It might be known as the West Indies’ faster and fizzier island, a St Tropez-meets-the-Hamptons, with Euro prices and va-va-voom sports cars zipping around, but Cheval Blanc St Barth’s is the pinnacle of quiet luxury. Here, tucked away on the talc-soft Baie des Flamand beach and flanked by lush tropical gardens, roaming tortoises and creeping bougainvillaea, a French Caribbean fantasy awaits.
Location
Just a speedy six-minute drive away from the airport (famously known for its short, 2,100-foot runway set between the beach and two dramatic hills – pilots require specialist training to land here) on the quieter, wilder north-west coast, Cheval Blanc St-Barth sits on the island’s prettiest beach. If you fancy slipping into the party scene, clubs including Nikki Beach and Le Petit Plage, as well as high-end shopping from brands including Hermès and Louis Vuitton, are less than a 10-minute drive away.
Rooms & Suites
Rooms are pared-back elegant, think whitewashed french country furniture and panelling on the walls with touches of the palest salmon-pink (the hotel’s signature shade) overlaid with vibrant pops of colour – Ikat cushions, handmade Moroccan tiles in the bathroom, with Indonesian stools and rugs from Tibet.
There are rooms and suites on the beach and bungalows in the garden at the back. All have sweeping bathrooms the size of a London apartment with walk-in wardrobes and, if you’re in one of the ocean-facing suites, mesmerising views of the twinkling water. If you really want to fly high, book the knockout Villa de France, a room so popular it has its own waiting list. Sleeping up to 10 guests with five bedrooms and the sea close enough to tickle (alongside a gym and spa plus two pools when the six steps to the sea prove just too much).
Dining
Food is a huge highlight here with a dazzling array of dishes that effortlessly blend French dining with local ingredients and a laid-back feel. There are two restaurants on-site, La Cabana and La Case, both of which have French chef Jean Imbert, of Paris’s Plaza Athénée, at the helm.
After a morning laying horizontal on a sunlounger, make a beeline for La Cabane, the more relaxed toes-in-the-sand restaurant where grilled octopus, Creole crab cakes and barbecue ribs are washed down with punchy Caribbean martinis (rum, cocao liquor and homemade pineapple and banana syrup) shaken up at the Tiki Bar. Naturally, with French flair in the air, leave space for a moorish pastry from the Kiosque – from feathery mille-feuilles to decadent Paris-brests. À la carte breakfast is also served daily at La Cabane or, if a lie-in beckons, have it delivered to your terrace at no extra cost.
When nighttime falls, La Case serves up contemporary French West Indian cuisine. Try the just-caught mahi-mahi marinated with hibiscus and pomegranate, followed by the restaurant’s chicken colombo for two, a curry-style dish inspired by West Indian cooking served up with fluffy spiced Creole rice (trust us, you’ll be begging for the recipe). Don’t miss the restaurant’s famous baked Alaska or sticky pineapple tarte tatin too and take this advice: come hungry. As an LVMH-owned hotel, the wine list is unsurprisingly superb with the chance to try lesser-known French producers as well as the big-name Burgundys.
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Amenities
There’s snorkelling, paddle-boarding and jet-skiing, with secret yoga sessions hidden behind palm fronds to the soundtrack of chattering turtle doves, plus a state-of-the-art gym if you don’t want to miss out on your daily workout. Or, if you prefer, take this as your cue to do nothing other than perfecting the art of lounging, lizard-like, on the sunbeds, strolling to the one of the two pools for a dip or waving a lazy arm for a glass of Whispering Angel.
For melt-away massages and skin brightening facials, the Guerlain spa is a temple of relaxation, with four treatment rooms and a private outdoor pavilion, ideal for loved-up couples and honeymooners. This is also the place to pick up a bottle of the hotel’s exclusive bespoke Guerlain fragrance, a delicate aroma of ylang-ylang and pineapple with notes of white flowers and sandalwood that will bring back the warmth of the sun even when you’re back in Blighty.
You’ll be hard pressed not to find something beautiful in one of the hotel boutiques – one dedicated to womenswear and accessories and another for menswear, each filled with chic resort wear, crisp linen shirts and elegant straw hats from labels including Missoni, Pucci, Ermano Scervino and Destree, many pieces exclusively designed for the hotel.
Experiences
If you can tear yourself away from the hotel, staff can happily arrange bespoke day trips and itineraries. If exploring the island is on your agenda, hire one of the hotel’s pastel Mini Moke’s for a self-drive tour, or better still, book a driver who will take you to the most photogenic spots while you kick-back. For sporty types, don’t miss a morning hike with resident personal trainer Geoffrey who will take you along a rugged path from the hotel to the hills overlooking the jaw-dropping Colombier beach, a serene spot only reached by foot or boat. Other experiences include private dinners on the beach, a shimmery sand-beneath-your-feet and star-filled sky spectacle, and the chance to board a private yacht for a day cruising the coastline, gourmet picnic to hand.
Service
As the only hotel in St Barth’s with palace status, service is slick, sharp and personable, led by the general manager Christelle Hilpron who radiates a warmth and dedication to the role that inspires every member of her team to perform. Guests are assigned a majordome (butler) who will take care of any request, day or night, unpack and re-pack your luggage and assist with reservations, transport and everything in between. Then there’s the housekeeping team, known as the hotel’s fairy godmothers, who scatter treats on your bed – silk eye masks, beach bags, flip flops, a pareo embroidered with your name. It’s another level of luxury, generous without the shout-about-it fuss or flippery. The true Cheval Blanc style.
The Verdict
A Caribbean bolthole that exudes French Riviera style with a laid-back glamour, elegant dining with local flavour and dazzling razor-sharp service.
Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France, Baie des Flamands, Saint-Barthélemy, 97133.
Rates for one night in an Ocean Suite start from £3,156 per night. Tradewind Aviation offers daily scheduled flights from Antigua to St Barth’s from $295 + taxes each way.
