The glamorous Carl Gustaf in Gustavia was named, with a nod to history, for the current King of Sweden. A bit of the story here is that Swedes took possession of St. Barth from the French back in the 18th century. They renamed the town, Gustavia to honor their then king, Gustav III and interestingly, declared it a free port. The French later reacquired the island but charming touches of Sweden remain, as does the duty-free port. And to think all of this happened long before the birth of Dolce or Gabbana, the invention of Seven Jeans or even Tennis bracelets.

The hotel’s name suits it well as it rises regally above the picture-postcard town and its fairytale, Lilliputian harbor; Elegant and boutique-y compact, the lobby, bar, restaurant and pool all blend together. It works beautifully. If the spirit moves you during lunch you can just slip into the pool for a cooling dip. The bar is justly famous as a venue for sunset cocktails, a venerable tradition in St. Barth. They mix a mean Mojito …..and a little tapas to go with?

There are 14 individual one-and two-bedroom villa suites, each angled into the hillside for maximum views, and surrounded by lush tropical foliage. We were delighted on our recent inspection to see the renovations and new décor. The living area’s dark wicker pieces upholstered in rich prints have a colonial feel, and the flat screen TVs, iPod docks and Wifi anchor you in the 21st century. The bedrooms are beautifully appointed, and the elegant ensuite marble baths have those multi-jet showers – love that. And there are dressing rooms and closets big enough to hold oh, say 1000 thong bikinis and matching flip flops.

Each suite opens to a private terrace with its own plunge pool – and the view? You look over the red-tile roofs to the boats gently bobbing in that oh-so-quaint harbor. Enchanting. Should you be inclined to cook-in there are brand new shiny kitchenettes with granite countertops, glass cooktops, microwave, fridge et al.

Being in the heart of Gustavia puts you in walking distance of oodles of chic restaurants, bistros and sidewalk cafes and all those trendy boutiques for shopping. Those Swedes had the right idea. You are also just a short walk from the famous Shell Beach. The hotel offers a shuttle service to St. Barth’s many gorgeous beaches.

A Few of Our Favorite Things :

• Sunset cocktails – the dramatic sunset and then watching the harbor come alive with twinkling lights
• An outing on the 52 foot luxury yacht, Carl Gustaf III with a picnic lunch and a little bubbly

Who Would Just Love it Here

Honeymooners – it’s romantic as all get-out; families – the suites provide a villa life style with all the services of a hotel, and all those who love the buzz of being in the center of things.