Above: the bathroom at the Freddy Mercury Suite at the Eden Rock hotel in St Barth (all photos by CJ)

By Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon
CJ Travel Editor

I expected the recording studio and media room. I wasn’t surprised by the tricked-out office and fully-equipped gym. Even the 40-bottle whiskey bar didn’t faze me. Instead, what caught my eye at Villa Rockstar – the 16,000-square-foot, six-bedroom beachfront spread at famed St Bart’s resort Eden Rock – was the bathroom in the Freddy Mercury suite.

Of course I’d seen fancy bathrooms before, but this was something else entirely. Clad from floor to ceiling in shimmering silver mosaic tile, the circular sanctuary was a study in lavatory luxury. Bulgari and Ligne St. Barths toiletries rested on the counter. A jetted shower room promised endless fresh starts, and fluffy towels and plush robes offered a comforting embrace.

But what really fascinated me was the curvaceous leather chair placed in the center of the room. It faced an egg-shaped stone soaking tub, and I instantly imagined the conversations that must have taken place over the years between the bather and the person in the chair. What long-held secrets had been shared? What solemn promises made? What ambitious plans concocted?

Alas, just as I’ll likely never be able to afford $15,000 a night for the luxe roost, I’ll probably never know the secrets that blinged-out bathroom holds. No matter; some things are best left a mystery.

CJ’s Hotel Highlight column seeks out the details that make Caribbean hotels great.