St Barths

Eden Rock "Uncovers" Latest Art Exhibition

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

The year is coming to an end, and that means the art gallery at Eden Rock is filling up. As peak season hits down on St. Barths, the gallery becomes home to endless excitement, and it should be higher than in the past few years, as the art market bounces back from its late 2008 and early 2009 depths.

This year, the Eden Rock Gallery will be home to an exhibition called "Uncovered," running from December 22, 2010 through January 31, 2011. Hosted in partnership with the New York Academy of Art and curated by Eileen Guggenheim, Peter Drake and David Kratz, it will include 24 pieces by artists affiliated with the academy, with work by faculty and members of the Artists' Advisory Board of the Academy on the walls, too. Rosson Crow, Kurt Kauper, Natalie Frank, Alyssa Monks, Robert Feintuch, Julie Heffernan and Margaret Bowland are among the artists being featured.

Gallery: "Uncovered" at the Eden Rock Gallery

Gallery: Villa Rockstar, Eden Rock, St Barths

The Bar and Dining Area at Villa Rockstar, Eden Rock

The Private Pool at Villa Rockstar, Eden Rock

The Living Area at Villa Rockstar, Eden Rock

Tags: art, art exhibit, art exhibits, art galleries, Art Gallery, art market, art show, eden rock, st barths

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Richard Prince in the Bathroom: Art at Eden Rock's Villa Rockstar

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

If nothing else, you can expect a $20,000-a-night villa to deliver a few surprises. Eden Rock's Villa Rockstar, among the most ostentatious of the accommodations on St. Barths, does not disappoint. The resort demonstrates a clear commitment to art, with an on-property gallery that has hosted some impressive artists, but you have to dig a little deeper to find the truly unusual.

Works of art are littered across the resort, from the in-villa gallery at Villa Nina on one end of the property to the top-of-the-rock lobby on the other. Villa Rockstar, the largest and newest spot in Eden Rock, has a seemingly endless supply of canvases hanging, visible from the moment you pass through the front door.

The biggest name, however, is tucked away, far from common view.

Descend into the villa's basement, en route to the recording studio that house the deck used to record John Lennon's "Imagine," and step into the bathroom. As soon as you open the door, you're face-to-face with a small piece by Richard Prince.

And let's face it: nothing screams decadence like being able to keep a piece by Prince in the bathroom. It's a sign that you've come too far in life to care.

Gallery: Villa Rockstar, Eden Rock, St Barths

Eden Rock picked up the tab for this trip, as it would have been unaffordable otherwise. My opinions are my own.

Tags: art, artwork, eden rock, richard prince, St Barths, villa

Eden Rock Villa Nina Art Gallery Tour

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

You can't experience the Eden Rock resort in St Barths without running into art. In addition to an on-property art gallery with an exciting artist-in-residence program, there is carefully selected artwork throughout the resort. When you get into the villas, however, a new level of care and attention is attained. One of Eden Rock's premier accommodations, Villa Nina comes with a five-figure a night price tag and is adorned appropriately. In this video, gallery director Natalie Clifford takes us on a tour of the unique Villa Nina art holdings.

Gallery: Villa Nina, Eden Rock, St Barths

Disclosure: Eden Rock picked up the tab for this trip, and it didn't influence my coverage.

Tags: art, Art Gallery, arts-culture, artwork, eden rock, St Barths, villa

A St Barths Hotelier does Manhattan

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

I sipped a glass of rum as the plates were cleared. To my left was Christian Langlade, half the husband-and-wife team that owns and runs Hotel Christopher on St. Barthelemy and my host for dinner. After talking about his property, the conversation turned to my hometown, and I was amazed to learn his regular hotel on jaunts up to Manhattan: On the Ave.

I spent several months at On the Ave in 2004, first on consulting assignments during my white collar travel days and then to facilitate my move to New York from Boston. Just the mention of this hotel brought a flood of memories so powerful that I had to put my glass down for a moment.

On the Ave isn't glamorous, but is far better than sufficient – frankly, it was a business traveler's dream. Tucked away on W. 77th St. between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, it's rarely the first choice of visitors looking for access to Times Square or Wall Street. Nonetheless, I fell in love with the property quickly. It offered easy subway access, simple accommodations that I found comfortable for late-night work and, best of all, a sixteenth-floor terrace with a north-facing view.

