Have you been wondering about the future of the severely damaged hotel Emeraude Plage on St. Jean Beach? I have exciting news for you! The owners of Le Barthélemy hotel have purchased the property and plan to transform it into a hotel with a totally new concept. I will monitor the progress and keep you informed on the transformation.
In the meantime, I’ve been busy. Not only am I doing villas inspections, but I am also conducting site inspections of the newly reopened hotels. The 5-Star Cheval Blanc Saint-Barth Isle de France was first on the list. The hotel team invited me to come and to bring members of my staff, who jumped at the opportunity. We visited several of the 42 rooms and suites along with 4 new one bedroom beach suites with the new décor created by French designer Jacques Grange, and direct access to gorgeous Flamands Beach. The Case de L’Isle restaurant has been redone and reinforced to further protect it from future storms. The bar was moved to a more central area and the boutique is nearby. We were treated to a sampling of the hotel’s new lunch menu. Each one was as delicious as the other.
The St. Barth Properties Sotheby’s International Realty team loved the site inspection and lunch at Cheval Blanc Saint-Barth Isle de France.
The hotel will be closed May 31, 2019 for further exciting renovations. It will reopen in the fall of 2019 with 20 new rooms and suites, bringing the total number to 62. French designer Jacques Grange, with his contemporary vision that embraces vibrant patterns, rattan furniture, warm woods and airy cotton will continue his handiwork. Renowned landscaper Madison Cox will enhance the lush tropical gardens adding to the ambiance. Honeymooners will continue to love the romantic Garden Bungalows and families can settle into the 2 bedroom suites.
Last week, I had the opportunity to do a site inspection at the recently re-opened 5-Star Le Sereno hotel. GM Samy Gachem kindly escorted me around and proudly showed me the exciting changes. First of all, the main bar has been moved to a more central location behind the restaurant. The rear section offers a nice place to sit and relax while sipping a cocktail. A new boutique is nearby. There is a lovely beachfront area with comfortable seating where guests can enjoy cocktails and conversation.
Beachfront sitting area at Le Sereno St. Barth.
We walked along the all-new wooden walkways and began our tour. There’s a small gym and all-new spa with 2 treatment rooms. The third treatment room is in a seaside pavilion. The Bungalow Piscine rooms have been completely redone. They boast cathedral ceilings, have a light color palette, and feature a corner sitting area and a sliding drawer minibar. The covered terraces offer outdoor seating and a table for two, in case you want to order room service. Some of these rooms offer a pool and sea view. The bathrooms are brighter, have rain head showers and a separate Toto toilet (Love these!). In fact, all of rooms and suites have them.
Waterfront spa pavilion at Le Sereno.
The new minibar drawers at Le Sereno.
The Grand Suite Plage category of suites have been enlarged. The closet spaces were moved closer to the bathrooms, which have tiled floors and are much brighter now. The wood floors are beautiful. The sunken living area leads to the terrace where guests can sit to enjoy the sound of the surf and the beautiful view.
While we were touring, hubby Steve sat by the restaurant to enjoy a libation. Samy then invited us to have lunch at a table overlooking the beach and the gorgeous colors of the lagoon. Steve ordered fish and remarked, “This is the best sea bass I have ever had”. The flavorings were perfectly created by the chef. I ordered the warm Goat Cheese Salad which was deliciously prepared as well. I highly recommend the Sereno restaurant to anyone who is vacationing here. I also would be pleased to book a room or suite at Sereno, Cheval Blanc Saint-Barth Isle de France or any of the other hotels that we represent.
The seasoning the Executive Chef Alex Simone put on the skin of his sea bass permeated the entire fish.
Le Sereno’s warm goat cheese salad was outstanding.
A St Barth first-person Experience November 02-05, 2017
My passion has always been St. Barth. My heart was aching for the people who experienced the wrath of Hurricane Irma and I longed to get back. Finding flights from Boston had become a huge challenge. I would book flights only to have them canceled. Finally, I found a flight through Miami to St. Maarten. Today’s blog covers my first few days back in paradise.
November 02, 2017:
My husband and I flew on America Airlines to Miami. Fortunately, the flight was on time and we made it to our connecting gate to St. Maarten in time. Both flights were full. I was surprised that so many people wanted to fly to St. Maarten because the recovery there is going at a snail’s pace.
I had heard that the terminal at Princess Juliana Airport was not open and was badly damaged. Make-shift arrangements had been made. That bit of news meant that I was clueless as to how to transit through to St. Barth. We had four heavy checked bags because we packed knowing that we would be here until May. I relied upon my fabulous concierge in our US office, Julia Hurd to arrange VIP services for us. What a smart move!
