Letter from the Editor - May 2019

Rest and relaxation, the goal of every planned time off from our normal schedules. Yet, the complications of delays, travel disruptions, meal planning, organizing activities and finding some time to actually read the book you brought leave little actual time for rest and relaxation. Enter the travel concierge.

My new best friend and yours, a travel concierge service picks you up and drops you off, whisks you through the airport lines and immigration systems, delivers bags to your door, makes dinner reservations, stocks the fridge with anything you desire and climbs up on the roof to fix the WiFi connection. On my latest travel experience to St-Barths, we engaged the services of multiple concierges in San Juan, St-Marten and Gustavia. We put them to the test with our group of 11 that arrived on different days on different flights in different terminals on different islands. “Just send us your itineraries,” they told us. It was flawless. Not only did we feel like VIPs, we were VIPs who never filled out a customs form or carried a bag. In St-Barths, our concierge arranged dinner reservations for our group of 11 during peak season, sometimes on the same day. Simply mentioning our concierge by name to the maître d’ initiated a nod and smiling welcome while being escorted to our table.

As we explored every angle of the island to bring you this month’s Bespoke Guide to St-Barth, we not only appreciated the work that’s gone into the development of St-Barths over the years, but the Herculean efforts to rebuild following the devastating Hurricane Irma. Inspiring chefs, hotel owners and management companies, whose stories we explore in this months edition, touched our hearts. “It Takes a Village,” by William Smith recounts the critical days and months after the storm passed, focusing on the island community that joined forces to clean up and build back better.

Having just visited some of the newly re-opened hotels and restaurants, as well as seeing the progress on other construction sites, we bring you our top destinations for hotels, spas, beaches, restaurants, fitness and nightlife. That way you can simply give your concierge our list and let him or her to the hard work.