With a beautiful design and setting, Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa is setting the standard for sustainability and service on the island.
St. Barts is synonymous with luxury. The small island teems with private yachts, name-brand stores, and luxury hotels, but not all luxury here is created equal.
While there are loads of pristine, museum-like hotel lobbies that feel untouched and lively locations with blaring DJs and dance floors, there are also places like Le Barthélemy, a beautiful hotel that’s sophisticated yet unstuffy, with a staff that provides unmatched service — set on one of the best beaches on the entire island.
Designer Sybille de Margerie wanted the resort to complement the island and found ways to incorporate the surrounding nature into the hotel. Styled in light blue and white, mirroring the ocean and the sky, guest rooms have wallpaper that mimics the texture of palm trees, and silicone coral of differing shapes and sizes is placed in the rooms and around the resort. The restaurant, Amis, merges into the beach with lunch tables in the sand, and you’ll find sand dollar and seashell details scattered throughout in the form of plates or pool tiles.
While the resort is beautiful, the service is what stuck with me. Le Barthélemy calls it “Couture Hospitality,” pointing to a “human-centered approach” that empowers the staff to problem-solve for guests. While these might sound like buzzwords, I experienced firsthand how helpful Couture Hospitality is.
There are some trips where everything falls into place, and then there are the ones that don’t. Unfortunately for me, St. Barts was not a smooth ride. Some issues were out of Le Barthélemy’s control, from flight troubles to ear infections, but it didn’t stop the resort staff from helping me.
A few months back, I developed an ear infection that I couldn’t quite shake. After swimming one day in St. Barts, I noticed some irritation. I had no luck finding medication after visiting two different pharmacies on the island, but with just one text to the concierge team, they had four bottles waiting for me in my room by the time I had finished lunch.
Then, just before my departure, I received an error message upon checking in to my return flight. When I could not reach the airline, I asked the concierge team for help. Within a couple of hours, I was seamlessly rebooked on an earlier flight.
Finding somewhere beautiful in St. Barts is easy — but it’s an entirely different experience to stay somewhere that genuinely cares for you. To read more about my time at Le Barthélemy and all the resort can offer, find my full review below.
The Rooms
Le Barthélemy has 44 rooms and two luxury suites, offering a wide selection of guest accommodations. Even entry-level options have ample space and upscale amenities.
The rooms start at 538 square feet and provide private patios with views of the ocean or a private deck with a jacuzzi. A few rooms face the garden instead of the ocean, creating a more private, jungle-like oasis. The next level would be the junior suites with private balconies and an option for a private plunge pool. Then there are the Plage Suites, which provide guests with beachfront access. Connecting rooms are available for larger parties, and the La Suite Barthélemy has options for up to three bedrooms.
During my visit, I stayed in an Ocean Lux Junior Suite. The room was spacious, with multiple places to lounge, including a private balcony. Every balcony and patio has a drop-down screen that provides privacy without ruining the view. (It also helps ward off mosquitos.) The bathrooms are spa-quality, with rainfall showers, large tubs, and high-end Diptyque toiletries. There are also several extra luxurious touches like a personal sound system and a “Champagne Now!” button on the phone.
Le Barthélemy also has private villas with three to six bedrooms for extra-large groups or those just wanting more privacy. The villas have unique amenities like daily seaside buffet breakfasts, a villa-exclusive pool, dedicated beach chairs, fully equipped kitchens, and a wine cellar.
Food and Drink
The hotel has one all-day restaurant, Amis, led by Michelin-pedigreed Jérémy Czaplicki, who focuses on having a zero-waste kitchen and using seasonal ingredients to keep the French and Mediterranean menu fresh.
Daily breakfast is complimentary with every stay and includes an a la carte menu and a buffet of French pastries, fresh juices, and parfaits. The croissants in the buffet would make any Parisian proud, and the eggs at breakfast are incredibly creamy and made to order. Amis serves at beachfront tables for lunch, and by beachfront, I mean your toes will be in the sand. The lunch menu sticks to casual classics like burgers, tacos, pizzas, and more. Dinner is a more upscale experience with live music and experiences like cheese and Champagne trolleys.
Amis also occasionally welcomes guest chefs. During my stay, Czaplicki worked alongside Chef Manu Buffara from Brazil, who was voted the best chef in Latin America. We were lucky to try their set menu that combined French and Brazilian influences. The concierge team can also provide unique tables like the “love” or “bohemian” table or set up a private chef in the villas.
Le Barthélemy is a part of a hotel group called Champagne Hospitality. With that kind of moniker, you know the wine list will be impressive, and it is. The wine list is not limited to big-name bubbles, though, with bottles from Leclerc Briant, a pioneer in organic and biodynamic Champagne, and Burgundian favorites like Domaine de la Commaraine.
Cocktails here are also inventive, served in fun glassware and garnished with fresh herbs. Le Turquoise pool bar is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the rooftop bar W.T.F. (Whiskey Foxtrot Tango) is open every Tuesday and Wednesday evening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., with themed parties and live music. The location is also a great place to lounge and take in the view during the day.
Activities and Experiences
Le Barthélemy is located on Anse de Grand Cul-de-Sac, considered one of the best beaches on St. Bart’s due to its calm, clear waters. These waters make it ideal for water sports and spotting wildlife.
Guests at Le Barthélemy have full access to a water sports center, with free usage of non-motorized equipment and motorized items available for a fee. One of my favorite activities available to guests is the coral adoption program, where Le Barthélemy partners with local activists to restore the coral reef in the lagoon. We adopted our coral and kayaked out to our planting spot, seeing dozens of sea turtles along the way. Once we arrived, our guide helped find dying coral to re-tie to coral grids placed on the seafloor, with tags of our names attached. After replanting the coral, we took a small tour of the intact reef and the local sea life.
There is also a beautiful strip of beach with lounge chairs and umbrellas dedicated to Le Barthélemy guests, as well as one pool at the resort that overlooks the beach. The pool deck extends to a large shaded area with ample lounge chairs and yard games. The gym is sleek, modern, and open 24 hours a day, offering classes like yoga or private coaching sessions. And, of course, the concierge is more than happy to help set up any excursions you’ve dreamed up outside of the resort.
Family-friendly Offerings
Two fully adapted ADA-compliant rooms provide extra space between furniture, a ramp into the shower and toilet area, and height-adjustable light switches. There are also elevators for guests with mobility issues.
Le Barthélemy takes sustainability incredibly seriously, “[aspiring] to create the most environmentally friendly and sustainable luxury hotel in the Caribbean, if not the world.” The list of green projects the resort has begun is lengthy and impressive, from the previously-mentioned coral restoration project and zero-waste kitchen to solar panels and electric vehicles. Le Barthélemy also desalinates and purifies ocean water for use around the resort, making it safe and sustainable.
Location
Le Barthélemy is located in Grand Cul-de-Sac, just 13 minutes from the airport. Airport transfers are available with the resort’s Mercedes electric vans, which have Wi-Fi, chargers, snacks, drinks, and chilled towels. The concierge is also at guests’ disposal, even before their stay, by helping plan flights and inter-island transfers.