The Beach at the Guanahani Hotel
Our trip to St. Barths (Saint Barthelemy) has come and gone. 10 days in paradise wasn’t a bad life at all. Travel school in the morning and after lunch the island was ours! We usually stay in the Hotel Guanahani and Spa, but it was under construction, so Le Sereno Beach Hotel became our home. Both hotels share the same intimate cove (the Grand Cul-de-Sac) great for windsurfing, kite surfing, paddleboating or getting on that jet ski and exploring the rest of St. Barth’s coast.
St Barths Grand Cul-de-Sac
Le Sereno was beautifully elegant in it’s decor, designed by famed Parisian designer Christian Liaigre, with dark stained wood and white linens. The food (unbelievably fresh as the local fishermen would pull the boat right up on the shore with their daily catch) never missed the mark, especially the kitchen’s specialty, the fish en croute de sel (whole fish baked in a sea-salt crust), which would be chiseled out of it’s crusty shell right at your table. Yum!
Minutes Off the Boat: the Local Fisherman's Daily Catch
The question is….which hotel do I prefer on St. Barths Grand Cul-de-Sac? Hands down…the Guanahani! For a few reasons…
Although I preferred the white simplicity of Le Sereno’s cottage decor to the Guanahani’s ‘colored cottages’ (from yellow to indigo or purple to bright green), I liked the overall property of the Guanahani better. The Guanahani’s ‘shared space’ seems bigger, giving you more opportunities for intimacy. The pool was bigger, the beach was longer, more sand, and simply more space. There is something great about walking up to a beach bar and ordering a smoothie or margarita with your feet still in the sand. The hotel has a tennis court and the gym faces the beach, instead of having no view (like the one at Le Sereno).
Guanahani's Swimming Pool
Needless to say, I am anxious to return to the Guanahani Hotel and see what changes the construction brought to the property. Although, I may still walk down the way to the Sereno Hotel and dive into a plate of the baked fish en croute de sel.
My shot of the Le Sereno's Infinity Pool Overlooking the Grand Cul-de-Sac
My View From My Room at Le Sereno
Gorgeous…