By Alexander Britell

A year after the storms, St Barth is heating up again — and kicking off December with one of its most anticipated reopenings.

Le Sereno, the legendary ultra-luxury resort on Grand Cul de Sac officially reopened this week, the culmination of a near complete rebuild and some new additions, too.

A villa at Le Sereno.

The beachfront hotspot has 39 newly rebuilt suites, along with three large three-bedroom villas on the sand.

Property officials say that, while the “original essence of the hotel is intact,” all of Le Sereno’s suites have been redone with a fresh design and new tech.

There are now four room categories: Bungalow Piscine, Grand Suite Plage (with panoramic ocean views), Grand Suite Plage Sud and the new waterfront Grand Suite Plage Sud suites, which overlook the Grand Cul de Sac lagoon and come with their own private gardens and outdoor bathtubs.

That’s in addition to one-bedroom villas, which are set on the hillside with their own private pools.

Chef Alex Simone.

Chef Alex Simone is still leading the culinary program, with a focus on Mediterranean dishes and the launch of a new beach restaurant.

And yes, the spa is back with a bang, too, with three treatment rooms including a waterfront pavilion that includes a beachfront treatment room (of course, you can always get a massage in your suite, too).

The grounds got a new look as well, with Le Sereno tapping master landscape architect Enrique Blanco to redesign the scenery with “grand exotic gardens, vibrant plants and island trees.”

Finally, Le Sereno got greener, with new solar panels, LED lighting, air conditioners with heat exchangers, on-site desalination and a focus on sustainable sourcing for all of the new construction.

Le Sereno joins an ever-growing portfolio of reopened luxury stays in St Barth, along with the Christopher and Le Toiny, with the Eden Rock planning its own return shortly.

In other words, it’s time to head back to St Barth.

For more, visit Le Sereno.