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| View of St Barts from the swimming pool at LeVillage (LeVillage) |
ST.
BARTS, WEST INDIES, November 6, 2015 – Christopher Columbus discovered St. Barts on his second voyage in 1493.
Andre Charneau rediscovered it in 1968. Old Chris may be better known to most
people, but it was the pioneering vision of Charneau, and others like him, that uncovered the true
spirit of the tiny West Indian paradise.
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| LeVillage co-owner Catherine Charneau |
In the five centuries between
Columbus and the mid-20th century, Sweden controlled the island between 1784
and 1878, and that influence remains an integral part of the island’s character
even though today it is French. So much so, in fact, that it is often called the
“St Tropez of the
Caribbean.”
Since
Columbus, other
celebrities have followed. David Rockefeller purchased two plots in 1957. Soon
after the Rothschilds arrived and built an estate in a coconut grove.
The
70s brought Mikhail Baryshnikov and Jimmy Buffet and the stars having been
aligning there ever since to establish St. Barts’ as a glitzy jet-setters
hideaway for the past half century.
But
there is another side to St Barts. The one that Catherine Charneau understands
and passionately advocates to every visitor she encounters. Catherine is
co-owner of LeVillage St Jean Hotel
along with her three brothers. Together, they have embraced the vision of their
father Andre, and captured his entrepreneurial spirit that is the essence of
the island.
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| Gustavia Harbor is the port for St. Barts (Taylor) |
LeVillage
St Jean is a metaphor for the island. Everything is there, visible to the naked
eye, but to appreciate it you must peel away the layers. Celebrities come and
celebrities go, but St Barts and the “idea” of LeVillage are eternal.
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| St Barts is glitzy but there are "hidden" assets (Taylor) |
Perhaps
part of the attraction is that you have to make a little effort to visit St
Barts. You must work a bit for what you get in return, but if you do, the island
will reward you.
LeVillage
is much the same, as are the industrious islanders who have labored to create
their image and now work even harder to preserve it.
Andre
Charneau was a native of Guadeloupe who came
to St Barts in the late 1960s when major corporations began to infringe upon
his banana business. After searching several places in the Caribbean, he
settled in St Barts on a hillside overlooking St Jean Beach.
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| St Jean Beach is arguably the most popular beach on the island (Taylor) |
Charneau
wisely chose his location to avoid the seaside which was more exposed to hurricanes.
At the time, the road was little more than a pathway. Visitors were rare and
the airport, which today is an attraction in its own right, had only one flight
a day…if that.
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| Exercise room and pool at LeVillage (LeVillage) |
Virtually
everything had to be imported, including water. Ironically, even today, clean
water is a precious commodity valued at about ten times the cost of other
places where it is abundant. As such, the Charneau’s, and other native
islanders, are dedicated environmentalists, knowing all too well the value of
nature and its life-giving resources.
In
the early days, Andre shipped tons of hurricane-felled timber from his native Guadeloupe to create his first bungalows. Ingeniously he
equipped his construction projects with cisterns for fresh water.
Later
he was the first to bring air conditioning to the island.
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| Food is a main attraction on St. Barts (Taylor) |
By
1972 he had turned a fisherman’s hut on the beach just below his property into
the Beach Club, the first seaside restaurant on St Barts.
Today
with 80 restaurants on the island, of which 20 are located in the capital of
Gustavia, food is one of the primary attractions. Mostly French, of course, but
even Jimmy Buffet’s influence will get you a great cheeseburger. Air
conditioning is everywhere and now, there are several flights an hour at the
air field, which is the only straight and flat place on the island.
In
the beginning, LeVillage had just one bungalow, but Charneau added at least two
a year until it reached its present size of 25 rooms and 2 villas.
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| Each room is different and each has its own unique personality with plenty of views (LeVillage) |
Eventually
clients such Craig Claiborne and Greta Garbo made their way to LeVillage. They
too enjoyed the family atmosphere of the property as do the “friends of
LeVillage” who met there years ago and now return each February.
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| Some of the showers feel like a rain forest (Taylor) |
By
the time she was 18, Catherine was running the hotel, and the “family” style
concept remains evident in everything LeVillage incorporates into their
business philosophy.
“Day
trippers see St Barts,” says Catherine who is the best public relations
resource on the island, “but they don’t feel St Barts, because you have to
absorb it to understand it.
Taxis
are expensive. Realizing the best way to experience St Barts, the Charneaus
have made special arrangements with Hertz for rental car services. All the car
rental agencies are available at the airport, but Hertz will even bring a car
to the port if you arrive by boat.
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| Arriving by plane is an experience all its own (Taylor) |
The
biggest challenge for Catherine, her youngest brother Bertrand, their right hand
assistant, Jean-Phillippe, and Bamboo, the resident mascot, in running
LeVillage is to “retain its character, without losing its identity.”
That
is also true for St Barts itself.
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| Bamboo is the hotel mascot (Taylor) |
LeVillage
is the only 4-star hotel property on St Barts, which translates to value for
the traveling dollar. Each room is different. Many feature kitchens which allow
guests to cook should they choose not to dine out every evening. Rates are
seasonal.
LeVillage
has no restaurant, but continental breakfast is included. Eggs, bacon and
pancakes are available for a small extra charge. In addition to the soothing Caribbean views, the breakfast room also features a piano
and comfortable sofas.
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| Boule is a popular pastime (Taylor) |
Today,
the swimming pool has replaced one of the original cisterns. There is an
exercise room and massages are also available. If you like, you can even play a
rousing game of boule, or bocce ball.
As
Catherine proudly notes about the ample supply of books, “We have even
re-introduced reading into the culture.”
By
reputation, St Barts is called “chic”, “glamorous” and “glitzy.” Catherine
Charneau has another word which is more appropriate. She calls it “quality.”
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| Some patios even have hammocks where you can nap or just relax (Taylor) |
You
see the magic of LeVillage and St Barts is subtlety. It’s all there, but it’s up
to you to seek it out. Columbus
may have “found” St Barts, but Andre Charneau and his family “discovered”
it.
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| St Barts and LeVillage go hand in hand -- Elegance without pretense (LeVillage) |
LeVillage
St Jean is one place on St Barts where you can truly Vive la difference!
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