How do I get to Hotel Manapany on St. Barts?

To get to Hotel Manapany on St. Barts, you need to take a ferry or flight from neighboring St. Martin. I recommend St. Barth Commuter for flights or the Great Bay Express Ferry. Flights take about 10 minutes, while the ferry takes about 1 hour. The hotel can arrange complimentary transportation to and from the airport or ferry terminal.

Is Hotel Manapany family friendly?

Yes, guests of all ages are welcome at Hotel Manapany, including children. Over half of the rooms at the hotel connect, which is great for families, and there are also rooms with 2 bedrooms.

Is there golf near Hotel Manapany?

There are no golf courses on the island of St. Barts. However, Hotel Manapany offers a package in partnership with Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club to allow guests to stay at both resorts (4 nights at Aurora and 3 nights at Manapany), with transportation included.

Can I buy a day pass for Hotel Manapany?

Yes, day passes are available. At the time of writing, you can purchase a day pass that includes breakfast for €50 ($59) or a day pass that includes lunch for €85 ($100).

6 Things To Know Before Booking Hotel Manapany in St. Barts

Updated: July 8, 2025, 3:00pm CDT

Edited by:

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Table of Contents

1. It’s Part of the Amex Hotel Collection
2. You Need To Take a Plane or Ferry to St. Barts
3. It’s a 5-Star Eco-Resort
4. It’s Small but Has Plenty of Amenities
5. The Food Was Excellent, but There’s Only 1 Restaurant
6. You May Want To Rent a Car
Final Thoughts

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The author traveled as an invited guest of Hotel Manapany. All opinions are the author’s own and the hotel had no input in this article.

St. Barts (officially Saint Barthélemy) is a tiny French island in the Caribbean. It’s known for being a high-end party island (hello, “The Real Housewives of New York”), but, in reality, it’s so much more than that.

I discovered the island also has space for travelers like me, who prefer a more laid-back vibe. It has beautiful beaches, a walkable main town (Gustavia), lots of restaurants, and unique hotels.

I visited in April 2025 and spent 3 nights at Hotel Manapany, an intimate getaway meant to fulfill all of your eco-chic luxury treehouse dreams. While this hotel felt high-end and exclusive, it was easygoing instead of pretentious.

Let’s go over a few important things you should know before you pack your bags for Hotel Manapany on the island of St. Barths.

1. It’s Part of the Amex Hotel Collection

While Hotel Manapany isn’t part of a big-name hotel chain, it’s part of B Signature Hotels & Resorts, a portfolio of luxury hotels in St. Barts, Paris, and Brittany. Plus, it’s bookable through many familiar channels, most notably, American Express’ The Hotel Collection.

When you book at least 2 nights at a Hotel Collection property, you’re eligible for extra perks like a room upgrade and a $100 property credit. To be eligible, you need to book using any of the following cards:

Hotel Manapany Amex Hotel Collection — Hotel Manapany is part of Amex’s Hotel Collection. Image Credit: American Express

Hotel Manapany is also part of Preferred Hotels, but it was not bookable through Choice Privileges at the time of writing. However, booking through Preferred Hotels might still be a good idea for I Prefer members (I Prefer is also a transfer partner of Citi ThankYou Rewards).

It’s also a member of Mr & Mrs Smith Hotels, but it’s not currently bookable through World of Hyatt.

If you want to book Hotel Manapany with points, your best bet would be to book through Chase Travel. You’ll get up to 1.5 cents per point in value if you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card and up to 2 cents per point if you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve^®.

Alternatively, you could pay for your stay with the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and then use your Capital One miles to cover the charges at a rate of 1 cent per point (within 90 days of purchase).

Hot Tip:

Like many hotels and businesses on the island, Hotel Manapany closes for hurricane season. In 2025, it will be closed from August 10 through October 29.

2. You Need To Take a Plane or Ferry to St. Barts

St. Barts is a tiny island, so you won’t be able to fly directly there from the U.S. Instead, you fly to Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on St. Martin and then take a ferry or a flight to Gustaf III Airport (SBH) on St. Barts. I tried out both methods on my recent trip to see which was better.

St. Barth Commuter Flight

I flew into St. Martin on American Airlines and then flew on St. Barth Commuter to get to St. Barts. If you’re going this way, know that you don’t have to clear customs at the St. Martin airport.

St. Barth Commuter plane — I flew St. Barth Commuter from St. Martin.

After landing, you head to the St. Barth Commuter desk instead of going through customs. You then get a boarding pass and are directed back into the airport terminal, where you catch your flight to St. Barts. The flight itself is only about 10 minutes long — and you get great views of the islands.

The price for my flight was $135.

WinAir is another airline that flies from St. Martin to St. Barts, but everyone I spoke to said it wasn’t as reliable as St. Barth Commuter.

Hot Tip:

Princess Sky Lounge at Princess Juliana International Airport on St. Martin is accessible via Priority Pass. It’s not the best lounge I have ever been to, but it’s a good spot to grab a drink or a snack before your flight. Don’t forget — there are lots of credit cards that include Priority Pass as a benefit.

Great Bay Express Ferry

After my stay at Hotel Manapany, I took the Great Bay Express Ferry back to St. Martin for $70. The ferry leaves from Gustavia, the main town on the island, and takes about 1 hour. I had heard from multiple people that the ferry can be very bumpy, so I was prepared for an unpleasant ride. In reality, it was totally fine, and I actually enjoyed the trip.