As soon as we touched down on the tarmac in SXM, I saw the devastation on both sides. I was so used to seeing pictures of how well St. Barth is recovering, it was a bit of a shock. It was as if Irma had hit only 3 days ago instead of 8 weeks ago. Our pilot parked the plane near some tents and we deplaned via a stairway. We were told to go to the “FOB” building. I had no idea what that was, so I asked a friendly guy at the bottom of stairs. He said, “Is your name Walsh?” He took me to Jerry who was handling my Easyway VIP service. Thank you, Jerry!
We deplaned in St. Maarten via a stairway.
We stood in line to clear immigration while Jerry retrieved our luggage, He then escorted us to another tented area where they had some counters and checked us in at Winair. Then we went to a booth to get our passports stamped again, this time for departure, and we went through a security checkpoint in a hangar serving as the departure lounge. It had some places to buy drinks and snacks and a restroom. Soon after, Jerry came to get us, and we were on our way to St. Barth.
We stood in line under a tent, in order ito go through immigration in a temporary building.
We waited for our Winair flight in a hangar that had become the departure lounge.
I admire St. Maarten for adapting to the aftermath of Irma by opening the airport to people like me. SXM is a gateway to many other destinations. I admire American Airlines for flying from Miami and Jet Blue from JFK every day, too. FYI If you are transiting through St. Maarten, please be sure to ask Julia to arrange the VIP service, you will be so happy that you did.
Vive La Différence! As we approached the island, we could see how green St. Barth is – already! We cleared immigration and headed to the St. Barth Properties booth that we share with Gumbs Car Rental. Odile was waiting for us with her always pretty smile and showed us to our rental cars. (Yes, we have two so that I can go off and work without stranding Steve.) 0ff we went to Villa Everest.
I tried to look at the surroundings as I drove. Yup, definitely, a hurricane had hit, the most obvious indication being the almost-naked palm trees. Otherwise, there were many signs of repairs and recovery that impressed me. Even the palms’ fronds had sprouted new growth showing that they were well on their way back to their stately beauty. We unpacked, showered and headed out to dinner. I had vowed that we would frequent every restaurant whose staff had busted their tails to reopen as soon as possible and show my support by dining there. We are always a bit tired on our first night and chose the casual Le Grain de Sel by Saline Beach; it was busy; they had blackboard specials, and we enjoyed the food, the friendly staff as well as the nice breeze.
November 03, 2017
I love waking up my first day back in St. Barth. Feeling rested, I grabbed my camera-phone and took a picture from the pool deck. The island looked nice and green and I remarked that Lorient beach looked beautiful. My mission is to give you firsthand knowledge of how St. Barth looks in real time but to also let you know how the people who lived through this nightmare felt and now feel.
My first morning view from Villa Everest was different but still stunnng.
Steve (aka “Doc”) went to his favorite warehouse in Lorient to stock up on supplies. In case you do not know my husband, he is Dr. Chatter and loves to talk to anyone. Maybe that is because he is a dentist and he was great at distracting his patients with banter between his dental assistant and him. He and the warehouse owner had a long conversation after the guy in front of him had bought every last bottle of Heineken out from under us!) The owner said that the guy owns a restaurant and people like him will go wherever they can to get what they need. Steve settled for Amstel Light and chatted away.
The owner said he had never experienced anything like Hurricane Irma. It was a category 5 but that is as high as the rankings go, and he thought of it as a category 7. In 1995, I remember when Hurricane Luis stalled over St. Barth for 36 hours. He said Irma was fast moving but was much stronger. Some people has lost part of their roofs and windows and when the eye hit at 7:00 am on September 6th, it was a blessing in disguise because people were able to go to the homes of friends and relatives and be safe. The backside was even worse. On September 7th, the island immediately began the recovery process. Everyone showed solidarity and pitched in to help one another. No one was going to sit back and wait for France to send help. The French didn’t think we needed it anyway because, “rich people come to St. Barth.”
Later, I met Anne laure and Laura from my rental office at Villa Les Embruns in Flamands so that I could visit it for a client of mine who is arriving in December. I saw people as well as the villa owner working on the villa, readying it for the first arrival on November 28th. Stonework was being done on a wall as well as repairs on the deck’s gazebos. When we went inside, it was perfect. The furniture looked as if nothing had happened. Laura successfully tested a “flybox” that enabled the Internet connection at the villa. I am going back next week to see the difference and report back.
