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Marius Stakelborough’s 95th birthday

Wednesday, June 20th, 2018

Is longevity a trait of the people who were born in St. Barth?

Many of you are familiar with our Live Your Dream® magazine that we publish. It features articles, information on our USA and St. Barth offices and their staff as well as descriptions of our villas and hotels. Last summer, as usual, I worked on it, had all of the content proofread and sent the final OK to be printed in France. Then along came Hurricane Irma with her evil eye passing over the island on September 05-06, 2017. – STOP THE PRESS! – Almost everything that was written was no longer relevant and had to be edited or redone. So, Connie Walsh (no, we are not related), who coordinates the content with me and I went back to St. Barth. I chose to be there during Marius Stakelborough’s 95th birthday celebration. And what a celebration it was! For those readers who don’t know about him, Marius founded the famous Le Select bar that is located in the heart of Gustavia in 1949. He later added food, so it’s where you can get a Cheeseburger in Paradise, have fun and watch the world go by.

Three days of partying! The actual birthday was June 5th, but the festivities began at Le Select the evening of June 4th. Lots of people had flown down just the occasion and, of course, the people who live on the island were there, too. The next day, we gathered at Le Select around 11:00 a.m. Marius was at a table where drinks and wine were served; Champagne flutes as well as yummy hors d’oeuvres were being passed around. Soley came to serenade us.

The 95th birthday celebration spanned over 3 days.

The family was asked to come forward for a team photo – Marius has 9 children, lots of grandchildren and great grandchildren – so the group was large. At about 4:00 p.m., everyone took a break, but the party resumed at 7:00 p.m. with an even larger crowd who joined in the festivities and danced to the music of a local band.

The family photo I took here shows some, but not all of Marius’ relatives – These are mostly the grandchildren and great grandchildren.

The following evening the celebration continued at Eddy’s restaurant. Eddy is one of Marius’s sons; his wife Brigitte and son Mahé help run the place. Marius was still going strong and people like me flocked to give him a hug.

Marius is one of my most favorite people. It’s an honor to know him.

Hors d’oeuvres and drinks were served, followed by a shrimp appetizer, a choice of Red Snapper or Chicken Colombo and birthday cake. The restaurant was packed. Soley was back to entertain. We sang Happy Birthday to Marius many, many times. He loved it as did we. Long Live Marius!

Stay tuned for more about my June 2018 trip in my next blog. Hint: St. Barth dining – Believe it or not, even more choices.

Tags: 95th birthday, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Eddy’s, Le Select, Live Your Dream, Marius Stakelborough, Soley
Posted in St. Barth Restaurants, St. Barth Trips | 1 Comment »

December 12, 2017 to January 04, 2018

Friday, January 5th, 2018

La Bagatelle, Shellona, La Guérite and Orega reopen on time!

Departing from Boston via Miami and then via St. Maarten, SBP VP and my son, Tom Smyth arrived December11th and reported a smooth transfer from SXM to St. Barth. On our way into Gustavia, we noticed that the pétanque aka boules (bocce) courts are ready for play.

St. Barth fixed the boules courts, too.

Have a seat on a bench and watch an early evening boules match.

We had lots of very productive meetings with the staff at our rental office as well as our Sotheby’s sales office. It was a bit noisy, because there were at least 10 men working on the Baz Bar’s rehab and about the same number of guys working on getting La Bagatelle restaurant ready for its reopening on December 14th.

We visited villas, beaches and drove around the island. Tom was last here in October and the further greening of the island was well-noted. Everyday looks better than the day before. The weather has been so clear the last few days, it seems as if we can touch the distant islands.

There were signs of the approaching holidays; people still booking villas at the last minute because they had to be in St. Barth to celebrate. Roman Abramovich owns a villa behind Gouverneur Beach and always throws a big New Year’s Eve party in St. Barth. We saw his yacht anchored next to, and dwarfing, a cruise ship that was next to it.

Roman Abramovich’s 538 foot yacht, the Eclipse is here. it is a beauftul sight to see.

La Bagatelle reopened December 14th and we had reservations for dinner. As I mentioned previously, a crew, including our waiter, was feverishly working to finish it on time. Tom saw the state of it and told me we would not be dining there as it could not possibly be ready in time. I left the office to see for myself and took a photo. I asked our server, JC if I needed to cancel our reservation. He said, “Absolutely not. Come back in an hour and see for yourself.” So, when we left the office about an hour and a half later, I checked it out.

At 11 minutes after three on December 14, 2017, Tom said to me that there was no way we would be dining at Bagatelle tonight.

I took this after photo of Bagatelle 2 hours and 15 minutes later on December 14, 2017 – Incredible.

