Yachting

BACK AND BETTER

ST. BARTS REBUILDS AFTER IRMA

- by kim kavin

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.

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