Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa in St. Barts [In-Depth Review]

After a whirlwind stay in St. Martin, 2 friends and I were eager to set off for the ultraluxe island of St. Barts for a 2-night stay at a hotel on the French island. What we found was essentially a perfect stay.

There are plenty of luxury resorts and villas on the island, but this one stood out: Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, also known as Le Barths. The 44-room resort, the brainchild of luxe hotel collective Champagne Hospitality, has continually swept travel awards, from Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure’s Top 500 to The Robb Report’s Best of the Best.

All of the distinctions are well-deserved.

Check out my review of Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa — what I did, what I ate, where I played — and learn how to book a stay at this 5-star resort for yourself.

Booking

St. Barts is one of the most exclusive destinations in the world. Unfortunately, there are few hotels, and fewer to book stays with points. On the island, you won’t find any major chains like Hilton or Marriott. In fact, one of the few chain hotels on the island is Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth (which started at around $3,000 per night during our travel dates).

There were other 5-star resorts, such as Le Sereno and Hotel le Toiny, but we ultimately went with Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa for its expansive room offerings, large beach, and sustainability promises. Le Barths is also a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. (This, ostensibly, means that the resort may soon fall under the Hilton Honors program, but there is no way at present to book the resort with points. Additionally, Hilton hasn’t announced which hotels will be bookable with Hilton points.)

All told, we paid $1,988 for our 2-night stay at Le Barths. I put the spend on my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card for 2 reasons: first, to take advantage of the $300 annual Capital One Travel credit, and second, for the sizable 10x miles earned on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel. For this haul, I netted nearly 20,000 Capital One miles, which, according to our valuations, is worth around $360.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Offer Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$395

APR

Purchases: 19.99% - 28.99% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Excellent (740-840)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: Purchases: 19.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

Capital One Premier Collection

There was another reason I booked through Capital One instead of directly or through an online travel agency like Expedia. Le Barths is part of the Capital One Premier Collection, a collection of curated, high-end hotels.

This program is similar to the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection from Chase and Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection from American Express, where cardholders gain additional benefits when booking.

For the Capital One Premier Collection, this benefit is only available to cardholders with the premium Capital One Venture X card or Capital One Venture X Business Card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One., so if you have any other Capital One card, you don’t get this benefit.

When you book a stay at a Premier Collection property, you receive these benefits:

• 10x Capital One miles per dollar spent at the Premier Collection
• Daily breakfast for 2 people
• Room upgrade, when available
• Early check-in and late checkout, when available
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• $100 experience credit once per stay

I’ll discuss the benefits I received at Le Barths through the program, but first, let’s discuss how to make a Premier Collection reservation.

Booking the hotel through the Premier Collection was pretty simple. After logging in to my Capital One account, I toggled to the Travel section and selected my Capital One Venture X card (you can also start directly at capitalonetravel.com).

A ribbon at the top of the Capital One Travel dashboard says Flights, Hotels, Rental Cars, and Premium Stays. I selected Premium Stays.

After confirming my travel dates — and applying my $300 annual Capital One Travel credit — I booked my trip and was immediately confirmed.

Bottom Line:

Le Barths is one of the few Small Luxury Hotels of the World participating in the Premier Collection. Check out more of the best Capital One Premier Collection hotels to book for maximum value.

Location

Le Barths is in northeastern St. Barts along Anse de Grand Cul-de-Sac. This area of the island includes other luxury resorts, such as the Rosewood and Le Sereno. It’s a pretty secluded part of St. Barts, though nearby restaurants, bars, and shops are within a 10-minute walk. 

Note that taxis to the main city of Gustavia are pricey (around $60 each way), so you’ll either want to drive yourself, negotiate a lower rate with a driver, or stay near the resort.

Ferry to St. Barts

After our visit to St. Martin, which included a stay at the JW Marriott St. Maarten Beach Resort & Spa, it was time to depart for the luxury island of St. Barts, a small island in the French West Indies (known in French as Saint Barthelemy).

St. Martin, which is a less than 4-hour flight from New York, is often used as a base for travelers visiting the nearby islands of Anguilla, Saba, St. Barts, and St. Eustatius, typically by ferry. 