Tags: hotel, hotels, manhattan, new york, new york city, St Barths, Upper West Side

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St Barth Commuter: Small plane, Short Flight and a Hell of a View

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

There aren't many ways to get to St. Barthelemy, and your range of options shrinks with season and income. So, if you're heading out to this Caribbean island for a few days or more in the warmer months, you have only a handful of choices that don't include private aviation or yachts. On my recent trip to St. Barths, I flew St. Barth Commuter, an experience I won't soon forget.

I stepped out on the tarmac in St. Martin, fully expecting to find a small plane waiting for me, but I wasn't prepared for the tiny six-passenger contraption into which I would climb (note: it is safe). The pilot smiled comfortably, putting me and the other passengers at ease as we pulled ourselves into the plane for a flight that would last only 10 minutes or so. He was an old pro: during busy season, he'll make this run up to 17 times a day.

Tags: airline, airlines, caribbean, St Barths

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La Casa del Habano: The Top Cigar Shop in St Barths

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

It didn't take me long to feel like I was at home in La Casa del Habano. Every inveterate cigar smoker knows the importance of having a great cigar shop to call home, and one of the travails of traveling is that you leave yours behind, not knowing where (or with whom) you'll smoke on the road.

If St. Barths is in your future, there is no better place than La Casa del Habano. Look for the traditional wooden Indian out front; you should be able to see it as you're entering Village Creole in St. Jean, where the tobacconist is located.

Inside, put yourself in the expert hands of Sandrine, the store's owner and managing director. Many Americans are familiar with only the major Cuban cigar brands; it's tough for us to keep pace with the new products being released from the "island south of Miami." Sandrine will acquaint you with the old and new of what we aren't permitted to have here in the United States.

Gallery: La Casa del Habano, St Barths

Vegas Robainos at La Casa del Habano, St Barths

Tags: cigar, cigar shop, cigars, cuban, cuban cigars, CubanCigar, cubans, partagas, St Barths

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Apocalypse Now? Spend It on St Barths

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

There worse places to wait out the end of the world ...

Over the 2007/8 Christmas holiday season, artist Richard Prince developed and expected a vision of post-apocalyptic society. The world as we know it met its untimely demise as the protagonist, his family and crew sailed to St. Barthelemy, discovering the changed state of affairs only when landing on the island. Far from the decadent setting one would expect to find, the resort haven became the setting for a struggle for survival.

I came to St. Barths under far different circumstances, of course. A small plane, with room for only six passengers, deposited me on the tarmac at a tiny airport, offering stunning and alarming views of the sea during our approach. The runway, sans fence or other barrier at the end, stretches right to the beach, with only a splash of sand separating it from the lapping waves of the Caribbean Sea. The customs agent inside the small, Spartan terminal served little purpose aside from a friendly greeting and a stamp and wave with a flick of the wrist.

Gallery: The Beach at Eden Rock

Tags: caribbean, caribbean sea, CaribbeanTravel, eden rock, richard prince, St Barths, villa

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Learning Lobster at Hotel Christopher

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Growing up in New England, I've cracked into more than a few lobsters, ranging from the downright puny to a mighty 7 pounds. This continued experience with creatures (formerly, by the time they reached my table) dwelling off the costs of Nova Scotia and Maine, ingrained in me a baseline for lobster that has guided my expectations ever since.

So, as the waiter at the Hotel Christopher on St. Barths explained the evening's specials last week, the langouste, which he translated for us as "lobster," caught my attention. Recalling my travails with French in high school and college, I vaguely remembered that Jean-Paul Sartre writing of a hallucination in which he fled an "homard." The different word for lobster led to the obvious question: "What's the difference?"

Christian Langlade, who owns Hotel Christopher with his wife, Sandrine, explained that homard" refers to the tasty resident of northern waters, the creature I cracked open throughout my childhood – and which tormented the French existentialist. "Langouste," however, is the lobster found in the Caribbean, sans claws yet certainly delightful to chomp.

Disclosure: Hotel Christopher picked up the tab for this trip. Nonetheless, my opinions are my own – they're certainly not for sale at any price.

