Villa Marie St. Barth: Everything You Need to Know

Here are 15 reasons why I recommend Villa Marie St. Barth as your must stay luxury boutique hotel in St. Barts (and yes, I list breakfast as a reason–twice).

Patrick and I chose to stay in St. Barts at the luxury boutique hotel Villa Marie St. Barth. Located on top of Flamands Beach, the property and its 21 suites–each with it’s own deck or spacious balcony overlooking the Caribbean sea–are spread out on top of the hill. Villa Marie St. Barth also has it’s own restaurant, pool, spa, and villa, which has it’s own personal pool. Created by the Sibuet family, Jocelyne and Jean Louis Sibuet, you’ll find their mark on almost everything throughout the property. The Sibuet’s created a unique multi-sensorial atmosphere that combines the natural elements of wood, fire, stone, plants, and water to best reflect St. Barth’s idyllic yet wild and unspoiled environment. From the elaborate cuisine, to the heart-warming staff, thoughtful and vibrant décor and antiques, and manicured garden oasis, I felt like I was invited into the Sibuet’s home. And in a small way, I was, made a part their life on St. Barth. Whatever type of respite you’re craving–discovery, luxury, serenity, adventure–you can find it here at Villa Marie St. Barth, just as I did.

Welcome Tea

This restful getaway could not have come at a better moment. This COVID situation has driven us all mad, I’m tired from work, and to top it off the queasy ferry journey to St. Barth’s could not have been more stressful given the rain storm we found ourselves in–it felt like something straight out of Moby Dick or Pirates of the Caribbean. Just get me into a shower and into a comfy bed so I can decompress from this ridiculously long day. Surely, if anything could help me decompress upon impact, it’s St. Barts and the Villa Marie staff. Upon arrival we were greeted with a tropical tea as the staff checked us in. Then off to our room we were, for a very well-needed shower.

The Semi-Outdoor Showers and Bath Tubs

I walked into the room and didn’t even take a minute to look at it. Where is the shower?! I desperately needed to get the nauseating smell of sea sickness off me. I walked into the bathroom and was surprised to find that I had two options, either a stunning semi-outdoor shower or bathtub, located behind a glass screen door. Tempting as the bath sounded, it was 8:30PM and our arrival was already later than expected at Villa Marie St. Barth. Patrick, who had survived the ferry ride over unscathed, was very hungry. So I took a shower, but earmarked the bath for the next day.

You know, showering outdoors is one of the greatest ways to connect with the wonder and beauty of the natural world. Standing outside, washing away the stresses of the trip, while enjoying the natural surroundings and noises creates a peace of mind and a new level of relaxation that I would become accustomed to during my time at Villa Marie St. Barth.

Following my shower, I finally felt alive again. Like my senses were reborn. I started to take in all the details in the bathroom. In between the dual sinks was a wooden cabinet. The soap and sponge I had used to clean myself off were both from the Sibuet’s product line Pure Altitude. The soap was sweet almond and shea butter with the signature Pure Altitude fragrance. I looked at myself in the mirror and then looked at the mirror itself: the pattern of interlinking seashells and rope made it such an unusual and fascinating piece. My focus was distracted by Patrick calling me to dinner. I put on some clothes and headed down to the Villa Marie St. Barth restaurant, Francois Plantation.

After dinner, we returned to our peaceful island abode. There was hardly a sound except for the occasional chirping and whistling from insects. With the balcony doors open, the Caribbean sea is the last sound you’ll hear at night and the first when you wake up in the morning.

Breakfasts at Francois Plantation: Day 1 of 2

I woke up starved and on an empty stomach. I opened the sliding doors to our private balcony at Villa Marie St. Barth to reveal a jaw dropping view of Flamands beach. It was enough to wash all the stress from the night before right away. But my stomach kept distracting me, it needed food. I was so hungry I threw on some clothes and immediately headed down to the pool at the Francois plantation for breakfast.

As a guest of the property, we were guaranteed a table for breakfast as part of our stay. If you’re not a guest, a reservation for breakfast or brunch in St. Barth, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays is in order. Families, friends, locals, and vacationers book their breakfast and brunches at Villa Marie St. Barth within a heartbeat. Breakfast is served under a canopy of foliage in Francois Plantation. Nearby is a pair of giant palm fronds and banana tree leaves with broad drooping leaves of yellow and green. The pool is just a couple of feet away glistening in the sun.

