Hôtel Eden Rock

The hotel says Rémy de Haenen kick-started the island's allure in 1953, when he set his tiny plane down on a grass strip by St Jean. He bought the rocky promontory and built a hotel above St Jean Bay, wagering that the island could become a dream destination. In its days as the Caribbean's newest luxury hideaway, the hotel drew American and European celebrities, among them Greta Garbo and Howard Hughes, Robert Mitchum and Gore Vidal, Princess Lee Radziwill, Baron Rothschild, and David and Peggy Rockefeller. Garbo once checked in for three days as Suzy Schmidt and stayed for three weeks.

The hotel changed hands in 1995, when the Matthews family bought it from de Haenen, a St Barths politician who died in 2008. David and Jane Matthews restored the existing buildings and put up new ones, keeping their predecessor's eccentric taste and zest for life, and in 2014, as owners, they partnered with Oetker Hotels to manage it. Hurricane Irma did serious damage in 2017; after a two-year rebuild the hotel reopened in 2019, unveiling a redesigned Sand Bar, a brand-new Rémy Bar and a new Eden Spa. In 2020 the Vogue guestroom and two new signature suites, Pippa and Jane, were added, named for Jane Matthews and her daughters-in-law, Pippa and Vogue.

Around 400 works make up the E Rock Art Collection. Many come from artists of the New York Academy of Art, and local and European artists are represented too. Every room is dressed with varied materials, fine art and books. Jane Matthews, who studied art at the Slade School of Art, part of London University, and in South Africa, founded The Eden Rock Gallery in the 1990s.

The hotel counts the beach at St Jean among the most famous stretches of sand on St Barths, and its clear blue water suits paddle-boarding as well as snorkelling around the coral reefs. Eden Reef, an ongoing coral restoration project, relies on BioRock technology to protect and regenerate the reef around the island, and guests can take part. Behind the hotel, L'Etang de St Jean offers what the hotel calls a wild dip in nature's pool.

Guests can stroll from the hotel into the village of St Jean, with its shops and boutiques, bars and restaurants. To reach the island, guests travel via St Maarten, San Juan, Antigua or Pointe-à-Pitre, where connections run on St Barth Commuter, Air Antilles, Winair or Tradewind. Those starting from St Maarten can also cross by sea, on the Voyager or Great Bay Express ferries.

Every room, suite and villa is individually designed and set on the rock itself, along the beach or in beachside gardens. Eden and Rock Rooms measure 60 m², Plantation and Beach Rooms 55 m². Jane Matthews designed the Beach Rooms' interiors with soft, billowing fabrics, warm wood panelling and French burgundy stone, and pieces from the ER Collection give each its own character. Each Beach Room opens onto a private terrace looking over the garden and the turquoise sea, and the spacious bathroom has a walk-in shower and a double vanity.

The Legacy Suite De Haenen (146 m²) bears the name of the hotel's founder, the island's first aviator. It has panoramic views over the Bay of St Jean and Fregate Island, out to the horizon, and a wrap-around terrace furnished with sun loungers and deck furniture. There is a king-size bed, and the living area holds a sofa, a writing desk and a breakfast table, while the open bathroom pairs a double vanity with a walk-in shower built directly into the rock. The 191 m² Diamond Suite James looks across St Jean Bay without obstruction, the outlook that captured de Haenen's imagination when he first came upon the rock; its interiors, by Jane Matthews, include an ultra-contemporary bathroom with showers and a plunge bath in glittering tiles.

The Frangipani Beach House sits a stone's throw from both the beach and the children's activities. Its 469 m² spread over two levels, with three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, plus living areas and a kitchen; the heated swimming pool, ringed by sun chairs, opens onto a dining area, and two of its terraces have sea views. It sleeps up to six. The Heavenly Beach House measures 179 m² and sleeps two adults and two children, Villa Nina covers 500 m², and Villa Rockstar, at 1,600 m², takes up to 12 guests.

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, whose career has been built in Michelin-starred kitchens, masterminds the dining here and has a hand in every culinary detail, from the concept and menus to design and staffing. Meals move from relaxed beachside menus by day to fine dining at night. Set right on the sand with St Jean Bay in front of it, the Sand Bar is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.

At the Sand Bar, breakfast runs from 07:30 to 09:30 as a buffet, or it can be brought to rooms, suites and villas. Lunch there, from 12:00 to 15:30, brings fresh local seafood, exotic salads and homemade wholemeal pizzas, along with new takes on old favourites; dinner follows from 19:00 to 22:00. Caviar and cuts also feature, paired with wines chosen from around the world.

The Rémy Bar & Salon takes its name from the founder, Rémy de Haenen, and its cocktails, which the hotel calls audacious creations, honour his pioneering spirit. Open from 07:30 to 18:00, it sets a British-colonial mood for drinks by the hotel's mixologists and small plates by Chef Jean-Georges. With Rémy's Club, it forms the hotel's sea-facing lounge, which hides a discreet space behind plush red velvet curtains; the club opens every day from 18:00 until midnight, for a pre-dinner aperitif or a night out. On the beach, the Eden Rock Beach Bar spreads around a sundeck and out to a floating raft that the hotel bills as much-photographed, with ergonomic sun loungers, cocktails and healthy snacks.

Eden Spa sits at the centre of the hotel, with a sitting room themed as a yacht on land and three discreet treatment cabins. Its treatments and massages use Ligne St Barth, an artisanal range made on the island, and can also be taken in the privacy of guests' rooms; a menu of Dr. Barbara Sturm signature treatments is offered as well. The spa is open from 10:00 to 20:00, and by the sea the Sun Spa sets two massage tables beneath white drapes.

The Boat Room was created with SeeMyCosmetics and Elodie Raheria, and its SeeMyCosmetics treatments cover the scalp, face, brows and lashes; in its Exoscalp treatment, plant-based exosomes soothe, hydrate and revitalise the scalp. The medi-spa adds non-invasive sculpting treatments that the hotel describes as science-backed. Eden Wellness has a Yoga Deck that faces the sea, and yoga, private or in a group, is offered daily alongside sound healing and reiki.

Eden Fitness, open from 06:30 to 22:00, pairs tailored coaching with a gym the hotel describes as fitted with the latest equipment and cutting-edge technology; villa guests can also be coached in the privacy of their villa. The programme covers personal training, flexibility stretching, Pilates for individuals and groups, and dance classes in hip hop and modern jazz. There are also swimming lessons, aquatic training and guided hikes that explore the island on foot.