*VIP ONLY* St. Barths Video Recap and Recommendations

GYP SEA HOTEL

I was hesitant to stay here because I was confused by the layout and proximity to the beach, but having now been I couldn’t recommend it enough! The main hotel (where we stayed) is in an area called Colombier. It’s in the hills so you get gorgeous views and it’s a 7 minute drive to Gyp Sea Beach Club (which is on St. Jean beach and next to all the best beach clubs on the island). The hotel drives you to and from the beach club for free.  They call it a “shuttle”, but we never had more than 4 people at a time in the hotel's SUV and half the time it was just the 2 of us. The drive to the beach was never a problem as long as you let the concierge know when you are planning to leave between 10am-12pm. Download WhatsApp before the trip… it's the best way to keep in touch with the concierge to coordinate beach drop off and pickup as well as cabs to and from restaurants.  I was worried about having to wait a long time at the beach for the shuttle back and there were days that it took a while but the beach club is so fun it doesn’t matter.  We would wait and have a drink and play backgammon. I’m super type A and I was worried about feeling stuck at the beach and grossed out driving back with sandy feet and a wet bathing suit but I wasn’t bothered at all.  Everyone drives to and from the beach clubs… it’s just the culture in St. Barths so it doesn’t feel annoying at all.

The Gyp Sea Beach Club is hands down my favorite on St. Jean. It’s chill, but not boring.  The staff is super friendly and the food and drinks are delicious and well-priced (for St. Barths lol).  They have good, clean private bathrooms and an adorable beach shop where I got my St. Barths jumpsuit. You can reserve beach chairs at all of the beach clubs on St. Jean, but they charge you anywhere between $50-$100 a chair and even more for daybeds.  But when you stay at Gyp Sea Hotel, you get your chairs for FREE and you get to arrive before they open seating to non-guests (before 12:30pm) so you get first pick for chairs.  The front row is prime real estate for sure, but it’s pretty shaded from the palm trees so if you’re a sun worshiper like me I recommend the second row.  We ate the greek salad with well-done grilled shrimp LITERALLY everyday and the greek fries. They also have a watermelon drink you can have with vodka or tequila that is to die! And the fresh coconut with or without rum is a must!

I am a pool girl so I was shocked to find that I actually preferred the beaches on this trip over the pool, BUT I was torn because I LOVED the pool at Gyp Sea. The pool is on the Colombier property and it’s where you have breakfast every day.  The local turtles come up to you every morning and you can pet/feed them fruit... it's the cutest thing! The pool area is beautiful and peaceful and small but we didn’t have an issue getting a chair.  I think it’s because the hotel is small and a lot of people opt to go to the beach club so you don’t have to worry about fighting people for chairs at the pool. I was very worried about the temperature of the pool being freezing (the last time I stayed in St. Barths I couldn’t even go in the pool, it was so cold), but it was actually refreshing! Lunch is also great by the pool.  I was obsessed with their chicken caesar salad and just like the beach club, the staff is so amazing.

We booked our stay at Gyp Sea through our Amex Platinum card which we actually upgraded to from our gold card just so we could book here/use our points.  It was definitely worth it. Our breakfast was FREE every morning because of the Platinum card. What we saved in 6 days of breakfast will easily cover our annual fee for the Platinum card.  AND we originally booked a Caribbean Bungalow because it was the best rate available when we booked but we got a free upgrade at check-in which is a perk of the Amex Platinum card (free upgrades when available) to a Tropics Bungalow and it was one of the best room I have ever stayed in!  It was spacious, had a balcony with a view, and the shower and stand alone bathtub were outdoor but still covered, protected, private, and a part of our room.  It was magical!  We had to be good about keeping the doors closed because the mosquitos definitely would come in through there and into our room but weirdly they didn’t bite us when we were in the shower or bathtub.  I would highly recommend making sure the room you book has an outdoor shower and tub.

My only warning about this property is that there are a lot of hills and stairs and the better your room, the higher you go.  BUT the staff is so accommodating and offered to take us up by golf cart when we needed, so that is available if that’s an issue for you.

