­“Where you guys headed?” a friendly American asked, as my husband and I queued to check-in at the airport. “St. Barth,” I replied, with a gigantic smile on my face. “Ah, St. Barth,” he said, a dreamy look slowly spreading on his face. “I say that’s where God goes on vacation. The beaches, the food, the beautiful people!”

Where God goes on vacation?  To be sure, the island of St. Barthelemy, a heavenly island in the middle of the Caribbean, is replete with picture perfect beaches, refined cuisine, and of course, beautiful people. It’s also full of small surprises. To enjoy them all, The Hotel Guanahani & Spa, an award-winning hotel managed by the expert hotelier Marc Theze, is an idyllic place to stay.

Check-in to this small luxury hotel, which lies on a private 16-acre peninsula on the...