Hotel St Barth Isle de France
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St Barths beach, Isle de France
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Beach Suite
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Double Bedroom in Flamands Villas
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Living areas in new Flamands Villas
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Luxury living rooms, Flamands Villas at Isle de France
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Luxury Hotel Rooms
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Patio tables outside
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The lower corridor
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Isle de France Garden Villa pool and Gardens
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Reception area
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Pool side at Isle de France St Barths
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Flamands Beach, Isle de France
- Category
- Hotels & Resorts
- Island
- St Barthélemy
- Prices from:
- Euros €470.00/ room/night ? view all rates
At a glance
Isle de France manages to combine in equal measure the three things for which St Barths is famous – off duty sophistication, charm and excellent cuisine. The hotel has a refined, stylish atmosphere, with sleekly designed rooms and an understated air, its setting is exquisite, half of it on a superb stretch of sand on Flamands Beach and the other in a very pretty tropical garden tucked into in a steep sided valley, and its restaurant, set above the sand, is excellent. With its full service spa and air of tropical tranquillity, Hotel St Barth Isle de France offers tasteful and trusty sophistication on the beach.
- Best for:
- Beach, Family, Spas & Wellbeing, Weddings & Romance
- Who for:
- Luxury-seekers looking for a discreet sanctuary
- Not for:
- Backpackers, those on a budget
- How to get there:
- Via Antigua or St Maarten
Key features
Small, sophisticated beachfront St Barths hotel, 39 rooms and suites: 19 on the beach side, 20 in the garden. Full service spa, pretty restaurant above the beach, an atmosphere of understated elegance
Style:
Sleek but comfortable, pleasant mix of classical and modern features, atmosphere sophistication on the beach
Client Profile:
Wealthy Americans (mainly) and British interested in calm and quiet on fashionable St Barths
Journalist’s Review
In Depth
Hôtel St Barth Isle de France, small and discreet, is set slightly away from the sometimes hyper-active heart of St Barths, on its own section of superb beach in the Baie des Flamands in the north-west of the island. Flamands is a quiet, mainly residential district and to get to Isle de France you turn off the main road at the foot of the very steep hill into a quiet corner of the bay. Of course Gustavia and St Jean, and the popular beaches on the south shore, are just a short drive away, but the Isle de France is an elegant and self-contained retreat.
The main entrance to the hotel on the left as you arrive, a sweeping stairway that leads up to an atrium with neo-classical columns. At the top of the stairs (with the Reception just to the side) you enter a wide main corridor, which leads the whole way through the building, offering a fantastic view of the sea at the other end. You walk down the marble corridor and the view gradually opens out. Directly ahead is the pool and beyond it the fantastic beach, which is prettily laid out with loungers and parasols in neat lines. To the right you will see the dining room, whose doors open out so that tables can be set on the poolside terrace too. Their small boutique is next to the dining room, and offers a range of designer wear and beach apparel.
Isle de France is decorated on a theme of blue, taken from the sea and sky that the hotel is set in. In the building itself it is Wedgwood blue, but there are variations on the theme throughout the hotel, in balustrades, tablecloths, loungers and cushions in the pool, and, in hints, in some of the rooms, where there are splashes of blue on off-white. It is at its most impressive when you first come through the atrium and you are looking directly north, where the tropical sea and sky meld into in the distance.
This main building, set right above the beach, is one half of the hotel, and it contains twelve of the bedrooms. These are sleek but comfortable, with Capri marble and huge super-king beds draped with muslin nets. The bulk of the rooms, however, and the spa and gym and a second pool, are actually set in the gardens, in the other section of the hotel. This is situated across the road (a road which is public, but which is so quiet that it is almost doesn’t exist), in a tight valley that is known for its ‘latanier’ palms. With its boardwalks that wind among the slender palm trunks and the sprays of vegetation that screen the cottages from view, the whole area has the feel of a tropical secret garden. The cottages are scattered around the grounds, are individual in layout and in décor, but are all large and elegantly done, with light colours and classic furnishings. While you will of course spend time over on the beach side, at the beach and at meals, the garden side has a lovely feel to it and it is an ideal place to hide yourself away.
The atmosphere at Isle de France is typical of St Barths in that it is part French and part English-speaking. Also the hotel typifies the style of the island, in its unostentatious prettiness and poise. While the appearance of Isle de France is elegant and slightly formal, actually the atmosphere and the service are fairly low key and informal.
Hotel Isle de France was built by French developer Patrick Pilzer in the early 1990s. In 2000 it was bought by British hotelier Charles Vere Nicoll and his wife Mandie, who had visited a number of times as guests. Since their ownership the hotel has had an increased popularity with English speaking clientele from both the USA and Britain, though as with the rest of St Barths, there is a higher proportion of French (and Italian) visitors in the summer. In late 2008 the hotel opened four new One-Bedroom Beach Suites on Flamands Beach, followed by two new three-bedroom Flamands Villas in December 2010. This brings the current total number of bedrooms in the hotel to 39.
