Spent several days on the beautiful island of St Barts and were recommended to go to Eden Rock. Perhaps it was because we had such high expectations but really all in all this was a huge disappointment. The staff were unfriendly with a VERY superior attitude which makes for a very unpleasant experience. We are very easy to please but do expect to be treated well when we are on holiday. During dinner our wine waitress made an error with our order and we were told in a very rude way that it was our fault. This we found unbelievable that a memeber of staff would speak to a customer in such a manner. Eden Rock is clearly resting on its laurels. The staff need a good shake up and need taught the basics of hospitality and service. We would not go back to Eden Rock! We also stayed in a private villa overlooking St Jean bay through www.wimco.com which we can recommend most highly. All in all we adored our time on St Barts and having holidayed frequently on several other Carribean islands, we can wholeheartedly say St Barts is our favourite island to date.

We stayed at ER in November. Location is perfect, room was nice, well maintained, clean, albeit small and amenities were appropriate for the price. My complaint was with the staff. Room service order was wrong and waiter's response was that we had not ordered correctly (i.e., not their fault), food was mediocre , coffee service at breakfast could be painfully slow, and when we checked out at 8:30AM to catch plane, we were told there was no one to help with the bags until 9:30 AM. With a little encouragment on our part, they came up with a young man who helped with the bags. At this price, we should not have to provide the motivation.

This is our second vacation at Eden Rock in two years, and we just love it. We travel extensively and Eden Rock continues to be our all time favorite around the world. Service is outstanding; some of the restaurant wait staff recognized us from our prior vacation and went out of their way to make our stay more pleasant (like bringing my husband a pot of coffee on the beach at 7:00 am). The Breakfast Buffet is just fabulous, with fresh breads, fruits, yogurt, so many choices..., lunch and dinner are likewise just perfect. Attention is paid to every detail; other five star hotels should send their management here to learn what great service is all about. This is our dream Caribbean vacation spot even though we own our own place in the USVI.

As a family of five, we have travelled to several Caribbean locations. Our last experience on Anguilla left our older children looking for a bit more activity. We loved the beaches on Anguilla and the ocean was a true delight to swim and snorkel in, but in low season, there was very little going on. We stayed at Mallihouhana, which was gorgeous - beware of minor theft, though. After much research, we decided to try St. Barth's and Eden Rock because it promised fine cuisine, lots of activity, ease of travel and a "french experience". St. Barth's delivered all. While the ocean is "rougher" than on other Caribbean islands we have visited, the swells do not compare to the Jersey shore. My family's favorite beach was Colombier; they loved the hike, though it was a bit hot on the way back up. My son said "it was God's pool". My favorite was Saline as opposed to Gouveneur since at Saline there were no rocks where the waves were breaking. Saint Jean is a beautiful little bay. At Eden Rock we stayed in one of the Heavenly Beach houses - absolutely superb. The breakfast buffet is excellent. All the staff at Eden Rock were extremely attentive, friendly and polite- Nicco, the driver, Guillame, who greeted us on arrival, Emily on the beach. The rooms are cleaned twice a day. The attention to detail is amazing from the fine, soft sheets, to the scent, candle, and softly playing music when we returned to our room at night. Of all the restaurants that we tried on St. Barth's, On the Rocks has the best cuisine - there is no comparison. The Executive Chef, Jean Claude, was always visible both during the day and night, mingling with the staff and guests. We all had to shake his hand before we left to thank him for the exquisite experience - unbelievable. Eden Rock is ideally suited for the activity on St. Barth's. It is a 2 minute ride from the airport and important shopping such as the supermarket, drugstore and lunch places. It is a few minutes walk from shopping and other dining places such as Le Piment - highly recommend this roadside cafe - and The Hideaway. My sons loved Chez Andy's. I feel that its logo says it all "bad food, bad service, and a view of the car lot". For lunch we all agree Le Jardin is the best. We could get lovely paninis and baquette sandwiches for 5 for under 30 Euros! This was an excellent find since St. Barth's is expensive. Dinner for 5 easily was close to 700 Euros, although O'Corner was a bit less. This was also a good find. Maya's was a unique experience. We went at night, in the dark and almost ended up in the ocean! A few last points we would like to advise other first time travelers to St. Barth's - put an emphasis on the "french experience". This is not your typical Caribbean experience. There is no reggae band playing. Jazz, yes. Picture a gorgeous, tropical island, with breathtaking views, narrow roads that go up and down the mountains, hairpin curves, and tiny cars. The scooters seem to create a lane of their own. As one waiter told us, just look ahead, don't worry about what is behind you. While English is spoken by the staff of the major hotels and upscale restaurants, refresh your French before you go. At times communication became a bit of a struggle at the smaller stores and eateries. Also, leave your American Express card at home and bring your Visa. Except for the major hotels, very few other places would take AMEX - even Le Sapotillier. Although there is an American Express office in St. Jean, remember you have an international limit of $500- total! Would we go to St. Barth's again - bien sur! Would we stay at Eden Rock - absolutement!!!