Since the Great Bay Express lands on the Dutch side of St. Martin, we had to go through customs once we got there. It only took a few minutes (we made sure we were near the exit when the ferry was docking, so we were close to the front of the line), and we were on our way.

We had a few hours before our flight home, so we booked a short private tour of the island to make the most of it. Our driver picked us up at the ferry and dropped us off at the airport after our tour. It worked out really well. You’ll find lots of tours of St. Martin on Viator.

Bottom Line:

To get to St. Barts, you’ll need to take a short flight or a ferry ride from St. Martin. Taking a flight is quicker and easier, but the ferry is great for anyone who doesn’t like little planes or who wants to explore St. Martin.

3. It’s a 5-Star Eco-Resort

Hotel Manapany is a 5-star eco-resort on the island of St. Barts, nestled between the beach and the lush tropical forest.

Hotel Manapany sign in St. Barths — Hotel Manapany in St. Barts.

Each of the resort’s 43 rooms, suites, and villas includes custom furnishings and colorful decor to make you feel like you’re staying in a cool beach house or a chic treehouse instead of a hotel.

Hotel Manapany lobby — The hotel’s lobby was full of cool art and furnishings.

Many rooms (including mine) were perched high on the hill, offering sweeping views of the jungle, the beach, and the ocean below.

View from room at Manapany — Many rooms had gorgeous views of the jungle and beach.

Other rooms had direct beach access.

Room with direct beach access at Manapany — Some rooms offered direct beach access.

My Room at Manapany: Ocean Junior Suite

I stayed in an Ocean Junior Suite at Hotel Manapany. My room had a separate living space with a couch, coffee table, minibar, and desk, as well as 2 Juliet balconies.

living room in Manapany guest room — This was the separate living area in my room.

I had a separate bedroom with vaulted ceilings.

There was a private balcony off the bedroom.

Hotel Manapany guest room balcony — The balcony had a table and 2 chairs.

The bathroom included a freestanding soaking tub and double sinks.

Hotel Manapany bathroom — My bathroom looked out toward the trees.

Hot Tip:

You can check out a video tour of my room at Hotel Manapany on Instagram.

4. It’s Small but Has Plenty of Amenities

Even though Hotel Manapany is a small boutique hotel, it still offers top-notch amenities, including 2 pools, a beach, a spa, a daily yoga class, and a fitness center. During surf season (which ends in April), you can even book a session with the on-site surf instructor.

I didn’t have time to check out everything the hotel offered, but I did manage to squeeze in a delightful massage at the spa (for research purposes only, of course).

Spa treatment room at Hotel Manapany — One of the treatment rooms.

Afterward, I relaxed on one of the cushioned lounge chairs by the adults-only spa pool overlooking the beach.

Spa pool at Hotel Manapany — The adults-only spa pool.

There was also a main pool open to guests of all ages at the center of the resort.

Main pool at Hotel Manapany — The main pool was at the center of the hotel.

Though the beach is technically public, it was delightfully secluded during my stay. There were cushy lounge chairs with plenty of shade — perfect for a quiet afternoon listening to the waves.

2 Shaded loungers on beach at Hotel Manapany — Shaded loungers were available at the beach.

5. The Food Was Excellent, but There’s Only 1 Restaurant

Hotel Manapany had 1 restaurant that served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The bar was open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Breakfast Is Included

Breakfast, which was served from 7 to 10:30 a.m., was included for every guest and was delicious. While I typically don’t like buffets, this one was excellent. Something about it reminded me of the breakfast buffet at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme (simple, elegant, and delicious).

Breakfast buffet at hotel Manapany — I really enjoyed this breakfast buffet.

It wasn’t a huge spread (which is a plus in my book), but it had everything you would need for a delicious meal. There were scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, and sauteed mushrooms, plus things like yogurt, fruit, and pastries.

The breakfast also included made-to-order eggs. If that wasn’t enough, a small menu with additional items was available for an extra charge.

Lunch and Dinner

Lunch was served from 12 to 2:30 p.m., and dinner was served from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Both lunch and dinner had the same menu, although there were specialty nights (like Caribbean Fridays and Fishing Tuesdays).

I thought the food was delicious, but if you’re staying for more than a couple of days, you’ll probably want to go try some of the local restaurants to change things up a bit.

Hotel Manapany lunch — This croque Manap with ham and cheese was so good that I ordered it twice during my stay.

6. You May Want To Rent a Car

While not 100% necessary, you’ll most likely want to rent a car while staying at Hotel Manapany. The staff told us there weren’t many cabs on the island, and because of that, they were very expensive, with pricing that often changed at the whim of the drivers.

We wanted to explore the island, so instead of relying on taxis, which could cost €40 to €50 ($45 to $57) each way to go into town, we rented a car for the day, which cost $105, including insurance.

I paid for the rental car with my Chase Sapphire Reserve card to earn 3 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 (and because this card has excellent rental car coverage).

St Barths airport runway — If you rent a car, pull over at the top of the hill near the runway to watch the planes land.

The hotel organized everything for us, which was so helpful. We rented through Avis, and the car was dropped off at the hotel for us and picked up the next day. It was the easiest and most pleasant car rental experience I have ever had. Most of the rental cars were electric, which I loved since that’s what I drive at home.

Hot Tip:

The roads on St. Barts can be narrow and winding, so be sure to request a small car.

Final Thoughts

Hotel Manapany is a laid-back yet luxurious boutique hotel on the island of St. Barts. I especially loved the shaded and cushioned lounge chairs on the beach, the excellent breakfast buffet, and the friendly staff.