BACK AND BETTER

ST. BARTS REBUILDS AFTER IRMA

For yachtsmen who have long considered the Eden Rock on St. Barts to be the apex of shoreside excursions, the devastation Hurricane Irma wrought in 2017 was heartbreaking. The resort had to completely shut down for repairs—a potential tragedy the owners decided, instead, to use as an opportunity. This past November, the Eden Rock fully reopened with reimagined spaces, a new spa and more. ¶ “It really was a team effort, and we are immensely grateful to our brilliant group of collaborators and colleagues who worked with us endlessly to reach this milestone,” says general manager Fabrice Moizan. “We also thank our shareholders for the fantastic opportunity to rethink and redesign every detail in order to create a brand-new Eden Rock but with the same deep-set values and attention paid to honoring our heritage.” ¶

The Eden Rock on St. Barts has long been a premier destination for cruising yachtsmen and charter clients alike.

The new Eden Spa, by Ligne, represents a major change on the property. Previously, guests could get in-room treatments, but there was no dedicated spa building. The new facility includes a sitting room whose decor theme is “yacht on land.” ¶ The always popular Sand Bar Restaurant has been expanded to include a Rémy Bar, named in honor of the property’s original owner, Rémy de Haenen. There’s also a new ER Beach Bar along with an Eden Being Boutique with signature art, jewelry and other gifts. ¶ And, for those who want a night off the yacht, there is the Waterlily, a 2,045-square-foot waterfront hideaway on St. Jean Beach with a hot tub, infinity pool and more. ¶ There will be plenty of charter yachts in the area too. In addition to the three at the top of this page, clients can book the 236-foot Dunya Axioma (part of the YPI Group fleet, with a beautician, massage therapist and yoga instructor on board); the 161-foot explorer yacht Asteria (part of the Edmiston fleet, and just finished a refit in 2019); and the 63-foot Nordhavn Asturias (part of the Superyacht Sales & Charter fleet, and one of the only Nordhavns available for charter anywhere in the world). Also of note in this part of the Caribbean for the season is the 143-foot Burger Pure Bliss, which is offering a limited-time weekly base rate of $128,000 through Ocean Independence, for the first couple bookings of the season. ¶ Guests aboard those yachts and more can make the Eden Rock part of the itinerary. The proprietors hope visiting yachtsmen will feel just as excited as they are. As Moizan says: “The remaking of Eden Rock-St Barths has been an incredible adventure and a wonderfully rewarding experience on so many levels.”

A number of charter yachts still have availability in the northern Caribbean for this winter’s season.