With its four-year and $40-million renovation now complete, Hotel Guanahani & Spa, Saint Barthélemy’s only full-service boutique hotel, recently announced its grand debut as Le Guanahani.
Le Guanahani’s Managing Director, Martein van Wagenberg joined forces with a team of top creative consultants from David M. Schwarz Architects, Luis Pons Design Lab and Pentagram to recast the hotel into the irresistible private enclave it has now become. While a four-year renovation led by David Schwarz and Luis Pons reinvigorated the property’s layout and interiors to heighten Le Guanahani’s exclusive and residential feel, van Wagenberg tapped into Pentagram to redefine the property’s overall brand identity. Together, a new vision for Le Guanahani debuts-one that translates a casually elegant private retreat and a relaxed, timeless, colorful nirvana for today’s contemporary traveler.
“Today’s travelers seek a refreshing experience led by simple pleasures, conspicuous leisure, dedication to sustainability, and an authentic, localized experience,” said van Wagenberg. “The evolution of Le Guanahani responds to this need for experiential travel. We want our guests to be transported into Le Guanahani’s colorful, lush, invigorating and serene setting, from the moment their eyes meet the website to the dinner on the beach with their feet in the sand.”
Le Guanahani’s new look encompasses a captivating tropical landscape, 67 vibrantly hued guest cottages–including “Creole Contemporary” and “Explorer” styles–and spacious new suites with an enhanced arrival experience. The new identity is translated through the hotel’s new design, logo, creative assets and programs including a brand new website that echoes Le Guanahani’s organic sense of place with new imagery and seamless navigation. Le Guanahani’s colorful guest cottages dress the property’s landscape in bright hues of turquoise, yellow and lavender, evincing the relaxed identity of the property.
Luis Pons’ contributions to the redesign were inspired by the functionality and essence of one single object, a Panama hat. “The Panama hat is the perfect example of function and style, and by tipping your hat, serves as a welcome gesture and embodies hospitality,” expresses Pons. The Panama hat is the heart of Le Guanahani’s reinvention, both from a design and brand standpoint. Each element, from the guest cottages and dining areas, to the room keys, letterhead and website are designed to welcome, delight and make one feel at home while embodying the property’s art de vivre ambiance. The re-imagined lobby and “Explorer Style” guest cottages feature an exclusive Le Guanahani custom furniture collection, designed by Luis Pons and inspired by the luggage chests used by explorers on their journeys through the colonies. The spirit of the redesign, says Pons, “reflects St. Barth and the experience of Le Guanahani as a lived-in story of simple pleasures, maps of life, and memories of happy times and magical days that drift serenely from one to the next.”
As a protected nature reserve with hiking paths that weave through the lush landscapes of the property, the hotel boasts the most comprehensive spa on St. Barth, the Spa by Clarins, and a variety of programs to encourage good health, fitness and personal growth. Several new offerings launching in 2015, including the launch of bi-annual interactive wellness retreats guided by leading experts from the U.S. and France, will help guests further achieve holistic health and fitness. To reflect on van Wagenberg’s and the island’s affirmation in sustainability, educational activities will also be introduced for children, families and multi-generational groups to benefit wildlife in the bay. Le Guanahani continues to strive as a leader in the sustainable tourism industry, and recently became a member of the Green Globe Certification Program.