They brought over the complimentary fresh baked pastries like croissants, pain au chocolat, and pain aux raisins, we accepted them with a smile. We took a sip of our café au lait and espresso as we waited for our mains.  A scrumptious, buttery waffle with powdered sugar. French waffles, or gaufres, are cake waffles, not to be confused with breakfast waffles. To top off our sweet pastries, we ordered eggs benedict and scrambled eggs. I licked my plate clean. I couldn’t wait for breakfast the next day to try all the remaining items on their menu.

The Room

When I got back, I realized I was so hungry, I didn’t even have time to take in the room. Satiated and feeling like my brain could function again, I began to notice all the intricate details of our Pelican suite. There’s a lever outside our room that’s green and red, so if you don’t want someone to disturb you for room service to clean your room–you mark it red. If you want to have breakfast on your private balcony in the comforts of your own room, you fill out the small order menu and leave it outside your room before 3AM. Note though: that some items are not available for room service like avocado toast. We were debated eating in the room the second day, but liked Francois Plantation too much we wanted to eat there again.

Each cottage has a different theme. Ours was the Pelican room themed yellow. The décor was outstanding and of course all done by Marie herself with her exquisite taste. To allow you to sleep with the sliding doors open, they wrap your bed with an elegant bug net to make you feel like your a young princess once again. Apparently, the bug net was a first time for Patrick–I couldn’t believe it. I had one when I was a kid growing up. The bug net isn’t actually necessary because of mosquitoes, but because it’s an open aired room so you’ll occasionally find small bugs in the room. But for being a hotel in the middle of the wilderness, you rarely come across bugs. They even give you a bug zapper! But you won’t need it.

The room also comes with tons of in-room luxury amenities to completely envelope you in the Villa Marie St. Barth experience including Sibuet magazines, luxury robes and slippers, a beach bag and towels, matches, branded SPF lip balm, Swiss branded hair dryer, and a firm yet supportive mattress. But my favorite luxury amenity? The secretive and inconspicuous water replenishing. It felt like the water refilling magic spell out of Harry Potter. Every time you left the room, the staff would refill your water bottles. Even if you just had 2 sips of water, you would have a new water when you would get back to your room. Now that’s luxury. They would even refill all your bathroom products every time you left the room! How did they know when to do it…I’ll never know, but gosh they were so under the radar and elegant about it. It’s one of those things that stuck with me.

The Private Balcony

Ok, I already raved enough about the view from my room. But the space is just incredible it deserves another shout out. The balcony is shaded, which is perfect for those hot tropical days. After all, there is rarely rain in St. Barts. On one side is a beautiful (and yes…Instagrammable) swinging rattan chair. On the other is a 2 seat rattan couch and glass table. After breakfast, Pat and I sat outside and read for a bit before going on with our day. We just wanted to take a break from it all and from all. Just ourselves and spend some time in our own peace and quiet while overlooking the green luscious hills of St. Barts.

Getting Lost in the Greenery and Turtles

I’m green da do di da do da…that’s what ran through my head when walking from our Pelican cottage all the way down to Francois Plantation. While walking around Villa Marie St. Barth, while it all felt like one ecosystem, they somehow managed to seamlessly transport you from what felt like an elevated mountain view room, to a tropical rainforest, to a French Riviera poolside retreat. A small enclave within the property is bounteous in vegetation. Rich in various palm tree species a canopy is formed where you take a nap, meditate, read, or just get away from it all. The trickling of water into a simple wooden fountain with koi fish is the only other noise you’ll hear in addition to the rustling of the palm trees. That and the occasional rustling of leaves when a small turtle passes your way.

The Pool and Gazebos

If you’re not a guest of Villa Marie St. Barth, you can purchase a day pass to spend a day lounging by the pool or book a table for lunch, breakfast, or cocktails during the day. The pool does not have a seaview, but that doesn’t matter. You get the seaview from your room and are about 5 minutes from any unspoiled beach you’d like. Dipping into the bean-shaped pool and looking up at the sky only to see trees and clouds above you, makes you feel like you are a dot on a desolate island away from it all. It’s the ultimate in relaxation. If you want to enjoy a meal while there, the stunning gazebo offers long wooden tables that can accommodate over 6 guests for an intimate and personal meal in an elegant and private setting.

