Perfectly integrated into the landscape, a diversity of hotels awaits you.

There are no high rise hotels in St. Barts. Not one. As mandated by the government, no accommodations have more than twelve rooms. This keeps the island feeling quaint and stylish, even if it is a bit more of a hassle than other Caribbean islands. The other thing you'll find noticeably absent are St. Barts resorts. There aren"t any of those either. This imbues the island with more of a European flair – the chic French fashions and elegant Creole cuisine help too. While many St. Barts hotels are impressive enough to hold their own with the resorts of other islands, villas are really the most popular option here.

Of course, on St. Barts the classification of "villa" is an ambiguous term. Some are tiny cottages, other are ultra-modern condominiums. But you what you won"t find from St. Barts villas are beach front property. There are a few, though – you can find a large number of properties through the Wimco company. Like most St Barts villa rental companies, they are owned and operated stateside. Whether you choose a simple bungalow or a far more luxurious space, you will never be far from the beach on this tiny island. But with the hilly landscape and dearth of taxis on the island, if you are staying in one of St Barts villas, a rental car is an absolute necessity.

The hotels in St Barts are really the most convenient and impressive lodging option. Here you can find places to stay right on the beach – equipped with marble baths, private decks and adjacent spas, these hotels redefine comfort for many visitors. And there is certainly no shortage of them either. St Barts beach hotels will run you a high price, though, which is why they are less popular than the island"s villas. That being said, though, the difference is tangible, and for many tourists, well worth the extra cash.

To say that the hotels in St Barts are obsessed with luxury would still be an understatement. The list of immaculate hotels on the island"s beaches goes on and on and on. The area surrounding St Jean is the main place to stay on the island, but most of the northern coast has myriad fine St Barts hotels. Les Ilets de la plage has elegant beachside bungalows, while the boutique Hotel le Village St Jean are the most popular in the St Jean area. The Grand Cul de Sac is where you"ll find many of the most famous hotels in St Barts. The Hotel Guanahani and La Paillote are both here, but the real jewel is the St Barts Beach Hotel. A bit of a discount for the island, this hotel is immensely popular with visiting French, who should know their island as well as any. Internationally renowned designers have created interiors that delight celebrities from around the world when they visit the island. Outstanding service, discretion, elegance and luxury are key to their success. Certain hotels seem to have found the fountain of youth, with gourmet restaurants that seduce your taste buds, spas where you can relax and enjoy a perfect sense of wellbeing.

Other accommodations
Cottages are really a middle category in between Hotels and Villas. As you might expect from an Hotel, you may not be be the only guest, even though these structures are often more private than a hotel room. It is also sometimes possible to rent all the cottages offered on one property.

While there is no restaurant on the premises, cottages include at least a kitchenette, and as your host usually lives nearby, you can expect a higher level of service than you receive in the average villa.

Location Grand Cul-de-Sac, Around the Island      Phone 590/27-69-64      Fax 590/52-24-41      E-mail les.ondines@wanadoo.fr      Room Information 6 units      Prices Winter 350€-690€ ($525-$1,035) double; off season from 215€-450€ ($322-$675) double. Winter rates include continental breakfast, airport transfers, tax, and service charge      Credit Cards AE, MC, V      In Room Amenities A/C, ceiling fan, TV/DVD, kitchen, hair dryer, safe      Season Closed Sept-Oct

This postmodern suite-hotel, cleverly sequestered by a private garden lagoon opening onto Grand Cul-de-Sac beach, is named for a mythical sea nymph. The one- and two-bedroom suites, most with glorious ocean views, range from 60 to 139 sq. m (643-1,500 sq. ft.) -- enormous by St. Barts standards. The decor stylishly fuses classic and contemporary elements. Beamed vaulted ceilings and natural wicker or teak furnishings (including four-poster beds) contrast with trompe l'oeil jungle artworks, ethereal paintings depicting the eponymous sea creatures, and brilliantly hued fabrics. All feature such necessities as fully equipped kitchens, high-speed Internet access, and fax (two-bedroom units have washer/dryer and dishwasher). Creative touches extend to modish kitchens and track-lit bathrooms (stunning bas-relief moldings and mosaics).

