# Back from Simpson Bay Resort & Marina, St. Maarten



## hotcoffee (Aug 5, 2013)

We have just returned from a week at the Simpson Bay Resort & Marina on St. Maarten.  I have to say that I am impressed with some of the positive things about the resort.  One is the big effort being made to renovate the rooms.  Another is the number of employees working for the resort.  Security personnel were everywhere.  Maintenance personnel were readily available.  All of the staff seemed friendly.  The location of the resort is great.  It is close to the airport and in the middle of a tourist hub - plenty of places to eat and things to do.

Two negative things about the resort are the lack of hot tubs at any of the pools and the steep hill between the beach and the upper buildings.  This is a big resort, and the buildings furthest from the beach require walking up a long steep hill.  The elderly and those physically challenged will probably have difficultly ascending the hill to the upper buildings.

We stayed in one of the non-renovated rooms.  It was two bedroom lock-off.  A fully-equipped efficiency was downstairs from a fully equipped one bedroom unit. Both of the bedrooms had king-sized beds.  Unfortunately, there were some pretty dumb design issues about the room: like the bathroom switches being outside of the bathroom, and the fact that one of the bathroom switches was actually behind a door when open, and the fact that the dishwasher door in the upstairs unit could not be opened fully because it was blocked by the range.  We exchanged a 2BR Ocean Front Marriott for this room.  I tried to talk the front desk into putting us into one of the renovated rooms, but they wanted over $900 to upgrade us.  An upgraded room would have been close to Marriott quality, but the room they gave us was not even close.  Even so, the room was large and livable.  

Taken together, though, the positive things about the resort suggest that the owners are committed to the resort.  That bodes well for the future.  It certainly appears that the past financial issues that plagued the resort are no longer an issue.  A lot of money is now being spent on renovations.  I definitely got the impression that the owners are serious about making it a high quality resort.  The renovated rooms look to be a huge improvement over what they had been.

Negotiations are still ongoing with the Seminole Tribe to rebrand the resort with the Hard Rock name in some way that I did not fully understand.  The only thing confirmed for sure about the Hard Rock negotiations is that the Hollywood Casino will be torn down and replaced with a Hard Rock Café.  However, what the exact nature of the resort's relationship to Hard Rock will be is not clear to me.  Once all of the rooms are fully renovated and the Hard Rock association is achieved (assuming it will be), the resort will be a pretty good place to stay.

We rented a car from one of the local independent rental companies.  That worked out well for us.  It was significantly cheaper than the big well-known car rental companies.  The car was well-maintained and ran well.  We had no trouble negotiating the relatively narrow roads either on the Dutch or French side.  This was our first trip to St. Maarten/St. Martin.  Overall, we liked the island.  However, I would imagine that during the high season, the roads will be pretty clogged.  Traffic was kind of slow as it was in the tourist areas.


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## GregT (Aug 5, 2013)

hotcoffee said:


> We have just returned from a week at the Simpson Bay Resort & Marina on St. Maarten.  I have to say that I am impressed with some of the positive things about the resort.  One is the big effort being made to renovate the rooms.  Another is the number of employees working for the resort.  Security personnel were everywhere.  Maintenance personnel were readily available.  All of the staff seemed friendly.  The location of the resort is great.  It is close to the airport and in the middle of a tourist hub - plenty of places to eat and things to do.
> 
> Two negative things about the resort are the lack of hot tubs at any of the pools and the steep hill between the beach and the upper buildings.  This is a big resort, and the buildings furthest from the beach require walking up a long steep hill.  The elderly and those physically challenged will probably have difficultly ascending the hill to the upper buildings.
> 
> ...



HotCoffee,

Great report, and thank you for the update on this property.  I remembered that you were going and have been hoping for an update.

I'm very intrigued that you believe that the renovated rooms will be Marriott quality/close to Marriott quality.   Can you elaborate on the proximity to the Hardrock etc, I don't follow the comments about the Seminole Tribe and knocking down a hotel?

Thanks very much -- any chance you have pictures that you could send (or post?)

Best,

Greg


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## hotcoffee (Aug 5, 2013)

GregT said:


> HotCoffee,
> 
> Great report, and thank you for the update on this property.  I remembered that you were going and have been hoping for an update.
> 
> ...