Location

Villa Marie St. Barth is located right above Flamands Beach and close to Colombier Beach. The easiest beach to access is Flamands since it doesn’t involve any strenuous hikes. Villa Marie provides you with a beautiful beach bag and complementary towels for the beach. The beauty of Villa Marie St. Barth is that since it’s perched upon a hill, you’re away from the ruckus of other hotels and restaurants like Cheval Blanc. Not that the island every really gets loud…but still.

The Transportation

Since your room is perched on top of the hill above reception, if you don’t feel like walking up the steps, the staff will take you up in the property golf cart. When you drop off your car at the entrance, Joel takes your keys and takes care of your car for you. He moves your car when needed, retrieves it for you when he sees your coming his way, and of course, stocks it with fresh waters so when you step inside the car you’re well hydrated. He then drives you to your room up the hill in the property golf cart a fun and short scenic experience. Especially because once you reach the top of the hill at Villa Marie St. Barth, you get a stunning view of Flamands Beach. If you don’t have your own car and are interested in renting the iconic island car, the Moke, Villa Marie St. Barth has one on property for you to rent.

Room Tours

Amelie on staff gave us a tour of Villa Marie St. Barth. As mentioned, each room is unique and different so you can pick any suite based on your color, view, and amenity preferences. Unfortunately, while we were there the 1 master villa with a private pool was booked so we weren’t able to view it. However, we were able to see a few of the other rooms. The first type of suites are Saline and Havana, each have a jacuzzi. You can either buy both suites together if you’re there with friends or family or separately.

The second type of suite is the one we stayed in, with a balcony and sea view, but no jacuzzi. The third type of room is the garden cottage with no balcony pictured above. While it may not have a balcony, the design and color choices still manage to make it feel spacious and airy and bring plenty of cool air on those hot days.

While Amelie was giving us a tour I asked her how the name Villa Marie St. Barth came to be. Amelie let us know that the Sibuets always liked St. Barth and had been eyeing the properties here for a while. When they found Francois Plantation, they immediately bought it. Since their daughter, Marie, was the one who had her eyes set on St. Barth, they named the property Villa Marie St. Barth.

The Reception

Now you may be wondering…Sveva…why do you have a whole section of your review dedicated to the reception? A reception of all places? I’ll tell you why. Because the Villa Marie St. Barth Reception is a POI (point of interest) in it’s own right. Aside from the fact that there’s someone working the reception 24 hours a day, the design is on point just like the rest of the property. It’s a place I could find myself spending a couple of hours sitting and reading in, and yes, I’m talking about a reception. That’s how beautiful it is.

The Spa and Boutique Shop

Like the rest of Villa Marie St. Barth’s opulent pleasures, Spa Pure Altitude is a horn of plenty, with signature offerings. Perched on a quiet hill overlooking Colombier and Flamands’ blue waters is the right ambiance to get away from it all: Pure Altitude Spa. All products they use are made using elixirs and herbs from the Sibuet family’s mountain property in Megeve, France. All products are made in-house locally by the Sibuet family and are available for purchase. Salvaged from Megeve the elixir soaks up the toxins and stress. Couple that with a stone massage and by the time I emerge from the room I am so limp I can barely walk down the hall thanks to Marine.

The Gym

While I was relaxing, Pat was taking another form of relaxation – working out. The property has a small indoor and outdoor gym at the reception that is open from 6AM – 11PM–no mask required. The gym is simple, but perfect for those looking to get a small workout in. It’s equipped with a treadmill, elliptical and some weights.

Cocktails, Dinner, and Cigars

Even dinner was a place of discovery, especially in Francois Plantation where gourmet, but unpretentious, meals are served in a boho atmopshere. After dinner, we venture into the cocktail and cigar room, a sort of mini-museum of cigars, pictures, and utensils.

Breakfasts at Francois Plantation: Day 2 of 2

The next morning we chose to sit by the kidney shaped pool, isolate from the rest of the breakfast crowd. We ordered the French waffle once again, because it was that good. But this time also ordered the staff’s highly recommended and if not, signature breakfast dish, pain perdu. 

Following breakfast, Joel met us at the car and handed us our keys. We hopped in and said goodbye to the entire Villa Marie St. Barth staff. Almost like a family saying goodbye to their close family friends. As we pulled out the parking lot, I looked down at the cup holders for one last reminder of our Villa Marie St. Barth experience–Joel had replenished our car with waters for the drive. Classic!

>> Next: François Plantation Restaurant, St. Barts

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