Incredible! I had invited Dennis and Amy, clients of mine who were staying at Villa Les Embruns by Flamands Beach, to join us for a drink at the bar at 7:00 p.m. They were so happy that they had come to St. Barth. Dennis, said, “We have had a lovely week. I cannot recall a time when the island was more welcoming. Thank you very much for all your help these past weeks with our visit which was the most unique experience among all our other many trips to St. Barth.” An hour later, we were seated for dinner. The place was packed – totally sold out. We loved people-watching and our meals were delicious.

Bagatelle waa packed on opening night.

As the days fly by I am still discovering new changes, so each time I go to Gustavia or somewhere else, I take a photograph for you. Orega opened just before Christmas. After dining at Eddy’s, we walked by. Greg pulled us in to offer us a glass of Champagne in celebration. It looks even better than before. There is a sushi bar at the entrance and the main dining room has more subtle lighting. I wanted to wait until after the holiday rush, so we are dining there tomorrow.

I am happy to say that Orega opened Dec 21, 2017. You must dine here.

The man-made beach area in front of Villa Brise de Mer looks so inviting.

This fence is now up at the end of the runway. At least it will let the sand blow through it naturally.

Steve and I were lucky to have our son, Mark Smyth, his wife Cynthia and our granddaughter Reegan join us for the holidays. We were able to play tourist with them and spent time on the beaches during the day, and dining out with them at night. They stayed at Villa Au Petit Pont, which is freshly painted and has renovated bathrooms.

This was our view from Petit Pont on Christmas morning.

We loved having Christmas dinner at Le Tamarin.

The famous Tamarin tree at Le Tamarin restaurant survived Hurricane Irma and is showing new growth.

Things are picking up on St. Jean Beach. Tom Beach hotel has set up beach chairs, umbrellas, on a first come first served basis (20 euros) and there is a make-shift beach bar where you can get drinks and order some food supplied by Le Bouchon. The bartender takes your order, then a runner drives over to Bouchon and brings it back! Clever.

Tom Beach’s Beach Bar
Click above to view video

More towards the middle of St. Jean Beach, the new Lil Rock Beach Bar opened on December 23, 2017. Its lounge chairs are much plusher, and can be reserved by calling our concierge, Aurélie Janvier, at 35 euros per day. Their drink menu is less expensive than Tom Beach’s. If you are just looking to go there for a drink or some sushi and other fresh items, they offer tables and chairs where you may sit to enjoy the shade while having a drink and/or food.

Further up, in the middle of St. Jean Beach, Lil Rock Beach Bar debuted December 23, 2017.

Lil Rock Beach Bar on St. Jean Beach opened December 23, 2017.

Lil Rock Beach Bar has tables, free of charge, where you can enjoy your drinks as well as sushi and other items.

The drink menu at Lil Rock Beach Bar is very reasonable.

December 27th, 2017: We had a lovely early dinner at L’Entracte because, as promised, Jimmy Buffett gave a free concert on the quai to support the people of St. Barth who worked so hard on the recovery of the island. Residents, tourists, including parrot heads, flocked to the quai to hear Jimmy and Soley belt out fabulous tunes. Jimmy sang songs about St. Barth, like Autour de Rocher (a nightclub I remember well, before it burned down many years ago). Most of us sang along. Thank you, Jimmy and Soley!

We enjoyed a pre-concert dinner at L’Entracte.

12-27-17 Jimmy Buffett gave a fabulous free concert on the quai.

Just before New Year’s Eve, Shellona reopened with great fanfare. The place has been full ever since. I am sure that this Shell Beach bar and restaurant will have a very successful season. You must try it!

As of December 28, 2017, Shellona is open for business. Enjoy!

New Year’s Eve was as festive as ever. The fireworks did not disappoint, and it seemed as if the entire island came down to Gustavia with a bottle of Champagne to toast in the New Year and wish Bonne Année along with giving kisses on each cheek to anyone who passed by.

I know that so many of you are suffering from bitter cold and lots of snow – it is only early January. Why not book your St. Barth vacation right now? Email me pegwalsh@stbarth.com or reservations@stbarth.com. If you are looking to stay in a 5-Star hotel, the Christopher is reopening February 20, 2018! We will be pleased to book a room for you.

Happy New Year! Bonne Année!

Happy New Year from the on-island St. Barth Properties real estate sales and rental teams. It is fun to work in St. Barth! (photo taken by Laurent Benoit at Villa Nirvana)

Tags: Christopher, Jimmy Buffett, La Bagatelle, La Guérite, Le Bouchon, Lil Rock Beach Bar, New Year’s Eve, Orega, pétanque, Shellona, Soley, Tom Beach, Villa Au Petit Pont, Villa Brise de Mer, Villa Les Embruns
Posted in St. Barth Restaurants, St. Barth Trips | 2 Comments »

Post-Irma Update December 01-11, 2017

Monday, December 11th, 2017

Jimmy Buffett to give a free concert on the quai December 27, 2017. It’s not too late to book a villa!

