St Barths Holiday Availability – Nov 16, 2011

Villa MGO in St. Barths

WIMCO represents 240 private villas on St. Barths. We are glad to report that we still have two dozen villas available for the popular 2011 New Years Eve and Holiday time-frame. It is an ideal time to visit St. Barths…festive lights ring the harbor at night, music spills out of cafes and restaurants, the ocean is warm and inviting, stylish yachts lazily swing on their moorings just off-shore, and the promise of a great day and a greater night seems so attainable.

Here is a list of villas from WIMCO that still have holiday availability, sorted by bedroom size:

• WV CAM, 1 BR, Toiny
• WV DRE, 1 BR, Marigot
• WV MNA, 1 BR, Vitet
• WV ACR, 2 BR, Vitet
• WV MBA, 2 BR, Pointe Milou
• WV OSS, 2 BR, Gustavia
• WV ABB, 3 BR in Vitet
• WV AVE, 3 BR in Mont Jean
• WV AWL, 3 BR in Pointe Milou
• WV FCE, 3 BR in Marigot
• WV JAX, 3 BR in Gouverneur
• WV KHA, 3 BR in Point Milou
• WV LBV, 3 BR in Marigot
• WV LMR, 3 BR in St Jean
• WV MBR, 3 BR in Gouverneur
• WV MGO, 3 BR in Columbier
• WV PRE, 3 BR in Gustavia
• WV ROC, 3 BR in Petite Cul de Sac
• WV RVD, 3 BR in Grand Cul de Sac
• WV VIA, 3 BR in Gustavia
• WV WYB, 3 BR in Marigot
• WV MOZ, 4 BR in Pointe Milou
• WV AJF, 4 BR in Pointe Milou
• WV BRE, 4 BR in Gouverneur
• WV EST, 4 BR in Gustavia
• WV FRE, 4 BR in Pointe Milou
• WV ING, 4 BR in Columbier
• WV JOE, 4 BR in Flamands
• WV MAP, 4 BR in Petite Saline
• WV SFO, 4 BR in Pointe Milou
• WV VLK, 4 BR in Anse de Cayes
• WV PAR, 5 BR in Mont Jean
• WV VGR, 7 BR in Gustavia

Call WIMCO’s reservations department at 1-800-449-1553 or email them at info@wimco.com to talk to a villa specialist about vacationing on St. Barths during the holidays.

Trip Report from a WIMCO Villas’ client

A recent trip report from a villa rental client…enjoy!

“This past July, I was transported to the island of St. Barths, which is one of the smallest islands in the Caribbean. I was raised by an active family in a sailing world so found myself somewhat reluctant to consider spending what little vacation time I had to go to some little island that many refer to as “enchanting”. What in the world was I thinking? Ok, for one or two days maybe I could sit on a beach, read a book, swim, go for a walk…go for another walk…but then what? For an entire week? Who was I kidding!? I thought for sure I would be bored, restless and simply thirsting for something to do such as pulling up a mainsail, trimming a jib, setting a course, and feeling the motion of the sea as it pounded on the hull of a sailboat. I had heard from many others about the charming allure of St. Barths and how it could capture your spirit, so I decided to see and experience first hand just what all the fuss was about.

The first challenge was to pick the best villa that suited the requirements of all the people traveling with me. We were a group of sailors and ocean lovers so the beach was our first priority. One of St. Barths’ charms is all the hillside villas with fantastic views and breezes, but we wanted to be on the beach, to be able to easily walk to it. The challenge was this precious little island has very few villas located directly on the beach; however, with the help and expertise of a seasoned villa specialist at WIMCO Villas, I was able to find the perfect villa that fit my every little need …on the beach, on the beach, on the beach, and on the beach.

The villa of choice was named WV MLI, and sat directly on Flamands Beach. The villa was recently renovated and has a clean and modern feel, tastefully decorated, with a private pool, a large deck overlooking the beach, and stairs down to the inviting sand. I trusted WIMCO’s suggestions and presented the choice to my fellow travelers, rolled the dice, and took the chance that this was going to all work out. Was I ready for this pressure? Vacations are fun but can often present tricky situations when trying to keep everyone happy. If I chose the villa, the accountability would be all my own!

Months prior to departing, I gathered information and pictures of St. Barths from a variety of sources to share with the group. I hoped to build their interest and capture their enthusiasm for their vacation as they anticipated this brief moment in their lives. As the days grew closer, the momentum and excitement grew. From previous conversations with a host of people who had traveled to St. Barths, there appeared a profound infatuation with the island resounded. I seriously wondered how could this be possible… it was nothing more than a volcanic island devoid of any natural resources. Common sense and conventional wisdom would question how anyone could become so enraptured by such an environment?