Beach & Swimming
The beach at Flamands is excellent, with mounded white sand stretching for three quarters of a mile to the west of the hotel. It is good for walking. The hotel has a number of loungers and parasols for its guests' use, laid out in neat lines on the sand and there is a bar for service to the beach.
While the beach is good for swimming, and is completely calm most of the time, you should be aware that the waves can occasionally get up in winter as the swell comes in from the north. They can break suddenly and with unexpected force.
Hotel Isle de France has two swimming pools, one directly in front of the main building, right above the beach and the other hidden away in the garden section. The second is surrounded by a pretty hardwood deck and screened by greenery.
Sports & Recreation
Isle de France does not operate its own watersports facility and equipment at the hotel is limited to snorkelling gear, but if you want to windsurf or take out a small sailing dinghy then this can be arranged elsewhere. Contact Reception. You will a well-equipped gym in the spa.
There is a small boutique at the hotel, next to the dining room, which has jewellery, some crafts made in St Barths and beach and evening wear. They have daily fashion shows during lunch time in the dining room, and every Tuesday at 6.30pm.
There is also a large gym down in the spa with three jogging machines, bicycles and weights.
Spa
The Spa at Isle de France strikes a completely different note from the elegant but distinctly Caribbean atmosphere of the hotel. It is much more metropolitan. A domain of frosted glass, clean lines, limestone and marble, and low fluorescent back-lighting accented by exotic plants and flowers. It is one of only three full service spas on the island.
There are four treatment rooms, a hammam and a garden pavilion. The spa offers a full range of services and personalized therapies, including body treatments and rituals, facials, beauty treatments, and massages using products by Natura Bissé and Intraceuticals. The spa’s tranquil pavilion is located in the lush gardens and is the perfect setting for a Thai or couples massage.
Staff
The staff at the Isle de France is a pleasant combination of French and English - the Managing Director, Charles Walker, is English and the General Manager, Christelle Hilpron, is French - so you will hear both languages around the resort.
The Rooms
The rooms at Isle de France are in two different locations. Twelve are on the beach side, on two floors of the main building, and all of them with some outside space overlooking the sea. These are very large rooms and follow a clean and lean theme, with a backdrop of light colours on which there is dark-stained furniture - some pieces antique (including from the Far East), others lean reproductions - then some touches of blue, and the occasional splash of vibrant colour. They also have flat screen TVs, a music system (iPod docking base) and enormous beds, super-kings with slender posts covered with muslin netting
There is a suite also on the beach, separated slightly from the main building. It is similarly decorated to the rooms in the main house.
The rooms are in the garden and are a little more colourful and less lean, with white wooden furniture and largely white or off white fabrics. They are decorated with elegant prints of Caribbean flora on the walls, and have quite a classic feel. All these rooms also have a terrace which is screened by plants, encouraging the feel of the secret garden.
Hotel St Barth Isle de France opened four new One-Bedroom Beach Suites in 2008 which are set right on Flamands Beach, with its fantastic sand - two give directly onto it, two are upstairs with a large balcony - they are large in size (over 1500 square feet) and have a fantastic setting looking onto the ocean blue. Inside, they comprise a large bedroom window at the rear, with indoor and outdoor showers, a sitting room with a 52" plasma screen TV and a fully equipped kitchen. There is wireless internet, air-conditioning and a private parking space. At the front of the room is an infinity-edge plunge pool. The design, with floors of smoked oak, distressed paintwork and the hotel's established theme of antiques, was carried out by Morrison Interiors. In December 2010 two new three-bedroom Flamands Villas were added to the right of the beach suites.
Dining
The restaurant at Hôtel St Barth Isle de France is called Case de l'Isle and it is situated at the front of the hotel overlooking the beach. The dining room, with white canvas chairs at white and blue tablecloths, can be enclosed by glass, but it is usually opened up and tables are set on the pool terrace. In addition the beach restaurant and bar below has tables set right on the sand.
The cuisine is based on classical French fare, with touches of Provence and influences from Brittany, but it has been lightened to take account of the climate (and of people's waistlines) and also features both Mediterranean and fusion fare. The Executive Chef is Yann Vinsot who has worked at the hotel for several years, starting out as sous chef and then moving up to head chef and finally taking over the kitchen in October 2010. His training includes time spent working in three star Michelin restaurants in France.
Room service is available for all meals.
Children
Children are not permitted to stay in the rooms in the main building on the beach, but they are allowed in the rooms on the garden side. Some of the rooms adjoin and the hotel is happy to put an extra bed into your room. Baby sitting or a monitor can be arranged.
Useful Hints
The voltage at the hotel is 220, 60 cycles and any appliances you take will require an adaptor with a French style plug.
The restaurant is open for breakfast from 7am-10.30am, lunch 12pm-2.30pm and for dinner from 7pm-9pm. The beach bar opens at 10am and closes at 6pm.
