• 1. Where to Stay
• 2. Where to Eat
• 3. What to Do
• 4. Insider’s Tip
• 5. An Oddball Day

From left, the infinity pool at Eden Rock; the Padang Padang suite at Salines Garden Cottages.   (Photo: Courtesy of Eden Rock; Courtesy of Salines Garden Cottages)

At tony Eden Rock, book the Greta Garbo suite and land a private balcony with views of Fregate Island for €1,215*, an over 50 percent savings from peak prices. An even better deal is the summer “Pick Me Up” package, which includes one of the newer, simpler Contemporary Beach Rooms, car rental, snorkeling gear, and breakfast buffet for three nights for €1575.

Just up the hill, the well-situated Hotel Le Village St. Jean (from €130) offers basic but bright accommodations at a fraction of the cost of oceanfront properties. Rooms have newly retiled bathrooms and flat-screens, but upgrade to a cottage for a kitchenette and private balcony overlooking the bay for €50 extra a night. The beach is a five-minute walk away.

The best deals at the secluded, Christian Liaigre–designed Le Sereno Hotel (from €480) aren't advertised, so ask when you book for bargains like an upgrade from the Suite Terasse to Grand Suite Plage for direct access to the serene Grand Cul de Sac lagoon. Even if it's not available, you’ll still enjoy the private bar and sexy wood-and-granite bathrooms in all 27 sleek villas and suites.

On the south side of St. Barts, the Saline Garden Cottages (€80) are the island’s most affordable. The five geographically themed suites (from the Bali-chic Padang Padang to the Moroccan Essaouira) don’t have televisions, but they’re Wi-Fi-ready, stocked with Ligne St. Barth toiletries, and just a two-minute drive—or ten-minute stroll—from Saline Beach.

* Dollars are accepted on the island all year around, but during the off-season, many hotels and restaurants honor a €1 for $1 ratio. We list prices in € for this reason.

Published on Jul 14, 2008 as a web exclusive.