Every Caribbean island has its own distinct personality and St. Barts can be summed up in one word: chic. This French-owned island is known for its high-end boutiques, gourmet food, and bold-faced visitors who prefer to arrive by mega-yacht.
While the island has a handful of glitzy hotels, anyone looking for a taste of classic St. Barts style should consider a stay at the Hotel Manapany. The resort was one of the island’s original hotels but had fallen into disrepair when the Paris-based B Signature Group bought it in 2016 and embarked on an extensive, down-to-the-studs renovation.
Anne Jousse, the CEO of B Signature Group, spearheaded the design and tapped into her experience and memories of visiting St. Barts as a child for inspiration. Her vision was “to keep the spirit of the island and bring the hotel back to its roots.” Jousse hired the architect François Champsaur who also worked on her Paris hotels, to revamp the property.
“The idea is barefoot luxury,” says Jousse. “No stilettos!”
The heart of this beachfront hotel is the pool and restaurant, and the resort’s small scale gives it an intimate feel. The 43 rooms are tucked into a hillside and each one has a slightly different design. What they have in common is simplicity along with strategic pops of color. Each room’s ceiling is painted a different tropical color, and the white beds are dressed with pillows and bedspreads handwoven by a women’s collective in Chiapas, Mexico. Straw lights are crafted by Brazilian artisans.
If you’re looking for more space and privacy, Hotel Manapany also offers the off-site Villa Nanne. The villa embraces indoor-outdoor living with accordion doors, and its focal point is a stunning infinity pool overlooking Corossol Beach. Even the villa’s garage, which features tropical leaf murals and a rattan ceiling, is impossibly chic.
Art and color are central to the ethos of Hotel Manapany and no small detail is overlooked. The resort’s refillable water bottles are wrapped in a jungle leaf print, and the light switches are emerald green. The terrazzo lobby is home to an outpost of Maison Pelican boutique, as well as bold art by François Dumas, curated by L’Atelier 55 Galleries in Megève, Saint-Tropez, and Paris. Jousse even invited an artist, Mayon Crayon, to stay at the hotel for a month before it opened to create original drawings.
A key part of Hotel Manapany is also its eco-credentials. Single-use plastics are banned, water is heated by solar panels and gray water is used in the garden. Electric charging stations are provided for cars and towels are made from bamboo.
Beyond the hotel, guests will want to spend their days beach hopping to find their favorite stretch of sand and turquoise water. Check out Gouverneur Beach as well as Colombier, which is only accessible via boat or a steep hike, and is home to David Rockefeller’s former home, designed by Frank Gehry.
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The shopping, as you’d expect, is equally fabulous. In St. Jean, head to Monoprix Maison for housewares and linen sheets at affordable prices and check out Julien St. Barth for colorful pareos. In Gustavia, don’t miss the multi-story Maison Pelican, stuffed with housewares and art, as well as the colorful bathing suits at MC2 to bring a little bit of St. Barts’ style home.
Photography courtesy of Hotel Manapany.
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