French flair meets Caribbean spirit at the revamped Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth

Reopened after a four-year refurb, Rosewood Le Guanahani resort brings bright colour to the shores of a private peninsula on the island of St Barth.

The hotel is located on 18 private acres on the tropical island, with guest rooms located inside wooden beach cottages, dotted along the shorefront of the peninsula. David M Schwarz Architects and Luis Pons Design Lab were tapped to overhaul the hotel – which shuttered its doors in 2017 after a successful 30-year run on the island – and they’ve mixed French and Caribbean influences.

Beach houses are daubed in shades of turquoise, yellow and lavender, and all enjoy ocean views beyond French windows, and some come with private pools overlooking the nearby Marigot Bay.

Beyond brightly painted timber exteriors lie interiors drenched in sunlight, with dark wooden floors and design details including vintage luggage chests. Rooms at the Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth start from €1,700 per night, and guests can make the most of the bright sun from front porches, where rocking chairs await.

The mix of cultures continues in the hotel’s restaurant, Beach House Barth. The open-air dining space offers Mediterranean-Caribbean fusions made using local ingredients, such as BBQ octopus is paired with sundried tomatoes and burrata, while mahi mahi is served cooked in a Caribbean tandoori style.

Grand Cul-de-sac, 97133 St. Barthelemy, FWI