By Alexander Britell
MARTINIQUE — There’s nothing else like this.
Sure, I’ve seen some far-out hotels in my Caribbean travels, from solar-powered dune-side tents to three-walled sanctuaries, but this is another level.
There are just three rooms here, set in the leafy hills above Le Vauclin on the Atlantic coast of Martinique, a place that’s the brainchild of local entrepreneur Deive Girier Dufournier and his siblings.
But they are without question the most unusual accommodations in the Caribbean.
This is Le Domaine des Bulles, the “bubble hotel” that is Martinique’s coolest, most unique and most unusual place to stay.
Each unit is its own (very) private lot, with the accommodations consisting of transparent plastic bubbles, meaning panoramic views from your bedroom and living area.
But this is not glamping. It’s a luxury eco-hotel, and that makes a world of difference.
The furniture, the appointments, the amenities are luxurious — the bathrooms are done at a modern, high level, the rooms have everything from outlets to coffee makers, and the private lots include either hot tubs or, in the case of the “Mineral Bubble,” a full-fledged plunge pool.
The pool in the Mineral Bubble.
There’s even a small spa, along with a table d’hote supplying locally-sourced food and meals.
It’s a remarkable place, something that achieves one of the most important tenets of travel: a new way to look at things.
For the curious, while the bubbles are totally transparent, the segmented, private “lots” that house them offer total privacy — meaning you’ll feel like you’re somewhere in the rainforest, not like you’re on display.
Breakfast is served.
Most guests tend to stay at the Domaine for one or two nights — making for a rather special combination vacation.
It’s unsurprisingly a bucket-list kind of experience, one that more and more Caribbean aficionados will likely venture here to try.
For more, visit Le Domaine des Bulles.
— CJ
