Off-Season, On Point: St. Barths

by Scott Lipps, One Management

First published on www.style.com, June 2014. Reprinted with permission from Style

June, 2014

The sun setting over St. Jean Beach

Ah, a summer holiday. Who doesn’t love one? When I heard from friends like Leandra Medine, a.k.a. the Man Repeller, that St. Barths this time of year was awesome, I just had to indulge and visit this magical place. (Turns out I wasn’t the only one, as Natalie Joos, Erin Wasson, Jake Rosenberg a.k.a. The Coveteur, and Ivan Rodic a.k.a. The Facehunter had just been, too).

I have been to St. Barths every Christmas, more or less, for some years now. It’s the only place where you can see Paul McCartney signing the New Year’s Eve countdown in front of thirty people at a restaurant, or where you can be on a boat with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas while Bon Jovi sings (this would never happen to me in New York). But I had never been in the slower summer season.

Villa WV DSA

This island is so magical and unique, it’s hard to figure out where to start. It offers something other islands can’t. The villa (Villa WV DSA, via WIMCO) in St Jean was incredible, and it’s hard to imagine staying any other place now. We woke up in our villa every morning with a view to die for, overlooking the beach and the turquoise water. How could one not want to get used to this? For a moment, there I was kicking around the sound of “One Management St. Barth’s,” and thought it was a funny (if not amazing) idea—in a perfect world one day.

Villa WC ECO, another amazing
pool and Erin Cullison.

Snorkeling, taking in sunsets, swimming in the amazing clear waters, getting massages by the villa’s pool, eating in great restaurants, riding Jet Skis... They have it all here. You don’t feel as removed as you might on other islands where you are totally disconnected. It’s normal to see a Victoria’s Secret photo shoot going on here, or to run into a supermodel at a low-key restaurant. We lunched at La Plage, at Tom Beach (awesome), took a hike to Colombier Beach and got our tan on.

This time, we flew both in and out of San Juan, with Tradewind Aviation, on a much bigger plane than I had taken a few years back, and it was awesome, smooth as can be, with incredible views. Our agent at WIMCO set up our flights, rental car, then made sure we had great concierge service during our stay (thanks to a fine young man named Moe).

Me standing on a rock
at Colombier Beach.

Now I understand why the fashionable are flocking to St. Barths this time of year. Don’t you want to, too?

Photos: Courtesy of Scott Lipps