Facilities:
Outdoor pool; kayaks; 20% discount on activities at the nearby watersports center; room service

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Location Rue des Normands, Around the Island      Phone 800/322-2223 in the U.S, 590/29-79-00      Fax 590/27-82-37      Web site www.hotelcarlgustaf.com      Room Information 15 units      Prices Winter 1,140€ ($1,710) 1-bedroom suite, 1,685€ ($2,527) 2-bedroom suite; off season from 640€-740€ ($960-$1,110) 1-bedroom suite, from 850€-1,050€ ($1,275-$1,575) 2-bedroom suite. Rates include continental breakfast and airport transfers      Credit Cards AE, MC, V      In Room Amenities A/C, TV/DVD, CD players, fax, dataport, Internet access, kitchenette, minibar, fridge, hair dryer, iron, safe

At press time the hotel was scheduled to reopen in late 2008 after an extensive half-year refurbishment. When it reopens, Gustavia's most glamorous hotel promises to be even more glam, with a newly designed restaurant, a state-of-the-art spa, and a new four-bedroom suite, the Royale Suite. The hotel oversees the town's harbor from a steep hillside. Each room is in one of a dozen pink or green, red-roofed villas. Access to each building is via a central staircase, which tests the stamina of even the most active guests. The wood-frame units are angled for maximum views of the boats bobbing far below in the bay and panoramic sunsets, best enjoyed from the plunge pool on the private patio bisecting each suite. Bedrooms are exceedingly well furnished and promise to be even more so at their grand unveiling. Guests walk across Italian marble floors under a pitched ceiling to reach their luxurious bed. Beaches are within a 10-minute walk.

Chef Emmanuel Motte has revitalized the classic French kitchen -- and now it has a new redesign to match. The "Goose," as it's affectionately known, has always been the spot for sunset cocktails.

Facilities:
Restaurant; piano bar; outdoor pool; health club; sauna; deep-sea fishing; sailing; scuba diving; water-skiing; windsurfing; room service; massage; laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; helicopter rides

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Location Around the Island      Phone 877/563-7105 in the US, 590/29-79-99      Fax 590/27-88-37      Web site www.edenrockhotel.com      Room Information 33 units      Prices Winter 665€-985€ ($997-$1,477) double, 1,265€-3,065€ ($1,897-$4,597) suite/house; off season 475€-625€ ($712-$937) double, 760€-2,425€ ($1,140-$3,637) suite/house. Rates include buffet breakfast, airport transfers, taxes, and service charges      Credit Cards AE, MC, V      In Room Amenities A/C, TV, dataport, minibar, hair dryer, safe

In 1995, the new British and Zimbabwean owners David and Jane Spencer Matthews embarked on a continuing reinvention that transformed Eden Rock into one of the Caribbean's most glamorous addresses, where even celebrities people-watch. A $25-million renovation/expansion, completed in December 2006, absorbed the adjacent Filao Beach property without sacrificing intimacy or style. Individually decorated accommodations either climb the rock or are perched steps from the water on either side. The original "Rock" rooms are filled with antiques, family heirlooms, silver fixtures, steamer trunks, four-poster beds, and watercolors of local scenes by Jane (an accomplished artist herself) and her children. Larger suites might contrast lemon chairs with lavender throw pillows, or mauve walls with mahogany armoire and marble accents. The newer units include eight suites with decks opening onto the beach as well as five one- to three-bedroom beach houses with outdoor Jacuzzis and plunge pools (two have full swimming pools). The 450-sq.-m (1,500-sq.-ft.) Howard Hughes Loft Suite, atop the Main House on "the rock," features hardwood floors, three verandas offering 360-degree panoramas, and two bathrooms uniquely clad in welded copper. The newest luxury villa is Villa Nina, with two bedrooms and its very own art gallery, a private pool, and a beachside location. In the pipeline is the Rockstar villa, a stunner with four master suites, a screening room, a recording studio, a private pool, and a dedicated butler.

