Celebrities, Winter Jet Set Anchor in St. Barts
ST. BARTS, The Caribbean (TheStreet) -- It doesn't seem so festive given the ugly arguments as to who gets the best mooring in Gustavia, $1,000 rates for viewless rooms with seven-night minimums and restaurant hostesses choosing who gets a table and who gets stuck at Maya's To-Go. But St. Barts high season is unlike any scene in the world, a glitterati playground of billionaires and pop culture icons who descend between Christmas and New Years for an annual Caribbean migration of debauchery and excess.
In recent years most of the island's top luxury hotels, such as the
and
have undergone massive refurbishments to bring them closer to their guests' five- and six-star expectations. This year it's the
that got the nip and tuck -- no minor one at that -- incorporating its spa and virtually all of its guest rooms and suites into the facelift. Located on a spectacular beach along the northeastern island, the resort is nestled within a mature palm grove at the far end of the Grand Cul de Sac Bay in what many consider the island's best resort location, overlooking Marigot Bay.
Christmas to New Year's week is high season on St. Barts -- possibly because it doesn't feel like the week between Christmas and New Year's at all. |
Guanahani has always been branded in a colorful palette of Caribbean colors among charming cottage- and bungalow-style suites. Rooms have been recast with the help of Miami-based designer Luis Pons, who also designed a series of villas at nearby Le Sereno with Christian Liaigre. The result is a sophisticated mix of exotic wood floors, suites trimmed in rustic paneling, modern seating arrangements and more luxurious bathrooms. An additional beachfront suite has been added for VIPs, offering direct access to quintessential spots such as the Beach Bar and Le Bartolomeo Restaurant should its guests tire of the two full-time butlers on staff.
By day, visitors to St. Barts pull up anchor and rotate among the island's top beach clubs and lunch spots. The brassy, be-seen set descend onto St. Jean Beach with Hermes beach bags in hand to stake out a waterfront lounger at
, preferably with a lunchtime table reserved well ahead of arrival. A scene of chilled champagne magnums and DJs spinning bubbly lounge music ripens toward afternoon. There's the occasional tabletop dance or champagne bath and even some glimpses of Jay-Z and Beyonce, Justin and Lindsay among less-recognizable billionaires, CEOs and the occasional visiting dictator.
Other beach clubs can be found with just a bit less hip-hop bass.
at Tom's Beach Hotel is home to one of the island's more grown-up beach club scenes, including posh lunches among a Francophile crowd that morphs slowly into a full-on nightclub by night. Even more low-key is
, owned by former professional tennis player Yannick Noah and offering a delicious dive bar on a remote strip of beach preferred by more reclusive islanders.
Every season has its own lineup of defining restaurants and night spots. New this year is Le 88, a classy, relaxed Greek tavern along one of Gustavia's top shopping streets. Pass the Hermes and Cartier showrooms and you'll find a cozy dining room serving traditional skewers and Greek grilled specialties. After dark, though, the outdoor lounge comes to life with live music attended by locals long since graduated from the debauchery of Le Ti.
Look for
to be the toughest dinner reservation of the season. This eatery has a charming, cottage-style facade, but it's really a haute Italian eatery owned by the California-based restaurateur behind Santa Monica's Via Venetto and masks a cutthroat reservation desk. Only a few are granted admission to the starry dining room and terrace and the exquisite menu of authentic fritto misto, homemade raviolis stuffed with fluffy spinach ricotta, creamy lobster risotto and classic veal scaloppini. For a more romantic vibe, try
with its equally swank dining room, wraparound terrace and menu of more traditional island specialties.
Eat your dinner slowly. Nightlife doesn't arrive until after midnight on St. Barts. New spots such as
, the former home of Le Sapotillier, have managed to lure some party-minded visitors and locals from stalwarts including Le Ti and Le Select. A menu of pizzas and light snacks lasts till 1 a.m., and there are live performers and music spun by house DJs. Those looking to follow the flashier crowd should not miss the pop-up installment of Jean Roch's VIP Room at Le Yacht Club. It was last year's hot spot, open from Christmas through the first week of the new year, and sure to again be a top club of St. Barts' high season.
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Michael Martin is the managing editor of JetSetReport.com, a luxury travel and lifestyle guide based in Los Angeles and London. His work has appeared in InStyle, Blackbook, Elle, U.K.'s Red magazine and on ITV and the BBC.