A PLACE IN ST. BARTS: WIMCO'S CHOICES FOR CARIBBEAN SUMMER

-- NEWPORT, R.I., February 2001 -- Whether it’s the Hamptons or Hyannis, the summer scene is all too often the same old faces and places and things to do. WIMCO has an alternative: a selection of 20 hotel vacations on the most sophisticated islands of the Caribbean, including the crème de la crème:St. Barts. Given luxurious accommodations, fine dining, empty beaches and ideal beach weather, the Caribbean may easily be the best choice for an out-of-the-ordinary summer vacation. It’s even a bargain at long running off-season summer prices, which lasts for eight months (Apr.15-Dec.15). Here are just two examples from WIMCO’s Caribbean Summer Packages brochure:

The Carl Gustaf Hotel: Five nights in a one bedroom suite with private plunge pool, a bottle each champagne and rum, Continental breakfasts ensuite, round trip airport transfers, the use of a Mini-moke, free use of sauna and fitness salon, dinner at the Carl Gustaf Restaurant, a sunset cruise at Colombier Beach, taxes and service. Perched above the picturesque harbor of Gustavia and its luxury yachts, the Carl Gustaf Hotel is a tribute to the best in French Caribbean lifestyle. Hand-hewn stone walkways through tropical gardens lead to discreet, finely appointed suites with cathedral ceilings. The Carl Gustaf package is five nights for $2,800 for two people from May 1 through Oct.15, 2001.

The Christopher Hotel's "Pay 4, Stay 5" Package: Five nights accommodations, round trip airport transfers, a bottle of Caribbean rum and fresh fruit upon arrival, daily breakfasts, daily use of a Mini-moke, taxes and service. A garden of flowering hibiscus and palm trees surrounds the gracious, 41-room Christopher Hotel terraced into the Pointe Milou cliff above a secluded cove. A sprawling pool seems to spill into the turquoise sea beneath it and two restaurants feature the French Caribbean cuisine that has made St. Barts famous. There are also a fitness center and poolside snack bar. A five-night stay is $1,360 for two people from Apr. 1 through Dec. 20, 2001.

For WIMCO’s Caribbean Summer Hotel Packages brochure and a complete list of the WIMCO’s other properties, please email, call or fax, or visit the company’s website.

WIMCO is also issuing a 25th anniversary issue of its popular Vendome Guide to St. Barthelemy featuring over 200 distinctive private villa rentals on the island and the "inside" word on the hot and not so hot restaurants that have earned St. Barts the reputation as the Gourmet Capital of the Caribbean.