Manapany - Hotel Review | Condé Nast Traveler

"Set the scene. Tucked away in the heart of one of St Barth’s few true neighborhoods, Anse de Cayes—once a Portuguese stronghold—this hotel feels homespun and personable. There are wooden decks for wave-watching, a sky-reflecting oval pool and pretty rooms hidden like garden dens amid tumbles of greenery and peacock-bright flowers, palms and avocado trees. What’s the story? Owner Anne Jousse—proprietor of several hotels in France, including the groundbreaking Bel Ami and Domaine de La Bretesche in the Loire-Atlantique region—has brought to the Caribbean a perfect one-off: an ecologically responsible hotel with good bones. Manapany was one of the island's first to welcome guests and a hot spot in the 1970s—and closed its doors well before the hurricanes hit the island in 2017. Now there’s a clear commitment to the environment, with solar panels providing much of the power, an effort to avoid use of chemicals, and only electric cars allowed through its gates. What can we expect from our room? Many of the breezy, easy white-washed rooms open directly to the sand; others are worth the climb for sweeping ocean views from enormous terraces. Ours even had an extra room with a twin bed, perfect for a small family. And you'll see startling pops of color—walls in peppery red, turmeric yellow, mint green, or ultramarine blue, and Mexican rugs and cushions. Buy and bring home one (or several) of the bamboo-fiber beach towels. How about the food and drink? Kick off your shoes. This is barefoot dining at its best—and locally sourced to boot, much of it from the vegetable garden or orchard, some of it reeled in by the island’s fishing boats. The over-water restaurant has a menu wrapping up flavors from both Brittany and the Caribbean. Anything to say about the service? Genuinely amiable. Who comes here? Those in the know, who know that Manapany is hidden only five minutes’ drive from the airport and Baie Saint-Jean. How does it fit into the region? The resort is set on a semi-rocky, walkable beach with surf sounds to lull you to sleep. The island’s other hotels have been brought back from the brink, with names such as Villa Marie Saint-Barth and Cheval Blanc St-Barth reopening following past hurricanes. Manapany has been conceived from a similar DNA, though feels sharper and more focused on its eco-credentials. Anything we missed? Those electric cars we mentioned: You can rent them. Just plug it in in the parking space, or adjacent to your room, and you won’t have to worry about a fill-up en route to departure. Worth it—and why? Yes, to see the island returning to normal with a recalibrated sense of direction." - David Jefferys