First, Breaking News!
As I told you in my pervious blog, St. Barth is a very special place that means a lot to Jimmy Buffet. Bulletin! Jimmy is giving a free concert here on December 27, 2017 to show his support of the island and encourage all of you to come. We have villas available for you, many of which only have a 7-night minimum stay. Check out our holiday availability on our website, then email me, pegwalsh@stbarth.com or reservations@stbarth.com. See you on the Quai!

Jimmy Buffett (pictured here at Le Select’s 60th anniversary in 2009) is giving a free concert on the quai December 27, 2017.

Now, on to my Post-Irma blog.

December 01, 2017

With Thanksgiving behind me and the annual hectic runaround getting my Christmas cards and shopping finished before I left Cape Cod, I was anxious to get back to my beloved St. Barth. This time we flew via San Juan Puerto Rico, but JetBlue had canceled our morning flight, so we had to find a hotel where we could overnight on December 01. We stayed at the La Concha Renaissance hotel which was only about a 10-minute ride from the airport. It sits directly on the beach and we had a beachfront room with a terrific view. We were flying to St. Barth on Tradewind the next morning, so I had booked their VIP service. I wanted to leave our checked bags with Tradewind so that we didn’t have to schlep them to our hotel and back. We only had to keep our carry-ons with us. A representative met us at our gate, took our luggage tags and escorted us to a van which Tradewind had booked for our roundtrip transfer. It worked perfectly. We can arrange all of that for you, too if you must spend the night in SJU.

December 02, 2017

Long before Hurricane Irma hit St. Barth, we had booked Villa Camaruche with 2 other couples because we always attended our Beachside Bash party where I introduced our new catalogue, together. This year’s party was to be held at Le Barthélemy hotel, but Irma rudely interrupted our plans. The hotel remains closed. My catalogue was about to go to print in France a few days after Irma so, I had to stop the production because the content was no longer accurate. Like you, we still wanted to come to St. Barth. Mike and Connie Walsh were with us as was St. Barth Properties Hotel and Villa Specialist Allegra Pawlowski. We took the 10:00 a.m. Tradewind shuttle to St. Barth. Paula and Marty, the other couple, were flying into SJU from Fort Lauderdale, so we had lunch at Le Jardin across from the airport (it was packed) and met them when the 2:07 p.m. Tradewind flight arrived. Off we went to Villa Camaruche. We were amazed how much work, time and effort had been put into getting it ready for us. And, oh that view! The angels were looking down upon Villa Camaruche because the neighboring villas were more damaged. We could not see any real signs of any remaining damage and loved sitting poolside in the lounge chairs and the outdoor living area.

We stayed at Villa Camaruche. Each mornng, we woke up to this breathtaking view.

With our Beachside Bash canceled, I decided to have a little party with our friends, our St. Barth staff and two of our US staff members who were on the island. It was our St Barth Properties Bilingual Villa and Hotel Specialist, Anne-Cécile Bedford’s last night and Allegra Pawlowski’s first night. I booked 25 Quarter for 17 of us and asked owner Chris Davis to make up a special menu for us. When we arrived, I was told to wait a few minutes because Chris had a surprise for us. A side door opened and we were escorted into 25 Quarter’s new Rhum Room, featuring rums from all over the Caribbean. We were the very first people to see it and it is fabulous. We enjoyed a Coupe de Champagne followed by exotic cocktails, then we sat down in the main area to enjoy a very delicious casual dinner. My favorite singer, Soley started singing at 10:00 pm. Everyone loved it. 25 Quarter-St Barth was just named Caribbean Bar of the Year by the Caribbean Journal. Congratulations, Chris!

I decided to have a little gathering with the staff at 25 Quarter. Here we are in their brand new Rhum Room featuring rums from all over the Caribbean.

December 03, 2017

It’s Sunday – Football Day! Many of you know that I am a huge New England Patriots fan. When I came down here in November, I purposely chose the bye week, so I wouldn’t miss a game (we have season tickets). Steve and I have attended every Super Bowl the Pats have played in, beginning with the New Orleans 2001 season’s Super Bowl XXXVII. We’ve suffered through the losses and celebrated the wins. We have Dish Network at our villa but, unfortunately, it is a New York feed, so we only get the Jets and the Giants games on TV. Our friend Mike, who was staying with us, decided to take a ride down to the Bar De L’Oubli in Gustavia to see what game they were showing. When he arrived, the Jets game was on, but only French people were sitting there, so he asked the bartender to change the satellite to the Patriots game; he called me on my cell and off we went to watch the game.

