History

Discovery

Saint-Barthelemy was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and named after his brother, Barthélemy.

Colonization

Saint-Barthelemy was colonized for the first time in 1648 by people from the neighbouring island of St Kitts but this first colonization was not successful and in 1651 the Island was sold to the Order of Malta.

Purchased by France

In 1674 France bought Saint-Barthelemy from the Order of Malta. With no production of any sort, Saint-Barthelemy was soon considered useless.

French sailors from Normandy and Brittany found themselves there and improved conditions thanks to the important treasures captured from the Spanish Galleons. Little by little the pirates became traders, shop keepers, fishermen and small time farmers. The island was too small, too rocky and too dry to become part of the sugar economy of the larger islands.

Exchange with Sweden

By the treaty of 1st June 1784 between the king of Sweden, Gustave III and Loius XVI of France, Saint-Barthelemy was exchanged for the right of access by French Sailors to the port and warehouses of Gothenburg.

A Free port by Swedish law, Saint-Barthelemy eventually became the commercial centre and supply point for the different factions of the colonial wars during the 18th Century. This prosperous period terminated rapidly withy the cessation of hostilities and the change from sailing ships to steam ships.

Retrocession to France

A century later, by a treaty signed the 10th August 1877, Saint-Barthelemy was retroceded to France and attached administratively to Guadeloupe. The treaty guarantied the continuation of a free port and was approved by the people of Saint-Barthelemy by referendum.

1957

David Rockefeller purchased a property of 27 hectares (66 acres) for a few thousand dollars and started the progressive transformation of the island to “an exceptional site assuring tourists a family ambiance with privacy in the high season and a strong degree of security which distinguishes this destination from the other Caribbean islands.” The high price of a second home or a just a holiday on Saint-Barthelemy as well as the problems of access by airplane (only planes smaller than a 20 seater can land here) meant that only the most privileged tourists, wishing to keep this destination confidential, could come here. Tourism is the principal economy of the Island.

French Overseas Collectivities

On the 15th July 2007 Saint-Barthelemy became a “COM” or “Collectivité d’Outre Mer” Instead of being administered by Guadeloupe it is now administered by its own council and the “Mayor” has become “President”.

A villa is not just a villa…

Our philosophy: Every client is special and unique.

We hope to welcome you in the best conditions possible and have a very special concierge service in order to offer you the maximum of facilities.

Services included in your villa rental

A housekeeper will come every day except Sundays and bank Holidays. Regular maintenance of the garden and swimming pool. Certain villas offer “petit déjeuner” or breakfast.

Sheets, towels and beach towels are also provided.

Reservation of a villa

Ici et La at your service

With over 18 Years of experience in villa lettings on St Barthélemy we learnt long ago that everyone has his or her special conception of a holiday. We will therefore pay special attention to your requests and propose a villa that should suit your specific needs.

We visit all our rental villas on a regular basis and are well placed to guide you in your choice. Our objective is simply that you have an unforgettable holiday on our island.

Information

Full details of our rental villas can be found on our website. www.icietlavillas.com. Knowing how difficult it is to reserve a villa from a long way away we have tried to put on our website as much detailed information and as many photos as possible.

Efficiency

We will try to reply to all your requests as quickly as possible.

Car hire

After you have chosen and reserved your villa we suggest that you reserve a hire car. We are happy to make the necessary reservations as soon as you let us know the type of vehicle you desire.

Airport arrival and greeting

When you arrive at the airport and after passing immigration, collect your luggage and proceed, to the car hire booths situated to the far right as you leave the baggage collection hall. The Ici et La representative will find you and lead you to you villa.

At the villa you will be shown around and the function and working of all the equipment will be explained. Please feel free to ask about anything that is not clear.

We will give you the latest copy of our in-house magazine “Lodge Magazine” which has a welcoming letter and includes a list of useful telephone numbers including Ici et La (05 90 27 78 78), Emergency services and the local emergency services.

Delivery of shopping for your arrival

In order to make your arrival easy choose the simple way and as soon as your reservation is made send us a shopping list and your shopping will be at the villa for your arrival. This pleasant service is chargeable.

Ici et La will be pleased to offer you a complimentary bottle of wine and a bottle of water on your arrival.

Depending on the villa chosen it may be possible to offer as an additional service; breakfast, massage, personalised cosmetics or …. Please enquire.

Maximum occupation

Our villas are rented on the basis of two people per bedroom. In certain cases an extra bed for a child or a cot for a baby can be arranged.

Ici et La and the Hot-Line

Our offices are in Gustavia on the port.

Our opening hours are as follows:

Monday to Saturday: 8am until 7pm
Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays

In case of an emergency please call us on 0590 27 78 78 and a member of our team will reply.

Guest amenities

" Ici et La " is pleased to offer you a bottle of wine and water.

Depending of the villas, extra services can be provided (breakfast, massage…).

Internet

All of our villas have high-speed internet with the WiFi. This free service is in each villa description.

Concierge

We can organize the following services but please do not leave your request for the last minute.

Restaurants

It is better to reserve a restaurant especially in the high season. Many diffent styles of food are served in the numerous island restaurants. Do not hesite to aks our advice and recommendations.

Your private chef at the villa

To rent a villa on St Barthélemy is a dream so why not have that little extra and have a special lunch or dinner for you and your friends or just you. It is magic to be served an exquisite meal by the pool, overlooking the ocean.

Boat hire

With or without a skipper it is a pleasure to discover or re-discover St Barthélemy from the sea or to take the time to visit some of the surrounding islands.

Baby-sitting

A villa holiday is ideal for a family holiday but sometimes it is good to treat ones self. In order to look after your children a give you a time to yourselves, we can provide baby sitters most of whom will speak English. This can be arranged for an evening, a few hours here or there or for your day out.

Massage – Manicure – Pedicure

You have the choice between the calming ambiance of the numerous spas on the island that provide different types of therapeutic treatment or a massage in the privacy of your villa. Several different massages are proposed such as Shiatsu or Swedish.

Hairdressing

We can make an appointment for you either at the hairdresser of your choice or for a private hairdresser at your villa.

Fitness

St Barthélemy has a superb fitness centre with group or private sessions. We can arrange this at the villa.

Tennis

Practice or lessons? St Barthélemy has numerous tennis courts and professional teachers.

This list is not exhaustive so please do not hesitate to ask us about a service not mentioned here.