10 Best Hotels in St. Barts | Condé Nast Traveler
"Those who knew and loved Le Carl Gustaf the first time around will have even more reason to fall for it now that the Barrière group has taken it over. The hotel company—known for taking historic properties and brushing off the dust to reveal their splendor—has made sure to keep the spirit of Le Carl, as it’s known, chic and easy. The raw wood and petite terraces still make it feel like a fabulous French beach house, yet the hotel’s reimagined approach to the environment gives it a 21st-century edge. Paris design firm Gilles and Boissier jazzed up the 21 rooms with creams, stone, linen, and a profusion of palms separating outside spaces with curtains of greenery. Suites have been reconfigured to catch sea breezes, providing natural air conditioning. A fleet of electric bikes brings guests down the hill where the hotel stands like a lookout over the town and coastline to nearby Shell Beach. The beach happens to be the perfect place to spend the day with a picnic prepared by the hotel that feels appropriately simple and chic on the most sophisticated isle in the Caribbean—much like Le Carl itself."