Due to its location the Hillside Bungalow does not have room service or an evening turndown service.
Practical Facts
Annual Closure: 31 August to 15 October
Dress Code: Informal during the day; elegantly casual in the evenings
Facilities: Two swimming pools (1 beach & 1 garden), full service Spa, fitness room, restaurant, beach bar, DVD library and a boutique/gift shop
Complimentary: Stocked mini bar on arrival. Snorkelling equipment. Use of tennis rackets and balls.
Other Services: 24 hour room service. A range of watersports can be arranged by front desk. WiFi in all rooms. Business Centre from 9am to 6pm.
Children: Welcome year round except in the main building.
Accommodation: 39 rooms, suites and villas
Room Types: All rooms are individually decorated, and feature air-conditioning, mini bar, flat screen satellite TV & DVD player, stereo system with iPod base, tea/coffee making facilities, safe, hair dryer, and WiFi access. Unless otherwise stated all en suite marble bathrooms have a separate shower and bathtub. 13 Tropical Garden Bungalows (678 sq ft) set in the gardens in clusters, some by the swimming pool or spa, with garden view terrace and en suite bedroom - 4 are known as Family Bungalows having a shared entrance between two suites or an adjoining door to create a 2 bed unit. 3 Tropical Garden Rooms (592 sq ft) elevated location to the side of the gardens with terrace and en suite with shower only. 1 Tropical Villa central garden location with its own garden, a private plunge pool, sitting room and bedroom. 1 Hillside Bungalow (678 sq ft) is located on the hillside reached by 40 steps, a private swimming pool, terrace with sea views, kitchenette, bedroom with king size bed (no room service or evening turndown). 9 Beach Rooms (645 sq ft) located in the main beach front building with sea views, 3 bedrooms on the ground floor with terrace; 6 bedrooms on the first floor with balcony. 3 Beach Junior Suites (742 sq ft) - located in the main beach front building on the ground floor with sea view terrace overlooking the pool, a bedroom with sitting area plus en suite bathroom with Jacuzzi bathtub/separate shower. 1 Fisherman's Cottage (1076 sq ft) located between the main beach buildings and the garden rooms, it has an inner courtyard with Jacuzzi, a private garden area, sitting area, kitchenette, two bedrooms, one with a king size bed and en suite bathroom with tub and the other with twin beds and en suite with shower only. 1 Garden Villa and 1 Eden Villa set in the midst of the gardens has a private plunge pool, two bedrooms with en suite bathrooms with Jacuzzi tub, and a patio kitchen. 1 Suite on the Beach (1,453 sq ft) has two bedrooms located in a separate unit away from the main building (just across from reception), and leads onto the beach. It has a beach front terrace with Jacuzzi, a living room with kitchenette, and a double bedroom with en suite shower on the ground level. The master bedroom is upstairs and has its own sundeck, and en suite with separate bathtub and shower. 4 x Beach Suites (over 1500 sq ft) - set right on Flamands Beach, two on the ground floor and two upstairs with a large balcony. Large bedroom with window at the rear, with indoor and outdoor showers, a sitting room with a 52" plasma screen TV and a fully equipped kitchen. There is WiFi internet access, air-conditioning and a private parking space. At the front of the room is an infinity-edge plunge pool. 2 x Flamands Villas (4300 sq ft) directly on the beach, each with three bedrooms en suite, fully equipped kitchen, large lounge, terrace with infinity plunge pool, a fitness room and cinema room.
Credit Cards: Visa, American Express and Mastercard.
Locality
Flamands is a quiet residential district in the north-west of the island where there are a few other small hotels, where you can have a lunch, and some of St Barths many private villas. There are not many restaurants in the area, so to eat out you will need to make your way up the steep hill and over to Gustavia or to St Jean. There are many in Gustavia itself, including Maya's and l'Isola. Also shopping. Heading the other way, St Jean is the island's liveliest beach and the island's second 'town', with many shops, bars and restaurants.
Meet & Greet
You will be met at the airport and brought to the hotel by one of the Isle De France drivers, who will deliver you back there on departure. If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. Please check at the time of booking.
Getting Around
Although you can tuck yourself away quite easily at Isle de France and not feel the need to get out, much of the fun of St Barths is travelling out to visit the beaches and shops by day and then the restaurants and bars in the evening. Taxis are quite hard to come by in St Barths, and so be aware that if you have a dinner reservation in the height of the season you may have to reserve a cab a couple of days in advance. All in all it is easiest to hire a car, which will enable you to visit the beaches and shops by day and to go out in the evenings. On St Barths we recommend Europcar and Gumbs Car Rental. Both companies have outlets at the airport if you wish to pick up your car on arrival, but they will also deliver to the hotel. Please note that at the height of the season, particularly over Christmas and New Year, it is nearly impossible to get hold of a car and so it is a good idea to reserve on when you make your booking.
