For an island as tiny as the French Caribbean outpost of St. Barthélémy (or St, Barts, as it is more often called), the names of some of its regular visitors are very big indeed, ranging from royals to rock stars to Rothschilds. It's even been suggested that St. Barthélémy is probably the patron saint of the well-heeled and famous.
In truth, St. Barts was named for Bartolomeo, brother of Christopher Colombus who discovered it in 1493 but did'nt actually set foot on the place. More's the pity, because the island has such a gentle beauty. Small green hills, meadows that look as though they've been plucked from Normandy, pristine beaches and sandy coves, and an idyllic climate year round.
The tranquility and compactness of St. Barts was it's original lure, and still is. "Name" visitors don't come here to "make the scene". On the contrary they dress anonymously in jeans and T-shirts, live unostentatiously, and share with their fellow visitors the belief that a great vacation means doing nothing, or next to nothing -- but doing it with style.
This credo is enthusiastically expressed in the island's resturants and lodgings, from the simplest beachside spots to the most luxurious hotels. One example of the later is the Hotel Le Toiny, a stylish little hide-away tucked into a hillside on the southeastern coast of St. Barts at Anse de Toiny. Its 12 exquisite cottage suites, offer guests the luxury of spaciousness. They all have a private swimming pool, 20 x 10 ft., and a terace with teak chaises lounges that invites for reading, relaxation, and a quiet contemplation of the breathtaking panorama, views of a turquoise lagoon fringed with coconut palms and, way beyond, a vast blue sea.
Like most other hotels on ST. Barts, Le Toiny was built to complement the island's size, which is just eight square miles. On St. Barts there are no high rises. Some hotels are constructed in standard beach-hotel fashion, but most, like Le Toiny, are self contained villa suites.
The architecture of Le Toiny has been influenced by the old plantation houses found in the French West Indian schools of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Pastel hues typical of the Caribbean, pale lavender, mint and peach, comprise the color scheme of the cottage exteriors. In creating the interiors, designers Anne Nguyen and Béatrice David have used native gaïac wood (the rare gaïac tree of St. Barts grows on Le Toiny's property), terracotta, teak and mahogany. From Martinique have come handmade furnishings in teak and mahogany, including magnificent four-poster beds, exact duplicates of true period pieces. High-tech amenities in each suite include two satellite TV's, a video cassette player, stero, CD player and fax, as well as a fully-equipped kitchenette.
Le Toiny has one cottage suite that is completely outfitted for the handicapped, with widened doors and rampways throughout, a special shower ramp, and lowered beds.
The Luxury of Space
All suites have been designed to catch as much natural light as possible. Their generous proportions, 1,076 sq. ft. per cottage unit, allow for light, fresh and breezy interiors, maxium sea views, and the privacy and seclusion so looked for in hotel accommodations.
Spacious living areas flow directly into bedrooms, which in turn lead to extra-large bathrooms. The finest of Frette linens grace the beds, while the bathrooms, which have shower, tub, double vanities, bidets, hair dryers, and walk in closets, are equipped as well with robes, scented hand soaps, shampoos, etc., all created especially for Le Toiny.
Dining Night-time's Great Pleasure
With no casinos, little in the way of discos, no big movie houses (Le Toiny does stock videos), nightlife revolves around the leisurely pleasure of dining. At hotels and in many of the 50 to 60 resturants on the island, cuisine has become a truly grand art, and wine cellars are well stocked.
Le Gaïac resturant, seating 30 and open for breakfast, lunch and dinner,overlooks the main pool and has a splendid view of the sea. The menus have a classic French Flavor, touched with Provencal and Creole accents. Maxime Deschamps is Chef Cuisinier.
The bar at the main house is open 11am to 11pm.
Room service: 7am to 11pm, limited service available 11pm to 7am
Leisure Activities
Daytime activities at Le Toiny are at the discretion of guests. One can jog along a path to the beach at Anse de Toiny, about five minutes away on foot, swim in one's own private pool, or meet fellow guests at the large central pool adjacent to the Main House. There is no director of activities, but general Manager Laurie Smith has set up a reception desk that can arrange a myrias of pastimes, from excursions to Gustavia for top-drawer, duty-free shopping, to sightseeing around the harbor of this once Swedish capital, or yachttrips to the neighboring islands od St. Martin, Angullia, Saba, and St. Kitts.
Sports Aplenty on St. Barts
Anyone wanting activity more venturesome than sunbathing will find lots to do. Tennis and horesback riding are popular, as are scuba, sailing, and deep sea fishing. There's good snorkelling on St. Barts and the hotel provides complimentary flippers and diving masks. Surfing is so popular that there seems to be a new championship contest every month. The sport is particularly exciting at Washing Machine Beach, very near the Hotel Le Toiny. Windsurfing and water sking are also available on the island.
Activities
All kinds of excursions, including island hopping to nearby St. Martin, Anguilla, Saba, and St. Kitts. Boating, deep sea fishing and private plane hire can also be arranged.
Rates for Le Toiny range from $480 for a Villa suite for 2 people out of season to $940 in season. Villas with additional 2 extra rooms are available at additional charge.