Wimco is now offering a Refer a Friend $100 Travel Credit. You go to this website: http://www.wimco.com/specials/promotions/refer.aspx Enter the names of friends who would love to experience a villa vacation, they receive an e-mail introducing them to Wimco with an offer to get a $50 credit on any vacation rental or hotel booking made through Wimco, and then you earn a $100 travel credit towards your next trip once your friends return from their trip.

Posted on October 21, 2008 5:08 AM| Permanent Link: Wimco offering Refer-A-Friend Program| Comments (0)

The Hotel Christopher in Point Milou is scheduled to re-open on November 10, under the management of David Henderson, the former general manager at Le Toiny in Grand Fond. The hotel was sold to a private French group last year and has remained closed since the sale. The new owners are obtaining a building permit for 2009, but have agreed to reopen the hotel for the winter. The hotel, which has 41 rooms, each with a private terrace and views of tropical gardens and the Caribbean, will offer rates starting at 99 euros per night that will include a Continental buffet breakfast. The hotel has a poolside restaurant that will be open for lunch, but not for dinner.

And from Travel Weekly:

Posted on October 16, 2008 5:23 AM| Permanent Link: Hotel Le Christopher to reopen| Comments (0)

The fifth edition of the Chess Championship of Saint-Barth-Sibarth Trophy will take place at the Guanahani Hotel and Spa October 17-19. The competition is open to all players 15 years old or more. The first round begins Friday, October 17, at 8:00 pm. Prizes will be awarded on Sunday morning. Thanks to the partners of Saint-Barth Chess - Sibarth, Saint-Barth Assurances, Match and the Collectivité, the first prize is a plane ticket to France to participate in the Chess Championship of France 2009. The French championship will take place August 10-22, 2009, in a city yet to be identified. To register for this event, call Jef Follner at 06 90 55 12 14. Bon chance à tous!

Posted on October 13, 2008 4:16 AM| Permanent Link: Fifth Edition of Chess Championship Coming Up| Comments (0)

In preparation for the 25th edition of the St Barth Festival of Music, which will be held January 8-22, 2009, the association Saint B'art is organizing a poster competition. All painting and drawing techniques are allowed and everyone can participate. The only constraints are the format and theme. The posters can be vertical 10F (55 cm X 46 cm maximum) or vertical F25 (100 cm X 68 cm maximum). The theme, of course, must be music. The winning poster will become the poster for next year's Music Festival, and the winner will be given a pass for the duration of the event. To register, send an email to Veronique VanderNoot at veronique.vandermoot@orange.fr. All posters must be submitted by November 15, 2008, to the Blue Gecko Studio in St Jean, on the road to the Tropical Hotel.

For more information, please call 06 90 39 92 74.

Posted on October 12, 2008 4:17 AM| Permanent Link: Saint B'Art Announces Poster Competition for the Upcoming Music Festival| Comments (0)

October 17-19, 2008
Fifth Edition of the Chess Championship

November 16-23, 2008
Swedish Week

December 14-18, 2008
Transact Classique Lagassé

January 8-22, 2009
25th Edition of the Music Festival

Posted on October 10, 2008 4:22 AM| Permanent Link: On the Horizon| Comments (0)

The Lions Club of St. Barth is launching a large operation of collections to help the people in Haiti who have suffered greatly due to four hurricanes in three weeks. The collection of foodstuffs has already started in the grocery stores on the island. They have placed containers at the entry to the stores where you can deposit nonperishable foods, such as rice, pasta, lentils, dried beans and canned vegetables. In addition, the Lions Club organized a drop-off point on Saturday, September 27 in the parking lot of Alma in Public to collect children's clothing, small tools, such as hammers, screwdrivers and nails, tarpaulins, kitchen utensils and household linens. The collected goods will be put on a boat on Wednesday, October 1 and delivered to Port-au-Prince. Upon arrival, Sister Jeanne Maurice, whom the Lions Club has worked with for many years, will receive the goods and supervise their distribution. The Lions Club is also accepting monetary donations. Checks can be made out to the Lions Club of St Barthelémy, BP 186, 97133 St Barthelémy CEDEX.

Posted on October 8, 2008 4:14 AM| Permanent Link: Lions Club to Aid Haiti| Comments (0)

Central Parc, a new restaurant, will open in November in Gustavia on the corner where the former La Gamelle was located. The site was purchased by the two brothers who own L'Entracte (also known as "the blue coconut" due to the neon blue coconut tree out front). Jean-Louis, one of the brothers, will operate Central Parc, which promises a menu of American-style breakfast, lunch and dinner. The other brother will continue to run L'Entracte.

L'Isola, the Italian restaurant that recently opened in O'Corner's location in Gustavia, will soon be offering "Aperitivo" time. Starting at 5:30 pm, guests can enjoy an apéritif with complimentary Italian finger food.

Rumors are that the François Plantation, which closed its doors earlier this year, will be converted into a condo complex. High in the hills of Colombier, this is sure to be a popular and sought-after spot.

October is a great month to be in St Barth - the weather is starting to get a bit cooler, many of the restaurants are re-opening and the sales are in full swing. October is a month that the French government has designated as one during which all the stores can hold big sales. And, indeed, they do - often offering up to 50%-75%. Below is just a short list of the sales that have already begun; more will start in a couple of days. This is a great time to get some excellent deals, so bring that extra suitcase - even if you have to pay $15 to check it!

• A Vos Marques, a sporting goods shop in Gustavia, until October 25
• Vaval Boutique, a clothing store in St Jean
• Royaume des Enfants, Rue Courbet in Gustavia, up to 50% off
• Fabienne Miot, a jewelry store in Gustavia, up to 50% off
• Tendances, a vendor of furniture and other home decorations and accessories in Anses des Cayes and Gustavia, up to 50% off

Posted on October 7, 2008 4:19 AM| Permanent Link: Bits and Pieces| Comments (0)

Since 1990, the National Day of the Horse has been celebrated on the last Sunday of September. This occasion is an opportunity for riding schools to share their passion for horses. Raphaëlle, manager of the Ranch des Flamands, organized an event on Sunday, September 28, on "Grande Platon", the name given by the elders of Flamands and Terre-Neuve to the ground currently occupied by the ranch. The program included a day of games, demonstrations and obstacle-jumping, with beverages and BBQ offered on site.

Posted on October 6, 2008 4:12 AM| Permanent Link: National Day of the Horse| Comments (0)

Initiated last Wednesday in Saint Martin, the Box Mediaserv should be available in St Barth by the end of the year, according to its operator, which has been a subsidiary of the Loret group since 1999. A competitor of Livebox, the Box Mediaserv proposed in Saint Martin offers a package including the removal of the standard telephone service contract, a high-speed connection to the Internet, remote downloads and unlimited telephony, depending on which plan is chosen. On November 29, 2004, the Regional Council of Guadeloupe awarded to Global Caribbean Network (GCN) a contract to build and operate a fiber-optic submarine cable system, linking Guadeloupe, St Martin and St Barth to the Internet backbone in Puerto Rico. Seventy-five percent of the funding comes from the European Regional Development Fund and the Guadeloupe Regional Council, with the remaining 25% coming from GCN main shareholder, the Loret Group.

Posted on October 6, 2008 4:11 AM| Permanent Link: Fiber-Optic Cable and New Internet Service to Be in Place by End of Year| Comments (0)

Photos courtesy of Dal Tucker

Posted on October 6, 2008 3:58 AM| Permanent Link: St. Barts Views| Comments (0)