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[bigletter]Fun fact, we almost stayed at this chic little hotel reminiscent of Palm Beach in all it’s glory yet set in the Caribbean on the little French island of St. Barts. The only barrier being that the reservation was non-refundable, hence why we choose Villa Marie instead. And while I was very pleasantly surprised with our choice, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to stay in this little pink boutique hotel again next time. Thus it was high priority for me to find any reason to catch a glimpse of the resort-ready, slice of #grandmillennial interior heaven and a cocktail was the perfect excuse.[/bigletter]
Especially since I had already planned lunch at Nikki Beach just down the hill the property is perched upon.
From first glimpse it’s quite similar to that of The Colony, but after sitting in the fabulous lobby bar I immediately got the sense that it’s fairly unique on its own. The property was recently renovated into an entirely new hotel, decorated by designer Oscar Ono who remade the space to truly embrace tropical glamour likely inspired by the beach culture of the 50’s and 60’s.
And the decor inspired me to embrace my inner Grace Kelly on beach vacation vibe, in addition to making me want a cocktail or two!
And of course the modern day Grace Kelly would likely be using her iPhone to take her vacation pictures, or perhaps have a royal photographer following her around as I tried my best to get my loyal husband to!
So we found a cozy spot in the open and empty lobby right in the way of a big sea breeze and spectacular view of the ocean facing poolside. The pink striped pool chairs instantly reminded me of The Beverly Hills Hotel and I was happy to see a few young families with their littles splashing around as I sipped my cocktail missing Parker but also relieved he was happy at home with grandparents!
I went with a festive cocktail first before retreating back to one of my usuals, an unsweetened margarita. Apparently on St. Barts margaritas come served in martini glasses, a simple detail I found incredibly fascinating. And they tend not to be quite as sweet, another reason to love the French!
The friendly bartender did me a service in relaying the history of the hotel, more specifically explaining the walls were painted by a French artist I unfortunately can’t remember and I found it fascinating that the marble print edges were paper rather than stone.
Details, details!
And of course all the rattan and bamboo furniture reminded me of Ivy at the Shore, with a similar tiki style bar and affection for pale pink hues and bold tropical plant patterns. It’s suffice to say I could easily build an entire wardrobe around the style of this hotel and take a million more photos but we eventually made our way out and down the hill to the bougie beach club in the center of St. Jean!
Until next time my perfect slice of paradise!!
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