The harbour of St. Barthélemy at sunset, with boats at anchor on calm water

Where to stay · Caribbean

St. Barts: five-star hotels and how to fly there

By the JetChalet editors · Updated · How we check facts

Photo by Natasha on Unsplash

St. Barts is small, French and facing the sea.14 Most of its eleven five-star hotels stand on or above a beach or bay, from Flamands and Saint-Jean to Grand Cul de Sac and Anse de Toiny.1 The dry season runs from December to May, and the tourism office calls December to August the most pleasant.14

  • 11five-star hotels on St. Barts in the official French register1
  • 650 mof runway, about 2,100 ft and open in daylight only: too short for business jets13,15
  • $224–$236a scheduled seat from St. Maarten to St. Barts, one way (St Barth Commuter)16

The short answer

  • France classifies hotels officially, and the national register lists 11 five-star hotels on St. Barts; one of them, Cheval Blanc St-Barth, also holds France's higher Palace distinction.1,4
  • No jets land on St. Barts: the runway is 650 m (about 2,100 ft) long and open in daylight only. You fly to St. Maarten, San Juan or Antigua, then take a flight of 15 to about 60 minutes in a small turboprop, or the ferry.13,15
  • A scheduled seat from St. Maarten to St. Barts costs about $224 to $236 one way on St Barth Commuter (published fares, Nov 2026).16
  • US citizens need a passport and a return or onward ticket; the island's tourism office says the passport must be valid for more than six months.13

Five-star hotels on St. Barts

All eleven in the official French register, each with one reason to choose it.1

  1. Cheval Blanc St-Barth

    Palace distinction

    Flamands Beach · 5 stars and Palace, Atout France

    For the one Palace, France's distinction above five stars: the only hotel in the Caribbean on its list, on Flamands Beach.1,5

    Hotel's own website

    Details about Cheval Blanc St-Barth

    A few minutes by car from the airport and Gustavia harbour, with airport and harbour transfers offered.1,5

    Baie des Flamands, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy, French West Indies

  2. Le Sereno

    Grand Cul de Sac · 5 stars, Atout France

    For a family-owned beach hotel with about 600 feet of shoreline at Grand Cul de Sac.1,6,7

    Check availability

    Details about Le Sereno

    It has 39 suites and three villas with three to four bedrooms.1,6,7

    Grand Cul de Sac, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy

    Hotel's own website

  3. Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa

    Grand Cul de Sac · 5 stars, Atout France

    For design and a spa: interiors by Sybille de Margerie and a spa by Augustinus Bader, on the beach.9

    Check availability

    Details about Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa

    On the same bay as Le Sereno.9

    Baie de Grand Cul-de-Sac, 97133, Saint-Barthélemy, French West Indies

    Hotel's own website

  4. Hotel Manapany

    Anse des Cayes · 5 stars, Atout France

    For the sand itself: some of its rooms, suites and villas open straight onto Anse des Cayes beach.10

    Check availability

    Details about Hotel Manapany

    It has 43 rooms, suites and villas in all.10

    Anse des Cayes, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy

    Hotel's own website

  5. Le Toiny Hotel

    Anse de Toiny · 5 stars, Atout France

    For a pool of your own: each of the 22 hillside suites has a large private pool and a view of the sea.11

    Check availability

    Details about Le Toiny Hotel

    One- and two-bedroom suites, on the hillside above Anse de Toiny.11

    Anse de Toiny, 97133 St Barthelemy, French West Indies

    Hotel's own website

  6. Hotel Christopher

    Pointe Milou · 5 stars, Atout France

    For the views: it faces the ocean at Pointe Milou, on the water rather than on a beach.12

    Check availability

    Details about Hotel Christopher

    It has 42 rooms and suites.12

    Pointe Milou F-97133 St Barthélemy F.W.I

    Hotel's own website

  7. Hôtel Eden Rock

    Saint-Jean Bay · 5 stars, Atout France

    For the Baie de Saint-Jean: it stands on the bay itself, with 37 rooms.1

    Check availability

    Details about Hôtel Eden Rock

    Its current five-star classification was granted on 17 June 2026.1

    Baie de Saint Jean, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy

    Hotel's own website

  8. Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth

    Grand Cul de Sac · 5 stars, Atout France

    For size: with 66 rooms it is the largest of the eleven, on Grand Cul de Sac.1

    Check availability

    Details about Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth

    On the same bay as Le Sereno and Le Barthélemy.1

    Grand Cul de Sac, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy

  9. Hôtel Le Fouquet's Saint Barth

    Gustavia · 5 stars, Atout France

    For staying in Gustavia: the only one of the eleven in town, with 21 rooms.1,3

    Check availability

    Details about Hôtel Le Fouquet's Saint Barth

    It was classified five stars on 17 June 2026.1,3

    Rue des Normands, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy

    Hotel's own website

  10. Gyp Sea Hotel (formerly Villa Marie Saint-Barth)

    Colombier · 5 stars, Atout France

    For a small hotel on its own: the only one of the eleven at Colombier, with 22 rooms.1,8