I was happy that I could enjoy a glass on Sancerre and watch the Patriots-Bills game at the Bar De L’Oubli.

That evening we went to the recently reopened Tamarin restaurant in Saline. The lily ponds and gardens were just like before Irma had destroyed all of it. The food was delicious, and we loved our round table for 6 in the garden. We will be back again and again.

The Tamarin opened right before Thanksgiving. We loved our table in the garden that has been completely restored.

December 04th – 6th, 2017

Connie, Allegra and I did some villa inspections. We visited the new Villa Coquillage that sits above Shell Beach and the harbor. You can easily walk down a fairly steep hill to get to either of them. The view of the red roof tops as well as the harbor is lovely. We were pleased to see the luxurious Villa Noé was in tip top shape (Several clients have already stayed there and raved about it) and that the island has finally put the electrical wires in front it underground! The infinity pool looks as if it flows into the sea. We inspected what will be the 3rd bedroom when it is finished mid-January. Located on the lower level, it features a French king bed that can be made up as twins and and en suite bathroom with rain head shower. Access is via a stairway or a separate outdoor entrance with parking across the street. Villa Noé can now accommodate 2 couples and 2 teens (or a nanny and younger child).

We started our day inspecting Villa Noe. It looked as luxurious as ever.

As we were a party of six that had two cars that we would have had to drive to dinner each night, Aurélie booked a taxi big enough to accommodate us, so every evening, “Annabelle Taxi” picked us up, dropped us off at the restaurant and picked us up again when we were ready to go back to the villa. No need to worry about enjoying cocktails and/or a bottle of wine.

Annabelle picked us up, took us to the restaurant, and then and dropped us off at our villa every night.

December 7th, 2017

Connie, Allegra and I inspected the new air-conditioned Villa Java that sits on the right side of Marigot Bay. As soon as we entered and went upstairs to see the bedrooms, we fell in love with it. The three French king en suite bedrooms look out to the view of the water and across the bay to Mont Jean. The living cum media room, dining area, gourmet kitchen and full guest bath are downstairs. Sliders lead out to the large deck with outdoor living and dining spaces that overlook the infinity pool and the bay. You can see turtles popping their heads as they swim by. Stairs lead down to a private man-made beach area and a small path winds around to the public beach area. Snorkeling here is a favorite pastime.

I had booked our St. Barth Properties Beach Picnic for 7 of us and chose Gouverneur Beach. It was a gorgeous day and the waves were rolling in. We are supporting our private chefs, so Chef XO set up the entre picnic, with beach chairs, umbrellas and coolers full of food, Rosé wine and water. We had so much fun. You need to try it while you are here. Just call the office or email our SBH concierge, aurelie@stbarth.com 24 hours in advance, choose your beach and menu and Aurélie will do the rest.

We enjoyed a St. Barth Properties Beach Picnic at Gouverneur Beach. Try it! You’ll love it!

Allegra took a few hours off from her villa inspections to join us for the picnic. Seems to me, she is having a pretty good time.

December 08, 2017

It was departure day for Connie and Mike, so we drove them to the airport to see them off to San Juan via Tradewind and then connect on AA via Miami to Boston.

Au Revoir Connie and Mike. Sorry to see you go back to the snow.

Les Bananiers restaurant had suffered damage and only opened for table service a few nights before, so I wanted to try it. We were glad we did. It had been ages since I had ordered their escargots and the new menu is delightful. One of the choices is tournedos, which were perfectly cooked and very tender. The service was excellent, and the new white décor makes it look larger. The place was full, so I was glad that Aurélie had made a reservation for us.

December 09, 2017

It was time for Paula and Marty to leave on an early Tradewind flight to SJU where they connected on JetBlue to Fort Lauderdale. That afternoon, we went to St. Jean Beach for a couple of hours. I am happy that we did because I witnessed palm tree, after palm tree being gently dragged over the sand by a backhoe loader from the airport entrance to La Plage restaurant/Tom Beach hotel. The results are already amazing. I think the new look is fantastic! I’ll keep tabs on what the final product looks like. I wonder if Santa Claus will arrive by Jet Ski as is usual on Christmas Day?

December 09, 2017, New palm trees were being planted in front of La Plage restaurant and the Tom Beach hotel, while I was on St. Jean Beach today. More progress!

December 10, 2017

It’s Sunday. No need to worry about NFL football today because the Patriots game is on Monday night, albeit at 9:30 p.m., because we are on Atlantic time. Fitbit back on and off to Gustavia. Silversea’s Silver Whisper cruise ship moored outside of the harbor and passengers were coming in by tender, as usual. I heard a saw coming from somewhere, which is not normal on a Sunday, so I checked it out. Good news! The noise was coming from the Baz Bar. Knowing Jean-Marc, I am sure it will be open by Christmas.