Tags: hotel, hotels, lobster, lobsters, resort, resorts, St Barths, st. barth, st. barths

Eden Rock Gallery Looks Between People and Places

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

There's a new show at the Eden Rock Gallery on St. Barths this month ... and it represents a bit of a departure from past exhibitions. Doubtless, some considerable talent has moved through the resort's art gallery, with names such as Richard Prince not to be taken lightly. And, the relationship with the New York Academy of Art has ensured that the artists in residence have been unmatched in talent.

The latest show is not short on talent and remains consistent with the reputation the Eden Rock Gallery has defined for itself, but the artist comes from a little closer to home. Jane Matthews will be showing her work in an exhibition entitled "Between Places and People," which features simple but direct subject matter in a fluid style slightly reminiscent of Gaugin (just a hint).

Jane owns Eden Rock with her husband, David Matthews, and it's their commitment to the arts that led to the gallery and the careful selection of pieces to hang in the property's various villas (such as Villa Rockstar).

With "Between Places and People," Jane proves that she doesn't just know how to pick art – she can create it, too. The photos alone caused me to fall in love with this show.

Gallery: “Between Places and People” by Jane Matthews at Eden Rock Gallery

Tags: art, art exhibit, art exhibits, art galleries, Art Gallery, art show, ArtExhibit, ArtExhibits, ArtGalleries, ArtGallery, ArtShow, Eden Roc hotel, eden rock, EdenRocHotel, EdenRock, St Barths, StBarths

Water/Bodies: A New Exhibition by NY Academy of Art and Eden Rock

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

The Water/Bodies exhibit kicks off on December 21, 2009 at the Eden Rock Gallery. Located at the Eden Rock Hotel on St Barths, the gallery has hosted shows from the top artists in the world and those who will be in the next few years. The new show, curated by David Kratz, President of the New York Academy of Art, will no doubt be consistent with the gallery's fantastic reputation. This year, Eric Fischl and Jenny Saville, both Senior Critics at the Academy, will be among the Academy-affiliated artists showcasing their work at Eden Rock.

Each of the pieces at Eden Rock this winter will be related to the theme of nature, water and the body. Only small works will be displayed at this event, though a variety of media will be present, including oil, watercolor, drawing and sculpture.

Water/Bodies is the latest in an ongoing relationship between the Eden Rock Gallery and New York Academy of Art. The program includes an artist-in-residence program, in which up to 10 students or graduates of the Academy can visit St Barths and participate. Some of the proceeds from the sales at Water/Bodies will be used to support this program and others at the Academy. Past participants include Richard Prince, whose early 2008 show sold out before the opening.

While we're unlikely to see a replay of Prince's sales at Eden Rock this year, the art market is certainly better than what we saw late last year. Maybe collectors will go back to voting with their wallets.

Gallery: Eden Rock Gallery Winter 2009/2010 Art Exhibition

Sardines, David Kratz at Eden Rock Gallery

Until the End of the World ? Take 4, Michael Kagan, Eden Rock Gallery

Pearls 2, Nicole Etienne at Eden Rock Gallery

Abadon, 2009; Debra Goertz at Eden Rock Gallery

Tags: art, art exhibit, art exhibits, Art Gallery, art market, ArtExhibit, ArtExhibits, ArtGallery, artist, ArtMarket, artwork, caribbean, Eden Roc hotel, eden rock, EdenRocHotel, EdenRock, new york, new york city, NewYork, NewYorkCity, resort, resorts, St Barths, StBarths

Escape The Thanksgiving Drama In St. Barths

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Thanksgiving with the family again this year. How about an escape to St. Barths instead? Hotel Carl Gustaf is offering the Thanksgiving Holiday Escape. The luxury hotel is perched atop a hill overlooking the capital city of Gustavia. Stay in one of the hotel's one-bedroom, 800 sq foot suites decorated with hand-carved wooden furniture and with its own private plunge pool, living room, a separate bedroom, kitchenette and a marble-floor bathroom with a multi-jet shower. The six-day, five-night stay in the one-bedroom suite includes a chilled bottle of wine served in your suite upon arrival, daily continental breakfast served in your suite, five -day car rental (excluding insurance and fuel), dinner for two at the Carl Gustaf Lounge, one-hour massage 'tete-a-tete" in the Boutique Spa by Carita and free access to the fitness center and hydrozone "Blue Spa." The Thanksgiving Holiday Escape starts at 2,525 Euros ($3,642) and must be booked by October 31, 2009.

