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The off-season has been marked by several significant changes in the hotel industry in Saint Barthélemy. Following the announcement that Eden Rock’s general manager, Fabrice Moizan (JSB1667), is leaving for the Bristol (Paris), it is now the general manager of the Christopher, Olivier Leroy (45), who is embarking on a new path. Indeed, after six years at the helm of the Pointe Milou property, he will take over as general manager of the Barrière Resort in La Baule. This luxury resort comprises three five-star hotels (the Hermitage, the Royal, and the Castel Marie-Louise), as well as a casino, a golf course, and a country club.
Olivier Leroy’s Saint Barth adventure began in 2012 when he took over as director of food and beverage at the Christopher. He then served as assistant manager for more than two years. In 2016, he joined the Barrière Group, where he oversaw the pre-opening of the Carl Gustaf. “I had been part of task forces at the Majestic in Cannes and at the Castel Marie-Louise in La Baule,” he explains. “I returned before Hurricane Irma to evacuate the teams from Shellona and secure the hotel premises.” When he returned in August 2018, it was to join the Christopher.
“It was one of the first hotels to reopen after Irma,” he recalls. “The guests came back—they’re very loyal.” Then, in 2020, the COVID-19 health crisis struck, along with the accompanying restrictions. “Even though in Saint Barthélemy, it was more pleasant to be in lockdown than elsewhere,” he notes. During this period, the hotel’s staff was drastically reduced. “The owners also took advantage of this time to carry out major work on the wastewater treatment plant, in particular,” recalls the general manager. After this period, the Christopher, like all the island’s establishments, experienced a massive return of tourists. “An exponential boom,” recalls Olivier Leroy.
As the future general manager of the Barrière La Baule Resort lists the changes that have taken place at the Christopher over the past seven years, he emphasizes first and foremost “the profound human experiences” he’s had in Saint Barthélemy, as well as “the residents’ love for the island, their simplicity, and their kindness .” Not to mention the fact that his personal life also took a family-oriented turn on the island. “I met my wife in Saint Barthélemy, and my children were born there,” he smiles. “Pages are turning, but the book isn’t closing.”
Yohan Adam, the current general manager of Gyp Sea, will succeed Olivier Leroy at the helm of the Christopher. “He knows the island, the staff, the owners, and the guests; he’s the perfect person to take over the hotel seamlessly,” says Olivier Leroy. Furthermore, before joining Gyp Sea, Yohan Adam was already the “number two” in the Christopher’s management. He is also the vice president of the association of hotels and villas.
