Hotel Christopher Saint Barth

All I could say to myself at the Hotel Christopher was: “I don’t ever want to leave this place.” It was just before the Christmas invasion of celebs and sycophants to the tiny island of Saint Barthélemy or St. Barths. For a confirmed curmudgeon, even I was surprised by my response: I loved every moment at the Zen-like Christopher. Between the infinity pool overlooking the Atlantic and our oceanfront room, where we listened endlessly to the breaking waves and enjoyed daily views of the setting sun, nirvana was never far. Pool boys and girls, servers and greeters, all accessorized in Hermés orange, created an atmosphere of sophisticated yet relaxed luxury. One afternoon, with a glass of the hotel’s signature ice tea in hand, I overheard a fellow guest whisper into her phone, no doubt in response to, “What’s the hotel like?” “Dynamic and tranquil,” she responded. Indeed, since the hotel is located just 15 minutes by car from the island’s capital, Gustavia, we had no problem to-ing and fro-ing “downtown” -- whether to catch a bite, do some shopping, or just people (and yacht) watch. The picture-perfect beaches of Saline and Gouverneur are an even shorter drive from the hotel. But back to the Christopher -- which is what my husband and I said to each other every few hours. Frankly, if we hadn’t gotten married two years ago, we would have done it there. As it was, we were celebrating our anniversary; curmudgeon or not, I can’t imagine a more perfect spot.

Thanks to renovations following Hurricane Irma, the Christopher now features several large villas as well as a newly designed restaurant.

I had finished my lunch: a grilled mahi mahi burger (with a hint of curry: Chef Jean-Baptiste Piard is incorporating flavors from his international experience into the hotel’s cuisine) and glass of rosé at a table at Mango, one of the property’s two waterside restaurants. My bottle of mineral water was still half full and I had some lounging to do. I got up, walked a few paces to an available lounge chair, and plopped down. You don’t get to be a five-star member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts by making guests schlep their own groceries, so moments later my Evian somehow appeared near my elbow, ensconced now in a lovely ice bucket. The hotel’s lush grounds feature a hundred species of tropical plants including banana, frangipani and about a dozen types of palm trees. I spent a quiet hour regarding the blue and listening to gentle surf beneath my feet.