“Mazette!”
The word popped up in our minds when the cuckoo, which operates the transfer from Saint-Martin to Saint Barth, nosedived towards Rémy-de-Haenen airport.
Arriving on the famous Caribbean island takes your breath away in every sense of the word: the joy of having landed on the only and very short tarmac runway, that of discovering a majestic site, where the green of the steep hills tumbles down to the turquoise waters.
Under the unchanging sun, head towards one of the jewels of this flagship destination of high-end tourism: the Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf, for a few days of an enchanted break.
Nestled on the hill overlooking the port of Gustavia, the Barrière group establishment offers an exceptional view of the city and the sunset over the Caribbean Sea.
The hotel, which has weathered several storms since its acquisition by the Barrière group in 2015, has since found its cruising speed.
Green setting
After the passage of Hurricane Irma in 2017, five years of work, a first inauguration postponed due to confinement, the establishment joined the exclusive 5-star club of the French Antilles island at the beginning of 2021.
That is to say 11 gems which, each with its own atmosphere and specific features, make up a complementary luxury offer.
While the Eden Roc enjoys its location on the beach of St Jean, the Carl Gustaf highlights its ideal location on the heights of Gustavia, and its proximity to the city center, its luxury boutiques, its many bars and restaurants trendy five-minute walk away.
Without forgetting its unique French Touch, deployed by efficient and attentive staff, and this cozy spirit which reigns over the 21 keys in the hotel.
The tailor-made service and a caring team are among the many assets of this address on a human scale.
Hotel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf in Saint-Barth
In images, in pictures
See the slideshow10 photos
See the slideshow10 photos
The rooms, suites and the sumptuous Villa Diane are distributed in a floor plan, surrounded by lush tropical vegetation.
The old colonial-style establishment was completely renovated by the interior architecture studio Gilles & Boissier, working notably at the Café de l'Homme in Paris and the Mandarin Oriental in Marrakech.
We find the duo's refined style, driven by an innate sense of brightening up volumes, their taste for natural materials and noble wood species, structuring colors, and the fluidity of volumes.
In the spacious rooms, the latest high-tech equipment is discreet, giving pride of place to elegant screens and shutters, available in precious materials.
In the large bathrooms, Byredo products complete this refinement of every detail.
The rooms all benefit from a large terrace, where you can relax in deckchairs with elegant yellow or green stripes, next to a small swimming pool, from where you can enjoy the endless view of the bay.
“A boat rocked by the trade winds”
Designed as “a boat rocked by the trade winds” by Dorothée Boissier and Patrick Gilles, the Carl Gustaf has established itself as the ideal spot to contemplate the sunset and start an aperitif in the last rays of the day, then dine on the heights .
In the main building, on the restaurant side, Beefbar has replaced Fouquet's, perhaps a little too formal for the resolutely bohemian atmosphere of the island.
It was a success, the restaurant was regularly full.
After a cocktail (with special mention for the Rendez-vous à Paris), we will draw from the menu designed by Riccardo Giraudi, the founder of Beefbars, which obviously gives pride of place to meats (Black Angus, Kobe and Wagyu), but counts tasty marine offerings like an exquisite ginger sea bass, or delicious miso eggplants.
At lunchtime, we will be invited to discover the Shellona restaurant on the pink shell beach of Shell Beach, a stone's throw from the hotel, and its menu with a Mediterranean trope, between mezze and marinated fish.
This is the ideal spot to test the Sea Bob.
This machine allows you to propel yourself at high speed in the waves or explore the exceptional seabed of the Caribbean Sea.
Only condition: hold on tight!
In the afternoon, an appointment at the Diane Barrière spa will be an opportunity to discover treatments under the aegis of Biologique Recherche, the high-end French brand, famous for its products with an extreme concentration of active ingredients, and its P50 lotion acclaimed by many celebrities.
The facial treatment performed by regularly trained “spa therapists” offers a quite stunning lifting and pimping effect.
Getaways
During the day, there is no shortage of getaways to explore this corner of paradise, always in this niche of “luxury, calm and discretion”.
By taxi, the beaches are quickly accessible on the 21 km² territory.
We hope you come across Sinclair, who tells the story of his island like no other.
He will take you to the Grand Cul de Sac lagoon, while taking care to get out of the car to remove a turtle that has gotten lost on the tarmac, kindly greeted with a “There you go, Madame!”
This kite surf spot is also the perfect place to swim with sea turtles, a unique experience.
On this beach, you can eat at Ti' Corail.
At the helm of this tavern appreciated by locals and New Yorkers alike, Yann Vinsot, former chef of Cheval Blanc, offers tasty fresh and local cuisine.
On your way back, it is possible to stop at the Lorient cemetery, to pay your respects at the grave of Johnny Hallyday.
Another getaway not to be missed is Colombier beach, accessible only by boat (aboard the St Barth Sailor catamaran, for example) or by hiking trails.
The calm waters are ideal for snorkelling to spot a host of colorful fish, such as blue-headed peacock wrasses, but also rays, or the peaceful “sleeping shark” which goes about its business without paying attention to the bathers.
And once on the sand, greet turtles and iguanas.
Villa Rockefeller
Overlooking the cove, the Rockefeller villa, built by the banker in the 1950s and 60s according to plans by architect Nelson W. Aldrich, recalls the time when the American millionaire launched the island as a tourist destination.
The bohemian wave of the 1970s was followed by the “quiet luxury” spirit which continues to this day, driven by New Yorkers from the Upper East Side who made Saint-Barth their idyllic vacation spot.
Abandoned for a while after the 2017 hurricane, the villa was purchased for around $136 million (€124 million) in April 2023 by a rich American family, according to the
Wall Street Journal
.
The estate, located in a protected natural area, is subject to numerous restrictions in terms of development, which has ruled out possible hotel projects.
Because Saint Barth wants everything but to transform into the Saint-Trop' of the Caribbean.
To the noisy bling of the Côte d'Azur city, the island prefers to cultivate its niche of luxury which rhymes with preservation of nature and calm.