I took charge of my 50th birthday celebration so I could have total control over the details. After all I was checking off one on my bucket list! I was nervous booking this hotel as all I had to go by were the fabulous reviews. My travel agent tried to dissuade me as the hotel was not on her listings. I have to say Les Ondines surpassed all my expectations! Raphael and Isabelle you made my birthday a memory I will never forget. Thank you thank you.
Our suite looked out over the water and we had breakfast each morning prepared for us by Isabel\e and served on our patio each morning. She went out of her way to make sure we had everything we wanted.
The bathrooms are quite large and the bed is probably the best I have ever slept in.
The location is secluded but of course it is still only ten to fifteen minutes to any place on the island.
Les Ondines is not to be missed! I hope this doesn't mean I can;t get a room now!

Les Ondines was the perfect place!!! The beachfront rooms had gorgeous views and the first floor suite "Oceana" had easy access to the water. Breakfast of croissants, tea and fruit could be taken on your patio or by the pool. We opted for the patio. But what really made the stay was Raphael. From the moment he greets you at the ferry (we flew back to St. Maarten) he was the perfect host which was greatly appreciated after the horrible ferry ride. We decided to fly back to St. Maarten and Raphael happily assisted us in our change of travel arrangements as well as our extension of our rental car. We are planning our return to St. Barths and will absolutely stay at Les Ondines.

My daughter and I traveled with another family with children. We took the smallest room in the hotel (there are only 8 rooms) and the other family took a large suite. Our room was perfect for us. When eating dinner at the hotel, we usually had it on their balcony overlooking the ocean (ours overlooked the pool). I especially liked that all the rooms have kitchens and even a washer/dryer (although I have to admit I never bothered using ours). St. Bart's is magnificent. This hotel is very charming - the decor is absolutely lovely. But the best part is the people who work there - Raphael and Isabelle, particularly. Warm, kind, and helpful - they went out of their way to make sure we had a wonderful stay. We had everything we needed. The children loved having the pool. The proximity of a beach is nice, although we mainly went around the island exploring the undeveloped beaches (no hotels on them) - I recommend Colombiers, Salines and Gouverneur. There is a very nice restaurant within walking distance (Le Sereno). Driving around the island is great fun. Raphael arranged our car rentals and they worked out perfectly. Snorkeling is one of the great pleasures on the island (don't forget to bring snorkels!). St. Bart's and the hotel are so safe that you don't even need to lock doors - what a pleasure!

We booked at this hotel due to the rave reviews here and our expectations were exceeded! The beach front location is terrific, the hotel staff is very friendly and professional (loved the breakfast every morning on our balcony); Raphael did so much to make our stay terrific. We had the pool to ourselves the entire week - nice for a shady spot to read.
What other reviews left out was info on the nice restaurants within walking distance. An easy stroll up a quiet road is Le Sereno, an elegant 4-star hotel with a wonderful french restaurant, Le Pecheur (we loved the risotto), where we dined 3 of our 6 nights; La Gloriette is a great beach-front restaurant open for lunch daily and dinner Thurs - Sat. that is practically next door (the lobster salad is great tho pricey at 28 euros - but this is St. Barths). Corail restaurant (lunch) is next to La Gloriette but we did not try it. Hotel Guanahani has a nice beach bar that's a very short drive (can be seen from Les Ondines but road is too busy to walk to) & 2 restauarnts (but they open late - 8 & 9 p.m.)
Also down the beach on Grand Cul de Sac is a dive shop, wind suring and kite surfing lessons, and jet ski rental (jet skis aren't allowed in Grand cul de sac so they go beyond the bay). The bay is wonderful for swimming, shallow a long way out, and warmer water than the larger beaches like Saline. (The beach is sandy in front of Les Ondines, a little rocky further up). The kite surfers put on a great show on a windy day!
We found the beds in our room extremely comfortable and we had a great breeze every night (no need for the AC) so could drift off to the sound of the ocean surf. Our friends who stay in Saint Jean complained about the heat - no breeze - but not at Grand Cul de Sac - seems to always be breezy (hence, a wind surfers paradise).
My one concern, before arrival, was convenience to restaurants - well, no worries! Between Le Sereno, La Gloriette, Corail and the Guanahani, you'll have fine choices nearby.