Last Updated on July 7, 2024 by Eve Dawes
Discover paradise at Gyp Sea St. Barts ultra luxury hotel in St Barts
Gyp Sea St Barth aka Gyp Sea hotel St Barts comes up in every best hotels in St Barts article and review and for good reason. Actually there’s multiple reasons Gyp Sea hotel ranks as one of the top hotel in St Barts! Luxury hotels in St Barts are a dime a dozen but when you want views, a beach club and phenomenal service the search quickly narrows down and Gyp Sea Hotel St Barts made that cut. In this Gyp Sea Hotel St Barts review I’m covering our room type, food, amenities, service, pros and cons, Gyp Sea beach club and whether I recommend it. It was really the panoramic views of the island and ocean and free Gyp Sea Beach Club access that sold us. As well as the many perks of booking through American Express. Here’s everything you need to know before booking Gyp Sea St Barth and the one major highlight no other review seems to mention!
This post is not sponsored and we paid in full, however it does contain affiliate links which do not affect the price.
Why we chose Gyp Sea Hotel St Barts
It was my husband who found this luxury hotel in St Barts. As it was rated one of the top hotels in St Barts on pretty much every hotel booking site from hotels.com to Expedia.
It was also one of the few still available as we booked very last minute. The top deciding factors compared to the other 5 star hotels available were:
- The views from the hotel rooms private terraces.
- The unique tropical boho design and decor which had character and felt authentic versus being too clinical and modern.
- Free shuttle to their beach and free Gyp Sea Beach Club St Barth entry and loungers.
- The rooms they had available.
- The claw tub bath.
- It was available to book on Amex.
- Location: 10 minutes from Gustavia, the airport and St Jean Beach.
Gyp Sea St Barts review
There are lots of St Barts hotels to choose from. Here’s why we choose Gyp Sea St Barths hotel, resort and Gyp Sea beach club. Along with my full Gyp Sea St Barts review, why we chose the hotel villa over the beach house, how to get to St Barts, why we booked through American Express and everything else you need to know about this luxury St Barths hotel.
Gyp Sea St Barts Havane Villa
We stayed in Gyp Sea Suite Havane Villa in Saint Barthélemy which is located at their main hotel not one of the beach houses and were really happy with our room choice.
Would it have been cool to have a private pool villa, yes! Was it in our budget, no! And I don’t know how much we’d have used a private pool anyway as we were at GypSea Beach every day.
The room was spotless and easy to get to via their golf buggy which you called whenever you needed it. It’s a short walk which we’d do in the day but it’s up a steep heel which I wasn’t attempting in heels at night.
The Havane Villa is large suite (786 ft²) with a sweeping sea and island view from it’s private terrace. The highlight of this villa besides the view is the jacuzzi.
There’s also all the basics like TV’s, a minibar, safe, wireless internet (which is pretty slow) and air conditioning.
The bathroom has a claw bath tub which is fabulous but we didnt use as we used the jacuzzi on the balcony instead. 2 sinks, a shower with both a rainfall and hand held shower and separate toilet.
Like all rooms at Gyp Sea St Barth, it also includes free sun beds at their private GypSea beach (reservations needed).
Is it better to stay at Gyp Sea hotel or beach houses
If you want to stay somewhere quiet with fabulous panoramic views I’d recommend booking one of the hotel villas.
If you prefer a more bustling area, check out the brand new Gyp Sea Beach Houses which opened in November 2023. They’re located right next to Gyp Sea Beach Club St Barth and absolutely stunning.
They beach houses are larger than most of hotel villas and more expensive. However, it does give you the option to choose whether you prefer quiet or bustling, views or the convenience of being on the beach.
Gyp Sea St Barts breakfast
I always look forward to breakfast on vacation as it’s so much more relaxed than my breakfast at home which is normally sat in front of my work computer. At Gyp Sea it’s leisurely and served either inside if it’s raining or by the pool if it’s sunny. The major highlight of breakfast for me wasn’t the food but the turtles which roam freely around the resort.
Breakfast is free on most of the hotel booking sites including American Express. However, to be clear the free breakfast is only the left page of the breakfast menu. You have to pay the listed amount for anything on the right side of the menu which we weren’t told and didn’t realize until the end.
There is a pretty good selection including different egg dishes, pastries, waffles, fruit, etc and everything had so much flavor. The service was also warm and efficient.
Gyp Sea St Barts amenities
One thing I didn’t notice on any of the Gyp Sea hotel St Barts reviews was any mention of their turtle sanctuary. Being an animal lover, this was one of the biggest highlights for me that everyone else seems to overlook.
There’s also a small but well equipped and air conditioned gym / fitness room. Which we didn’t use and I didn’t see anyone else use but it’s nice to have the option.
