It’s hip, it’s modern and it’s something entirely new for downtown Fort-de-France.

This is the Simon Hotel, a new boutique hotel set in one of the Caribbean’s most fascinating urban destinations.

The 94-room property, located right on Fort-de-France Bay, is a major new addition to the city’s tourism scene, in large part due to its flagship restaurant, La Table de Marcel.

The eatery is the brainchild of Martinique native Marcel Ravin, who won a Michelin star at the Blue Bay restaurant in Monte Carlo and has returned home to help the island’s burgeoning culinary sector.

The dishes at La Table de Marcel are works of art.

Eating at the restaurant is a bit like sitting in a culinary laboratory, tasting the latest in gastronomic technology and creativity — in short, the food is superb. (There’s also a second restaurant at the hotel, Le Bistrot des Flamands, designed by Ravin and executive chef Lindley Lanappe.)

And the hotel is a design-heavy place, with comfortable, well-thought-out rooms and a great bar called Le Bolibar (with an even better selection of local rums).

After launching over the summer, the property has quickly become the place-to-be for the business elite of Martinique and a great jumping off point for travelers looking to explore the city — it’s a place to begin to see why this city is unlike any other in the Caribbean.

See more in the latest CJ video at the top.