What You Need to Know about St. Barth’s Right Now

The French-speaking island of St. Barth’s – or to be precise, Saint Barthélemy – has long been a glamorous year-end playground and the destination of choice for the owners of mega-yachts, the fashion industry elite, entertainers, athletes and their entourages. The Leeward Islands tropical paradise is the stuff of dreams. But the fall 2017 hurricane season was brutal, with a string of named storms wreaking havoc on many parts of the Caribbean, including this lovely island. What’s the situation there now? We have the latest update.

Last week we visited St. Barth’s as part of a 10-day voyage on the Regent Seven Seas Explorer.  Based on what we saw and heard, the island is slowly but surely recovering. In fact, if you own a yacht, are on a cruise, or have a friend with a home on the island, you could easily visit now (the catch is that if you want to stay in an ultra-luxurious hotel, it’s too soon). The airport and the island’s roads are fully open, and there is a great deal of construction work underway. Over the holidays, Jimmy Buffet performed a benefit concert on the waterfront in Gustavia to encourage visitors to return. Last month, the annual St. Barth’s Music Festival took place as usual. A few major events are in the works for spring, including the famous Bucket Regatta in March and Les Voiles de St. Barth in April.

Many of the big-name luxury stores on the Gustavia waterfront are open for business, including Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Chopard and Cartier. In addition, many specialty boutiques, supermarkets and bookstores were well-stocked and well-staffed when we visited. The harbor was filled with super- and mega-yachts (including one owned by Roman Abramovich). Many cafes near the harbor are also open and were filled with shoppers and cruise ship passengers when we strolled by.

The biggest challenge is the luxury resorts and hotels that received extensive damage. As of last week, the 5-star properties are still rebuilding. There are a handful of 3- and 4-star properties open now, but as one of the high-end shop owners mentioned during a chat, “until the 5-star hotels reopen, it’s going to be hard for all of us.”

With that in mind, here is the latest information we have on exactly what’s open and closed, and the current dates for re-opening for the largest of the island’s hotels and resorts.

Events:

March 2018:  St. Barths Bucket Regatta – St Barth’s second-biggest week of the year, second only to the famed New Year’s Eve festivities

April 2018:  Les Voiles de St. Barth – This will be the 9th edition of the race, and Jimmy Buffet has been named this year’s ambassador

Hotels and Resorts:

Closed for the season, reopening February 20, 2018: Hotel Christopher

Closed for the season, planned reopening in summer 2018: Cheval Blanc St-Barth Isle de France; Hotel Le Toiny St Barth (by October 15th at the latest)

Closed for the season, planned reopening late 2018:  Eden Rock (November); Le Guanahani; Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa; Le Sereno

If you want to explore the options for renting a villa, St. Barth’s Properties remains a good place to start your enquiries.

Beaches:

Open: Tom Beach; Petit Morne; Le Village St. Jean; Baie de Anges; Shell Beach; Colombier; Saline Beach

Re-opening in Spring 2018: Nikki Beach

Restaurants and Nightclubs:

Open for the winter season: Black Ginger; Bagatelle; Le Ti St. Barth; Tamarin; L’Isola; and Orega

Re-opening in March 2018: Bonito

Re-opening in Summer 2018:  Mayas

We’ll keep tabs on this, so watch this space for further updates. We’re all rooting for the resilient people of St. Barth’s, and we’re sure that this lovely place is going to come fully back and better than ever in the coming months. At the top of a rock outcropping near the Grand Fond sits a pristine white heart, gleaming brightly against the sky. We’re sure that it’s matched by the love being sent by many to the people of this special place.

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