My other warning is cab prices!  Brace yourself because even as a New Yorker I was offended.  It is $50 minimum every time you get into a cab. A 5-10 min ride will run you $50 US and anything over 15 min will probably cost $75… it’s rude and disgusting, but it is what it is.  Bring a sober friend so they can drive your drunk ass around.  I highly recommend getting a car if you’re not a big day-drinker/drinker because it’s the most efficient way to get around.  Even if you are a drinker like me you still must rent a car for at least one day to explore the island and all of its gorgeous public beaches.

Beach hoping is a MUST. I was so against it because I’m a brat and I like food and drink service at the beach with a nice bathroom (which every beach club on St. Jean beach has btw) but TD made me do a public beach day and I’m so happy I went. Get a small cooler and pack a bag with snacks, water, and a couple of beers.  It was worth having one cocktail that day to see these gorgeous beaches.

Here is our full schedule…

MONDAY

Gyp Sea Hotel: We had lunch at the hotel pool which is chill and beautiful.

Dinner at Arawak: We stumbled into this random tapas cafe.  We drove by it and the music was such a vibe that we walked 10 minutes from where we were supposed to eat to check it out.  People were salsa dancing for their livvvesss.  Apparently this quiet tapas cafe turns into the opening scene of dirty dancing on Monday nights and it is everything.  The menu was limited but tasty, the drinks were cheap, and everyone had a huge smile plastered on their faces.  I would only recommend going here on a Monday’s, otherwise it’s really quiet.

TUESDAY

Gyp Sea Beach Club during the day

Dinner at Le Petite Plage:  We found out the hard way that Tuesdays here are empty, but the food was good (and we met a nice couple sitting next to us who paid for our dinner so I was happy lol).  BTW this is the friendliest island on planet EARTH if you go as a duo you will make other couple friends for sure. Order the thin slices of half-cooked tuna with soy sauce, ginger and lemongrass… it’s light but delightful (we actually ordered 2 lol) and I loved the pasta shells for spoiled children, ham, comté cheese and black truffle!

WEDNESDAY

Gyp Sea Beach Club during the day

Lunch at Nao Beach: It’s a 10 minute walk from Gyp Sea. I saw it on the housewives so I made TD go.  It was very pretty and the food was good but if you have limited time to go places you could skip it.  But we did go back with Claudia and Ben so obviously we liked it.

Dinner at Eddy’s Ghetto:  It was a chill vibe and had great well-priced food.  I would definitely recommend this place.  It’s yummy for the palate and a nice break for your wallet. Order the tuna plate!

THURSDAY

Gyp Sea Beach Club during the day

Dinner at L’Isola: Everyone RAVED about this restaurant… like said it was the best meal of their lives.  I felt like I was taking crazy pills because this was hands down the worst meal of our entire trip.  The restaurant felt like an upscale NYC eatery and the menu looked fabulous, but we got the gnocci with red sauce and the cacio e pepe are they were - for lack of a better term - prison slop.  Cold, undercooked, tasteless and at $50 a pop your girl was pissed off.  I will say, they had  GREAT martinis and the red wine (Sangiovese) by the glass was surprisingly well-priced ($18) and in the most perfect, Dorit-approved, red wine glass I had ever seen… so there’s that.

Late Night at Le Ti: Most people come here for dinner and a show but after 11:00 you can come without a reservation for drinks at the gorgeous outside bar.  Great drinks and great people. Everyone here is down for goooooood time.

FRIDAY

Gyp Sea Beach Club during the day

Dinner at La Guerite at Gustavia Harbor: This was supposed to be my bday dinner and I am sooooo pissed we moved it because this was hands down my favorite dinner on the island!  This place has gorgeous nautical vibes, it’s covered but has open air from the water. The food is delicious, and the music is great!  It was a little bit quiet on a Friday, but still fun.  Turns out that the “it” night for La Guerite is Wednesdays and the 9:30 seating is the one you want if you like a party vibe.  Get the signature pasta!!! I’m still dreaming of it.

