Guide To Choosing A Great Place To Stay In St. Maarten/St. Martin

Royal Palm Beach

By Pat Cantor
While St. Maarten/St Martin certainly qualifies as a destination for the rich and famous (mega-yachts winter here), there is a wide variety of hotel properties to suit any budget and any mood from the celebrity-studded and expensive La Samanna on the French side to the simple, but nice little hotel Turquoise Shell Inn near the airport on the Dutchside.

When choosing your hotel in St Maarten/St. Martin, first decide "Dutch or French". "Bustling or intimate". What's your passion? Do you just want to crash on the beach, Zen out in a great spa, gamble the night away, eat amazing food or shop 'til you drop? In St.Maarten/St.Martin, do rent a car. It's the best way to see the island and stop at the many vantage points for photo opportunities or a cool dip in the ocean. (Try, U-Save Car Rental in Simpson Bay at tel: 011 599 544-2192.) Use our hotel guide as a starter on planning your trip to paradise and on your return, upload your photos, comments and share opinions, free in our online photo gallery.

Good hotels for foodies and hopeless romantics.

Tamarind Hotel

St Maarten/St Martin is the food capital of the Caribbean and Grand Case on the French side is home to more excellent restaurants per foot than any street in Paris. And it has some of the loveliest, most intimate and romantic hotels on island. You can literally walk home after a gourmet dinner filled with celebratory champagne. Try Le Petit Hotel, Hotel L'Esplandade, The Grand Case Beach Club. Perfect for honeymoon couples, as well as foodies who will find happiness at Grand Case Beach Club's Sunset Beach Cafe. Or seek out one of the charming little boutique hotel/apartments affiliated with restaurants like Auberge Gourmande and Spiga. Also on the beachfront in Philipsburg, Holland House has been stylishly renovated (2008). Ask for a room with a view, which will delight, offering a palm-fringed view of the brilliant blue sea. Holland House serves some of the best food on the Dutch side, under the shade of an enormous awning with billowing curtains. Almost any hotel on island is not far from great restaurants, there are so many!

Hotels with kitchens for cooks and kids.

La Vista

The island is chock-full, on both the French and Dutch side, with condos, timeshares (which you can rent) and hotels that have all the amenities of home e.g. a kitchen. They are perfect for couples on a budget, or families with kids. The island's food stores are filled with fabulous foodstuff, so you can cook a gourmet meal yourself or simply heat and serve. Great options include Atrium, the Wyndham Sapphire, La Vista, Pelican Resort, the luxe, yet comfortable Princess Heights, Royal Islander Club, Sunterra Resorts Royal Palm Beach and Flamingo Beach, Caravanserai (which also has some amazing restaurants like Bliss, Bamboo Bernie's and the famous Sunset Beach Bar) and BelAir Beach Hotel. Plus all are right on the beach! Or try the Beachside Villas on Simpson Bay Beach and feel like a local. The stunning Cupecoy Beach offers condos for rent, both The Cliffs and the relatively new Rainbow Beach Club.

Oyster Bay

Pools with panache.
Some people just love a hotel with a great pool. If you are traveling with kids its often easier to just plop them in the still waters as opposed to chasing them about the surf. Almost all of the properties on island have pools. One of the prettiest is the endless pool at Oyster Bay Beach Resort. Another fab pool is the exotic lagoon pool with waterfall and pool bar at Princess Port de Plaisance Resort and Casino. Both hotels also have full apartment facilities. Hotel Mont Vernon has the biggest pool on island!

Hotels for a great beach experience
St Maarten/St Martin is dotted with wonderful wide, white beaches and many of the best hotels sit right at the water's edge. Even if your hotel isn't at the surf, it's usually just a short walk or car ride to a wonderful beach, many with restaurants, bars, massage, and water sports. But if you want to just walk out your door and be right on the beach, check out the new Westin at Dawn Beach, a mega hotel by St. Maarten standards, which opened in December of 2006. Plus the recently renovated Holland House, a favorite with Europeans, is directly on the Board Walk in Philipsburg - not more than 10 steps from the cool, crystal clear water of Great Bay.

Maho Beach Resort and Casino

Beach-a-holics also swear by Orient Beach on the Frenchside with it's gorgeous views of St Barth. The beach is a favorite and reminiscent of St. Tropez with beautiful homes, superb boutique hotels, villa hotels and apartments scattered on the hillside rising from the ocean's edge. You'll find Green Caye Villas, Alamanda Resort, Esmeralda Resort, Plantation Hotel, Orient Bay Hotel and St Tropez Hotels Caraibes are just a few very good options for Orient. All are either right on the beach or very close. Orient Beach also has fabulous water sports facilities and beach chair rentals. There are many outstanding restaurants plus some terrific little "lolos" (the local joints) lining the beach. Food servers will bring food and beverage right to your chaise. Or dine barefoot at their tables set right in the sand. Do be advised that Orient is clothing optional.

