What it’s like to stay at Le Barthélemy, a St. Barts resort with Michelin-star dining

Welcome to Checking In, a review series in which our editors and contributors rate the best new (and renovated) luxury hotels using a strict—and occasionally ironic—10-point system: Each question answered “yes” gets one point. Does room service bring you caviar? Does your suite have its own butler? Does the bathroom have a bidet? Find out below.

What is the problem?

Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa opened in 2016 on the Bay de Gran Cru de Sac and was redesigned just two years later after Hurricane Irma.

With 44 rooms and suites – 80 percent have sea views – as well as two interconnecting villas, Le Barthélemy practices what they call it Haute couture hospitality. To accomplish this, each guest receives a pre-trip call from a concierge to clarify their special interests, dietary restrictions, and beverage preferences—and even what type of pillow they prefer. The hotel’s team then springs into action, outfitting the space with everything from honeymoon, anniversary and birthday treats (decorations, personalized notes, champagne, balloons) to entertainment for children and babies (games, painting kits, bibs, plush toys, etc .). . Dogs are welcome here and the chef even creates a menu for four-legged companions.

Because St. Barts’ popularity in high season causes restaurants to be overbooked, the concierge will book all of your meals on the island in advance. But you don’t have to travel far to try out one of the area’s best newcomers. This year, Hotel Amis opened, a new restaurant with a Mediterranean-inspired menu by chef Jérémy Czaplicki. The Frenchman previously ran Pur’ at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, where he received a Michelin star. Incredibly, this makes Czaplicki the only local chef on the island to receive a star.

The best room:

Two identical six-bedroom villas, Aqua and Bleu, are just a minute’s walk from the lobby. The whitewashed, two-story houses originally served as seasonal rentals, but are now extensions of the hotel. Like the rest of the hotel, they were designed by famed French designer Sybille de Margerie and feature two huge upstairs master bedrooms with walk-in showers and terraces overlooking the private pool and bay. On the first floor there are four standard bedrooms, a large living room with high ceiling and an open kitchen.`

From $10,242 per night each.

Were you greeted by name upon check-in?

Yes, and what a welcome. Your dedicated butler and a concierge from Le Barth Villa Rental welcome you to Aqua Villa with champagne from the owners’ winery, Leclerc Briant, as well as pastries, charcuterie, French cheese and a welcome pack (beach and bathing bags, hats, flip-flops, reusable water bottles, etc.).

Was there a welcome drink ready when you arrived? (Bonus points if it wasn’t just fruit juice)

If you choose the pick-up service, the Le Barthélemy shuttle will meet you at the airport with cold water (flat, still or infused), fruit juices, a variety of snacks and wet drinks oshibori Towels to freshen up on and even free WiFi once you arrive in the van. Rent a car and the same greeting awaits you when you check in. Aqua and Bleu guests skip registration and go directly to their villas, where they are personally greeted (with optional tour).

Is there a private butler for each room?

Not the 44 rooms in the main hotel, but the villas have their own butler available 24 hours a day. A private chef is also available and you can even opt for a zero waste cooking class from Czaplicki himself in your villa. Or better yet, have the chef prepare a “Bohemian Table” (or a romantic “Love Table” for couples) on the sand for you and your guests while you sip martinis and watch the gentle waves crash on the shore.

Is the sheet’s thread count higher than 300?

100% cotton with a 300 thread count, plus 6 pillow options: standard, memory foam and feather, each available in soft or firm versions.

Is there underfloor heating in the bathroom? How about a bidet?

While you won’t find heated floors anywhere in the Caribbean, the air conditioning is powerful enough to do the exact opposite: cool the smooth wood underfoot. There’s no bidet or fancy electronics in the restroom, but the shower and tub are each in their own rooms that are larger than most Manhattan apartments.

Are the toiletries full size?

The main hotel rooms all have full-size Diptyque toiletries; In the villas they are 50ml sample bottles. It should be noted that the hotel’s Le Spa only offers coveted La Mer skin care products.

Is there a private pool for exclusive use of the room? How are the spa and gym?

Both villas have their own large private pools, while half a dozen of the top suites in the main hotel have plunge pools. Otherwise, there’s a sprawling oceanfront infinity pool with bar service, or a nearly 700-foot-long white-sand beach that opens to the Bay de Grand Cru de Sac. With extensive sandbars dotting the turquoise waters, you can swim most of the bay or explore the calm waters by kayak. There is also a well-equipped gym.

After your workout, Le Spa offers a variety of massage and treatment options, including Janzu water meditations and La Mer Miracle Broth body and facial rituals. With four treatment rooms, plus a sauna, hammam and Nordic baths, the space is tranquil and immaculate, offering a subtle aromatic lift that doesn’t overwhelm.

Would you like to spend Friday evening in the lobby bar?

Maybe not on Friday night – if you’re looking for action, Nikki Beach is the Friday night star in St. Barts. But the hotel’s “WTF Rooftop” overlooking Grand Etang Lake is said to be the island’s preferred destination on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Said to be named after the first words of Le Barthélemy’s general manager as he climbed there to observe the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma, the rooftop culinary concept changes weekly. (An Asian-inspired evening might mean pizza topped with thick slices of sashimi ahi tuna and sprinkled with wasabi.) Live music adds a festive mood.

Is caviar on the room service menu? If yes, what type?

Somehow. Although not on the room service menu itself, you can order anything from the restaurant or bar menu and have the food delivered to the privacy of your villa. So, yes, order the Oscietra V20 and Sevruga at the Aman & Volzhenka caviar experience, which is usually served poolside.

Would you buy the hotel if you could?

There is simply no island in the Caribbean that can match St. Barts’ sophistication, sophistication, security, luxury shopping and outstanding culinary options. Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa has a ridiculous number of repeat guests and consistently ranks among the top three five-star hotels on the island. You would be an idiot not to want a piece of this paradise.

Prices: Ocean view rooms from $2,010.

Score: 7 out of 10.

What our score means:

1-3: Fire your travel agent if they recommend you stay here.
4-6: Solid when you’re in a pinch – but only when you’re in a pinch.
7-8: Very good. We would stay here again and recommend it without hesitation.
9-10: Forget to book a week. When can we move in permanently?