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The Carl Gustaf, located on a hillside in Gustavia overlooking the picturesque harbor, is a four-star luxury hotel close to gorgeous Shell Beach, restaurants and shops. Two weeks ago, they closed for major renovations. According to general manager Pierre-Alexander Maillard, “We are going to be enlarging the hotel as well as completely renovating the restaurant, bar, and lounge.” The hotel will add a new four-bedroom suite over the restaurant as well as a small spa and boutique. The spa will have three treatment rooms for massage and other services along with a Jacuzzi. The hotel is scheduled to re-open on December 15, 2008.
The François Plantation, is also closing for renovations. Located on the northwestern tip of the island, high in the hills of Colombier, the four-star Hotel François Plantation is housed in typical St. Barth architecture with a wrap-around terrace and a pool surrounded by teak decks overlooking a beautiful bay. The restaurant, one of the most highly regarded on the island, closed on April 1 and the hotel will close on May 7. The renovations here will be to bring the hotel’s sanitation system and kitchen up to date. The hotel will re-open in mid-November and has plans for additional improvements in the summer of 2009.
Looking for a beautiful place to stay, yet a little different from the typical hotel? Check out the Hostellerie des 3 Forces in Vitet. The owner and chef, as well as an astrologer who has been practicing for over 20 years, is the very charming Hubert Delamotte. M. Delamotte, a reknown chef, arrived from France in 1979 for a vacation, met his wife and never left. Isn’t that so often the story you hear when on St Barth?! The Hostellerie has seven quiet and charming cottages. All rooms face the sea, have air-conditioning and many have kitchenettes. In the morning, you can have breakfast by the pool or in the restaurant's harbored veranda. For more information, go to www.3forces.net or call at 590-590-276-125
The St Barth Beach Hotel in Grand Cul de Sac has been leveled for some time now, and there has been much speculation about what would be built on that beautiful oceanfront site. There is now a sign on the property that says Niilaais Hotel Resort & Spa Coming Soon! They are offering exclusive 5-bedroom villas and luxurious full-service duplex suites for purchase within the resort. See their web site www.niilaaia.com for more information.
The dollar's demise is affecting travel all over the globe in different ways according to this article, which includes a mention of how the Hotel Carl Gustaf is dealing with it:
"The high-end Hotel Carl Gustaf on St. Barts, for example, is guaranteeing winter rates for travel through April 19 in dollars. While the listed rates begin at 1,100 euros, or $1,672 at $1.52 to the euro, the hotel is offering rates beginning at $1,300 a room a night with a three-night minimum to travelers who ask for the U.S. dollar rate."
Didn't the NY Times do one of these last winter too? I guess you can always find a writer willing to spend some time on St. Barts:
"GETTING to St. Barts isn’t easy, not even with your own Gulfstream. On the final leg, trade your million-dollar jet for a tiny puddle jumper, before threading between two jagged peaks and touching down on a teensy runway that, islanders like to joke, is as short as an aircraft carrier’s. That might explain the island’s exclusivity. Although Jay-Z, Beyoncé and a rotating cast of celebrities have kept St. Barts in the tabloids, this tiny French island still exudes a chic, laid-back vibe unspoiled by gawkers and day-trippers. And despite a new wave of wine bars, chichi boutiques and designer restaurants, the island’s main attraction remains its luscious white sand beaches, fringed by the pool-blue waters of the Caribbean."
Lots of good stuff mentioned in the article along with many phone numbers, websites, etc.
The Hôtel Le Village St Jean, which sits high on a hill overlooking the beautiful bay and beach of St Jean, has added a new gym and massage room next to the pool. Visit their web site at http://www.villagestjeanhotel.com for more information and to make reservations.
La Normandie hotel in Lorient is being completely renovated to transform it into a boutique hotel. The hotel is a mere two-minute walk to the beach and the restaurants Le Wok and La Portugal. A two-minute drive takes you to two other restaurants: K'fe Massai and Le Bouchon. In addition, Lorient is home to three grocery stores and a wonderful bakery. The hotel sits in a tranquil garden setting and offers a pool, complimentary Continental breakfast and afternoon wine, and WiFi. Rates are 90-160 € except for December 15-January 5, when they are 200-250 €. The web site http://www.normandiehotelstbarts.com will likely have more information when the hotel opens.
A well-known magazine on travel and life in the Caribbean published that Le Toiny would be adding a spa and a beach restaurant as part of the new owner's renovations. However, the word straight from Le Toiny is that this is not quite true. They will be adding a massage room rather than a spa, and they will not be adding a beach restaurant.
If you'd like to visit St Barth, but the world-renown hotels are out of your price range or you just prefer smaller places, other options do exist.