Hotels with great beaches...Plus spas and shopping!

Wyndham Sapphire Beach

Can you imagine combining three of life's most indulging treats...beach time, a fabulous spa treatment and shopping. It's as close to Paradise as you get on earth. Each of these hotels have world class spa facilities, are close to shopping and are all on great beaches. Several good choices for folks who "want it all" are Divi Little Bay Beach Resort, tucked on a quiet peninsula on the edge of Phillipsburg. This is also a good hotel for families. Great Bay Beach Hotel & Casino is right in Phillipsburg very close to all the wonderful stores on Frontstreet. (Did we mention there is gambling and first rate casinos on St. Maarten?) To relax after a full day of shopping, visit one of St. Maarten's sublime spas. At Maho Beach Resort and Casino you can chill out on Maho Beach, have an amazing massage in The Good Life Spa, gamble at the Casino or catch a show, dine at one the many great restaurants or shop. If you prefer smaller hotels try the Holland House Beach Hotel, right in the heart of Phillipsburg. It sits on beach with an amazing view of the cruise ships. And you can sign up for a very Zen massage right on the beach at sunset. Pelican Resort and Casino boasts the famous L'Aqualigne Health and Beauty Clinic offering spa treatments and lush skin care programs.

Luxe Hotels

Princess Heights

La Samanna is the island's most luxurious hotel and a member of the Leading Hotels of the World and an Orient-Express property. It's where the celebrities stay. Located in the heart of the French Lowlands, La Samanna is romantic, intimate, open, quiet and very pretty. Another "luxe" option is Princess Heights on the Dutchside. Its 15 beautifully appointed, contemporary apartments make you feel as if you live on island. Also Rainbow Beach Club located in Cupecoy Beach with deluxe accommodations and amenities. Green Caye Villas in Orient Beach was designed by French architect, Jean-Paul Goergler, in traditional West Indian Creole island style. The property is low-key and elegant.

Horny Toad Guest House

Small, friendly and affordable hotels
You don't need to spend a fortune to enjoy the beauty of St. Maarten/St. Martin. Smaller properties give you the chance to get to know the owners. Several good options include the Sol Hotel in Oyster Pond with its quite, secluded Creole atmosphere. Horny Toad Guest House on Simpson Bay sits smack on the beach and is housed in the old Governor's House. Turquoise Shell Inn, another gem, has ten spotless rooms with fully equipped kitchens, access to a charming little pool tucked in the courtyard and is walking distance to restaurants, bars and shops. The owners will have you feeling like family and the rates can't be beat. Simpson Bay Beach is just steps beyond the back gate of the Turquoise Shell Inn. Another small St. Maarten hotel is Carl's Unique Inn - which is just that...it's the only hotel situated over a fabulous bakery! Carl's breads and pastries are featured in all the food stores on the island. Carl's Unique Inn is located in a residential/business area of town and is primarily recommended for business travelers. But Carl's is such a good value, anyone traveling on a budget can save some "bread" - and treat themselves to freshed baked goods each morning! For very detailed information about small hotels in St. Maarten, please see our small hotels directory.

Historic, Intimate and Charming
St. Maarten/St Martin is a very, very old island settled in the early 17th century. There are a few remnants of old plantations that still dot the island. While not as old as the island, there are two charming and historic hotels among the first to caterer to travelers. The Pasanggrahan (Indonesian for "guesthouse) Royal Guesthouse is St. Maarten's oldest and most charming hotel. It originally served as the Governor's home, a V.I.P. guesthouse and royal residence. Located in the heart of Phillipsburg, the Pasanggrahan still retains is lots of charm. Facing Great Bay, the expansive views are stunning, the well-shaded restaurant is very good as is the bar, staff. Its proximity to shops, restaurants, casinos and activities make this a charming choice. Another historic hotel is Mary's Boon opened in 1970 by the very colorful Mary Pomeroy. Today, under the new owners, the same warm and friendly atmosphere pervades your stay. Mary's Boon is situated on a 3 miles beach, has lovely rooms decorated in Indonesian teak furniture, very good food and a beautiful pool. While it is close to the airport, most repeat visitors (there are quite a few) love the entertainment of seeing very low flying planes make their approach to the airport and take off from the island. The locals love this flight-watching pastime as well!

Find the perfect place to stay for a spectacular tropical island vacation on St. Maarten/St. Martin. For additional information about a holiday in Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin hotels, resorts, fine inns and private villas please visit www.visitsxm.com for Dutch St. Maarten hotels or www.st-martin.org for French St. Martin hotels.

St. Maarten Hotels