We had 4 ways to get to St. Barts from St. Martin. The first was a 15-minute flight from Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) to Gustaf III Airport (SBH) on Winair or the small St. Barth Commuter jet. Most travelers from outside the Caribbean get to St. Barts this way. Major airlines flying to SXM from the U.S. include American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and United.

Other ways to get to St. Barts included a private jet or yacht, which can cost tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars.

The final and most economical option was to take the Great Bay Express Ferry. This ferry offered one-way, round-trip, and day trips between St. Martin and the nearby islands. Given that it was the cheapest option, that’s what we did.

From the JW Marriott in St. Martin, our taxi dropped us off at Bobby’s Marina, where cruise ships dock so passengers can explore. The area was pretty touristy, with the standard souvenir shops and duty-free liquor stores, but it was an affordable place to grab coffee and check out the boats in the harbor. 

Our round-trip ticket cost around $115, and I appreciated that we could book last-minute tickets to the island. Additionally, we were able to bring our luggage on board for free. (I put the spend on my Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card to earn 2x on all other travel purchases.)

After a quick check-in and immigration inspection, we boarded the ferry and headed off to paradise.

The 45-minute ride over to Gustavia, the capital of St. Barts, was nothing short of uncomfortable — and the weather was pretty clear that day. It was a rough ride — even with gorgeous views of ships like Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world.

I strongly suggest bringing Dramamine and ginger ale and avoiding sitting inside the cabin, where the ferry rocking is worst.

Great Bay Express offered 2 ferries between Gustavia and St. Martin. The outbound journey was on the Shantiwa, a smaller ferry with 2 exterior decks, interior seating, and air conditioning. It seated 130 passengers. However, the ride back to St. Martin was much smoother, this time on the much larger ferry, Big B.

Checking In

After our rocky experience at sea, we were eager to be on dry land and even more eager to check out St. Barts.

After a quick immigration check, our driver, Antoine, awaited us at the ferry terminal. He loaded our bags into the van, and we set off for the 20-minute drive to the resort. 

Taxi service between the ferry terminal and Le Barths was complimentary, which was a nice touch and helped us save some cash on this expensive island.

The air-conditioned van was stocked with water, juice, mixed nuts, and M&Ms.

On the drive to the hotel, Antoine explained that the island was in low season (peak is during the Christmas holiday season) and that we would, essentially, have the resort to ourselves. He took us on a brief tour of the capital, Gustavia (population: 9,100), showing us where the ultra-posh shop and dine.

We arrived at the resort, where a delegation was waiting for us. The sounds of the waves on the beach were enticing, and we were eager to begin our stay. 

The main check-in area was airy, with ample seating areas, including cute suspended chairs resembling birdcages.

I’d been communicating with the concierge via WhatsApp the day before our arrival, and all we had to do was present our passports to the front desk. The friendly concierge explained the resort’s main features, how to book activities, and that my room had been upgraded (more below).

Check-in took under 10 minutes, and with our room key cards in hand, we set off to check out our digs for the 2-night stay.

The Room

Our original room reservation, Le Barth Jardin, slept 2 and offered either a king-size bed or 2 twin beds. This room, the most economical of the rooms and suites at Le Barth, typically costs around $970 per night. Our room category accommodated 2 guests, but the hotel allowed a third to be added for a $180 fee.

That room was perfect for my party of 3, and I believe our experience would have been fantastic no matter what room we stayed in. However, upon arrival, I was pleased to receive an upgrade to a suite, which made the already perfect stay that much more incredible. 

The room — correction, the suite — was stunning.

At more than 1,500 square feet, the 2-floor La Suite Plage (which starts at around $2,300 per night) was positively stunning.

The suite offered direct beach access with unobstructed ocean views from the second-floor balcony.  

There was an additional terrace with a table (presumably for smokers).

The terrace was followed by a patio that led directly to the beach.

The main living room was incredibly spacious.

The living room had 2 couches, including a pullout bed. My friends, who slept on the pullout, noted that the mattress was extremely firm. However, they said the couch was far more plush in its regular couch form, so I suggest sleeping on top of the couch and not bothering with pulling out the mattress if you want a more restful night.