    Check availability

    Details about Gyp Sea Hotel (formerly Villa Marie Saint-Barth)

    The register still lists it under its old name, Hôtel Villa Marie Saint-Barth.1,8

    Lieu dit Colombier, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy

    Hotel's own website

  11. Tropical Hotel & Beach

    Saint-Jean · 5 stars, Atout France

    For a small hotel above Saint-Jean: 23 rooms on the heights.1

    Check availability

    Details about Tropical Hotel & Beach

    Les hauts de Saint Jean, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy

    Hotel's own website

The eleven hotels compared, side by side1,3,4,5,6,9,10,11,12 · no prices: room rates change daily

Every hotel here is classified five stars in the official French register kept by Atout France, and all eleven are here, by the beach or bay they stand on. For some hotels, the address and room count come from the official register.

What sets each apart, from the hotels' own websites or the official register.

The eleven hotels compared
HotelWhereGood to know
Cheval Blanc St-BarthFlamands BeachThe only Palace in the Caribbean; airport and harbour transfers offered.
Le SerenoGrand Cul de Sac39 suites and 3 villas on about 600 feet of shoreline; family-owned.
Le Barthélemy Hotel & SpaGrand Cul de SacBeachfront; spa by Augustinus Bader.
Hotel ManapanyAnse des Cayes43 rooms, suites and villas.
Le Toiny HotelAnse de Toiny22 suites on a hillside, each with a large private pool.
Hotel ChristopherPointe Milou42 rooms and suites, on the water rather than a beach.
Hôtel Eden RockSaint-Jean Bay37 rooms; current five stars from June 2026.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St BarthGrand Cul de Sac66 rooms, the most of the eleven.
Hôtel Le Fouquet's Saint BarthGustavia21 rooms; five stars since June 2026.
Gyp Sea Hotel (formerly Villa Marie Saint-Barth)Colombier22 rooms.
Tropical Hotel & BeachSaint-Jean23 rooms, on the heights.

The one four-star backup

The official register lists one four-star hotel on St. Barts, so the backup is short.

  1. Le Village St Barth

    Saint-Jean · 4 stars, Atout France

    For a family hotel since 1969, with cottages and suites on the hillside above Saint-Jean Bay.1,2

    Hotel's own website

    Details about Le Village St Barth

    It has 25 rooms in the register.1,2

    Colline de St Jean, 97133 St Barthélemy

We list no room prices: rates change daily. "Check availability" opens our booking partner (Stay22) with live availability; if you book there we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. "Hotel's own website" goes straight to the hotel, with no commission. How we make money.

Shell Beach in Gustavia, St. Barthélemy, with turquoise water
Photo by Simone Mascellari 🇮🇹 on Unsplash

Why jets cannot land on St. Barts

The runway at Rémy de Haenen airport is 650 m long and open in daylight only, so it takes small turboprops, not business jets.13,15

Details

The island's airport, Rémy de Haenen (code SBH), is one of the shortest in the region, so it takes only small aircraft.

  • A 650-meter runway

    The runway is 650 m by 18 m (St. Barth tourism office), about 2,100 ft (Tradewind Aviation). It takes small turboprops, not business jets.13,15

  • Daylight only

    The airport opens at 7:00 a.m. and closes 15 minutes after sunset, between about 6 and 7 p.m. depending on the season, unless specially authorized.13

  • No direct long-haul flights

    Most travellers connect through St. Maarten (SXM), Guadeloupe (PTP), Antigua (ANU) or San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU), then take a short flight or a ferry.13

The private jet route

Schematic route: a private jet flies from the US to San Juan, St. Maarten or Antigua; a small turboprop or a ferry finishes the trip to St. Barts.USby private jetSJU San JuanPC-12, about 1 hSXM St. Maarten15 min hop · our pickANUabout 35 minSBH St. Barts650 m runway, daylight only

Fly your jet to San Juan, St. Maarten or Antigua, then change to a small turboprop for the last leg.13 St. Maarten is the shortest hop, about 15 minutes, against about 35 from Antigua and about 60 from San Juan.15,16

Details

Fly your jet to San Juan, St. Maarten or Antigua, then change to a small turboprop for the last leg. Tradewind Aviation flies a pressurized Pilatus PC-12 to St. Barts from San Juan in about 60 minutes and from Antigua in about 35, and offers a wing-to-wing transfer from a private jet at San Juan.15

From St. Maarten, St Barth Commuter flies Cessna Grand Caravans in 15 minutes, on scheduled flights or as a charter for travellers arriving on a private jet; charter prices are on request.16,17

By sea, ferries connect St. Martin and Sint Maarten with Gustavia several times a day, in under 60 minutes; a ferry company representative meets passengers at Juliana airport. Anyone who sets foot on the Dutch side, even in transit, fills in the Sint Maarten online entry form before the flight.13

If your dates are flexible, an empty leg to St. Maarten, San Juan or Antigua, a jet flying without passengers to its next job, can cost less than a normal charter; our guide to empty legs explains how they work and the catch.

