Colorful Villa Polaroid Opens on St Barths / voyages

Just as its name suggests, the brand-new Villa Polaroid is awash in bright hues like turquoise, pink, lime green, and orange.


That the two-bedroom, three-bath villa is on tony French-owned St. Barts and within Hotel LeVillage Saint-Barth—along St. Jean Bay—means guests get access to lots of upscale amenities, like a fitness center, swimming pool, and 10 acres of lush gardens.

Although the villa was built 30 years ago on top of St. Jean Hill, only recently did it undergo an extensive transformation—lasting three years and costing millions of dollars—that brings to mind the Pop Art movement spawned by Andy Warhol, as well as Polaroid photography. Retro Polaroid cameras are displayed in white boxes then hung on the walls. A hand-painted headboard in the master bedroom serves as an homage to Warhol, plus artists Roy Lichtenstein and Keith Haring.


In the villa's kitchen, which is an orange, gray, and white space that opens out to a private garden filled with bamboo, orchids, aloe plants, and locust trees, is a dishwasher, coffeemaker, oven, tableware, and top-of-the-line German refrigerator/freezer. The wooden deck is very multi-purpose with ample room in little nooks and crannies to sip coffee, relax with a good book, and work on your tan. A strong indoor-outdoor aesthetic is the villa's charm, including a barbecue area, outdoor dining table, a Mahogany tree providing lots of shade, and a small pool. Also featured in the villa are WiFi; a library with books, CDs, and DVDs; works by local artists; and an outdoor shower. The villa rental includes free usage of a rental car.