Getting plenty of buzz is the Eden Rock Art Gallery, opened by Jane Matthews to showcase local and international artists. She's delivered on the latter, big-time, with recent shows by such heralded artists as Richard Prince and Will Cotton.

The casual beachfront Sand Bar is a fabulous lunch spot with reliably delicious food. An equally incomparable dinner (and people-watching) is served at the swanky On-The-Rocks Restaurant.

Facilities:
2 restaurants; bar; snorkeling; windsurfing; room service; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Location Grand Cul-de-Sac, Around the Island      Phone 800/223-6800 in the US, 590/27-66-60      Fax 590/27-70-70      Web site www.leguanahani.com      Room Information 68 units      Prices Winter 580€-935€ ($870-$1,402) double, from 1,055€ ($1,582) suite; off season 350€-580€ ($525-$870) double, from 705€ ($1,057) suite. Extra person 100€ ($150). Rates include full American breakfast and round-trip airport transfers      Credit Cards AE, MC, V      In Room Amenities A/C, ceiling fan, LCD flatscreen TV, DVD, Wi-Fi, minibar, hair dryer, safe, butler services (villas only)

Location Baie des Flamands, Around the Island      Phone 800/810-4691 in the US, 590/27-61-81      Fax 590/27-86-83      Web site www.isle-de-france.com      Room Information 35 units      Prices Winter 845€-1,280€ ($1,267-$1,920) double, from 1,545€ ($2,317) suite, from 1,065€ ($1,597) villa/bungalow/cottage; off season 525€-795€ ($787-$1,192) double, from 1,055€ ($1,582) suite, from 670€ ($1,005) villa/bungalow/cottage. Rates include continental breakfast and roundtrip airport transfer      Credit Cards AE, MC, V      In Room Amenities A/C, TV, minibar, fridge, beverage maker, hair dryer, safe      Season Closed Sept 1-Oct 15

Effortless elegance distinguishes this family-run hotel, which continues to rack up awards ("Best Hotel in St. Barts": Conde Nast Traveler U.K.; "Top Five Hotels in the Caribbean": Conde Nast Traveler U.S.) for its luxurious, supremely comfortable lodging and excellent service. It opens right onto glorious Flamands beach. The architecture blends the richly saturated colors of Corsica with Caribbean and colonial New England influences. Guest rooms are unusually spacious for St. Barts. Each top-notch unit contains a private patio or terrace overlooking the pool, beach, or lavishly landscaped grounds. Individual decor marries antique mahogany and rattan furniture, contemporary bergères (wing chairs), local straw work, Limoges porcelain, dainty French fabrics, 19th-century engravings collected from neighboring islands, and the odd dramatic flourish (cherry red lampshade or magenta throw pillow). Beds are luxurious, fitted with fine linen. Commodious marble-clad bathrooms are well-equipped with dual basins, large tubs (some with whirlpool jets), and showers. For a sense of privacy, you might opt for the Tropical Villa, set in the hotel's tropical garden with its own private plunge pool; the Hillside Bungalow, which overlooks the gardens and has a terrace; and the Fisherman's Cottage, which has two en-suite bedrooms, a kitchenette, and its own interior courtyard.

The on-site Molton Brown Spa and quintessential beachfront boîte, La Case de l'Isle (sophisticated island-tinged French fare), complete the memorable experience.

