For the Troubetzkoy family, Saint Lucia is far more than the setting for Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet—it has been home for more than five decades.
The late Nick Troubetzkoy, architect and founder of the resorts, believed that tourism should create lasting value for Soufrière and its people. That philosophy continues today under the leadership of his wife, Karolin Troubetzkoy, Chief Commercial Officer, and their son, Yasha Troubetzkoy, Chief Executive Officer.
It is reflected in the resorts’ commitment to local employment and enterprise, education, youth development, sport, culture, community resilience and animal welfare, as well as in the long-standing relationships they have built with people and organisations throughout Saint Lucia.
Karolin has long championed community engagement, education, conservation and responsible tourism, both through the resorts and through her wider voluntary leadership in Saint Lucia and across the Caribbean. She has chaired the Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund and the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund and was a founding force behind both the Tourism Enhancement Fund and the Marine Health Alliance. Her work has also encompassed sustained support for local artists and craftspeople, youth and educational programmes, and the Saint Lucia Cerebral Palsy Association, of which she is Patron.
As CEO, Yasha leads the resorts’ present-day commitment to responsible operations and meaningful local investment. Under his leadership, this work continues to evolve through expanded youth-sport programmes, improvements to local educational infrastructure, support for local employment and enterprise, and new partnerships addressing community and animal welfare.
A Legacy Rooted in Soufrière
Nick Troubetzkoy’s relationship with Saint Lucia extended far beyond the development of the resorts.
He helped create the Soufrière Community Foundation and brought together town planners to develop proposals under the vision of Magnificent Soufrière. These included ideas for the beautification of the town square, an Empress Joséphine museum, enhancements at the Sulphur Springs and a dedicated craft market.
He was also instrumental in developing Saint Lucia as a scuba-diving destination. He established the island’s first professional resort dive operation and promoted Saint Lucia internationally as a diving destination. His commitment to marine awareness and conservation contributed to the eventual establishment of the Soufrière Marine Management Area.
Nick’s belief that tourism should contribute positively to the surrounding community continues to guide Karolin, Yasha and the wider resort family today.
Creating Local Economic Opportunity
Since the early development of Anse Chastanet, the guiding philosophy has been simple: build locally and buy locally wherever possible.
Jade Mountain was constructed predominantly by a Saint Lucian workforce rather than as a foreign turnkey project. Local tradespeople and artisans worked alongside a small number of specialist foremen, gaining valuable knowledge and experience while creating one of the Caribbean’s most distinctive architectural landmarks.
Today, Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet remain important employers in southern Saint Lucia. The overwhelming majority of their team members are Saint Lucian, with many living in Soufrière and neighbouring communities.
The resorts invest in training and professional development, while internships and practical work experience introduce young Saint Lucians to careers in hospitality, culinary arts, wellness, watersports, diving and resort operations.
Supporting Local Producers and Businesses
The resorts seek to retain as much tourism-related economic benefit as possible within Saint Lucia.
Their purchasing practices give preference, where quality and availability allow, to Saint Lucian farmers, fishers, craftspeople, producers and other locally owned businesses.
The resorts’ excursion programmes also introduce guests to locally operated attractions and experiences, helping to extend the economic benefits of tourism beyond the properties.
Emerald Estate, the resort’s organic farm, complements produce purchased from local farmers and supplies fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices and cacao. Estate-grown cacao is transformed into handcrafted chocolate through the resort’s chocolate programme.
Sport as a Pathway
Sport can provide far more than recreation. It can create structure, discipline, mentorship, confidence and pathways to future opportunity.
Under Yasha Troubetzkoy’s leadership, the resorts have significantly expanded their investment in youth sport across Soufrière. They support programmes encompassing athletics, boxing, cricket, basketball, netball and football.
This support includes coaching, equipment, transportation, access to facilities, participation in national and regional competitions, and the subsidisation of stadium lighting for safe evening training.
The resorts are also proud sponsors of the Jade Mountain Soufrière Titans, who compete in the Saint Lucia Premier League T20 cricket tournament.
Their investment in sport has helped to:
- Provide young people with free access to structured programmes
- Create and maintain training facilities
- Enable safe evening training through funded stadium lighting
- Preserve community sporting traditions
- Support participation in national and regional competitions
- Provide transportation for athletes and supporters
- Create employment for local coaches
- Connect young athletes with workplace-readiness and career-development opportunities
The Soufrière Boxing Initiative
In 2025, the resorts partnered with the Soufrière Fitness Center to establish a structured boxing programme for young people.
The programme is led by former OECS boxing champion Jason Auguste, who serves as a full-time coach and mentor. Training is offered throughout the week, combining physical development with discipline, goal-setting, personal responsibility and consistent mentorship.
Gym access is fully subsidised, allowing participating athletes to train free of charge. The initiative also supports a locally owned business and is being developed in collaboration with the national boxing association to create pathways into formal athlete-development programmes.
