It was during a trip to the West Indies that Marie Sibuet fell in love with Saint-Barth. Such was her love affair that her parents, Jocelyne and Jean-Louis, and her brother Nicolas, with whom she co-manages Les Maisons et Hôtels Sibuet, soon joined her in dreaming up a Caribbean address of their own. A year later, they opened a jewel of a tropical chic boutique hotel on the heights of Colombier: Gyp Sea Hotel. That was ten years ago. Since then, they've created two other places to enjoy with your feet in the sand, right on the bay of Saint-Jean. Two secret places with a raw, colorful decor, where you can savor the wild charm of this piece of paradise in no-fuss luxury.

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"Gyp Sea is like many of our stories," says Nicolas Sibuet. It's about a journey and a place we wanted to go to, and, as with most of our addresses, the desire to share it." An idyllic place of untamed beauty between sky blue and lagoon blue."

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It was by chance that the Sibuet family caught wind of an address that had been abandoned for several years. A veritable institution on the island, prized for its restaurant and wine cellar, François Plantation boasts a superb colonial building perched on the heights of Colombier, overlooking the Bay of Flamands. When my father came back and presented us with this project, everyone got excited," says Nicolas. In just a fortnight, we headed out there as a family to soak up the destination and visit the place." In the spring of 2015, the family settled into François Plantation, acquired just a few months after their visit, and completely renovated it. And as if that weren't enough, they had 21 bungalows and villas with private pools built on the hotel's heights to open the following year.

H I L L S I D E

Boutique Hotel with View

Gyp Sea Hotel is located on the heights of Colombier, where Rockefeller took up residence in the 60s and launched the destination to the jet-set and ultra-rich clientele, particularly from the USA. A confidential boutique hotel set in a luxuriant setting, Gyp Sea Hotel offers a colorful and delicate blend of exceptional fabrics, antique objects, handicrafts and fine furniture, all custom-made in India and Indonesia.

"I wanted a colonial feel and antique pieces, but also to highlight the craftsmanship that is the signature of all our homes," explains Jocelyne Sibuet. Having difficulty finding large antique pieces, she had them custom-made in Asia: Syrian mother-of-pearl chests of drawers, small pieces of furniture such as bamboo desks, shell chandeliers, colonial chairs and beds with large posts for canopies... A decor of luxury that is both sophisticated and relaxed, inspired by the West Indies and its sunny hues: bougainvillea pink, turquoise, canary yellow... "Each room is different, with a spirit of elegance and elegance. Each room is different, with a personalized spirit. The villas are like homes, with their intimate swimming pools. As for the view, it's spectacular," continues Jocelyne.

Varangue adjoining the lounges, decorated with wooden birds that have suspended their flight, lounges and restaurant (which has kept its name, François Plantation) in white and sunny yellow, free-standing bathtub on a rock face, canopy beds, mirrors and chandeliers set with shells... The gardens, revisited by botanical enthusiasts Jean-Louis and Nicolas, are as colorful as the hotel itself, with their hyacinth ponds and shady paths lined with latana, lemon and mango trees, where white butterflies flutter in bunches. And let's not forget the bean-shaped pool lined with coconut palms, pink orchids and palm trees.

All that's missing is a waterfront extension to satisfy the desires of the wealthy clientele of this 24 km² confetti set in crystal-clear waters. By the time they had erased the traces of Hurricane Irma, which passed over the island in 2017, and reopened one of the first hotels on the island the following spring, the Sibuets were looking for a place with their feet in the sand. As luck would have it, they found a plot of land right on the beach of Baie de Saint-Jean. A resolutely idyllic beach of fine white sand lapped by crystal-clear waters. The perfect spot for a chill, sophisticated robinsonnade. This is where they decided to create their Beach Club. An adventurer at heart, Nicolas spearheaded the project and set to work, despite Covid putting the planet on hold to open at the end of 2020.

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B E A C H S I D E

A Bohemian Beach Club

Here, you can stroll barefoot without worrying about time, which has no hold on you, as you move from a soft indigo sofa to a deckchair under the coconut trees, on one of Saint-Barth's most beautiful beaches. "We've deliberately cultivated the beach club spirit: a bohemian place with its feet in the sand, very chill and family-friendly," explains Nicolas. Popular with the happy few and locals alike, the mood here is one of indolence with a touch of chic. From a siesta to the sound of lapping water to a game of backgammon, from a paddle in the lagoon-blue bay to a grilled fish of the day, everything about this Beach Club says Caribbean sweetness. Fresh fruit cocktails, homemade popsicles, coconut banana fritters... A lively, cheerfully colorful address where you can also take a yoga class, enjoy a massage, dance the afternoon or evening away to eclectic French-Caribbean playlists. And, with your skin still salty, you can fall in love with the gypset wonders gleaned by Marine at the Gyp Sea Bazaar, where irresistible Gyp Sea collabs and talented designers, one-offs and limited editions are all on display.

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B E A C H S I D E

Tropical Houses

Fortunately, to complete this postcard setting and their "destination", the Sibuet family is fortunate enough to find a beautiful site right next to the Beach Club, perfect for putting down their suitcases on the water's edge. By the time the land had circled the sun twice, four luxury cottages with à la carte hotel services, the Gyp Sea Beach Houses, had been built just a stone's throw from the lagoon. A project dear to Nicolas, who designed every detail, and which opens in full this year. "We wanted small, cosy houses with a wild spirit that is in the DNA of this island," confides Nicolas. With one to three bedrooms, these independent villas, each with its own swimming pool and tropical garden overlooking the beach, cultivate the colorful refinement that is the hallmark of Maisons et Hôtels Sibuet. These are personal places, set apart from the rest, with a natural, sophisticated elegance, resolutely in harmony with their destination. "Each villa features artist's pieces, such as the wooden compositions by Lisbon artists Oficina Marques," explains Jocelyne. A raw, handcrafted yet precious side, where beaded armchairs from Niger, Malawi chairs, bamboo, rope and rattan furniture, exceptional, finely embroidered fabrics, gilded coconut lamps from the 50s and 60s all come together... A magnificent setting for a chic robinsonnade, complemented by a host of à la carte hotel services such as daily housekeeping, breakfast wherever you like, private chef, dinner on the beach, excursions to the island's best-kept spots or to the seabed... A wildly elegant address in the original DNA of this Caribbean pearl, just off Gustavia where the island's heart beats at night. Paradise? This is it.