Excluding the priciest hotels, most places here are homey, comfortable, and casual. In March, it's often difficult to find lodgings unless you've made reservations far in advance. Small surprise that accommodations in high season often exceed the cost of minor plastic surgery, nearly doubling during Christmas week; a service charge of 10% to 15% is usually added to your bill. Several properties close between August and October; off-season rates plummet and often include a rental car for stays of a week or more.
St. Barts has a sizable number of villas and apartments for rent by the week or month. Most are dotted around the island's hills -- very few are on the beach. Instead of an oceanfront bedroom, you get a panoramic view (and usually a pool). Because beach-hopping is de rigueur, regardless of where you bunk, many regulars prefer the villa experience. One of the best agencies to contact for villa or condo rentals is St. Barth Properties, 693 E. Central St., Suite 201, Franklin, MA 02038 (tel. 800/421-3396 or 508/528-7727 in the U.S. and Canada; www.stbarth.com). Peg Walsh, a longtime St. Barts aficionado, and her capable son, Tom Smyth, will make arrangements for car rentals and air travel to St. Barts, then upon your arrival book babysitters, chefs, personal trainers, and restaurant reservations. Rentals can range from a one-room "studio" villa away from the beach for $980 per week off season, up to $40,000 per week for an antiques-filled minipalace at Christmas. Most rentals average between $2,500 and $4,000 a week between mid-December and mid-April, with discounts of 30% to 50% the rest of the year. Amenities vary according to villa, from built-in gyms to wine cellars to pools. Ms. Walsh can also arrange accommodations in all categories of St. Barts's hotels. Another excellent option with similar rates and services is Wimco (P.O. Box 1481, Newport, RI 02840; tel. 800/449-1553 or 401/847-6290; www.wimco.com), whose on-island partner, Sibarth (tel. 590/27-62-38; www.sibarth.com), was founded 30 years ago by Brook and Roger Lacour. Rates and services are similar; Mrs. Lacour represents nearly 250 villas in every conceivable style (hilltop Spanish hacienda, postmodern beachfront stunner, or cozy caze) and size, from one to seven bedrooms.
Note: At press time the François Plantation was closed for renovations but was scheduled to reopen in late 2008 or early 2009. Go to www.francoisplantation.com for more information.
Up-and-coming: In the works is a 40-room luxury hotel on Grand Cul-de-Sac, the Niilaaia Hotel Resort & Spa (www.niilaaia.com). It is being built on the oceanfront site where the St. Barth Beach Hotel stood before it was razed.
