Hi Everyone, I'm new here and am planning to make my first trip to St. Barths this July. I've scoured information on every island in the Caribbean and

[Lana]

La Banane - how noisy exactly?

Hi Everyone, I'm new here and am planning to make my first trip to St. Barths this July. I've scoured information on every island in the Caribbean and am sure this island is the perfect place!
My husband and I will be travelling there for a week. Our dilemma is that we are not that fond of frilly or 'over the top' design (gilded furniture, lace, etc.) - we were hoping to find something that was more understated and modern. When I saw the design and room photos of La Banane it looked perfect - but we are also very quiet and private and I'm worried about the reviews and comments I've read about the noise and lack of privacy there.
This will be a very hard earned trip for two very tired people - my husband and I both run our own business and haven't had a vacation in years - and I'd like to make it as least stressful as possible. I read a review at tripadvisor.com where someone said they could actually hear the toilets in the next bungalows flushing at La Banane! Eeek! If someone could help us either better understand the negative comments I've seen, or perhaps guide us to another similarly designed/furnished hotel or villa (hopefully in the same price bracket) we'd be eternally grateful.
Also, perhaps I should ask this in a different post, but are there many bugs or mosquitos in July?
Thank you in advance.
Lana

 

[jdr]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

Lana,

My wife and I just got back our first trip to St. Barths and wrestled with the "where to stay" decision, having very similar requirements (and similar tastes from what you describe). We decided against la banane mostly because we wanted to be on the beach, but I was concerned about noise/ privacy.

Sereno Beach fit the bill. The rooms looked a bit tired in the pictures, and it is about to get major renovation. But, for the price of la banane, we got an ocean front suite that was very spacious. It had a large bedroom (king bed), a covered patio with a couch and table outside screen doors, and another patio in front of that with lounge chairs. On the whole it was spacious pretty sleak (but with floral fabrics), but not about to win any design awards. The grounds were wonderful, though.

The furnishings were not frilly, but the fabrics needed updating. But my wife has higher standards of design/space than I do and she was happy. The suite offers a ton of privacy - I was never sure if the adjacent suites were occupied or not. All in all, we loved being on Grand Cul-de-sac. It is not the best beach on the island, and I was prepared for that (basically it's protected by a reef, so the water is very calm, and there is seaweed). But it was extremely calm and relaxing.

The staff at Sereno was fabulous. Young, friendly and very warm (I'm bummed that they all have to find other work starting in the fall).

I'll have an extremely long trip report forthcoming with lots of pictures. I've been quiet while chipping away at it (it's rather unconventional), but am happy to answer any questions. It was our first time and it was everything we hoped for and more.

 

[Guest]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

You might want to check out this new hotel as previewed by Phil Stripling on his January trip to St Barts. See
http://www.cieux.com/stbarth/lesOndines.html

 

[Luciano]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

You may also wish to consider the Christopher in Pointe Milou. Friends have stayed there a number of times and have been very happy. More understated (no florals) and it has a lovely pool and a good Sunday brunch. It's right on the water, although not on a beach. However, the best part of being on the island is discovering the place, the beaches, the people, the restaurants. You've picked a great place in which to recuperate. You're going to have a lovely time.

 

[MIke R]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

you want quiet?....Auberge Petit Anse is one of the quietest best kept secrets....right on the water, next to Flammands....and priced good...providing you dont need pampering and opulence....apa@wanadoo.fr is the email.....good luck

 

[andynap]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

I looked at Les Ondines in February and it is as sleek and modern as it can get. It is a year old and almost all the rooms are on the water. If you don't like the beach in front of the hotel you have plenty of beach to pick from. It is also next to one of the best restaurants on the island- Gloriette. It also seems very quiet. Check the website.

 

[KathyD]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

I also looked at La Banane for it's modernist decor but decided against it for the lack of view and I was told by A rep at Wimco that mosquitos were a problem there because of the open air bathrooms..Instead last year I stayed at the Isle de France which is a bit more expensive but the rooms are incredible.Totally elegant, without being frilly..This year I am splitting my 10 days between The Christopher and IDF. The Christopher was recommended by a friend and gets consistently good reviews. The rooms are not as luxurious as IDF but have a similar feel and are less expensive which enables me to stay on the island for a few more days.I will also be there in July and last year we rarely had a problem with mosquitos. It's actually a great time to visit..no crowds,weather is great and you can't beat the off season prices.

 

[Cheri]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

Another vote for the Christopher. It's in the same price range as La Banane. We've stayed there twice and the rooms are very nice and not frilly. The upper rooms offer beautiful views and if you would choose this hotel, ask for a room on the end (furthest point from the hotel office) for more privacy. They serve an excellent continental breakfast or you can go to the restaurant for a fabulous full American breakfast. The restaurant is located right on the water, next to the lovely pool. Beautiful setting. As I'm sure you are aware, there are a lot of great villas to choose from. I would recommend that as well, but, the Christopher is an excellent choice for a hotel.

 

[LauraB]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

And there's also Village St. Jean on the St. Jean Hillside. The deluxe terrace cottages have great views and about as much privacy as is possible without a villa. (Villas in this price range are always a serious compromise, I've found.) The decor at VSJ, while not museum quality, is minimal and pleasant. Funny, in my trip report from last September, I used almost exactly the same words re: not liking ornate/frilly decor.

