The Guanahani Acquired by Businessman Stéphane Courbit

Following management changes at the hotels in Saint Barthélemy, another significant change has been announced. “Effective October 1, 2026, Rosewood will cease managing the Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth as part of the property’s transition to a new owner and operator. ” This official announcement comes from the Rosewood Global website. It was confirmed by a series of articles published in the French and U.S. press (One Mile At a Time), in which the identity of the buyer was revealed. The buyer is businessman Stéphane Courbit, founder of LOV Group, who will integrate the Guanahani into the Airelles collection. This collection already includes luxury hotels in Val d’Isère and Courchevel, as well as Le Grand Contrôle in Versailles, La Messardière and the Pan Deï Palais in Saint-Tropez, the Bastide de Gordes, and the Palladio in Venice.

According to the daily newspapers Les Échos and Le Figaro, Stéphane Courbit made no secret of his desire to invest in Saint-Barthélemy and had, as early as 2019, expressed interest in the Guanahani. According to “a source close to the hotel” cited by Les Échos and La Tribune de l’hôtellerie, the heirs of David Bonderman (an American financier and owner of the Guanahani who passed away two years ago) were not interested in taking over the property. Consequently, they invoked a clause that allowed them to terminate the management contract binding them to Rosewood.

Although the Airelles Group has not yet issued a press release announcing the takeover of the Guanahani or its plans for the property’s future, its official website already features a real-time countdown. Just above the scrolling numbers, it reads: “Saint-Barthélemy is calling. Opening November¹, 2026.”