Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1538963
P H OTO BY L AU R E N T B E N O I T ( U N I K V I L L A ) ; C O U R T E S Y O F L AU G H I N G WAT E R S villas to book Barbados has long been a magnet for seclusion-seek ing celebrities, from Greta Garbo to A ristotle Onassis to Tiger Woods. UNIK VILLA, ST BARTHS Anne Dentel is the doyenne of doing it just right, that Goldilocks approach to luxury hospitality— equal parts attention and privacy. With her shock of bleach-blonde hair, omnipresent dog, and Champagne-bubble laugh, she's renowned around St Barths, running the villa rental program that operates under the auspices of the Eden Rock hotel. It offers a range of homes dotted around the island, which come bundled with services from the hotel. You'll have the connections of the concierge there, not to mention chefs to prep meals, all of whom were trained under Jean-Georges Vongerichten; if you want to spend the afternoon on Eden Beach, you're more than welcome. Pick of this season's options is undeniably the aptly named Unik Villa, which sits on 10 acres; the 10-bedroom property, designed by the prankish French polymath Philippe Starck, is more like a small boutique hotel. Unik Villa has two pools, including a 65-foot infinity pool, fitness center, home theater, an immersive surround sound system, and spectacular views over St Jean Beach. Most importantly, it comes with the ultimate amenity: Dentel herself, whose reputation unlocks even the hardest-to-open doors around the island. — MARK ELLWOOD The epitome of inside-out living at Unik Villa in St Barths LAUGHING WATERS, BARBADOS Sandy Lane Estate, on the Platinum Coast of Barbados, is a benchmark for luxury in the region. That world-class hotel sits on the western reaches of the island nation, perched on some of the best beaches in the world, and has long been a magnet for celebrities, from Aristotle Onassis to Tiger Woods; the famously seclusion-seeking Greta Garbo would check in under the pseudonym "Harriet Brown." Next to the hotel is Laughing Waters, an enclave of equally top-tier villas located on a four-acre property from the 1960s that was recently reimagined by London-based interior designer Emma Pearson. Expect 32,000 square feet of living space across 12 bedrooms, housed in three buildings—the pick of them, of course, are in the Great House, which is also where you'll find the cinema, gym, dining room, and home bar. Rent here and you've got access not only to Sandy Lane Estate's Beach Club and other hotel amenities, but also the Tom Fazio–designed Green Monkey golf course. Even better, a portion of your rental fee at Laughing Waters is donated to the local Barbados Children's Trust, which serves to uplift the local community. — M . E . The pool pavilion at Laughing Waters BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M