SATURDAY

Gyp Sea Beach Club during the day

Lunch at La Guerite Beach Club: Saturdays are THEE day for La Guerite Beach Club (which is in a different location than La Guerite’s dinner location). It’s literally right next door to Gyp Sea’s beach club. Get the 3:30 seating if you want a dance on the table party!

Dinner at L'Isoletta:  This place is owned by L’Isola (boooo) but completely different.  It’s a pizza place and it’s bomb!  It’s low key and outdoor. It has great pizza and great wine and it is affordable! We didn’t need a rezy but next time I would make one because it’s that good!

AirBNB

SUNDAY

We had a late hotel check-out thanks to Amex Platinum so we had our last free breakfast, packed, laid by the pool, had one last caesar salad, and checked out at 4PM. If you ask the concierge, they can help you rent a car and it’ll be dropped off right at the hotel. Then you can WhatsApp with the car rental company and let them know where you’re leaving the car when you’re done with it (anywhere on the island!). We moved our dropoff place/time 10 times and they were so accommodating.

We moved to our Airbnb, which was brand new (literally no one had ever stayed there) and had an amazing view.  It was perfect for what we needed for three days. The grocery store (U Express) was weirdly inexpensive.  The Sancerre and rosé were $15 a bottle… gorgeous french cheese I usually buy for $20 was $3 and they had fresh-baked bread! I was in heaven.  I realized at the grocery store that we could actually afford to come back here a lot by staying in an Airbnb, renting a car, going to public beaches, and eating some meals at home.

MONDAY

Made morning breakfast at home and got back to recording TTSS. We spent a few hours at Gouverneur Beach which was breathtaking (TD cried). Had a quick snack at Le Bar de L’oubl in town on the way home. It’s the only place open for a snack in between lunch and dinner times.

TUESDAY

Recorded TTSS. We packed a picnic and beach-hopped all day. Saline beach is spectacular (you just have to walk 10 minutes to it from the parking lot).  Also check of the views at Grand Fond Beach, Flamands Beach, and Corossol Beach at sunset. Oh, and I peed at every one.

We drove all around the island and there are a ton of popular resorts on the east/north sides (The Rosewood, Le Toney and Le Barthélemy, etc.), but it was way too sleepy over there for me and I'm glad we didn't stay there. I'm sure they're really nice, but they seemed like the kind of places where you go and just stay put at the resort. We also checked out those beaches and that side of the island was much windier than the rest. 

VILLA

WEDNESDAY

Lunch at Nao Beach Club: we got beach chairs for $90/person (not worth it) and the food was good but overpriced for what it is.  Skip it.

Dinner at La Guerite*: Wednesday nights are “thee” night to go. Best music on the island. Don’t forget… Amazing Signature Pasta!!!

THURSDAY

Day at Gyp Sea: beach chairs are $50/person for the day. Favorite food was the Wagyu beef (it’s pricey so check the $/oz), cucumber salad, fries with feta.

Dinner at La Ti*: If you go for dinner there’s a show that starts at 9:15PM. It’s more like an OFF-broadway cabaret. The food isn’t great, but the salmon was tasty. It’s definitely a grungier feel than the rest of the island, but it’s fun and you can wear costumes. To get home, ask the hostess to call a taxi.

FRIDAY

Went to Gouvernors Beach (a public beach) for a few hours.

Dinner at Bagatelle: the food here was fine, but the vibe was fun. It turns into a party after dinner, but we preferred other late night places nearby (all walking distance).

Late night at Le Cafe: This was my favorite late-night place and I’m sad we didn’t spend more time there.

SATURDAY

Day at Guerite Beach Club

Late Lunch (3PM) at La Guerite Beach Club*

Dinner at Le Petite Plage*

SUNDAY

Late lunch at Nikki Beach*: This is the best party on the island, but book months in advance!

* = this is the best time/day to go