After much anticipation and genuine curiosity, our villa and experience in St Barths transformed into one of the most relaxing and peaceful experiences of my life time. The villa, WV MLI, was the perfect choice. The beach was pristine and more relaxing than I could have ever asked for. As a matter of fact, I found myself actually sitting still for hours on end and I read five books. A majority of our day was spent simply standing in the water and talking as the waves came crashing in on the shoreline. It was without a doubt, one of the most peaceful times in my life where I was not distracted by a series of outside events, but allowed to focus on the moment and the people I was with.

Much of our surroundings in the United States have become overrun by restaurant chains, (lousy ones at best), and huge hotels where every room is the same. This is not the case in St. Barths. We discovered fabulous restaurants that are scattered throughout the island. It became an adventure to tingle our taste buds with new foods that were so elegantly prepared. My days of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the boat where long forgotten. The island was filled with legendary chefs who have developed an intensity and passion for food. Great care was taken in selecting the perfect ingredient for every meal. The presentation of each dish was a work of art …how could I even begin to compare it to an American “Happy Meal.” Eating on the island was not something you simply did because you were hungry, but something you did because you had such a respect for the talent of preparing good food and sharing the experience with friends and family.

My pretty half and I managed to sneak away for few hours to experience the new spa at the Hotel Guanahani. The new spa at the Hotel Guanahani was a sanctuary that provided refuge from the stress of the world. The appointment was scheduled for day two of the vacation and was perfect timing to help relieve the body from the tension built up as a result of preparing to relax. We couldn’t wait as we felt that this full body massage would be the beginning of inner peace. We were not disappointed. The spa facility was hidden behind a discreet door that opened up into a world that exuded a sense of calm and well being. We could have stayed for hours and were invited to do so by relaxing by the private pool or simply dozing in one of the cushioned lounge chairs. The massage was heaven. We were pampered and revitalized and then returned back into reality to enjoy the enchantment of St. Barths.

Would I ever consider doing this vacation again?… In a heart beat. My fellow travelers would join me as well. And how could anyone complain?…. Great villa, great beach, great weather, great food, a spa treatment at the Guanahani Hotel, new shoes and bathing suites from fabulous shops, and a wonderful relaxing week on an intimate, enchanting and truly captivating island.”

Vogue France weighs in on St. Barths – “The Enchanted Isle”

A cultured team from VogueFrance visited St. Barths a few months ago for a photo shoot featuring Giselle Bundchen. While they were there they took time to capture their thoughts about this enchanted isle…

St Barth quietly maintains its VIP reputation from one New Year’s Eve to the next. A well deserved reputation, where serenity and a protected environment shape a discreet and fashionable “art de vivre”.

The island hopper plane seems to be lost in all of the shades of blues surrounding it, from the azure skies to the turquoise seas all you can see are blues, to the left or to the right, beneath or above you, with only a few fluffy white clouds lazily floating by. From St Martin, the trip lasts less than 10 minutes and yet you can cross path with the rich and famous of the world: Beyonce, Demi Moore or Gwen Stefani have all traveled it. Less than ten minutes and then St Barth appears; emerald green, with pristine beaches and dotted with red roofs. Others prefer to arrive by the way of the sea, as did Christopher Columbus in 1492. And if old fashioned schooners are sometimes seen in the harbour, it is now in mega yachts that business tycoons choose to arrive on this enchanted island.

At the end of the 1950’s, David Rockefeller is the first to be mesmerized by this brilliant spec of an island in the French Antilles. He will bring with him the jet setters of his era. Thirty years later, Patrick Demarchelier transformed the island onto his personal open-air studio; the likes of Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer and Christy Turlington are often seen on one of the 14 picture perfect beaches enjoying the year round 80 degrees weather.

Today, nothing seems to have changed… Roman Abramovitch bought the estate of an American billionaire (his New Years Party there for 250 guests, with private concert by Prince will not be forgetten any time soon) and Kate Moss is still among the faithful. But it is rare that the billionaires, top models and other showbiz stars in search of serenity go to one of the few hotels of the island. They will not settle for anything other than a private villa, away from the hubbub, to lounge by a cobalt pool or on a shaded terrace with a breathtaking view. These gems would be hard to find in any other place than on this enchanting island. Away from the harbour of Gustavia, where the boats gently bob and sway in front of the windows of Chopard or Bulgari, these confidential addresses are hidden away in the 21 square kilometers of the island.

To find them, there are a few solutions. Word of mouth is an option, but the surest bet is to contact WIMCO Villas, one of the island’s rental agencies. In one phone call, Wimco will organize it all, from flights to your arrival and transfers. Feet in the sand or perched high on a mountain, the choice is yours. Lovers can cloister themselves mountain-side hideaways, in a nest of rough stones, precious woods and cream walls, surrounded by a tropical garden of palm trees and other exotic plants. Larger families – or groups of friends – may choose to stay at a villa on Lorient beach: five bedroom, five bathrooms, lap pool and on the horizon the silhouettes of Anguilla and St Martin.

