St. Barts Villas by

Villa Mirande offers guests the quintessential St Barts villa layout, with two master bedrooms segregated on either side of its communal, open living area to ensure complete privacy. Each is ensuite, each gloriously faces the sea and each has a queen-sized bed. Then, for good measure, come two additional bedrooms downstairs, this time affording twins which can join to form king-sized beds depending on whether children or couples are staying.

You’ll also notice dashes of quintessential St Barts decor in that living area, including white pitched ceilings and colourful paintings. These lend homely warmth to otherwise-contemporary interiors: a large glass dining table, tasteful grey sofas and, in the vast kitchen space, bold black-granite countertops atop an extra refrigerator. A wide wall of windows can fold back to allow soft Caribbean breezes in, or air-conditioning is available for anyone working up a sweat in the bijou fitness room.

Most guests gravitate outside, however – and why wouldn’t they? Dotted with plenty of loungers, Villa Mirande’s balconied deck contains an infinity-edge plunge pool, while its west-facing position on Pointe Milou’s tropical hillside guarantees not just sea views but long hours of sunlight. Visible downhill is the upscale Christopher hotel, whose Sisley spa might tempt for outings, and a mere few minutes’ drive away are Lorient’s shops and reef-protected sandy beach.