This is your place when you want to submit yourself to a different Caribbean experience in an authentic plantation setting. Le Domaine Saint Aubin is a little boutique hotel. Overall the property feels like the house of an aristocratic family with more history than money. The main building is full of historical curiosities, collections of art and classic decorations. Le Domaine Saint Aubin is not a typical hotel, it felt a bit like walking in a museum or the old home of an aunt with opera-themed rooms. The kids loved to look around and fortunately that was no problem.
We were warmly greeted by the owners, but if you need them during your stay it might take some time to find them as there is no real reception desk. Also don’t expect the highest level of service or quality in the hotel and/or restaurant. But if you are a little flexible and prepared to look after yourself, this is a lovely place to set up a base camp to explore the island (in a rented car) for a week or two. After some time in the Caribbean we were surprised to notice that the roads here are like in France, thus no problem driving!
Like many old, wooden buildings the hotel could use a bit of paint at the time we were there. That said it’s a family owned business, we heard they find it hard to maintain all the buildings within an island-climate. For children there is a lovely garden to run around in and the pool has a very good size for family swimming.
Pooltime!
Overall we liked the atmosphere: it felt quaint, rustic and most definitely French. It is not a posh resort, but we were also not looking for that. Top luxury and service can better be found on the other side of the island. Have a drink by the patio, eat out (it’s about 20 minutes to nice village of Tartane where there are several restaurant options) or cook yourself and enjoy!
You can stay in the main building, in cottages and, in our case, in a very comfortable and really large apartment that was fine for our family of 4 and it has a stunning view over the Atlantic ocean. We had a huge bathroom by hotel standards. The beds are quite comfortable and the rooms have air conditioning, but somewhat basic with little furniture. Breakfast (not always included) is served on the porch with the same wonderful views and atmosphere.
Arriving at le Domaine Saint Aubin
There’s a supermarket in the area if you need additional stuff. This is a part of France, after all, so at the local Carrefour supermarket, you can find all kinds of gourmet French foods and wines at very reasonable prices.
You might call Le Domaine Saint Aubin a bit remote; for example it’s a real challenge to find a WiFi connection anywhere on the hotel grounds and there’s no tv. So turn off the cell phone and recharge your own batteries. And if you feel like entertainment prepare yourself to go out. The rainforest on the north of the island is not far (and an amazing drive), and to the south are the beaches of Tartane.
WOW
# With a young family we loved the huge size of our apartment and terrace; the kids could play around and we found ourselves in a rustic and relaxing atmosphere.
# This hotel delivers a five star location at a three star price and service point. With such a gorgeous setting and view, it feels like everything should be amazing, but at this price (in the Caribbean) for a room it just can’t be.
# The hotel is well-situated for exploring the beautiful island ‘Presque Isle de la Caravelle’ as well as the even amazing Atlantic Coast. It is quite easy to arrange a booking via email or a telephone call. The loCation is great, as nothing is too far and we explored the whole island.
