By Alexander Britell

It was the first full-fledged hotel to ever open in Martinique, a seaside Antillean inn during a time of rhum and biguine.

And now the historic Diamant Les Bains, the beachfront hotel on the southern tip of Martinique that first debuted in 1945, is back again.

Following a large-scale transformation project, the Diamant Les Bains has opened with 33 rooms and five bungalow suites set on one of the island’s most iconic beaches.

It’s an essential opening for the town of Le Diamant, a decidedly up-and-coming Caribbean beach town that had already been developing all of the hallmarks of a new Caribbean hotspot, but lacked a true hotel.

Inside a room.

The crisp, modern Diamant Les Bains is precisely that, boasting a bar, an authentic French Caribbean eatery, a pool, a beachfront jacuzzi and a plum perch on the volcanic sands of Diamant — and the timeless vista of the Diamond Rock.

And because this is Martinique, the kind of island where you’ll want to go to the market and shop, every room has a kitchenette.

The bungalows are the way to do it.

The beachfront bungalow suites worth the extra (if nominal) splurge, where you can hear nothing but the froth of Caribbean waves and palm-filled breezes.

The famous Diamond Rock.

It all adds up to an important addition to what is an increasingly robust boutique hotel portfolio in Martinique, from the high-design La Suite Villa in Trois Ilets to the chic French Coco in Tartane to the delightful Plein Soleil on the island’s Atlantic coast.

For more, visit Diamant Les Bains.