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Tags: hotel carl gustaf, HotelCarlGustaf, hoteldeals, st barths, StBarths, thanksgiving in paradise, ThanksgivingInParadise

John Lennon, Villa Rockstar and You: Is There A Better Combo?

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Whether you're looking to recreate the Brady Bunch's "silver platter" glory or just have a family that's dying to lay down some tracks, Villa Rockstar is ready to host you. The extremely, absurdly upscale villa at Eden Rock on St. Barth's offers 16,000 square feet of bliss and includes a full recording studio designed by Ocean Way Recording. But, you know that. You may not realize, however, that you'll be touching musical history – regardless of how talented you are. The console installed at Villa Rockstar was used by John Lennon when he recorded "Imagine."

So, in addition to the four enormous master suites (including one named for Lennon), full gym, private office and cars on hand, you can create a masterpiece (or not) before retiring to the pool or playing some croquet out on the lawn. Settle in for an astounding dining experience ... but only after you see what's going on at the Eden Rock Gallery (through which several amazing artists have passed.

When you get home, listen to what you have created, and try to fight the urge to go back (it won't work).

Tags: edenrochotel, edenrock, imagine, john lennon, JohnLennon, st barths, StBarths

Villa Wickie, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

From the design studios of villa creators extraordinaire Olivier Dain comes this St. Barth's beauty. Villa Wickie sits up on a cliffside in Gustavia with paradisical ocean views. The six-bedroom villa encompasses just about everything you would want in a luxury retreat including large sun decks and an infinity pool. White walls, rich woods and large windows contrast with pops of color from the art, decor and mosaic details. A second pool bisects the compound creating privacy between the kitchen and main living space and a master suite that shares the ocean views. This stunner is listed at 29 million euros.

Experience more lush living in luxury homes and mansions or see the stars living large with celebrity homes galleries at AOL Real Estate.

Gallery: Villa Wickie

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Tags: estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, island real estate, IslandRealEstate, st barths, StBarths, villa wickie, VillaWickie

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Eden Rock Artist in Residence Keeps the Kids Busy

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Children

Sometimes, the hardest part of choosing a vacation spot is balancing between your wants and the kids' needs. Sprawling out on the beach or sipping a cocktail by the pool works for you, but children need distraction ... constant distraction.

In perhaps the most creative travel offer I've seen this year, Eden Rock – St. Barths is offering an easel, a paint brush and a palate of watercolors. Rather than splatter aimlessly, each kid will receive a one-time lesson with the Eden Rock Artist in Residence (the next is still to be announced).

Even for the caliber of guest that you find at Eden Rock, this can only be described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

During the lesson, kids will also be exposed to the gallery's exhibitions in progress. In the recent past, this gallery has been home to the likes of Richard Prince and Will Cotton. The natural St. Barths aesthetic plus that created by the artists invited to show their work in the gallery yields a unique combination that is sure to inspire any budding artist.

The lessons are only available when the artist in residence is, in fact, in residence, so check with the Eden Rock Hotel when making reservations. The program runs through August 2009.

Tags: art, artist, artists, children, eden rock, EdenRock, kids, luxury hotel, luxury hotel package, luxury hotel suites, luxury hotels, luxury travel, LuxuryHotel, LuxuryHotelPackage, LuxuryHotels, LuxuryHotelSuites, LuxuryTravel, resort, resorts, richard prince, RichardPrince, st barths, StBarths, travel, traveling, will cotton, WillCotton

Villa Rockstar Offers Private Recording Studio In St. Barths

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Want to vacation like a rock star? In December, Eden Rock – St Barths will unveil the Villa Rockstar, a private villa for rent that features the only private recording studio on the island. The hotel has partnered with Oceanway Recording Studios of Hollywood, CA to create the perfect musical retreat. The 16,000 square foot Villa Rockstar includes a circular bathroom tiled in white gold, a private 20-seat Cinemascope screening room fitted with THX-approved sound components and a a Land Rover and a new Mini Cooper available for guests. There are four suites and two additional cabins, two pools with a bar, a private gym, putting green, pool table and a croquet lawn as well as a personal butler. Rates at Villa Rockstar start at 15,000 euros per night.

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Tags: eden rock, EdenRock, hotels, resort, st barths, StBarths, travel, vacation