For the last leg: St. Maarten and a 15-minute hop

Every private trip to St. Barts ends in a small aircraft or a boat. These are the three ways, with what the operators publish.

Our pick

Via St. Maarten (SXM) with St Barth Commuter

$224–$236a scheduled seat, one way

Best for: most trips: the shortest last flight, on scheduled seats or a charter.

  • About 15 minutes for the hop
  • Whole-aircraft charters on request13,16,17
More
  • The airport closes 15 minutes after sunset
  • The hop takes about 15 minutes.
  • A scheduled seat costs about $224 to $236 one way; whole-aircraft charters for private jet arrivals are on request.
  • Setting foot on the Dutch side, even in transit, means filling in the Sint Maarten online entry form before the flight.
  • St. Barts airport closes 15 minutes after sunset, so a late arrival waits for morning.

For a jet-to-plane transfer

Via San Juan (SJU) with Tradewind

Best for: travellers who want to step from their jet straight onto the next plane.

6 to 8 seats

  • About 60 minutes from San Juan
  • Wing-to-wing transfer from your jet15
More
  • A pressurized Pilatus PC-12
  • Tradewind offers a wing-to-wing transfer from a private jet at San Juan.
  • A pressurized Pilatus PC-12 for the last leg.
  • About 60 minutes from San Juan, against about 15 from St. Maarten.

If you prefer the sea

Ferry from St. Martin

Best for: travellers who do not mind a boat and want to skip the small plane.

  • Under 60 minutes each way
  • Several crossings a day to Gustavia13
More
  • Met at Juliana airport by a ferry company representative
  • Several crossings a day to Gustavia, in under 60 minutes.
  • A ferry company representative meets passengers at Juliana airport.
  • Under 60 minutes each way, against about 15 by air.

Before you go

US and Canadian citizens need a valid passport and a return or onward ticket, and the island uses the euro.13,19

Details

  • Passport

    US and Canadian citizens need a valid passport and a return or onward ticket, and no visa for stays of up to 90 days. The tourism office says the passport must be valid for more than six months on arrival; check the current rule with the US State Department before you travel.13

  • Euros

    St. Barthélemy uses the euro, the same notes and coins as mainland France.19

  • When to go

    The dry, milder season runs from December to May and the hot, humid one from June to November; the tourism office calls December to August the most pleasant.14

Questions people ask

Can a private jet land in St. Barts?

No. The runway at St. Barts is 650 m (about 2,100 ft) long and takes only small turboprops. Private jets land in St. Maarten, San Juan or Antigua, and you finish the trip in a small aircraft or by ferry.

How many five-star hotels are on St. Barts?

The official French register lists 11 hotels at five stars on the island (Atout France data, read 3 Nov 2026). This guide lists all of them.

How long is the flight from St. Maarten to St. Barts?

About 15 minutes on St Barth Commuter's Cessna Grand Caravans. From San Juan, Tradewind's PC-12 takes about 60 minutes; from Antigua about 35.

Do I need a passport for St. Barts?

Yes. US citizens need a valid passport and a return or onward ticket; the island's tourism office says it must be valid for more than six months on arrival.

Where every number comes from

JetChalet is an independent guide: we do not sell or operate flights and we do not book hotels ourselves. Every number on this page comes from the source named next to it, in our own words, with the day we read it. Prices are published ranges, not quotes. The small numbers next to each fact link here.

All 20 sources
  1. Atout France: register of classified hotels (open data on data.gouv.fr), checked 6 Nov 2026
  2. Le Village St Barth, checked 4 Nov 2026
  3. OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), searched through Nominatim, checked 4 Nov 2026
  4. Atout France: hotels with the Palace distinction (list of 2 June 2026), checked 3 Nov 2026
  5. Cheval Blanc St-Barth: contact and access, checked by hand on 6 Nov 2026
  6. Le Sereno: the hotel, checked 3 Nov 2026
  7. Le Sereno: villas, checked by hand on 6 Nov 2026
  8. Maisons & Hôtels Sibuet: Villa Marie Saint-Barth becomes Gyp Sea Hotel, checked 6 Nov 2026
  9. Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, checked 3 Nov 2026
  10. Hotel Manapany, checked 3 Nov 2026
  11. Le Toiny Hotel: the hotel, checked 3 Nov 2026
  12. Hotel Christopher, checked 3 Nov 2026
  13. St. Barth tourism office (Comité Territorial du Tourisme): travel and entry, checked 3 Nov 2026
  14. St. Barth tourism office: discover the island (seasons), checked 6 Nov 2026
  15. Tradewind Aviation: St. Barths, checked 3 Nov 2026
  16. St Barth Commuter: flights and fares St. Maarten to St. Barth, checked 3 Nov 2026
  17. St Barth Commuter: private charter flights, checked 3 Nov 2026
  18. IRS: Instructions for Form 720 (rev. June 2026), air transportation taxes, checked 6 Nov 2026
  19. IEDOM: euro notes and coins in the French overseas territories, checked 3 Nov 2026
  20. evoJets: pricing basics (seats and example aircraft per jet size), checked 3 Nov 2026

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