With another phone call, Wimco will reserve for your pleasure a private chef or a table in one of the fabulous restaurants, a yacht for a nautical picnic or a private snorkeling adventure. A custom fit service to enjoy the best of what St Barth has to offer, namely: a protected environment, peaceful serenity, talcum fine white sandy beaches or a shopping spree at the Carré d’Or – The rare pleasure of perfect freedom.

Written by Sophie Volanges. Photos by Mario Sorrenti
Informations: http://www.wimco.com/sbh. Tél. 0800 901 620. or info@wimco.com

Villas on the Beach in St. Barths

The latest newsletter from WIMCO Villas highlights villas on the beach around the Caribbean. Two of them are on St. Barths, the appropriately named Villa La Plage (WV VLP) on Lorient beach (right in front of where the surf breaks) and the Palm Beach-esque villa at the far end of Lorient beach – Villa ABV, whose entire front yard is sand.

There is a link from the newsletter to a page that lets you see which villas are available for the holidays and other popular travel windows. It is very user-friendly, and great eye candy on a rather brisk fall day.

My first trip to St. Barths – metamorphosis into bien-etre

METAMORPHOSIS

On my piano in my New York apartment, Jeff and I display photos of the many trips and vacations we’ve taken, both as a couple and with our kids as they’ve grown: skiing in Deer Valley, spending a week in a Tuscan villa with another family, spring time in London…all the photos that tell stories of enjoyment, fun, pleasure. Then there’s the photo of Jeff and me in St Barts, at lunch at La Plage, which tells a more unique vacation story. You can see something on our tanned faces that is different from other happy vacation photos; we are totally at ease and serene, feet in the sand, sipping a glass of chilled Rose Champagne from Taittenger. The French call it bien-etre, and on our recent first St. Barts vacation we achieved that sublime state of well-being.

But this photo tells so much more. We both look so natural, content, and relaxed. There are qualities of bien-etre that come to you in St. Barts that are so subtle and seductive that you don’t realize how the island’s sweetness fundamentally changes you until you are well into the metamorphosis.

Months earlier we had struck up a conversation about St. Barts at a dinner party, and a friend suggested we visit the French Caribbean island to tap into something that we unconsciously craved on so many levels…renewal. I learned that the island has few hotels, so renting a villa is the norm. Our friend suggested we contact WIMCO, a company that pioneered villa rentals on St. Barts. Our reservationist, Glennie, made planning the vacation easy and fun, and we ended up booking a modest two bedroom villa with ocean views.

Villa WV SAS

My transformation began upon boarding the Tradewind Aviation flight in San Juan with direct service to St. Barts. You feel yourself going into downsize as the water below gets bluer, the islands get smaller, and the tiny St Barts airstrip reaches up to the hillside to embrace the Tradewind’s perfect landing. Tropical, clean air enveloped us as we entered the tiny terminal and glided through friendly French Customs. Time to discard the first of many layers of clothes and urbanity we brought from the States.

After checking in at WIMCO’s cool offices across the street from the terminal, where keys, a gift bag, and a welcome iced towelette helped remove more layers of the city, our Wimco guide, Zora, who doubled as our concierge for the week, led us in a Smartcar to nearby St Jean where we wound up a short hill to Villa WV SAS, our airy, modern home for this week. Clearly the look and feel of St. Barts is classy yet unpretentious, reflecting a European design ethic and the best quality of imported woods, tiles, furnishing and appliances. Immediately we felt that we were some place different and exotic. The need for “outfits”, makeup, accessories, fixed hair and even shoes just melted away. Into the pool! Au natural, of course.

Our week was enchanted and as each day passed Jeff and I both felt this metamorphosis into a more natural and even sexy bien-etre. In lazy mornings we explored Gustavia and St. Jean, or drove to discover special coves and neighborhoods, each feeling distinct from others. We would often hit the beach for a lingering French lunch, such as our afternoon at La Plage on St. Jean beach, or La Gloriette on Grand Cul de Sac beach.

Other days we’d shop in local markets for baguettes, saucisson sec, chevre and a bottle of wine, pack a picnic and head to Gouverneur or Saline Beach, where no commercial buildings or restaurants spoiled the pristine cliffs and dunes of these spectacular grande plages. My one-piece bathing suits quickly evolved into bikinis with pareos and soon into just bikinis…and I felt confident, rather than self-conscious…we’d become part of the scene, not on-lookers, and it felt so natural and simple and right.

