As travel opens up again after a more-than-challenging year and I’m bombarded with questions about where to go to celebrate life, it’s an ideal time to welcome a new feature to this column: Bess Favorites, honoring properties that have earned a special place in the heart of someone who’s been privileged to stay in and write about more superlative hotels than she can count. Bess Favorites are the uber-special ones—the ones that rise above the rest, that lure us back for more, spoil us with that special je ne sais quoi, stand the test of time and are, to use Trinidadian slang for paramount, just plain bess.
Behold the debut favorite: Le Petit Hotel in French St. Martin, which welcomed me back last month for the third time in about a decade. Here’s why the beachfront boutique gem more than deserves to inaugurate this column.
STYLE It’s a slice of the Mediterranean in the French Caribbean, with gorgeous tile work, Moroccan accents, Brazilian hardwood ceilings and outrageously comfortable Balinese beds. Spacious studios are chic but minimalist, with clean lines that allow the room’s best feature to take center stage: a petit balcony that essentially hangs over a sea so vibrantly fluorescent blue, you’ll swear it’s fake. I sat on that balcony, watched the sea for hours and let true serenity wash over me.
LOCATION Grand Case is my favorite part of St. Martin. That’s a bold statement, considering the fact that I count French-Dutch St. Martin/Sint Maarten among my favorite places in the world because how can such a tiny island be so packed with what feels like countless vibesy neighborhoods, all beckoning in an array of alluring flavors? Grand Case, though, is special: a charming French-Caribbean village with an old church, some local bars, a strip of restaurants (more on those later), massive barbeque stalls attracting everyone on the island (more on those later, too) and surprisingly chic boutiques (maybe not so surprising considering this is a French village, after all). And did I mention beach? Oh yes, beach. Absolutely heavenly, unadulterated, ridiculously white-velvet-sand-and-cerulean-sea beach—on which Le Petit Hotel sits directly. You won’t want to leave Grand Case. In two weeks, I barely did.
SIZE Size does matter, and in this case the name says it all. Rarely do I fall in love with a big hotel—in a cosmopolitan city, perhaps, but certainly not on a Caribbean island. Here, ten rooms translates to staying not in an impersonal resort but a kind of home, overseen by managers—Remy, Yemana and Miriam—who treat you like old friends.
DETAIL Ten rooms also means a superior level of attention to detail, which the obsessive Virgo in me vastly appreciates. The million-thread-count linens (well, they feel like a million) seem fresh from the package. The room smells like sweetly faint perfume. Breakfast (delectable croissants and baguettes with fruit, yogurt and coffee) comes delivered on an adorable bright tray. The Smeg fridge is a fabulous retro touch. And despite being 25 years old, Le Petit Hotel feels as if it opened yesterday; everything is pristine and new, including the pots in the wonderfully sleek kitchen, which made me want to cook even while on holiday.
FOOD I didn’t cook, though. Why would I? Remember those restaurants I mentioned? They’re world famous, serving up some of the best French cuisine anywhere. And since the rebuilding following Hurricane Irma, which devastated the island, it feels as if the Grand Case foodie scene came back better than ever. I ate at all of the ones on so-called Restaurant Row—on the beach in flip flops and in heels with oceanfront view—and I do not exaggerate: every single one is delectable, from foie gras to lobster tail, from fine-dining chic to the BBQ stands or lolos serving up ribs, chicken and the fixings. One Grand Case eatery, though, deserves special mention: Rainbow Cafe, where new chef Alexandre Thouvenot blew my mind on the daily with vibrant culinary masterpieces that are as glorious to the eye as the palate. Go immediately upon arrival, and ask for Jeff. Trust me—there’s homemade passionfruit rum involved.
FAMILY No, not yours—Le Petit Hotel’s family: its equally glorious sister property L’Esplanade, a 25 minute walk away, nestled in the mountains and well worthy of a Bess Favorites column of its own. Guests at Le Petit Hotel can enjoy the amenities at L’Esplanade, which include a petit spa, yoga classes on a majestic deck and a stylish pool with a view to die for.
LOCAL TIPS If it’s your first time in SXM, don’t do as I did: Get out of Grand Case and all over the island—there’s so much to see and do. To take you there, check in with the locally owned and run Yolo Destination Group, which offers unique tours, extra friendly service and VIP-level vehicles. Another locally owned startup is the wonderful Bless Bites, delivering yummy, overflowing food baskets to your room—including just-baked cupcakes and a breakfast package featuring scrambled eggs, sausage stir-fry and fresh cinnamon rolls. Finally, since travel back to the US requires a Covid-19 test, make a stay of it by scheduling a night at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino & Spa—it’s not locally owned but it is the largest employer on the island, which matters a lot in the island’s post-Irma, post-pandemic economy. Get tested right on site then dine at Azul, a restaurant literally hanging over an oceanfront cliff at the property’s adults-only, all-suite 5-star resort Sonesta Ocean Point, newly reopened and offering all kinds of wallet-friendly welcome-back specials.