Workers were busily preparing the Baz Bar for its reopening.

We walked to Shell Beach and saw that real progress has been made on getting Shellona ready for you.

December 10, 2017 – Your table at Shellona on Shell Beach is almost ready.

December 11, 2017

I am not sure if many of you have heard of the famous French “Rock Star” Johnny Hallyday. Many people refer to him as the Elvis Presley of France. Johnny, 74, passed away in France on December 05, 2017. A huge funeral procession took place on the Champs Elysées Saturday December 09th. Like all of us, Johnny fell in love with St. Barth when he first arrived here many years ago. Eventually he built a large villa in Marigot which, I am happy to say, St. Barth Properties rents for him. He preferred that we not reveal that he is the owner of the villa, so I am respecting that request until I hear otherwise. Johnny’s two girls took surfing lessons across the street from the cemetery and his dying wish, to be buried in St. Barth, was expressed to Collectivé President, Bruno Magras. The internment in the Lorient cemetery by JoJo takes place today. I am sure the burial site will become a shrine and many fans will come to St. Barth to visit it, just the way Americans go to Paris and include a visit to Jim Morrison’s grave in Père Lachaise cemetery.

Johnny Hallyday asked St. Barth President Bruno Magras if he could be buried in Lorient, because St, Barth is his most favorite place in the world. (photo credit frenchinfo)

My son and St. Barth Properties VP, Tom Smyth, is arriving later today. Among other things, we have set up a lot of meetings with the staff at both our rental and Sotheby’s sales offices. I’ll be Back with more updates soon.

Tags: 25 Quarter, Annabelle Taxi, Bar de L'Oubli, Baz Bar, Beachside Bash, CHEF XO, Gouverneur Beach, Hurricane Irma, JetBlue, Johnny Hallyday, La Concha Renaissance hotel, La Plage, Le Barthélemy, Le Jardin, Les Bananiers, Lorient cemetery, Rhum Room, Shell Beach, Shellona, Silversea’s Silver Whisper, Soley, St. Barth Properties Beach Picnic, Tamarin, Tom Beach Hotel, Tradewind, Villa Camaruche, Villa Coquillage, Villa Java, Villa Noé
Posted in Activities, Beaches, Food & Wine, Getting There/Arrival, Hotels, St. Barth Trips | 2 Comments »

The St. Barth Restaurant Scene Just Keeps Getting Better

Tuesday, April 4th, 2017

Bo Káo joins the list; Le Guanahani’s Thursday night BBQ at Indigo

As you know, dining out at the various restaurants in St. Barth is one of my “jobs” because I want to keep you informed about a favorite pastime and must-dos while vacationing on St. Barth.

Bo Káo

One of my new favorites is Bo Káo. For my readers who have been to St. Barth before, you remember when Frank Mathevet sold the Wall House and opened Le Carré in the Carré D’Or courtyard (by Hermès). He then sold it and it struggled for a couple of years. Now, we have Bo Káo which opened just in time for New Year’s Eve 2016. From the beginning, I loved it! The cuisine is described as “Peruvian Japanese” and the menu is extensive. They have exotic cocktails too.

Eddie the bartender creates exotic cocktails just for you

We love dining alfresco, so the ambience fits our modus operandi. Don’t worry about an occasional shower, there is a retractable awning to keep you dry.

Alfresco dining at Bo Káo

Let me start by telling you that I now have a new favorite appetizer. I will never order a different one when I dine at Bo Káo. It is called Anticuchos and it consists of 4 pieces of marinated chicken bites, chiso tempura-style with corn cream. Each morsel literally melts in your mouth. Bo Káo also offers woks, (Steve loved the seafood wok with noodles.) sushi, tempura, meat dishes such as lamb chops (adored them), seafood, ceviche and more.

Anticuchos – marinated chicken bites, chiso tempura, corn cream. The normal serving is 4 pieces. We shared plates of them for the 9 or us.

Lamb Chops, Roasted, with Nikkei stew and huacatay

The last time I was there, we had family visiting so I made a reservation for the nine of us. Everyone raved about the experience. Try it and let me know how you like it.

Here we are at Bo Káo with my daughter Kim, grandson Matt and his girlfriend Katie, John and Cathy as well as my son and SBP VP, Tom and my daughter-in-law Amy

Indigo

For a change of pace, I recommend spending your Thursday evening enjoying a poolside/beachfront setting at Le Guanahani’s Indigo restaurant. The hotel’s more formal restaurant Barto’ is closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays, so diners are treated to an Asian night on Wednesdays and a Barbecue evening on Thursdays at the beautiful Indigo restaurant.