Salines Garden Cottages in Grande Saline offers five charming cottages, three of which have kitchenettes. All of the cottages have air-conditioning, ceiling fans, telephone, in-room safe, hair dryer, beach towels and a terrace. A pool on the premises, surrounded with comfortable chaise lounges, offers WiFi access. The cottages start at 80 euros from August 24 to December 19, 290 euros from December 20 to January 4 and 140 euros from January 5 to April 15. Visit www.salinesgarden.com for more details and photos.
Auberge de Terre Neuve, just up the hill from Flamands, has ten apartments and is a great deal, if you don't mind not having a reception desk. The apartments are modestly furnished and start at 80 euros, which includes a rental car (rates are 130 euros between December 15 and April 1).
Eden Roc, St Jean
Hôtel Saint-Barth Isle de France, Flamands
Hôtel Guanahauni & Spa, Grand Cul de Sac
Condé Nast has just published its Reader's Awards for 2007 in the November issue. With over 28,000 votes cast, Eden Rock (92.7%) was awarded the number one hotel in the Caribbean. Hôtel Saint-Barth Isle de France came in at a close second place (91.0%), and the Hôtel Carl Gustaf was number five (83.8%). The Hôtel Guanahauni & Spa was voted number 11 (87.3%) of Best Resorts in the Caribbean. As for the Best Island in the Caribbean, St Barth (77.0%) was voted number three. Number one was Bermuda (80.2%) and number two was St John (78.9%). The criteria for Best Hotel was food/dining, location, overall design, rooms, and service. The criteria for the Best Resort was activities/facilities, food/dining, location, overall design, rooms and service. The criteria for the Best Island was activities, atmosphere/ambience, beaches, friendliness, lodging, restaurants and scenery. Not bad for such a tiny island!
The MSNBC website had an article out title "Top trips for singles" which mentions the following:
"One such outing is a six-night yoga retreat at the Hotel Isle de France in St. Barth. Solo travelers can take daily group yoga classes on the beach or at the spa's indoor studio. For the solitary, there are meditation classes, and a spa menu that includes outdoor Thai massage and spine treatments. Afternoons are generally free, so singles will have plenty of time to explore the island and its many beaches on their own or with others on the retreat. They can also unwind in one of the hotel’s 34 guest rooms - each one has a spacious marble bath and overlooks lush gardens."
As reported earlier, the Eden Roc hotel has constructed several villas on the old property of Le Filao hotel in St Jean for sale as timeshares or “fractional ownership.” Now, you can now take a Virtual Tour of these timeshare villas.
From 4hoteliers.com (they have a website for everything nowadays...)
"Pierre-Alexandre Maillard is the new General Manager at the Hotel Carl Gustaf in St. Barthelemy. He was previously the General Manager of the Hotel Napoléon in Fontainebleau."
From May 30 to June 3, the Guanahani Resort & Spa will host an event to award the first literary prize given in the name of this luxury hotel located on Grand Cul de Sac. Although Marc Thezé, the director of the hotel, created the prize, the name “Guanahani Literary Prize” comes from the book Je vous aime by French author Catherine Siguret, which was published in November 2006. The plot involves a Parisian woman and a successful writer and contains a scene set during the awarding of the Guanahani Literary Prize. When Thezé read the book, he decided to make the fictional prize a reality. The winner of the award will be chosen by a jury of celebrities from the world of French literature and media. The jury will meet at the Guanahani to select the best romance novel out of five pre-selected French novels published this year. The winner, whose identity will be revealed on June 3, will receive an all-inclusive week at the hotel for two, complete with airline tickets.
InfoValue Computing, Inc. (InfoValue), along with its partner Concierge Express and its regional subsidiary Sun Media Network of Simpson Bay Yacht Club in St Maarten, has just completed the first installation of a digital video-on-demand (VOD) system on St Barth. The system, InfoValue SuiteTV, was installed at the luxurious, beachfront Emeraude Plage Hotel in St Jean and offers VOD, an information portal and Internet access over the television in all of the hotel’s suites, tropical bungalows and villas. Hotel guests can access VOD content interactively on their 32” HDTVs, view local attractions and hotel amenities via the information portal and take advantage of high-speed Internet access provided by the save HDTV screen with a wireless keyboard input. But, let’s hope the guests don’t forget that the best video-on-demand is just steps from their room – in full, living color!