Facilities:
Restaurant; bar; 2 freshwater pools; tennis court; gym; spa; car rental; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; laundry service

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Location Morne Viet, Around the Island      Phone 590/27-61-25      Fax 590/27-81-38      Web site www.3forces.net      Room Information 7 cottages      Prices Winter $220-$270 double; off season $120-$170 double      Credit Cards AE, MC, V      In Room Amenities A/C, kitchenette (in 2 units), fridge, safe, private terrace

Breton astrologer Hubert Delamotte (a Gemini) and wife, Ginette, created this hilltop sanctuary dedicated to enriching the flow between life's primary three forces: mind, body, and spirit. Yet it's too special to be labeled just another New Age retreat; patrons of all persuasions -- seers to CEOs, Meryl Streep to Ram Dass -- seek refuge and refreshment here. Even the site was divined by the ancient eco-art of geomancy: organizing environments to optimize harmony between user and space. The inn occupies panoramic grounds in Vitet about a 10-minute drive from Cul-de-Sac and Lorient beaches. The gingerbread bungalows are staggered to maximize privacy and sweeping ocean vistas. Each is named for a sign of the zodiac and decorated with the appropriate color scheme: scarlet for Leo (natural performers), meditative navy for Pisces, pink for nurturing Cancer. Astrology even influenced Hubert's handmade beds (Libras, the Zodiac's romantics, sleep in a stately four-poster with lacy linen and gauzy mosquito netting). Holistic services include massage therapy, yoga, past-life regression therapy, osteopathy, and psychic readings. Hubert believes, "The stomach is a spiritual gate," and his on-site restaurant's superlative French fare earned him membership in France's prestigious gastronomic order Confrérie de la Marmite d'Or. The excellent, affordable wine list will delight any oenophile.

Facilities:
Restaurant; outdoor pool; laundry service

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Location Anse de Toiny, Around the Island      Phone 800/278-6469 in the US, 590/5 90 27 8888      Fax 590/5 90 27 8930      Web site www.letoiny.com      Room Information 15 units      Prices Winter: 1,680€ (US$2,312) 1-bedroom suite for 2, 2,780€ (US$3,895) 3-bedroom suite for up to 6; Mid Apr-mid Dec 710€-930€ (US$995-US$1,303) 1-bedroom suite for 2; 1,150€-1,800€ (US$1,600-US$2,522) 3-bedroom suite for up to 6      Credit Cards AE, MC, V      In Room Amenities Private pool, A/C, ceiling fans, satellite TV, DVD, ipod station with ipod, Wi-fi access, kitchenette, minibar, tea/coffee maker, safe, hair dryer      Season Closed Sept 1-Oct 31

One of the Caribbean's most glamorous and chillingly expensive resorts has been refreshed and revitalized, thanks to new ownership (a Texas consortium that includes Tour de France champ Lance Armstrong), new management (Guy and Dagmar Lombard), and a sweeping renovation of its 15 villas, scattered among a half-dozen buildings clinging to a gently sloping hillside overlooking the windswept southeast coast. This Relais & Châteaux enclave now has direct beach access -- a pleasant five-minute path through a coconut grove. Abundant flowering shrubs protect privacy-seekers from prying eyes, though Brad Pitt, on vacation with his then-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow, was supposedly so relaxed that he dropped inhibitions and more for the paparazzi. Each sumptuous suite features its own private pool, teak and mahogany furnishings, espresso machines, and beds swaddled in Frette linens. Floors and coffered ceilings utilize tropical woods, from teak to gaïac (a rare species that grows on-site), while giant bathrooms impress with impeccable hand-painted moldings, walk-in closet, and separate outdoor garden shower. Service ranges from merely attentive to downright intuitive, with staff proffering thoughtful extras from snorkeling gear to jet-lag lotions. In the new Serenity Cottage, you can get a spa treatment featuring spa products from Le Ligne of St. Barts. The outstanding restaurant, Le Gaïac, reviewed in "Dining," below, will be thoroughly renovated in 2009.

Facilities:
Restaurant; bar and lounge; outdoor pool; bike rental; car rental; room service; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; rooms for those w/limited mobility; concierge; 24 hour room service; business center; beach & snorkelling equipment

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.