La Banane

Small, exclusive, and cool in a way that staff at La Bannane would never boast about. Because it wouldn't be very cool to brag, would it? How French, and for good reason: La Banane has deep roots on St. Barts as a night life innovator - lead by legendary Parisian gadabout, Jean-Marie Riviere.

The social feel of a private club still remains here due in part to La Banane's intimate size: just nine bungalows sit artfully oriented around a dapper pool, bar, and lobby. The bar deserves an extra nod, as its decor manages to balance a very graphic aesthetic with a retro beach-cocktail vibe.

Back to the rooms now. They're all individually named, and read like a guest list to some Paris nightclub: Serge, Juliette, Charlotte, Jean, etc. Inside, retro-modern furniture ads punches of color to white- and seafoam-colored walls. Some rooms share stencilled wall patterns with the cocktail bar, reminding you that it's always happy hour here.