What to book before you arrive at your St Barts villa

A week away goes quickly, and part of it is decided before you leave. What is booked in advance no longer has to be organised on the spot, between two swims, at the very moment you least feel like dealing with it. Here is what is worth booking from home before you arrive at your villa in St Barts, and what can wait.

What you need in order to book

Three pieces of information are enough.

First, the address of the villa, with directions for getting in: the gate, the track, who will be there. Your host or your agency knows them; ask for them along with the arrival times.

Then your dates, and a rough idea of times. They do not need to be final.

Lastly, the number of people, for services that are shared, such as a yoga session.

The first day: a massage

After the journey, this is the service that does the most good. An in-villa massage can be booked for one hour, an hour and a half or two hours, and four types are on offer.

Leave yourself a margin after your arrival time. Between connections, luggage and settling into the villa, a slot late in the afternoon, or the next morning, is safer than an appointment an hour after landing.

The evenings: childcare

If you plan to go out without the children, now is the time to arrange it. Babysitting comes in two options, one hour of childcare on a weekday between 8 am and midnight and a set evening of five hours, at your villa or your hotel.

Book for the evenings you already know about: a planned dinner, an invitation. For the others, you will see once you are there.

The occasions: hair and beauty

A wedding, a birthday, an important dinner during your stay? In-villa hair styling is booked for a precise time, worked out from the hour you leave the villa. It is exactly the kind of thing not to leave until the last minute, because the time is not negotiable.

The mornings: yoga or Pilates

A session at the villa, early, before the heat, gives the days a rhythm. It can be booked for one person or for a group of up to twelve. Our article on private yoga and Pilates at your villa helps you choose between the two, and between a private session and a shared one.

Booking without committing too early

People sometimes hesitate to book weeks ahead for fear of being locked in. Two rules take that worry away.

Your card is registered when you book, but nothing is charged at that point. The providers who are available are notified, you get an email as soon as one of them offers, and you choose. The charge only comes after that choice, at the price of the provider you picked.

Cancellation is free up to 48 hours before the service. After that, or if you are not there at the appointment, it is not refunded. As long as you are within the time limit, changing your mind costs nothing.

What can wait

Not everything can be planned, and that is not the point. A sudden wish for a massage on a rainy day, an evening that comes together at the last minute: booking works the same way once you are there, from your phone.

If no provider is available for the time you asked for, our concierge takes over your request and gets back to you, and your card is not charged if nobody can come.

The difference with booking ahead is the choice you have: at the last minute, you take the time that is left.

Where to start

Book first what is tied to a fixed time, hair for an event and childcare. Add the first-day massage. Keep the rest for the stay itself, once you know what your days look like.