Le Guanahani’s Indigo restaurant by the beach

Steve’s niece, Cathy and her husband John were visiting and staying at Villa Genia which is next to Le Guanahani (Our clients who stay at Vila Genia have signing privileges at the hotel, a nice perk). It was the perfect time for me to try the BBQ night.

Steve and I having fun at the Indigo BBQ with Cathy and John

We walked in and I was pleasantly surprised to see that my favorite singer and guitar man, Soley was entertaining for the night. – A bonus!

Soley serenades us at L’Indigo

As soon as I sat down, I took off my shoes and stuck my toes in the sand. Delightful! A server immediately came to our table to announce that the apéritif included with the BBQ menu was a Planteur’s punch. Steve, Cathy and John really enjoyed it. I ordered my usual coupe de Champagne, then asked for the scoop on how this BBQ thing worked and was told we could start with the appetizer section offering ceviche, fresh asparagus, greens and shrimp, to name only a few. We enjoyed the variety of choices and moved on to the main course. The chef was at the BBQ area waiting to grill our selection of ribs, steak, mahi mahi and langouste. He cooked them to perfection and we added our sides of scalloped potatoes and lasagna.

The chef offers us the ribs and steak; the BBQ on the right is for the mahi mahi and langouste.

Feeling very satisfied, we tried to be good, but the dessert table was too hard to resist. I hope that you get the opportunity to experience a fun, casual evening with your toes in the sand. Bon Appétit.

The pastry chef offered me a piece of his raspberry pie. I couldn’t resist.

Try the petits fours. They can’t have too many calories, can they?

Tags: Barto’, Bo Káo, Carré D’Or, Frank Mathevet, Indigo, Indigo BBQ, Le Carré, Le Guanahani, Soley
Posted in St. Barth Restaurants | No Comments »

My June 2014 stay at the “new” Hotel Taïwana and the annual St. Barth Properties Beachside Soirée

Tuesday, July 8th, 2014

Mark your calendars for November 14, 2014

I couldn’t stay away. After wintering in St. Barth I arrived back in the US and to my house on Cape Cod May 18. I went back to St. Barth June 17…I needed my fix. (Oh yes, and I desperately needed to see my hairdresser.) Connie Walsh, our marketing and travel industry consultant accompanied me this time because the main purpose of our trip was to gather information for our next Live Your Dream catalogue. (Connie and I have the same last name but we are not related. Everyone still thinks we are anyway.) We also inspected a couple of hotels and I added a fabulous villa to our portfolio (More on that in the July edition of our newsletter, Le Bulletin). We interviewed some very interesting people who will be featured in this year’s publication. I hope you enjoy the read.

We were very fortunate to have been invited to stay at the hotel Taïwana for three nights. We had stayed there when it first reopened under new management but it was before the renovation began. It was a lovely hotel but it was dated. The rooms were dark, had terracotta floors and old fashioned bathrooms. The hotel closed for Value Season last year and the rejuvenation began. What a difference a few months makes! Witnessing the transformation from a somber hotel to a cheerful resort was a real pleasure. The rooms and suites exude a casual elegance using a palette of grays and whites.

I stayed in the gorgeous Beachfront Suite with Jacuzzi (#3). It features a king bedroom with satellite TV, a separate living room with a desk area for my laptop, a second TV, a Nespresso machine and a complimentary mini bar filled with juices, sodas and beer. The en suite bath has a separate WC, a large rain head shower and a bathtub. The outdoor space boasts both dining and living areas on the terrace, while the sandy area has two chaises for sunning. Connie and I enjoyed our complimentary Continental Breakfast on my terrace. I was even able to walk right out to the beach from my front yard.

I walked out from my Beach Front Suite’s private yard and took this early morning photo of gorgeous Flamands Beach. June is a wonderful time to visit St. Barth.

Taiwana Beach Front Suite Bedroom 3

Taiwana Beach Front Suite with Jacuzzi living room 3

Connie’s Ocean View Amber Suite (#4) was accessed by going up a couple of sets of stairs. This suite features a guest toilet off of the living room. This area also has the same amenities as mine did. The bedroom has a second TV and en suite bath. There is a terrace with an outdoor living area and a fabulous view.

Amber Ocean View Suite

Amber Ocean View Suite with outdoor living

The restaurant, Casa Taïwana is outstanding and is one of my favorite places to dine for both lunch and dinner. The setting overlooking the beach is incomparable and the food is delectable. Last year, the Casa Taïwana reopened just in time for my 25th anniversary party in November. The celebration was such a success that I rebooked the venue for this year’s St. Barth Properties Beachside Soirée. (We have graduated from a “Bash” to a “Soirée”!)

