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st martin


spikelings
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We have stayed at and enjoyed the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort. Very near the airport and about equal distance from Marigot or Philipsburg. Nice room with a balcony, decent food, a casino across the street if that interests. It is the Caribbean so not 4 star but still a nice stay for the money. A bonus for us was walk to the World Famous Sunset Bar on Maho Beach and watch the big jets land over your head. People from all over the world having fun. And then, topless women drink free.:eek::D

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IMHO the best hotel on the island is La Samanna, but it is very very expensive and they don't like single night reservations, operating on a weekly spa forfait. The Westin Dawn Beach is a giant concrete box that should never have been built in the Caribbean, so to be avoided...vile....there is a very tacky casino in the lobby and they encourage you to keep the doors and windows closed because of the air conditioning. Hello? Only to be considered if you are on the early morning ferry to St Barths. Prison architecture.

 

If you don't need the services offered by a large hotel, a small and more charming spot would be Le Petit Hotel in Grand Case on the French side. Grand Case is also home to a number of very good restaurants on the beach.

 

If you are on the island for more than a day, I would highly recommend the French side over the Dutch side.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have been vacationing in St. Martin for more than 25 years. Dutch side is nice. French side is devine. When I first visited, I stayed Dutch. Once I stayed on the French side, I could never go back. There are several small boutique hotels. I prefer Grand Case or Orient Bay. As for restaurants, the Fish Pot closed a few years ago. It wasn't that good. Grand Case is a quiet one street town that comes alive at night. Best food on the island. Some places are as good as Paris or Lyon. My favorites include Le Taste Vin, Bistro Caribe, Auberge Gourmande, and Spiga (italian better than Rome). There are a lot of good restaurants in Grand Case. Make reservations. For inexpensive creole island food, there are the lolos. Enjoy!

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For small, more boutique hotels, we have stayed at Little Arches, Atlantis, and Little Good Harbour. The problem in Barbados is that small hotels tend to operate on a weekly rental basis, so it is hard to get two or three nights until close in, when you might luck into a hole in their reservations. The Atlantis is on the rough coast, so not great if you are looking for a sandy beach kind of holiday, but it is a spectacular location for waves crashing directly under your windows.

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Would add the Cranes Beach Hotel ... not necessarily for the hotel, but the

beach is by far one of the best in the Caribbean. Yes, the one Burt Lancaster

frolicked in the surf with you know who!!!

 

The Atlantis is a wonderful and secluded spot with a great restaurant and

a sister property to Little Good Harbor ... also a favorite with a great

restaurant. You won't go wrong with any of these picks IF you can get a

reservation. Good luck!

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Hi,

next year february 6, we are sailing on SD1 from St Martin Marigot to Bridgetown Barbados...any tip on both islands which hotels/resorts we should go to (1 maybe 2 nights)

Thanks

Anyone else boked this journey?

John

 

Dear Spikelings, I am new to the Sedream board, but we are hoping to sail SD in the next year or so. We recently stayed in St Martin and also had a day in Philipsburg when we picked up our cruise. We could not get out fast enough - found it tatty and tacky. However, our hotel, the Grand Case Beach Club on the French side was very comfortable although like all decent hotels here it was very expensive for what it was. It's also a good half hour away from Philipsburg, which is another bonus!

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