 

[desi]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

Lana,
My husband and I stayed in La Banane earlier this month and had a wonderful time there. We had no problems with noise from other rooms. We also didn't find the lack of a view a problem since the property is very soothing and pretty. We woke up every morning with the sun had breakfast by the pool. We spent every day at a different beach, our fave was Gouverneur. We spent our afternoons back at the hotel lounging under the shady palms around the pool reading and napping. We had drinks or tea in the evenings while checking out the design books in the well stocked bookshelves that are in the "lobby". We found the hotel to be secluded and chic, but not overbearing.
Stephane took great care of us during our stay. He was there in the mornings to serve breakfast and always gave us great advice on which beaches had the best snorkeling, sunbathing etc... In the evenings he whipped up great cocktails and suggested great places for dinner and drinks.
We also chose La Banane for the minimalist decor, we were very happy there and plan on staying there for our next trip to SBH. My husband and I also have our own business and found the hotel atmosphere preferable to the solitude of renting a villa. We departed La Banane and SBH feeling very relaxed and anticipating our return.
Whatever you choose have a lovely trip!

 

[Steve_in_STL]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

There are many wonderful places to stay on St. Barts, but if the question is whether La Banane is noisy, our experience in 2000 (before the renovation) was that it was very quiet and soothing. Really, a very sexy and sophisticated place to be. The bathrooms are open air, but that adds to the ambience and I don't believe it added to the mosquito population anymore than anywhere else. It has a beautiful pool. If there is a downside, it is that it is not on the beach, but you know that already. If that isn't a determining factor, I would be surprised if you have any complaints about lack of privacy or too much noise. Hope this helps!

 

[Lana]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

Thank you everyone for your insights - I've spent the last two days pouring over hotels and also villas and now I'm totally confused! But I figure that in the end whatever we choose we'll do ok - everything looks so amazing, really. I located the quote from tripadvisor.com for La Banane that took me aback a bit:

<font color="blue">
Hotel La Banane: "Rather disappointing"
Reviewer: A TripAdvisor User, Cambridge, MA, March 17, 2003
I recently stayed at La Banane in March 2003 on my fifth annual stay in St. Barth's. I had stayed in a very nice hotel prior to that but decided to try this decidedly more modern and secluded hotel. The room was certainly quite lovely though I was disappointed with the small size. There was no room to really walk around or sit in the room. The bathroom was certainly incredible though, with doors opening up from the bedroom onto our our private outdoor bath, with most of the area covered but the latter 1/3 of the area open to the sky with high walls surrounding us giving us full privacy yet affording us with a great view of the sky, surrounding mountain and palm trees. I was disappointed by the lack of privacy and solitude though. I could clearly hear the people in the room next to us, even when they spoke in a normal voice; even sounds such as their toilet flushing were clearly heard. Unfortunately, the whole open space of the hotel lobby area also allows for noises (from people swimming in the pool or laughing in the open reading area, for example) to be easily heard from our room which was located furthest away from that area. Most disappointing though was the staff's attempt to overcharge us by subtracting the 3 night deposit in euro we had paid 9 months ago (when the exchange rate was much more favorable to us) by calculating that amount in dollars exchanged to the current euro exchange even though they had received our deposit in euro 9 months ago rather than in dollars (thus attempting to making a nice profit courtesy of the different euro-dollar exchange rates today compared with 9 months ago). The two staff members present at our check-out were actually quite rude in the end. They obviously knew they were being dishonest and made no apology.I will continue vacationing in St. Barth's but would not recommend this hotel. There are superior hotels in St. Barth's that offer better service, privacy and relaxation.</font>

That review didn't exactly set my mind at ease - so we may end up somewhere else. Then again, some people just have a problem with everything so you never know if this was just a sour person who created their own problems. Also, I realize, it's a hotel, not a private home, so you're bound to come across and hear other people. We have a bit of time to figure it out, so I'll keep digging. Maybe we'll spring for a villa and have drinks at the hotel some evening instead.. Many thanks for all the suggestions though! The insight is very helpful!

 

[Guest]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

Check out lapaillote-stbarth@voila.fr on ti gourmet for bungalows and one villa with a pool above grand cul de sac-we stayed in a two bedroom bungalow whith huge ocean views, two bedrooms and two baths for 150 a night-no frilly stuff but all the basics and local owners nearby to offer any support needed.

 

[333333333]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

Thanks for your post. We'll be staying at the Sereno in July. Is the seaweed really that bad?
This is our first trip and we can't wait. I'm a little concerned about getting through St. Maarten. Any advice on getting to Air Caraibes?

 

[andynap]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly? Going thru SXM

If you are not using the in-transit gate it is easy. When you get off the plane you will follow everyone to the immigration booth where you will show your documents including the form you filled out on the plane- Keep that form safe- the offical will stamp it with the date. Get your bags, walk out of the airport to the sidewalk- turn left and walk down to the departing airline area and find Air Caraibes. Check in and then walk thru the airport to the departure area- there will be a Departure Tax Booth where you will show the Form that has the date stamped by immigration- you will pay nothing and will get a voucher allowing you to go to the departure area. If this sounds complicated, it isn't- the airport is not large and everything is within an easy walk.

 

[jdr]

Re: La Banane - how noisy exactly?

Thanks for your post. We'll be staying at the Sereno in July. Is the seaweed really that bad?

I wouldn't say it's that bad. It's there, and you can step around it if it bothers you. Here's a snippet from my journal (unpublished trip report):

We were prepared in advance that Grand Cul de Sac is not one of the