I guess if you like cutting edge TV and need the Internet while on St. Barts, Emeraude Plage is the new place to be:
DMN Newswire--2007-4-30--InfoValue Computing, Inc. (InfoValue), an expert in providing innovative, high-performance video-streaming platforms and solutions, today announced its first installation on the Caribbean island of St. Barths at the luxury beachside Emeraude Plage Hotel. InfoValue’s class-leading InfoValue SuiteTV™ solution offers video-on-demand (VOD), an information portal, and Internet over the television in all of the hotel’s suites, villas, and tropical bungalows...
“The InfoValue SuiteTV system installed here means we can provide the highest standards in digital entertainment, hotel information, and Internet access over the television — to match the exceptional quality of our accommodation,” said Genevieve Nouy, proprietor of the Emeraude Plage. “We have created a unique luxury resort here, and it’s a pleasure to offer our guests the most advanced digital facilities in the region.”
Guests at the Emeraude Plage will use InfoValue SuiteTV’s features to access IP-based VOD content interactively on their 32-inch HDTVs and benefit from functionality such as pausing, rewinding, fast-forwarding, and bookmarking both Hollywood and foreign content. Hotel amenities and local attractions are available through the information portal, and high-speed Internet access is also provided via the same screen with a wireless keyboard input.
Browse Wimco.com for Intimate Hotels of Distinction. Wimco is the pioneer in the Caribbean luxury vacation industry. Visit Wimco.com to browse its selection of intimate hotels of distinction in St Barts and the Caribbean. They have 24 years of experience and have been praised by the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Forbes and Fortune. You can trust them to put you in the right hotel or resort for whatever kind of vacation experience you want. The vacation specialists at Wimco will also handle your flight and car reservations. Get started.
"Those who can't do New Year's like Diddy, DiCaprio and Microsoft mogul Paul Allen do -- on megayachts, of course -- not to worry: this tiny, tony Caribbean island is always crawling with celebrities. Hangouts include Maya's (Public, Gustavia; (011-590-590) 277-573), the casual seaside boite favored by Jimmy Buffet and Martha Stewart; Casa Nikki (Plage de St. Jean; (011-590-590) 276-464), the Barth's branch of Miami's very own Nikki Beach Club where Enrique Iglesias and Anna Kournikova partied last year; and Le Yacht Club (Rue Jeanne d'Arc; (011-590-690) 492-333), where Usher, Mariah Carey, Jay Z and Beyonce have been known to pop bottles of bubbly. If you don't have a private villa, make like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner and hang your weary heads at the haute Hotel Guanahani & Spa (Grand Cul de Sac; (011-590-590) 529-036)."
Travel Weekly is reporting that Island Destinations 2007 Travelers Collection calls Eden Rock "the most exciting new destination in luxury travel". New? Hasn't Eden Rock been around for awhile?
Subscribers to Condé Nast Traveler magazine have made their choice. Judged on rooms, service, restaurant and location, L’Isle de France on the beach in Flamands was judged the #1 hotel in the Caribbean and #16 worldwide. Quite a coup for the couple who has owned and managed the hotel for only six years! The hotel acknowledges the value of the long-term service of its 85 employees, only seven of which are new. With 70% of their clients returning each year, this stability ensures that their expectations of a high level of service will be met – not to mention the same friendly faces each year! Four new luxury suites measuring 150 m2 will be added for the next season.
Le Manapany is a four-star luxe hotel located on the northwest coast of St Barts in the small village of Anse des Cayes, two miles from Gustavia and 1.5 miles from the airport. The hotel offers a variety of accommodations decorated in a Balinese style: 32 cottages and 36 junior suites, which are located in a tropical garden; and six apartments, which are next to the 600-foot beach. All rooms have air-conditioning, TV, radio, mini-bar, hair dryer and a refrigerator. The cottages have a private terrace. Amenities include a pool and Jacuzzi, a fitness center, tennis courts, concierge services, room service, meeting facilities and a poolside restaurant and bar.
The Carl Gustaf, located on a hillside in Gustavia overlooking the picturesque harbor, is a four-star luxe hotel. The hotel offers 14 one- or two-bedroom suites, each in its own cottage with a view of the harbor and the sunset. Each suite has a private terrace and plunge pool, air-conditioned bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchenette, mini-bar, direct telephone line, TV, DVD player and CD player. The hotel offers a business center with Internet access, a fitness center, beauty salon, 24-hour room service, restaurant and bar, and complimentary shuttle to the beaches. Its location in Gustavia affords easy access to beautiful Shell Beach and all the restaurants and shops in town.