I stopped at my offices in Gustavia to see everyone and to look at the damages. We have lots to do but both offices are open and ready to welcome you.
I stopped by my new St Barth Properties Sotheby’s International Realty sales office to check out the damages and to say hi to Benoit, Pascale, Nadine and Melissa.
That evening, we dined at another casual place, Bistro Josephine, which is on the road towards Shell Beach, not far from my offices. As soon as I opened the door, I saw my dear friend Audrey Ferrari who was the owner of Carpe Diem restaurant until the landlord decided to tear it down in favor of more shops. Audrey described the menu and the specials to us as we sipped our Coupes de Champagne. Once again, we had a delicious meal and had the chance to talk to Jean Paul, the owner. The bistro features a band once in a while; it also has a rear garden where you can dine alfresco. Try it, you’ll love it. We will make the reservations at any of the restaurants for you.
Doc and I are with Audrey and Jean Paul at Bistro Josephine.
November 04, 2017
Another day of reconnaissance found us driving past Grand Cul de Sac Beach, then turning left to view the lagoon from the righthand side. I wanted to see Le Barthélemy hotel and in the distance Le Sereno and Le Guanahani. The colors of the lagoon were as beautiful as ever; the beach looked inviting, too. The hotels are already in recovery – mode but it will take time before they can reopen. We have plenty of villas ready for your arrival. Maybe it’s time you try the Villa Experience. We can arrange every kind of service you may wish to have while you are there.
Next stop: Lorient Beach. We parked in our usual spot and took the footpath by the cemetery onto the beach. I looked to my left to see a very, very wide sandy beach. We walked the beach and realized that it was as wide as it is because the vegetation in front of the houses was gone. I saw homes that I had never seen before. It should all grow back soon. I spotted a woman with her two children playing on the beach near where the surf shack used to be and, as we approached, I realized that it was Hafida, the owner of The Hideaway restaurant. She told us that she is doing her best to reopen in December. I’ll be there in a heartbeat.
Lorient Beach is looking good too.
We had dinner at Eddy’s which had just reopened October 30th. It was quite busy, and we enjoyed seeing Brigitte, Eddy and their son Mahé again. The restaurant itself didn’t suffer any damage. The front garden lost its big tree. Eddy remarked that they were very fortunate because the tree fell across the street instead of onto the restaurant. Our meals were delicious, and I can’t wait to go back.
It is always a pleasure to see Eddy.
November 5, 2017
Today is Sunday. The day of rest is taken seriously by the islanders, so most places are closed. I put on my sneakers, put my Fitbit on my wrist and we headed off to Gustavia for a combination power walk and reconnaissance trip. The bakery in Lorient was open and a coveted parking space was free, so we parked and went in to buy our baguette for sandwich-making, so we could head to the beach with them later.
We stopped to buy our daily fresh baguette at La Petite Colombe in Lorient.
We decided to start our walk towards the other side of Gustavia. A cruise ship was anchored outside of the harbor and passengers had come in by tender. Therefore, a few shops were open. We headed to my offices and saw both the Bagatelle and the Baz Bar were under renovation. They plan on being open in December. Yay! As we continued on, we saw a few places that had been harmed by Irma. The harborside buildings that once held Hervé’s Coté Port and Carole’s Yacht Club were already scheduled to be torn down in favor of more dock space for boats, so no need for repairs there. We walked past the Hôtel de La Collectivité, as handsome as ever, and turned around at the end of that side of the harbor. Minor things such as benches need repair and the palm trees need more fronds.
The Hotel de la Collectivité (city hall) looks great
Reversing our steps, we walked down the other side of the harbor past the ferry dock and fish market. Everything seemed normal. The Voyager ferry had just arrived from St. Martin, taxi drivers were offering island tours to the cruise ship passengers, Le Repaire was open for breakfast and the fish market was intact but not open because it was Sunday. I did see a piece of plywood on the window at Longchamp’s but not much more. Further up the Bar de L’Oubli was open, too.
The Voyager ferry arrived on this quiet Sunday.
The fish market showed no sign of damage.
The afternoon reconnaissance: St. Jean Beach. After packing the cooler, putting beach chairs and an umbrella in the car, we headed to the parking lot across from the beach. The path at the end of the runway, going onto the sand, was wide, once again, because the foliage was gone. Believe it or not, we found a tiny piece of beach where we usually sit, that was shaded by some rejuvenating palm trees.
