We only ate at the garden restaurant (the less expensive option, more family friendly I found). They had nice dishes, quite varied if a bit expensive for what you got but nonetheless practical with some specialities from the island. The bar is nothing to write home about, but the service was always courteous and we enjoyed our 'tit punch there in the evenings.
Biggest disappointment: the sea level. While the water is clean and the surroundings are charming, the sea level is really low (about 1 metre) and it doesn't get high enough to swim in so I never quite got to enjoy a swim in it.
Best bit: hearty breakfasts with lots of tropical fruit and gorgeous French bakery bread. I suggest you try their home made jams (guava, grapefruit etc - a taste of heaven!).
Overall a lovely experience. I don't know the prices in Martinique in general but found this to be a little overpriced for what the resort had to offer. Nonetheless I would suggest it especially if you are getting a deal on your stay.

Despite not everything is great about this place, I love it, because it is so beautiful!

We spent a week in this resort in the beginning of February with our little twin boys. We were welcomed very warmly and were explained everything. We booked a deluxe suite which was simply great. We liked it very much. It was so comfortable and furnished with such great but simple taste. The design of suite as well as the whole resort are was very beautiful and we felt very good and welcomed in this place.

You can see the suites at hotel web page but the reality is much better. I loved so much the bathroom connected with openair shower on one side and closets and bedroom on the other side. I liked the whole suite - in my opinion it is much better than for example Four Seasons Provence suites, that are of similar nature.

The other great thing about suite is the little pool. It is fantastic to refresh in the hot day and for kids.

I love eating so we ate a lot and tried many items from all menus. We ate a lot in the room with babies and loved the room service. It was great, perfectly served etc. We also ate in both restuarants and were very satisfied. We really enjoyed. We have some objections with respect to breakfest service but in general it was more than acceptable. The bar was also OK.

With respect to our twin babies, you can imagine it is quite difficult to travel with them but EVERYBODY in the hotel was so tolerant and helpful with respect to our kids.

From the negative side, the hotel is little pricey. I would say it is more pricey than it would be acceptable, even when taking into account what a great place it is. To be honest, the beach is poor. But you do not need to spend your days on the beach: you can use for access to water and for sun bathing the pier on the other side. It is much more interesting. You can also use beautiful pool, or to make some kiting.

The hotel is in quite isolated area and you definitely need a car. That is for sure. (We rented big SUV and enjoyed.) But this is ok for me. I dont want being in the beach for whole day and than going in the evening around the sea and try many same restaurants full of tourists. This place is much more interesting and exclusive. And with car, you have so many possibilities for restaurants, beaches, plantages, rhum factories and other attractions if you want to see somethning new. Then, I am sure, you will definitely love being back in this beautiful place.

I need also emphasize that (despite I doubted in the beginning) I loved so much the windy atlantic coast of Martinique. It is so fresh and clean and so

I believe that the selection of location only completes the exclusive nature of this resort, so different from cariibean (west coast) resorts. It has its own charm and atmosphere!

I want to come back :)

Cap Est

We stayed for seven nights in April 2011 in a deluxe lagoon room with private pool. 

Summary:

Overall, Cap Est is a lovely location, and our room (deluxe lagoon view with plunge pool) was very nice. 

Unfortunately, at times, this felt less of a holiday in paradise and more of a trip to Fawlty Towers! 

The hotel - frustratingly - took two days to address some issues that we raised via email. For the first twenty-four hours, reception said the email has arrived, but then admitted they'd never received it!
Cap Est's Deputy Manager, Ms Ajax, was very helpful when she received our complaint and offered a significant amount of compensation. The management clearly know how to treat their clients, but the staff do not. 

Another word of warning - we were told COMPLETELY the wrong opening times for everything by the gentleman that checked us in. That said, we were told three different sets of opening times for the gym from three different people! Even the room services guide says Le Campeche is closed in the evenings, but it was open on the seven nights we were there! 

Location:

The resort is around 40 minutes from the main Lamentin airport in Fort de France. It is beautiful, although there are no restaurants / activities within walking distance, so it is advisable to hire a car. The hotel will rent one to you via Hertz, but see my comments below. 

Be aware that the lagoon is too shallow to swim in, but the infinity pool is really stunning. There are not quite enough loungers, so get there early! Also, it is unmanned so don't expect assistance with parasols etc. 

Restaurants:

There are two restaurants - Le Campeche (traditional Creole) and Belem (French fine dining). The food in both is good to very good. 
The house bar is the Cohi-Bar. 

Le Campêche:

We ate twice at Le Campêche and felt that the service was very poor. For example, the waitress told us she had no alcohol free beer (when I asked in both French and English), despite the fact that a lady nearby was drinking some. We then asked another waiter, who said they did have it. 
At the end of the meal, we waited fifteen minutes while three waiters and the Food & Beverages Manager tried to work out our bill for one bottle of water, two main courses, two ice creams and two beers. We explained we had to get to a spa appointment, but they still took over ten minutes more. And the bill was incorrect after so much time spent on it!

I left my hat at the restaurant and went back to collect it later. The Food and Beverage Manager insisted it was not there - she didn't ask any of the waiters. My husband returned later, and - of course! - he spoke to a waiter who found the hat.

We were disappointed that the Food and Beverage Manager did not apologise for keeping us waiting for the bill (when she was told we had an appointment to get to), or helpful in assisting with my lost property issue.  