A medium-sized TV was mounted above the desk.

The desk held the restaurant menu as well as a collection of cute St. Barts postcards.

A staircase led to the upstairs bedroom, bathroom, and balcony.

A 4-poster, king-size bed sat in the middle of the room, along with a desk, chair, and nightstand. It was extremely comfortable, a hybrid between a firm and a softer mattress, which made sinking into the sheets after a hot day outside extremely pleasant.

The bed in the master bedroom contained a gold mine of goodies, including a hat to protect from the sun, towels, and even a beach bag.

A welcome note was also waiting for us on the bed.

Nightly turndown service was available, and slippers were left by the bed.

A small box of candies was also on the bed.

There were 2 complimentary minibars, 1 in the upstairs bedroom and 1 in the living room, both stocked with snacks, drinks, and alcohol.

The room was stocked with a Nespresso machine, Nespresso pods, and tea.

Storage was ample throughout, with closets on both floors providing space to store our luggage and other essentials.

Flip-flops and a shoehorn were provided.

The hotel provided us with plenty of water in the room.

Perhaps my favorite room feature was the 2 massive bathrooms (which made getting ready in the mornings far easier). The first-floor bathroom had a walk-in shower and was small but functional. The hotel provided robes.

A vanity was stocked with hand towels, a shower cap, a vanity kit, and Diptyque products.

Upstairs, the master bathroom had 2 double sinks, a large walk-in shower, and a massive soaking tub.

Free converters were on hand, as the outlets at this hotel had European outlets.

But the pièce de résistance — and what made me think that this wouldn’t be our typical 5-star resort stay — was the beautiful welcome bottle of Champagne waiting on ice for us, along with a note welcoming us to the resort and the island. (Though we were a traveling party of 3, the box only fit 2 glasses, and my friend drank her Champagne out of an extra flute in the room).

A plate of treats next to the Champagne complemented the bubbly, and we munched and drank as we took in this absolutely stunning suite.

Amenities

For a resort on the smaller side, Le Barths had an impressive lineup of amenities to keep guests occupied and relaxed during their stay. The resort’s smaller size, and thus seclusion, was actually a draw for me. 

Beach

Le Barths commanded a significant portion of Grand Cul de Sac beach. The beach offered gorgeous views of docked yachts — which you could rent out — and the water was calm and warm. Workers took care of any seaweed on the shore early in the morning.

The beach had ample seating, with comfortable lounge chairs and umbrellas to shield you from the unforgiving sun.

Of course, there was towel service, and you could order food and drinks from the nearby bar. 

The beach was pretty quiet during our visit, with most guests lounging by the pool or on their balconies.

Pool

Aside from the beach, the resort’s highlight was the large infinity pool, which sat between a block of rooms and the main restaurant.

Many guests spent much of the day lounging by the pool, stopping every few hours to take a quick dip. The pool itself was stunning, and though it wasn’t the largest I’ve seen, it did its job.

There was plenty of seating, umbrellas to protect you from the sun, and an outdoor shower to rinse off.

A bar served the beach and pool, and though you could order directly, several servers were on hand to take orders by the pool.

Activities included cornhole, and I saw several guests playing a few rounds.

Like at the beach, full service was offered here, and workers were happy to raise and lower our umbrellas, take food and drink menus, or comment about the weather (both days we visited had approximately 1 hour of rain in the afternoon). Service was personable but not obtrusive, something I’ve discovered the ultrarich appreciate.

Gym

Le Barths had a fitness center on the lower level of the resort. 

The gym offered updated Technogym equipment for leg and arm workouts, a treadmill, medicine balls, free weights, and yoga mats. Like many other features at the resort, the gym was small. With an empty resort, it didn’t feel cramped, but I can imagine it getting busy during peak season.

Spa

The spa was also on the resort’s lower level, near the fitness center. It was fully stocked and offered Nordic baths, a sauna, a hammam, and treatments such as deep-tissue massages and facials. However, treatments were pretty expensive — expect to pay around $250 for a facial!

Water Sports

Like many beach resorts, Le Barths offered plenty of water sports, such as stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, and snorkeling. For an extra fee, you could also rent Jet Skis or even a boat.

