Open since 1953 on St. Jean Beach. Thirty-seven rooms in the cliff-and-cove icon — the original St. Barts luxury hotel where Greta Garbo, Howard Hughes, and the international jet-set wintered in the 1950s and 1960s.
"Open since 1953 on St. Jean Beach. The original St. Barts luxury hotel — where Greta Garbo and Howard Hughes wintered."
Eden Rock — St Barths opened in 1953 on St. Jean Beach — the central beach on St. Barts' eastern coast — as the original St. Barts luxury hotel and the property that effectively introduced international luxury tourism to the island. The original property was built by Rémy de Haenen, who later became St. Barts' first mayor; in 1995 the British Matthews family (David and Jane Matthews, the parents of Pippa Middleton's husband James Matthews) acquired the property and have operated it continuously since with comprehensive restoration. Oetker Collection (the German luxury hotel brand) operates the property under the Matthews family ownership. The 37 rooms are distributed across the main beachfront cottages and the cliff-and-cove rock formations that give the property its name.
The 37 accommodations split between the entry-level Beach House Rooms (in the beachfront cottages with direct St. Jean Beach access), the Cottages (individual standalone cottages on the property's grounds), the Suites including the Howard Hughes Suite (named for the property's most famous early-1960s guest), and the multi-bedroom Villas including Villa Rockstar (an 8-bedroom standalone villa with recording studio, used by celebrity rock-musician guests). Every accommodation is individually designed; the interiors integrate restored 1953-era architectural features with curated contemporary art and the consistent Oetker-Collection family-owned aesthetic.
The grounds — the property's St. Jean Beach allocation, the heated outdoor swimming pools, the small spa, the fitness centre, and the multi-restaurant complex on the rock formations — make Eden Rock comprehensively-equipped despite its boutique scale. The cliff-and-cove rock formations that connect the property are the property's defining feature; the cliff-side dining rooms have direct ocean drops below.
Dining is at three main restaurants. Sand Bar is the headline beachfront contemporary international fine-dining on St. Jean Beach. Rémy is the cliff-side cocktail bar. The Beach Bar is the casual all-day. The wine programme is heavily French and Champagne-focused. Service is the consistent Oetker-Collection-Matthews-family-owned standard. Eden Rock — St Barths is the historic St. Barts luxury hotel and the answer for travellers who want the 1953-heritage cliff-and-cove setting with the Matthews-family operational sensibility.
The St. Barts honeymoon at the historic Eden Rock. Book a Beach House Room or, for milestone honeymoons, the Howard Hughes Suite. The St. Jean Beach access; Sand Bar dinner; the cliff-side cocktails at Rémy. The 1953-heritage cliff-and-cove setting produces the historic St. Barts honeymoon experience.
For anniversaries the multi-bedroom Villas (particularly Villa Rockstar for milestone group anniversaries) are the right scale. Oetker Collection handles vow renewals on the cliff or beach, private chef dinners, and milestone arrangements with the Matthews-family discretion.
Eden Rock's St. Jean Beach setting and the Sand Bar and Rémy nightlife make it a strong St. Barts bachelor/bachelorette option. Multi-bedroom Villas (Villa Rockstar particularly) work for groups; the property regularly hosts celebrity-level group bookings.
Baie de Saint-Jean
97133 Saint Barthélemy, French Caribbean
St. Jean Beach central coast; 5 min from St. Barts (SBH)
37 accommodations
Beach House Room from €1,500/night
Cottage from €2,500
Suite from €4,500
Howard Hughes Suite from €8,500
Villa Rockstar (8-bed) from €40,000
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Minimum stay: 3 nights (7+ Christmas/New Year)
Open since 1953
Matthews family-owned (since 1995)
Oetker Collection operations
St. Jean Beach cliff-and-cove
Villa Rockstar (8-bed with recording studio)
Open: late October – August
Peak: December–April (book 6+ months ahead)
Best value: late October–early November, May–June
High-speed WiFi throughout
Reliable signal in all accommodations
The property's pace suggests using it less
From €1,500/night. Christmas/New Year books 12+ months ahead. Villa Rockstar needs direct Matthews family contact.
Book This Hotel →40 rooms on Flamands Beach. LVMH's Cheval Blanc Maison — the most polished modern Caribbean luxury.
37 villas on Grand Cul-de-Sac lagoon by Christian Liaigre. Most refined design-luxury St. Barts.
22 villas with private pools on Toiny Beach. The most exclusive private-pool-villa St. Barts.