Bungalow Chez Martin at Résidence Les Mouettes
A barefoot, family-run bungalow parked directly on Lorient Beach — the anti-glossy St Barth stay.
Why Go
While the rest of St Barth chases yacht wakes and villa rental prices, Chez Martin hands you a key to a wooden bungalow, a stretch of Lorient sand, and the quiet confidence that you don't need a concierge to have the best week of your year.
The Experience
Résidence Les Mouettes is a cluster of seven bungalows tucked into the palms along Plage de Lorient, on the calm north-shore side of the island. Chez Martin is one of the wooden cabins — small, tile-floored, and deliberately unfussy, with a private patio, an air-conditioned bedroom, a full kitchenette, and enough shade to make midday feel like a hammock. The owning family has been on the island for generations and runs the property themselves: you check in with the same person who tells you where the bakery hides, which surf break is firing that morning, and how to pronounce 'Lorient' without sounding like a cruise passenger. There is no bar, no lobby, no lounge music. What there is: the sound of the reef, kids from the village looking for waves at dawn, and a screen door that opens straight onto the sand. This is the version of St Barth that predates the yachts — and, quietly, the reason a certain kind of repeat guest never bothers looking anywhere else.
What to Try
Book bungalow 1, 2, 3, or 4 if you want your toes literally in the sand — those four are the beachfront line and worth the small premium over the set-back units (5, 6). Take breakfast from the tiny bakery a few hundred metres up the road (pain au chocolat, still-warm baguette, coffee you drink on your patio). Walk the beach east at low tide to the reef point where the longboarders congregate, then swim back. In the afternoon, drive fifteen minutes over the hill to Saline or Gouverneur for the drama beaches — and return to Lorient for the sunset calm, which is the whole point of staying on this side.
Insider Tip
The office keeps island hours — closed Sundays and most afternoons — so time your arrival for a weekday morning and confirm your check-in window by email before you fly. Also: every outlet is European 220V and the family does not stock adapters, so pack your own (and a surge strip) unless you want to buy one at the Saint-Jean pharmacy at Gustavia prices. One more: bungalow 7 sleeps four, which makes it the sleeper pick for a family or two couples splitting a stay — book it six to nine months out for high season.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Plage de Lorient, 97133 Saint-Barthélemy. About 10 minutes by car from Rémy de Haenen Airport (SBH) and 15 minutes from Gustavia. Rental car is essential — there is no meaningful public transport and taxis are scarce and pricey. Each bungalow has AC, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a patio; there are no TVs, no pool, no restaurant on site. A small épicerie sits across the road and a bakery is a short walk away. Mid-range by St Barth standards, which still means book well ahead — high season (Dec–Apr) sells out months in advance, and the winter holidays are typically spoken for a year out.
Pair It With
- Abyss Restaurant Guide — An easy dinner option when you don't feel like making the drive to Gustavia — casual, close to the Lorient side, and the kind of place you can walk into in flip-flops after a beach day.
- 6e Sens Massage Wellness Beauty Saint Barth Guide — For an in-room or nearby massage after a long day of swimming and surf — a good match for a stay with no on-site spa.
- Absolute Hot Yoga Guide — A morning class in Gustavia pairs well with Lorient's slow pace; a 15-minute drive over the hill and back before the beach warms up.
- A fleur de peau – St Barth — The Saint-Jean boutique is the closest good stop for beachwear, sunscreen, and the little things you forgot to pack — on your way back from the airport or a supply run.
- 4 Sea Zone St Barth Guide — For a half-day boat charter to Colombier or Île Fourchue — the natural complement to a land-based stay that keeps you off the road.