The sand on the Les Ilets de la Plage side of the beach has come back nicely. I think it is because most of the fence washed away.
We walked the beach towards Eden Rock and saw the damage to Tom Beach, Emeraude Plage and Eden Rock. Lots of work to do there. Tom Beach is already on its way back and expects to be open in December. We saw piles of sand waiting to be spread in various spots along the beach.
The sand at the Eden Rock side of St. Jean Beach is recovering well.
A benefit from Irma is that the better parts of the fences washed away. You can walk the entire beach again. Hope it lasts.
I noticed a few chaise lounges with umbrellas at the spot where Carib Water Play’s booth used to be and stopped to chat with Lucas, Jean Michel’s son. He was open for business! Good to know – 15 euros for a lounge chair and 10 euros for an umbrella – well worth it.
Carib Water Play is open for business.
Lucas is ready to set up your chaise lounge and umbrella, rent you a surf board or give you a windsurfing lesson.
To end the day, we enjoyed a casual Sunday night dinner at Le Vietnam restaurant in Gustavia.
My next blog will be shorter, I promise, and I will tell you more about my adventures post-Irma.
I’ve just returned from Cannes where I attended the ILTM (International Luxury Travel Mart). I met with many travel agents from all over the world in order to tell them how wonderful St. Barth is. I am off to St. Barth next week and I can’t wait to get there.
Sunset view from my room at the Majestic Hotel in Cannes
I have asked colleague Connie Walsh who traveled with me to St. Barth last month, to write a guest blog describing her trip.
Enjoy!
SBH Trip Report November 2012
By Connie Walsh
Connie Walsh
We had a smooth late afternoon landing, courtesy of Tradewind Aviation, and in no time we were settled in at Villa Everest – and enjoying some wine and cheese. (I highly recommend pre-arrival villa provisioning!) Dinner at Andy’s Hideaway is our first tradition and as always it was rollicking fun with locals and vacationers who have it on their gotta-go list. I adore their thin crust pizza – and their house-made vanilla rhum.
Villa Everest
Our schedule was chock a block with villa and hotel inspections and, trying new-this-season restaurants and the company’s annual Beachside Bash. The venue was again Shell Beach’s Dõ Brazil where songstress Christine Gordon had the crowd up dancing. The Champagne corks were popping and everyone enjoyed a buffet with samples of new menu items. My favs were the Mahi-Mahi sliders and the ribs.
New restos on the scene include La Tables de Jules in Lorient offering dinner staring at 29 euros for 2 courses and a very cool – and cozy – sushi bar corner and in the heart of Gustavia, island restaurateur Franck Mathevet formerly of the Wall House has brought his culinary magic to the covered courtyard of Rue du Port. He has named it Le Carré and everyone in our group loved it…from the first kernel of truffle oil popcorn to the last spoonful of sorbet. Tucked between Hermes and Cartier the sidewalk café ambiance is tres chic.
There’s a brand new chef at Le Sereno, Jean Louis Brocardi and we were delighted to meet with him when we dined there one evening. He is just as charming and engaging as he is talented and we had quite a feast! Could one have too much freshly caught mahi-mahi? We think not. He presented us with a gorgeous appetizer platter of tuna prepared in different – and delicious ways.
We visited Hotel Le Toiny’s poolside Le Gaïac – for a “working lunch.” The pool itself has had a do-over in lava stone and the restaurant is resplendent with a new classic decor. We also lunched at Santa Fe, feet-in-the-sand Gloriette (fab chicken curry and rice) and of course, stopped for a cheeseburger in paradise at Le Select.
Armed with a list of villas newly added to the portfolios we were pleased with what we saw. Here’s a sample:
Villa Imagine – 3 bedrooms: A beautiful Marigot location! A domed skylight floods the living area with light and a classic picture window frames the view. I loved the comfy contemporary furnishings and the artful combination of chic industrial and whimsical accessories. A striking extra long pool sparkles in the sun all day.
Villa Imagine
Villa A – 3 bedrooms: A formal French maison, its grand salon must be seen to be believed and it opens to an expansive pool terrace facing the sea. Villa A features a huge eat-in kitchen with every culinary amenity and would be a WOW setting for a wedding or event.
Villa A Grand Salon
Naturelle 3 – 4 bedrooms: Worthy of an Architectural Digest layout, and like its two “sister villas”, the name comes from its gorgeous but natural tropical landscaping. A sprawling main-level deck features an extra long infinity edge (and heated) pool. The views are spectacular! Two en suite bedrooms are on opposite ends of the villa and the other two, also en suite, are situated just down the hill in a bi level pavilion. Each has its own plunge pool. A spacious open air mini-gym is just one of many special features.
