LE SERENO UNVEILS ITS NEXT CHAPTER IN ST BARTH

Reopening 16 November 2026 following a three-year project led by Luis and Angelica Contreras, with new tropical gardens, refreshed suites, reimagined pool spaces with Patricia Urquiola, and the introduction of BOKAO.

• Le Sereno reopens on 16 November 2026, following a three-year transformation led by Luis and Angelica Contreras.
• New tropical gardens introduce a coconut-palm entrance, rare botanical specimens and private gardens for the suites.
• Patricia Urquiola's designs include a reimagined pool terrace, waterfront suite canopies and furniture for the signature suite.
• The new 230-square-metre Suite des Pêcheurs features a private pool and direct beach access.
• New beach club BOKAO complements Le Sereno Al Mare with relaxed waterfront dining.

GRAND CUL-DE-SAC , St Barthélemy, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Le Sereno will reopen for the season on 16 November 2026, revealing the most significant evolution in its history. Personally led by owners Luis and Angelica Contreras, the three-year project brings the tropical landscape into the heart of the hotel, while preserving the intimacy, waterfront setting and personal service that have defined Le Sereno for nearly two decades.

The husband-and-wife team, whose collaboration with Christian Liaigre shaped Le Sereno's original design and who later created Il Sereno on Lake Como, have brought together artisans, gardeners, botanists and designers to develop this next expression of their vision. The emphasis throughout is on enriching the experience guests already know, with greater privacy, more generous outdoor living and a closer connection to Grand Cul-de-Sac. "Over time, we felt that both Le Sereno and our vision for it had reached a new level of maturity," says Luis Contreras. "This transformation was never about changing its identity. It was about expressing that maturity more completely through nature, design and hospitality, while remaining true to the understated spirit that has always defined both Le Sereno and St. Barth."

Hotel reimagined through nature

At the heart of the new Le Sereno is an extraordinary landscape project that transforms the relationship between the hotel, its architecture and the tropical environment surrounding it. Rather than creating a single garden, the Contreras family, with the creative direction of Denys Ridrimont, conceived a collection of gardens, each with its own atmosphere and identity.

Guests arrive beneath a living tunnel formed by the most iconic of tropical palms: the coconut tree. Beyond it, a remarkable collection of palms, tropical plants, and rare trees unfolds throughout the property. Among many highlights, a Copernicia fallaensis, a monumental palm exceeding ten meters in span believed to be the only specimen of its kind on the island, greets guests next to the new arrival area decked with tropical green walls.

Planting gives each suite its own garden setting, provides shade and natural cooling, and creates secluded places to sit. Greenery becomes part of the architecture, softening façades and bringing the landscape into everyday life at the hotel. "We wanted each space to become a true place, with its own personality," says Contreras. "Each suite has its own garden, so that memories can be born there."

A closer connection to Grand Cul de Sac

Le Sereno has worked alongside the Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy and the Réserve Naturelle de Saint-Barthélemy to support the restoration and enhancement of the beachfront. Beneath the coconut palms, the sand meets the protected lagoon, where sea turtles can be observed in their natural habitat. The equivalent of thousands of truckloads of sand was carefully dredged from the lagoon and placed on the Beach in front of the hotel, which is larger and better than ever. Complimentary transparent-bottom kayaks and custom stand-up paddleboards offer guests further ways to explore the waters directly from the hotel.

The pool reimagined with Patricia Urquiola

How do you improve what critics (and Instagram) consider the best pool in St. Barths?

The stone that mimics the turquoise waters of the beach and the largest pool deck in St. Barth remain, while the space has been completely reconsidered. Working with Patricia Urquiola, the hotel created a new conversation pit at the head of the pool and transformed the surrounding deck into a social and relaxed environment. Outdoor lounges, seafront cabanas, new pool bar, and designer pool loungers.

Waterfront suites and outdoor living

Every accommodation has been redone, building on the generous proportions that distinguish Le Sereno's all-suite experience. Waterfront views, spacious living areas, oversized beds and private outdoor spaces remain central to each stay. New landscaping brings additional privacy, while Patricia Urquiola-designed canopies create shaded places to enjoy the sea from the waterfront suites.

The most significant addition, the new signature Suite des Pêcheurs brings these elements together in a 230-square-metre waterfront retreat. With one bedroom, two bathrooms and generous indoor and outdoor living areas, it offers a private pool and a private gate opening directly onto the beach. Patricia Urquiola furnishings, a pool deck shaded by a coconut palm and an open-plan bathroom with a sculptural Cenote bathtub give the suite the feel of a private beachfront residence.

Personal service at the heart of every stay

Alongside the physical transformation, the team remains central to the owners' vision. The warmth and discretion of Le Sereno's hospitality continue to shape the experience, from the first welcome to the thoughtful details that bring guests back year after year. "We are fortunate to work alongside an extraordinary group of hospitality professionals who genuinely care about creating memorable experiences for our guests," says Luis Contreras. "They are there when you need them and almost invisible when you don't. Always attentive, always authentic, and always with a smile. That spirit has always been at the heart of Le Sereno, and it remains unchanged."

Italian dining beside the lagoon

Le Sereno Al Mare remains a central part of life at the hotel, bringing contemporary Italian cooking to an open-air setting overlooking Grand Cul-de-Sac. Fresh, local ingredients inform a menu that includes lobster spaghetti alongside Italian favorites in a newly designed beachfront space, with the lagoon in view from every angle. Its combination of attentive service, beachfront dining and Italian culinary character continues the connection between the family's Caribbean and Lake Como addresses.

Wellbeing with Valmont

At Spa Le Sereno, treatments using Valmont products and techniques complement the restorative setting. Facials, body treatments and massages are offered in intimate treatment rooms, including a beachfront pavilion overlooking the lagoon, or in the privacy of guests' suites. Saint Barth's only waterfront SPA pavilion was redone and paved with Orosei stone to provide another way to enjoy the quiet, personal approach to hospitality that runs throughout the hotel.

Introducing BOKAO

Following the acquisition of the beachfront property adjoining the hotel, Le Sereno introduces BOKAO, a new beach club conceived as a complement to the hotel's acclaimed Al Mare restaurant.

BOKAO proposes a different expression of the St. Barth beach club: intimate, natural and deeply connected to its setting. Exceptional food meets the simplicity of barefoot living. Long lunches stretch into the afternoon, and the atmosphere is designed around conviviality rather than spectacle.

A new spirit. A more natural experience. The unmistakable soul of St. Barth.

Le Sereno St. Barth welcomes guests with rates starting from 1,550 up to 18,600 EUR.

Le Sereno opens for the season on 16 November 2026.
Reservations and enquiries: [email protected] | www.lesereno.com 

About Le Sereno

Owned and operated by Luis and Angelica Contreras, Le Sereno is an intimate all-suite waterfront hotel on Grand Cul-de-Sac, St Barthélemy. For nearly two decades, it has combined generous accommodation, timeless design and highly personal service with the natural beauty of its protected lagoon setting. Its latest evolution builds on this heritage through new gardens, reimagined outdoor spaces and a continued commitment to understated hospitality.

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SOURCE Sereno Hotels