Investing in Education and Resilience
The resorts’ commitment to young people extends from the playing field into the classroom.
At the Soufrière Infant School, rising temperatures and ageing infrastructure had created increasingly difficult learning conditions.
Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet supported a comprehensive improvement programme that included:
- Construction of an additional classroom
- Reconfiguration of space to reduce overcrowding
- Expansion and improvement of storage facilities
- Upgrading of the school’s electrical infrastructure
- Installation of energy-efficient cooling systems
- Development of a longer-term passive-cooling strategy
The project has created safer and more comfortable learning conditions while providing a practical model for climate adaptation within a Caribbean school environment.
The resorts’ wider educational support includes scholarships, internships, school programmes and individual assistance for young people facing financial or personal barriers.
Arts, Culture and Saint Lucian Creativity
Saint Lucian culture and creativity have always been integral to the character of Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain.
The resorts support cultural events, including the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival, and actively promote local attractions, artists, craftspeople and cultural experiences to their guests.
Karolin Troubetzkoy has worked closely with Saint Lucian artists and artisans for decades. She established one of the island’s earliest dedicated resort art galleries, creating a platform through which guests could discover local work and meet the artists behind it.
The resort’s art collection includes works by Saint Lucian artists as well as international artists inspired by the island. Their boutiques continue to showcase locally produced artwork, jewellery, handicrafts and other Saint Lucian creations.
Supporting Animal Welfare Through HelpAWS
Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet proudly support HelpAWS—Help Animal Welfare in Saint Lucia, founded in 2014 by Charlene Penney Troubetzkoy.
The partnership has a special family connection: Charlene is Yasha’s wife and Karolin’s daughter-in-law. While that relationship first brought the organisation particularly close to the Troubetzkoy family, the resorts’ support is rooted in a genuine commitment to improving animal welfare in Saint Lucia.
HelpAWS rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes abandoned and vulnerable dogs and cats while addressing animal overpopulation through high-volume spay-and-neuter programmes, community education and the promotion of responsible pet ownership.
The HelpAWS Puppy Café
In 2026, Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet partnered with HelpAWS to create the HelpAWS Puppy Café at Anse Mamin Beach.
The Troubetzkoy family and the resorts helped bring the idea to life by providing the location, supporting the café’s construction and assigning members of the hotel team to assist with its operation.
Guests and visitors can enjoy coffee, smoothies, sandwiches and desserts while spending time with rescue puppies available for adoption. A portion of every purchase supports HelpAWS and its work rescuing, treating, feeding and rehoming animals in Saint Lucia.
The Puppy Café creates an engaging connection between visitors and a meaningful Saint Lucian cause—and may even help a rescue puppy find a forever home.
Community and Conservation Giving
Guests of Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet are invited to support a carefully selected group of Saint Lucian initiatives through a voluntary nightly contribution.
Guest contributions support:
- The Tourism Enhancement Fund, which invests in local sport, education, community infrastructure and charitable projects
- The Marine Health Alliance, which helps to protect and restore Saint Lucia’s coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds and coastal ecosystems
- HelpAWS, which provides care and protection for animals in need while advancing responsible animal welfare
The resorts have also created specially designed boutique merchandise, with a contribution from every item sold supporting the Saint Lucia National Conservation Fund and its conservation work.
Individual contributions may seem modest, but collectively they provide meaningful and sustained support for people, communities and ecosystems across Saint Lucia.
Giving in Practical Ways
In addition to financial contributions and sponsored programmes, Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet provide practical assistance to community organisations where appropriate.
Furniture, mattresses, linen and other items that are no longer required by the resorts but remain suitable for use may be donated to schools, charities and community organisations.
Recent community support has also included the donation of a vehicle to the local police, educational assistance, scholarships and continued engagement with the Saint Lucia Cerebral Palsy Association, of which Karolin Troubetzkoy is Patron.
Advocacy and Wider Impact
The resorts’ commitment to community stewardship extends beyond their boundaries.
Karolin Troubetzkoy and former SLHTA CEO Noorani Azeez spearheaded the creation of the Saint Lucia Tourism Enhancement Fund during Karolin’s tenure as President of the Saint Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association.
The Fund enables participating tourism businesses and their guests to contribute voluntarily towards projects supporting community development, education, environmental protection and destination enhancement throughout Saint Lucia.
Through their continuing leadership and voluntary service in Saint Lucia and across the Caribbean, members of the Troubetzkoy family remain committed to responsible tourism, conservation, education and sustainable development.
Continuing the Commitment
For Karolin and Yasha Troubetzkoy, community stewardship is both a continuation of Nick’s founding philosophy and a responsibility to future generations.
Together with the wider resort team, they remain committed to investing thoughtfully, creating opportunity and contributing positively to the people and place that have sustained Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain for more than five decades.