St Barts Hotels :: Eden Rock

When you’re ready to book a room at a St Barts hotel, it can be tempting to check out TripAdvisor and follow other travelers reviews.  I have used it, and often times, it works out really well.  But, I caution you to not follow them too closely because often times, they’re not quite as helpful as you think.

Here’s one prime example of what I’m talking about.  This information is not 100% reliable, and here’s why:

1. It’s a complete mess.  Take a good look at the list.  The list intermingles reviews about St Barts hotels and St Jean hotels…..and the St Jean hotels have their own separate list over here.  As you well know, St Barts is so small that it doesn’t even make sense to make a separate list for St Jean.  Overall, the list they provide is confusing and hard to read.
2. It’s not up-to-date.  Number 5 on the list is the Christopher Hotel, which has been closed for the last 6 months, and I’m beginning to believe that it will never re-open.
3. It’s lacking reviews. I don’t find that this list has enough review to make it trustworthy.  Some hotels, like Francois Plantation, have 9 reviews, while others have 42, like the Guanahani.  For major cities, such as New York, the first hotels on the list have hundres of reviews, so if there is a negative one here and there, it is much less likely to impact the overall score of the hotel.  Plus, with so many to choose from, there is a major difference between the first on the list and the last; this is not so in St Barts.  Because there are many fewer hotels, being last on the list is not considered shameful.
4. It’s hard to compare amenities.  Some hotels on St Barts have only 5 rooms, like at Saline Cottages; on the other hand, the Guanahani have 75.  Hotels like Eden Rock are really expensive. So, to use TripAdvisor, you have to understand that the rankings are really just a graded average.  Be sure to know what your needs are and really read reviews to see if you can relate to what the other travelers are saying.
5. Overall, the website is quite helpful, as long as you are careful.  Guanahani does not deserve to be as low on the list as it is, but I checked in to that.  There are still negative reviews from 2004 and 2005 hanging out there.  It’s time for TripAdvisor to take them down.

When you’re traveling to St Barts island, it’s always good to check around for a hotel, see which one most closely matches your wants and needs.  Use TripAdvisor, but take their advice with a grain of salt and know that, as with most things in life, there is more to the story.