Shop

There was a small boutique shop at the resort that sold beachwear, trinkets, and other items. This shop wasn’t open during our visit, however.

Food and Beverage

Le Barths had 1 all-day dining outlet, Amis St. Barth, headed by chef Jéremy Czaplicki, formerly of Michelin-starred Les Oliviers in Bandol, France. You could dine inside the restaurant or along the beach, which offered ample table seating.

Additionally, food ordered at the beach or poolside came from Amis, though there was a bar near the pool for drinks.

Room Service Champagne 

One of the coolest things about our stay at Le Barths was the on-demand Champagne button. You could order Champagne service via the in-room phone, but you could also push a button to order Champagne service directly to your room. 

I was curious, so, of course, I had to try. A concierge picked up on the third ring and simply said, “Champagne?” After giving my room number, I was informed that Champagne would be delivered approximately 10 minutes later.

I was expecting a simple glass of Champagne or maybe a whole bottle.

But Le Barths went all out on Champagne service. The service came with an entire bottle of Champagne on ice and 2 Champagne glasses. It was in a pretty Champagne presentation box with the hotel’s logo, and the concierge prepared the box for us.

This service cost €150 ($160) and was essentially the same service we got upon arrival in our room (more on that below). However, the unique experience of having a dedicated phone line to order Champagne for room service was undoubtedly memorable. 

Amis St. Barth

One of my favorite perks of booking through the Premier Collection — especially at non-points hotels — is the complimentary daily breakfast for 2. This came in handy at Le Barths, as a daily continental breakfast for 2 started at around $100. 

Breakfast was far more expansive here than at the JW Marriott St. Maarten, with a wide selection of fruit, finger foods, and, typical of any French territory, breads and pastries. You could also order food directly from the menu, which both of my traveling companions did.

Tea, coffee, and juice were regularly available and were self-serve. My meals were perfectly fine, but certainly nothing mind-blowing. The exception was the fried fish sandwich and fries for lunch (which cost around $60), which were especially yummy.

The meals guests ordered from the beach or the pool also came from Amis, like this chicken salad. Our meals came quickly and were filling, but, as I mentioned, nothing I ate was particularly noteworthy.

To keep costs down, we ate breakfast and lunch at the hotel and ordered takeout for dinner from nearby restaurants (which the hotel handled).

Room Service

Room service, like pool and beach service, also came from Amis. We decided against ordering room service, given how quick the service was at the pool and restaurant. Entrees were pretty pricey — think €60 (about $65) — and featured standard fare like fish and salads.

Of all Le Barths’ many strengths, I wasn’t that impressed with the meals (other than the scenery), but they got the job done for a short trip. Had we stayed any longer, we likely would have dined in town more than eaten at the hotel.

Rooftop Bar

A rooftop bar, W.T.F. — which supposedly stood for “Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot” — was near the entrance. However, the bar wasn’t open during our stay, so we weren’t able to visit.

Service

Le Barths sweeps travel awards each year — and for good reason. The service at this resort is undeniably excellent. 

In my opinion, true luxury isn’t glitz and glamour — though Le Barths has plenty of it — but rather a commitment to service culture. Le Barths shone here with personable service that was not over the top.

Food orders were prompt and accurate, and our concierges were happy to give us recommendations on things to do on the island and even let us practice our (quite terrible) French with them.

Some other ways Le Barths showed its hospitality included our concierge, Mathilde, dashing out in the rain to offer us umbrellas to get back to the room and the front desk arranging a last-minute dinner reservation at the nearby Le Sereno (which is also part of the Premier Collection).

There were undoubtedly more moments like that, but Le Barths overall shone in its commitment to warm, unobtrusive service.

Final Thoughts

My stay at Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa was nothing short of perfect. From the moment we arrived, we enjoyed a (far too short) 48 hours of pure luxury at a resort that goes all out to ensure guests have a phenomenal stay. The rooms are spacious, the pool is stunning, and the beach is something out of a movie.

While the resort’s cost may shock some travelers, I think it was worth it for such a high-end stay. Overall, our trip to Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa was absolutely fantastic — and we’re already planning our next visit!