There’s also a bar which is well stocked but closes early. It was closed when we came back from dinner at 9:55pm. Again, we never saw anyone at the bar, patrons or staff but it was off season (late June) when we went.
The pool is a little tropical oasis that’s very lush and quiet. If you want music and a day club go to St Jean beach. If you want to relax, chill at the pool which is also pretty well shaded.
The best amenity IMO, is the free shuttle and free access to Gyp Sea Beach Club St Barth. We went every day but only ate there once. As we also wanted to try Eden Rock and Nikki Beach which are both on the same beach (St Jean Beach). More on those on my YouTube.
Gyp Sea Beach St Barts
There are 3 beach restaurants on St Jean Beach St Barts, Nikki Beach and Eden Rock but only Gyp Sea and Nikki are beach clubs.
Nikki Beach St Barth is where you go to see and be seen, turns into a party on the weekends and is chill on weekdays. They also do a really good lobster linguine.
Gyp Sea beach is where you go for the epitome of excellent service. They were even brushing the sand off of our towels every time we stood up. There’s music but it’s not loud, fun cocktails and a fairly extensive lunch menu from burgers to fresh fish.
However, it’s where you come for a more low key, leisurely day on the beach than the more buzzy Nikki Beach.
Gyp Sea St Barts | The downside
I’ll always tell you both the good and bad so there’s no shocks or disappointments but the pros far outweighed any cons to us. The only downsides, which are more relevant to the whole island rather than the hotel:
There are lots of mosquitoes but that’s not just at the resort but all over the island of Saint Barths. So definitely bring insect repellent. Although even that didn’t deter them from biting me.
Take ear plugs and an eye mask if you’re a light sleeper. My husband slept like a log but the insects, birds and wind kept me awake.
Taxi’s are very expensive. Yes, the whole islands expensive but the taxis in St Barts are on another level! The taxi from Gyp Sea Hotel to Tamarin restaurant which is about 10 minutes away was 50 Euro! So you might want to consider hiring a car. As there’s free parking at both the hotel and beach club who will valet it for you.
Gyp Sea St Barts review | Would I recommend it
Yes, I’d absolutely recommend staying at Gyp Sea St Barts. It’s easy to see why it’s one of the top hotels in St Barts. From the moment we checked in and were welcomed with rosé wine and their cat to the moment we left. We had the most wonderful experience and couldn’t fault the service.
I could have stayed looking at the views from our room forever! The location is also very convenient for getting to the airport, ferry, St Jean beach and Gustavia if you’re planning on doing any shopping.
Benefits of booking through American Express
We booked Gyp Sea Hotel through the American Express travel portal which included several benefits including.
- Free room upgrade (when available).
- Early check in (when available).
- Guaranteed 4pm checkout.
- $100 hotel credit.
Sign up for AMEX.
Book Gyp Sea Hotel & other best hotels in St Barts
I’ve listed a few sites so you can compare prices. As well as couple of other top hotels in St Barts like Eden Rock.
How to get to St Barts from Saint Martin
There are a couple of ways to get to St Barts if you’re not coming in on your private yacht.
One is by plane and having done both the plane and ferry, is the way I highly recommend. It’s not much more (95-130 Euros) than the ferry. it takes around 10-15 minutes which is way quicker than the ferry. It’s also way more scenic, feels more special, and there’s no chance of getting sea sick.
We used St Barth Commuter Flights who met us off of the plane and guided us through the airport to the gate. The plane also left as soon as the other 2 passengers arrived so we got to St Barths an hour early!
The other option is to take a ferry from Phillipsburg or Marigot in St Martin to Gustavia in St Barts. Which costs around 85Euroe each, takes 45 minutes and often runs late. There’s also the chance to get sea sick which has happened to me both times we’ve taken it.
Best restaurants in St Barts
I’m going to write a whole article on this but to summarize here:
I highly recommend La Petite Plage for dinner. It was our favorite by far for the ambience (dine with feet in sand), service, food with so much flavor and fish that melted in your mouth.
Rosewood was disappointing. The no atmosphere and faux filet isn’t filet but fatty NY strip steak.
Tamarin restaurant was also over rated. Yes, it’s a beautiful, lush location and romantic but there were no winesI liked (am I’m not particularly fuzzy when it comes to wine). They were also out of their Beef Wellington which was the only thing I wanted.
For lunches on the beach Eden Rock Sand Bar is lovely for a very relaxed lunch that’s not at all stuffy or pretentious and family friendly. Nikki Beach for fabulous food and a buzzy scene. Gyp Sea beach for a quiet, laid back lunch with your feet in the sand but it doesn’t have the views the other 2 do.
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