2013 Beachside Bash:

Our St. Barth office Concierge Magda Votava is the coordinator of this annual event and does a fantastic job. Magda, Connie and I were scheduled to have a lunch time “tasting” with restaurant manager Alexandra Ruiz so that we could select the menu. We tasted, and tasted and tasted for most of the afternoon. I had to ask them to slow down in between courses. Keeping our dinner reservation for that evening became less and less likely with each and every delicious morsel that we sampled. Canapés such as Sesame Tuna Tataki and Langouste Tartare with orange and vanilla dressing were delicious as was one of the main course’s options a savory roasted Lamb chop with thyme and garlic gravy sauce.

St Barth Properties on island Concierge Magda Votava (left rear), Casa Flamands restaurant manager Alexandra Ruiz (left front) join Connie (right front) and me at the tasting

Magda looks over the menu suggestions for the stations I plan on having at our SBP Beachside Soirée

Three and a half hours later we were stuffed but had successfully chosen our menu. We’ll begin with cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres followed by appetizers, a large selection of main courses followed by dessert and dancing to tunes spun by the very talented and popular DJ Yo-One Sutter. The famous singer and guitar player Soley will be serenading us, too. Mark your calendars and book your accommodation with us to include the evening of November 14, 2014 so that you can join other wonderful clients of St. Barth Properties, our villa owners and our hotel partners for a fun evening. If you have not already made your reservation with us, contact reservations@stbarth.com or 1-800-421-3396. You will then receive an invitation from us. We will be honored and thrilled to see you there.

Canapé tasting for the annual St. Barth Properties Beachside Soirée

Tags: Beachside Soirée, Casa Taïwana, DJ Yo-One Sutter, Flamands Beach, Hotel Taïwana, Soley
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St. Barth Properties 25th Anniversary Celebration

Thursday, November 21st, 2013

I arrived back in St Barth November 5th in time to settle in, visit some new villas and welcome friends and family who were arriving November 9th for our much anticipated annual Beachside Bash. This year the party was an extra special one because the upcoming “Season” marks the 25th anniversary of when I founded St. Barth Properties. The party was held at the elegant Hotel Taïwana’s new Casa Flamands restaurant on Flamands Beach the 14th of November.

St. Barth Specialist Kathy Schlitzer was also on St. Barts doing inspections with me. She and I were looking at the new changes at Villa Ocean’s 5 in Flamands that included a wonderful new kitchen, a brand new heated pool and two new comfortable sofas in the living room. I love Villa Ocean’s 5 because the configuration makes it an ideal choice for families with younger children and the view is fabulous. To book, contact reservations@stbarth.com or 1-800-421-3396.

Villa Ocean’s 5

It was a week before the Bash so I suggested that we swing by the Taïwana to check it out because the hotel is under a huge renovation. As we approached the hotel we could see that there was a lot of activity with construction workers everywhere. I walked into the empty restaurant and continued on towards the beach when I looked over to the right and saw the swimming pool. Yikes! It was empty! Not one to panic, I noted that there were men inside the pool painting it, so I saw that as a good sign that perhaps that meant that the pool would be filled soon. The hotel kept reassuring me that all would be fine so I stopped being concerned about it.

Casa Flamands restaurant – everything is ready for the party!

Sure enough we arrived at 7:00 pm and were escorted along a candlelit path to one of the three bars where I ordered une coupe de Champagne and mingled with the guests while the Casa Flamands staff passed by with trays of delicious hors d’oeuvres. The very talented singer Soley walked around serenading the guests and continued to do so throughout the evening. We had a DJ too which made the atmosphere really festive. Silver was the theme of the party because we were celebrating the 25th anniversary of when I created St. Barth Properties so we surprised the ladies by giving each of them a silver tiara to wear. So chic!

Guests mingling and enjoying hors d’oeuvres

Soley serenades the guests

Time for my speech. The 200+ guests consisted of SBP clients, villa owners, hotel partners, service partners and staff from both the St. Barth office and the US office. Everyone was seated and I thanked them for joining us in the 25th anniversary celebration. Every guest played a part in making our company what it is today. I also thanked my son and VP Tom Smyth for his partnership and my husband Steve for allowing me to live my dream. Finally, I unveiled our Silver Anniversary Live Your Dream catalogue which is our best yet. (If you would like us to send you one, please email info@stbarth.com. I think you will love it enough to make it one of your coffee table books.)

Tom and Peg introducing the Silver Anniversary Live Your Dream catalogue

Tom and Peg introduce the Silver Anniversary Live Your Dream catalogue

When I finished my little speech, Tom surprised me with a gift. I opened it and was thrilled to see that it was a hand painted caricature of our global St. Barth Properties team. Julia Hurd, our concierge in my US office came up with the idea and, with the help of Magda Votava, our concierge in my St. Barth office, commissioned a local artist to do the painting. I love it! If you were unable to attend, I hope that I will see you at next year’s Beachside Bash.

