Entering Villa La Banane on the island of Saint Barthelemy, visitors instantly feel immersed in a world of vintage luxury. After passing through the cheery, colonialstyle lobby, which features original 1950s furniture, you’ll find the hotel’s private garden. In this lush, shady enclave where guests can while away hours on a recliner under the coconut trees, or take a leisurely swim in one of the two shimmering pools. Set around the garden, the nine individually-designed bungalows are all named after artists, designers and craftsmen who were at their zenith in the 1950s.
Light streams into the airy bedrooms, casting a yellow glow over the polished wooden floors, while four-poster beds made up with crisp, white bed linen invite guests to kick back and relax. Flashes of bright color pop from the white walls – a red-bordered mirror here, a yellow-based lamp there – giving an air of Caribbean glamour to the rosewood tables, chairs and trunks. Each bungalow has a private tropical garden, a terrace or an open-air bathroom, bringing the surrounding nature right into the soothing living spaces. Breakfast can be enjoyed poolside or in the privacy of the bungalows, and lunch and dinner can be ordered in from local chefs and restaurants.
Lorient Beach, still undiscovered by most tourists, is just 50 meters away, but with in-room massages on offer and those inviting swimming pools glistening, guests are often tempted to stay right where they are. Comprised of nine bungalows surrounding a private garden where guests can while away hours on a recliner by the pool, Villa La Banane is a vintage paradise paying homage to the glamorous 1950s.