Villa Naturelle 3
And for honeymooners – Ti Acerola. This very private mini-compound’s main pavilion has a kitchen, dining area, bedroom and bath. The 2nd pavilion houses a cozy air-conditioned living room. Both are adjacent to a delightful pool. And what a view!
Villa Ti Acerola
Our hotel inspections included the Carl Gustaf. The suites’ plunge pools have been retiled in sparkling white and new contemporary furnishings and décor give the living rooms and the bedrooms a fresh new airy – and 5 star look. The HotelSaint-Barth Hotel Isle de France is boasting new white marble flooring in it iconic breezeway. We toured the newly refurbished rooms as suites on the beach as we; as the garden bungalows and they are gorgeous. We checked in at the Hotel Taïwana and its new top-level bedroom suites are nearing completion.
It was a busy and productive trip with a nice Sunday break in the middle. We began with a breakfast of ham and cheese croissants at La Petite Colombe and a morning swim at Gouverneur Beach; and then on to St. Jean Beach for a picnic lunch – and some great people watching. Parfait.
If you have not yet been able to attend the St. Barth Summer Sessions (SBSS) there is still time to plan your summer vacation on St. Barts so that you can go to this year’s event. It promises to be sensational. Artists from different places around the globe will be performing at various venues all over the island. Be sure to attend the big concert on the quai Saturday night August 11- It’s Party Time!!
Berlin’s JAZZANOVA is the special invited guest this year. Their music is unique, funky and very entertaining. Last year, Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance had us all asking for more as we kept beat to their sound and the Adam Lasher Band was superb. Aberto Pra Balanço is a young artist from Sao Paulo who is certain to get us boogying. Emily Elbert, Eitch, Josh Logan, Ryan Fardy as well as Peter Barbee, a 24 year old Nashville based artist and the very talented DJ Alex Merrell will all be performing for us.
You will be able to enjoy the music at La Plage, The Christopher, Le Sereno, Bonito restaurant, Taïwana Hotel, L’Esprit, the restaurant of Jean-Claude Dufour, Hotel St Barth Isle de France, Hotel Le Village de St Jean, La Cantina, Voyageur Lounge, the Hotel Carl Gustaf, Eddy’s Restaurant and La Route des Boucaniers. Thierry de Badereau is the founder of the nonprofit organization St. Barth Rocks that organizes the St. Barth Summer Sessions. Celebrating its fourth anniversary, SBSS was also created by Thierry, the owner of Le Tom Beach Hotel and La Plage restaurant.
St. Barth Properties team and the owner of Villa Enfin are proud and pleased to have been able to donate a villa stay for some of the musicians. They are thrilled to be able to stay at this wonderful villa where they can enjoy a little R&R; they can take a dip in the pool and enjoy the panoramic views and be revitalized to entertain us each evening.
Contact reservations@stbarth.com or call 1-800-421-3396. Mention that you read about the event on Peg’s Blog. If you make a new reservation with dates that fall between August 4 and 15, 2012, we will make it tax free by personally paying the accommodation tax for you! That is a 5% savings.
I had a terrific lunch earlier this year with Javier Vila the GM of Le Sereno, the hip hotel on Grand Cul de Sac Beach. The restaurant, Des Pechêurs (Fisherman) is aptly named as it is renowned for its delicious and very fresh fish selections. We both opted for a salad of fresh greens with thinly sliced parmesan cheese followed by my choice of Sole (meunière-style) while Javier chose the Mahi Mahi (grilled). The setting is truly amazing…tables overlook the beach and beautiful breezes from the turquoise lagoon keep diners coming back.
Le Sereno's Restaurant des Pêcheurs
We talked a little business of course and I was pleased to learn that St. Barth Properties is the hotel’s top booking agency. So, being a business woman, I took the opportunity to ask for a perk for our wonderful clients and…Voilà!
Exclusively for you!
Book 7 Nights through St. Barth Properties and enjoy a complimentary lunch or dinner – menu Découverte – for two at Restaurant des Pêcheurs (excluding alcoholic beverages)
“Stay Another Day”- get one night free. Book 5 nights through St. Barth Properties and get a 6th night free! (Blackout and annual closed period excluded.)
VALID UNTIL August 31, 2010 so hurry on this one Call: 1-866-617-4578 or email: Lesereno@stbarth.com.