Eden Roc, located on the Baie of St Jean in the heart of the town of St Jean, is a member of the pretigious Relais & Chateaux chain. This hotel sits between two beautiful beaches and offers 29 unique rooms all of which have air-conditioning, wireless internet, a mini-bar, CD player, DVD player, and satellite TV. The rooms consist of cottages, suites, a house with a walled garden, private pool and views of the ocean, and a loft suite at the top of the rock. The property has two restaurants, two bars, water sports, a fitness center, a boutique and an art gallery. Many shops and restaurants are within easy walking distance.
The Hotel Christopher is located on the northeastern coast of St. Barts at Pointe Milou with views of St. Maarten and the sunset. This four-star hotel offers 41 rooms on two floors decorated in a French Colonial style with mahogany furniture. Each room has air-conditioning, ceiling fans, a king bed and a terrace with views of the tropical garden, the pool or the ocean. Amenities include a gym, yoga and water aerobic classes, two restaurants, room service, a pool overlooking the ocean with a bar, wireless internet, satellite TV, and a lounge bar with live music. The hotel is closed each year from August 25 to October 25.
The Guanahani Hotel & Spa, located on the northeastern coast of St Barts at Grand Cul de Sac on a 15-acre peninsula, is a member of the Leading Small Hotels of the World. One of its beaches is on the calm waters of Grand Cul de Sac with a beach bar, while the other faces the ocean. The hotel was completely renovated in 2004 and offers 69 rooms: 30 suites, 14 of which have their own pool; 38 double rooms; and one three-bedroom suite with a pool and ocean view. The hotel boasts a new state-of-the-art Clarins spa (the only Clarins spa on the island), a large swimming pool with a Jacuzzi, room service, a boutique, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, a gym, two tennis courts, two restaurants, wireless internet, satellite TV and three internet work stations.
The Hotel Le Toiny, located on the southeastern coast of St. Barts, is a member of the Relais and Chateaux chain. The hotel offers 15 villas, each with its own pool and terrace overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The villas are furnished in the traditional colonial style of the French West Indies with four-poster mahogany beds and ceiling fans. Each villa has a fully equipped kitchenette, satellite television, VCR and DVD player, CD player and stereo and air-conditioning in the bedrooms. Available services include rental cars, valet parking, a concierge, boutique, spa treatments, a sports trainer and gym equipment, 24-hour room service, wireless internet, a DVD library, cocktail bar and restaurant. The hotel is closed each year from September 1 to October 23.
Many have been wondering what’s behind the screening at the old Le Filao hotel next to Eden Roc. The Eden Roc has bought into the timeshare concept – Eden Roc Owners Society. They are offering the opportunity to purchase a villa for four to five weeks per year for the next 75 years. Weeks can be sold at any time or bequeathed to another person. One week, which will never change, will be during high season. You can change the other weeks each year, if desired. The five villas range in size from 736 square feet to 2117 square feet and from one bedroom to three bedrooms. The villas have been built of stone and hardwood and each is fully equipped and has a pool or a plunge pool. Services offered include housekeeping twice a day, 24-hour room service, concierge service, dry cleaning and laundry service, dedicated air-conditioned storage for personal possessions you wish to leave behind and organization of special events. Prices start at 286,000 euros. Eros is the Greek god of love and sexual desire and was also worshipped as a fertility god. Caveat emptor!
Looking for a beautiful place to stay, yet a little different from the typical hotel? Check out the Hostellerie des 3 Forces in Vitet. The owner and chef, as well as an astrologer who has been practicing for over 20 years, is the very charming Hubert Delamotte. M. Delamotte, a reknown chef, arrived from France in 1979 for a vacation, met his wife and never left. Isn’t that so often the story you hear when on St Barth?! The Hostellerie has seven quiet and charming cottages. All rooms face the sea, have air-conditioning and many have kitchenettes. In the morning, you can have breakfast by the pool or in the restaurant's harbored veranda. For more information, go to 
The Hôtel Le Village St Jean, which sits high on a hill overlooking the beautiful bay and beach of St Jean, has added a new gym and massage room next to the pool. Visit their web site at 
From May 30 to June 3, the Guanahani Resort & Spa will host an event to award the first literary prize given in the name of this luxury hotel located on Grand Cul de Sac. Although Marc Thezé, the director of the hotel, created the prize, the name “Guanahani Literary Prize” comes from the book Je vous aime by French author Catherine Siguret, which was published in November 2006. The plot involves a Parisian woman and a successful writer and contains a scene set during the awarding of the Guanahani Literary Prize. When Thezé read the book, he decided to make the fictional prize a reality. The winner of the award will be chosen by a jury of celebrities from the world of French literature and media. The jury will meet at the Guanahani to select the best romance novel out of five pre-selected French novels published this year. The winner, whose identity will be revealed on June 3, will receive an all-inclusive week at the hotel for two, complete with airline tickets.