As Le Belem was fully booked (despite being told booking wasn't necessary), we had to eat at Le Campêche again that evening. My husband was ill, so rushed off to the room. I immediately explained the situation and asked for the bill, saying I needed ran leave and check on my husband. After five minutes of waiting, the waitress told me that I would need to wait for the bill as there was a computer issue. After ten minutes, I got up to go to the bar and speak with the head waitress, but she waved her hand dismissively to me. She did the same when I tried again five minutes later (I.e. After fifteen minutes of waiting). Finally, I realized that her rude hand waving was not solving the situation and I asked her to send the bill to my room where I would sign it off. It was upsetting, especially the way the head waitress kept rudely waving her hand at me when I tried to ask how long I would need to wait, when I wanted to return to my sick husband. 

Twenty four hours later, the bill had not been delivered for my sign off. I had to go to reception and ask for it. The bill had been marked with a cross in the signature section, as though implying we were not expected to sign it. It was, luckily, correct, but if it hadn't been I would not have known unless I had asked. The bill should have been delivered to our room for sign off. 


Le Belem:

The food here was very good. It is the breakfast restaurant too and the buffet was very good, when the waiters found time to top it up! They would also only offer hot food when they were quiet, so if you're keen to order something special avoid the crowds. 


Le Cohi-Bar

At 5pm one day, we went to the bar and there was no one there, so we presumed it was closed. We returned to the room and saw it should be open from 10am to 11pm. I then tried calling the bar, but received no answer and had to ask someone from the front desk to ensure a waiter would be there if we went up again. 

The first round of non alcoholic cocktails were fine, but the next ones were not. My cocktail had been incorrectly made, and thus contained alcohol. The waiter acknowledged that it was a non alcoholic cocktail, and apologised for giving me the wrong non alcoholic cocktail. But he didn't seem to understand the problem with putting alcohol in it by mistake!

Another issue we had was that by the time we wanted to order another cocktail, the barman had disappeared again. He apologised, but that's not really the point - in such a luxury establishment, I don't want to have to shout into back rooms and call up receptionists to get service at a bar that is supposedly open from 10am to 11pm.


Room Service

I was very disappointed to have to make my own coffee in the machine in our room, when we ordered room service breakfast. I feel that ordering decaffeinated coffee should not mean I have to make it myself, in a different room to where my husband is beginning breakfast. This is something I would do at home, but I would not expect to do it in a luxury resort. 

It does not seem difficult to me for the filtering of the coffee to be done by the kitchen, and then put into a coffee pot. 


Hot Water

The water in our room was only lukewarm, at best, for six of our seven nights. Several engineers looked at it and failed to solve the problem. 

It was fixed on night six BUT unbelievably they turned off the cold water in the shower, so it was still impossible to have a shower at the right temperature!

Car Rental:

The 206 we rented was clean and in good shape, despite having done a lot of miles. There was a major issue though: bald tyres. These proved a bit treacherous on Martinique's hilly roads, especially as it was wet while we were there. 

Housekeeping:

This was for the most part good. The room was in very good order and clean. The housekeeping team did, though, leave a dirty plate outside for over twenty-four hours (it would have been seen by two sets of housekeeping staff, AM and PM). This seems symptomatic - the staff seem to take little pride in what is a beautiful resort. 

The Spa:

Do not believe the hype - the spa is okay at best. There is only a price list with no descriptions and it is in French. If you can read French, there is a link to a brochure on their website which describes the treatments on offer - I asked at the spa for this, but they claim they don't have one. 

We weren't told whether and if we could use the hydrotherapy pool. 

My husband and I each had the sports massage which was very good, although it does not feel particularly nurturing to have your feet wiped with an antiseptic wipe before commencing - especially after I'd showered moments before! The massage itself was good, though. 

The Gym:

If you are looking to continue a fitness regime, think again. The gym has some of the cheapest equipment I've come across. It's not designed for commercial use and this shows. The recumbent bike, for example, has a broken seat that makes it impossible to move easily.  

It is, however, always empty so you do guarantee the equipment you want. This is partly because it's so unwelcoming - the wall bars, low ceilings and lack of lighting make it feel like a school gym rather than a welcoming, healthy lifestyle place to visit. 

There is water available there, towels and wipes (the same ones the spa uses on feet!) to clean the equipment post-use. It is air conditioned, although the spa receptionists insist on leaving its door open, so there is minimal AC benefit. 


Stay Again?

No, definitely not. Cap Est must improve its game. The staff just don't care enough and are often rude and inappropriate. The compensation was very kind, as were the lovely gifts MA Ajax gave us, but at the end of the day we were quite disappointed by this distinctly average resort. 

This is not a "Resort" - its facilities are far too limited.

It is in the wrong place: you need a car or a taxi to go out anywhere, since you can't walk along the sea in either direction (because of private land), and the roads outside the gate pass through housing estates. Also the Atlantic side of Martinique is consistently windy, and the hotel makes almost no provision to protect you from the wind. There are no parasols on the beach due to the wind, so if you think it is worth sitting on the very tiny beach you are forced to sit in the sun unless you can find a tree to sit under.

The restaurant is good but the same menu for 12 days becomes monotonous.

We booked the Cap Est almost solely on the fact that it was a 5 star Relais & Chateux hotel. It did not measure up to the promise. We were surprised to read so many favourable English comments, but only when reading further down the list, to the French comments, did we realise that the French were rather more critical.