St. Barts Is Back
Bloomberg Businessweek|February 04, 2019

The glamorous getaway is just as you remember. But better

Nikki Ekstein
St. Barts Is Back

From where I sit on a deep, citrine colored couch in the living room of Villa Marie, it’s hard to imagine that anything around me is new. The African beaded necklaces, displayed on shelves just so, feel like they were arranged there long ago by a careful collector. The shuttered windows and beams in the plantation-style ceiling vividly evoke colonial- era Caribbean originals. The server who brings my fennel-and- ginger detox juice is decidedly youthful, but also practiced and charming.

And yet this is St. Barts, where almost all things have been rebuilt from scratch. “Everything you see, it was all gone,” says Nicolas Rondelli, the hotel’s general manager. He, too, is new—a recent transplant from Corsica. “The roof above our heads? This is what it looked like just over a year ago,” he says, pulling out a photograph taken on Sept. 6, 2017, the day after Hurricane Irma made landfall as a Category 5 storm. I see the same room we’re sitting in, but it’s ravaged, with upturned chairs, blown shutters, and a wide-open sky overhead.

“It looked like King Kong came in with a temper tantrum,” recalls David Zipkin, co-founder and vice president of regional airline Tradewind Aviation. “Boats in the street, cars stacked three on top of each other.”

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEKView all
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 mins  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023