Nights out offered dining superlatives, starting with sunset drinks and tapas at Gustavia’s Hotel Carl Gustaf, over-looking an array of sailboats and yachts docked colorfully side by side in the picturesque harbor. Afterwards we strolled to Bonito, where breathtaking views, yellow and blue banquettes and unbelievable lobster risotto awaited. One night, seeking Italian perfection, we discovered the sumptuous veal and pasta dishes at L’Isola on the upper road heading out of Gustavia. Another night, looking for something more casual, we visited Andy, the gregarious British owner of Andy’s Hideaway where we savored thin crust pizza, goat cheese salad, and a bottomless carafe of Rhum Vanille. We bumped into others we’d seen at the beach, and chatted with locals we’d met at the market earlier in the week. St .Barts felt like a cozy French village in Provence, and we didn’t want to leave.

On our last romantic celebration at the end of our idyllic holiday, we headed to the iconic Maya’s, a sophisticated yet understated waterfront spot run by husband and wife team Randy and Maya that has set the standard for dining excellence on St. Barts for over 20 years. There we enjoy a Chambertin from Louis Jadot with roasted chicken and grilled asparagus, and were thrilled when Randy sat down at our table after dinner, sharing local news and talking about life as a restaurateur

On so many resort islands there is a dramatic chasm between locals and visitors; one is there to serve, the other to be served. On St. Barts, the visitor finds himself wanting to become local, to shed the trappings of home in favor of this easy going, relaxed, healthy lifestyle. In about a week the metamorphosis started to happen, and that is the bien-etre I see in our faces in this photo. Of course I’ll go back…who wouldn’t? How soon?

Best St. Barths Villas for Family Vacations

St. Barths is a great destination for a family that wishes to escape contemporary life and experience an enthralling vacation. With its vibrant French Caribbean atmosphere, as well as its famous restaurants, exquisite beaches, and unique views, St. Barths has all the qualities than can make for a memorable family vacation. Families will enjoy dining on French cuisine, swimming in crystal clear waters, and boating around the island. St. Barths offers many comfortable and polished villas which are perfect for families with their spaciousness, privacy and family-friendly amenities.

The following villas are some of WIMCO’s best selections for traveling families.

Villa WV BLH

Nature Villas in St. Barths

Nature can be beautiful, inspiring, and enriching. It offers a glimpse of life outside of the contemporary and offers us a chance to relax, unwind, and become something bigger than ourselves. The lovely island St. Barths offers just this type of opportunity, with its exquisite settings and villas situated in the very heart of nature. As a beloved island in the Caribbean,  St. Barths offers people the chance to experience life’s priceless beauties, with its gorgeous beaches that shine with a perfect aqua blue sheen, its vibrant shrubbery that add a lot of color and zest, and the exquisite sunrises and sunsets that often bask the entire lands with a dazzling glow. With such opportunities to experience the beauty of nature, St. Barths is truly a beautiful paradise where people can relax and let their imagination wander.

The following villas are WIMCO’s most nature-esque villas, and all provide clients a chance to bask in the glory of nature and inspire them in their life journeys.

Villa WV ADO

A Toast to St. Barths: An Evening In NYC to Celebrate the Island

The Evening’s Attendees

This past November, the Caribbean Merchant Services division of American Express (AMEX) and Tradewind Aviation hosted a lovely champagne reception and dinner to promote tourism in St Barths. The event was hosted by in the newly opened Villa Pacri restaurant in the meatpacking district of New York City. This is the sister restaurant to the popular Pacri restaurant in St. Barths.

The large private dining room was dramatically lit with candles for the event, and featured posters of popular locales in St. Barths. A bevy of travel writers from from Vanity Fair, Town & Country, Departures, Wall Street Journal, O Magazine, Elite Traveler, Esquire, Fodors and Travel & Leisure sipped champagne and talked shop with local restaurateur Randy Gurley of Maya’s, Angela Rojas from Le Sereno Hotel, David Zara of Tradewind Aviation and Stiles Bennet of WIMCO Villas.

A good time was had by all as St. Barths-based businesses shared their passion for the island with members of the press and assorted VIPs (Rumor had it that Russell Simmons was in the house for some part of the evening). Fantastic atmosphere, delicious food, enjoyable company, and pleasant conversations about all things St. Barts made this a memorable evening.

Among the hot topics of the night was the opening of WIMCO’s new concierge services company on St. Barths,  WIMCOSBH, with an office located directly across the street from the airport arrivals door. Now all WIMCO clients traveling to St. Barths will enjoy a higher level of personalized concierge services during their vacation. With a seasoned reservation staff based in Newport, R.I., and a dedicated concierge staff on island, WIMCO provides an unmatched level of service to those vacationing in St. Barths.