Peg’s surprise gift – a painting of the St. Barth Properties team

Click here to see all of the photos from our Silver Anniversary party.

Tags: Beachside Bash, Casa Flamands restaurant, Flamands Beach, Hotel Taïwana, Live Your Dream Catalogue, Silver Anniversary, Soley, Villa Ocean’s 5
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November 2013 Beachside Bash – Save the Date

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

One of our repeat guests contacted me to ask about the date of St. Barth Properties annual Beachside Bash before he finalized his villa reservation because he and his guests didn’t want to miss it. It’s official. We have set the date for our annual Beachside Bash. It will be held November 14th, 2013. So, if you have not done so already, it is time to book your villa or hotel accommodation.

Part of The SBP Team at the 2012 Beachside Bash: (L to R) Ted, Benoit, Magda. (Mai hidden) Connie, Nadine, Peg, Pascale, Kathy

For those of you who have never been to our Beachside Bash, it’s a fun evening party designed especially for you, our very special clients, our on-island partners and any of our villa owners who happen to be on-island at the time. It is hosted by St. Barth Properties and we use the occasion to launch the upcoming Season and unveil our latest Live your Dream catalogue. We’ll begin with an apéritif and hors d’œuvres followed by dinner and dancing. The ever popular Solely will be strumming his guitar as he sings to us.

Beachside Bash 2012 – Ted with Bob and Marilyn (Villa La Danse du Soleil)

This year’s Beachside Bash will be a very special one because the 2014 Season marks the 25th anniversary of when I founded St. Barth Properties and trademarked my mantra Live Your Dream®. When I first set foot on St. Barth for the very first time in 1986, I was living my dream and I hope all of you do the same.

What’s more? We are celebrating this special event at the elegant beachfront Hotel Taïwana. What a spot! It sits directly on one of St. Barth’s most gorgeous beaches – Flamands. It’s the perfect place to mingle while enjoying the ambience. We even offer valet parking!

Taïwana restaurant

The theme throughout the evening will be SBP’s 25th Anniversary, so if you want to wear something in silver you have plenty of time to shop for it. LOL – 7:00 PM is the start time. We can begin celebrating with une coupe de Champagne, a Planteur’s Punch or perhaps a Mojito.

I can’t wait to see you all on St. Barth and at the SBP Silver Anniversary Beachside Bash on November 14th 2013. If you want to make a reservation at one of our villas or hotels, just contact me at pegwalsh@stbarth.com or one of our St. Barth Specialists at reservations@stbarth.com. Our USA office concierge Julia Hurd will be sure to add you to our Guest List and send you an invitation. Please RSVP at your earliest convenience.

Part of the SBP Team at the 2012 Beaujolais Nouveau: Benoit, Peg, Ted, Mai, Magda, Nadine, Kathy

P.S. If you can, “Stay just a little bit longer”… our annual Beaujolais Nouveau wine tasting will begin precisely at 7:01 PM on November 20th at Le Cellier du Gouverneur wine shop in Gustavia…”Oh, won’t you stay just a little bit longer? Please let me hear you say that you will” and Julia will be pleased to send you an invitation to join us for a toast. We can be our own connoisseurs and critique the new vintage. As a bonus, the 2013 St Barth Cata Cup catamaran regatta is being held Nov 18-26 and we are hoping for first place for our sponsored boat captained by aspiring 2016 Olympic contender John Casey– What a month to be on St. Barth!

Tags: Beachside Bash, Beaujolais Nouveau, Flamands Beach, Hotel Taïwana, John Casey, Live Your Dream, Soley, St Barth Cata Cup, St. Barth
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St. Barth Properties’ Annual Beachside Bash set for November 10, 2012

Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

Join us at Dð Brazil on Shell Beach in beautiful St. Barts for drinks, dinner and music. All of our confirmed hotel and villa guests are invited.

We’ve set November 10, 2012 as the date to launch the 2012-13 season with our 4th annual beach party at Shell Beach’s Dõ Brazil. If you missed it last year, we hope you can join us this year. It promises to quite a party!

Enjoy drinks and dinner on Shell Beach

We call it the Beachside Bash and the idea came to us in 2009. That year, the iconic bar and burger shack Le Select was celebrating its 60th anniversary in early November, and its biggest fan, Jimmy Buffett, announced that he would give a free concert. Requests poured in from friends and clients who wanted to come down and join in. It was so much fun that we decided to have a pre-season party every year. And we have.

This year’s Bash will again include great food, wine and cocktails; the company of old and new friends and clients (who then become friends) and live entertainment that we hope will get everyone up dancing. The island’s favorite songstress, Christine Gordon, and the popular guitar-strumming vocalist Soley will be entertaining us!

Christine Gordon will get you to shake your booty!