Hi Greg,

The renovated rooms are pretty nice.  They are putting two murphy beds in each living room.  The beds have memory foam mattresses.  That is a good idea because you can just push them up into the wall to save space when you get up in the morning.  I think it beats having a sleep sofa (not to mention memory foam being much more comfortable).  The rooms have king sized beds and full kitchens, and are fully air conditioned.

The resort itself could probably use a little more beautification to achieve a Marriott-looking quality.  However, because it is a very large resort and has numerous buildings, it probably would be impractical to add many more trees and plants without having to tear down some structures.

There seems to be a lot of employees at the resort.  As I noted, it seemed like security personnel were everyone you looked.  That is a good sign and suggests that the ownership is very committed to the resort.  The reputation of the resort got a bad rap due to previous financial woes.  However, it seems like the current owner is pumping a lot of money into it now.  Supposedly, the newly renovated rooms have achieved a Premier rating in Interval International even though it does not yet show up.  I guess II is waiting for all of the rooms to be renovated before they give it the gold leaf.  The newest Villas building already has a gold leaf.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida owns the Hard Rock brand, and it sounds like they plan to rebrand the Simpson Bay Resort & Marinas with the Hard Rock brand.  I am not sure what that entails.  The current Hollywood Casino is located in the middle of the resort and adjoins a small strip shopping center.  I was told that Hard Rock wants to tear down the casino and build a Hard Rock Café in its place.  I assume that they will put a casino in it.  I asked whether they would also tear down the little shopping center at the back of the casino, and was told that would stay.  Negotiations are still ongoing with the Seminoles (as they have been for quite a while now), and hopefully this all will happen someday.

For those who have never been to St. Maarten/St. Martin, I found it to be a pretty good place to take a family vacation.  There are a lot of restaurants (especially in Grand Case on the French side), and many of them are pretty good.  The island does have a reputation for toplessness on some of the beaches, but we only saw that on Orient Beach, and then it was only two women on a moderately crowded beach.  The naturist part of Orient Beach is down the beach to the right and is clearly marked.  The French side of the island is not as "Americanized" as the Dutch side.  You can sometimes run into a language barrier on that side.  Nearly everyone on the Dutch side speaks English.  Overall, I found the island an okay place for a family vacation (as well as, of course, for those who like nightlife and watersports).

I only took a couple of pictures of the resort from our balcony looking toward the beach.  I took a few at Maho Beach of airplanes landing and a 747 taking off (which is a great experience if you enjoy gritty sand being blown into your face by a hot nearly hurricane force wind!).  I also took a few at Grand Case.  However, I used my cellphone rather than a camera.  So, the resolution is not as high as a camera.  I have never tried to include pictures in a TUG post, and do not know the best way to do it.

Henry


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## normab (Aug 6, 2013)

Your post is very informative.  We traded into the former Pelican resort twice in the early 2000s, into 1 BR units.  The rooms were really not well refurbished at all, furniture was dirty and worn.  Additionally, one of the units had AC only in the bedroom but had a great view and the other had AC but no view whatsoever. (Garbage can and fence).

Years of terrible reviews have kept us from going back to this resort,since there are many better ones on the island.  Maybe once they are done refurbishing we will try it again.


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## GregT (Aug 6, 2013)

hotcoffee said:


> Hi Greg,
> 
> The renovated rooms are pretty nice.  They are putting two murphy beds in each living room.  The beds have memory foam mattresses.  That is a good idea because you can just push them up into the wall to save space when you get up in the morning.  I think it beats having a sleep sofa (not to mention memory foam being much more comfortable).  The rooms have king sized beds and full kitchens, and are fully air conditioned.
> 
> ...



Henry,

Thank you for the additional information and color -- very much appreciated!  I will hope that we will visit St. Maarten one of these years and your post suggests a new location to visit!

Best,

Greg


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## Carolyn (Aug 6, 2013)

hotcoffee said:


> We have just returned from a week at the Simpson Bay Resort & Marina on St. Maarten.  I have to say that I am impressed with some of the positive things about the resort.  One is the big effort being made to renovate the rooms.  Another is the number of employees working for the resort.  Security personnel were everywhere.  Maintenance personnel were readily available.  All of the staff seemed friendly.  The location of the resort is great.  It is close to the airport and in the middle of a tourist hub - plenty of places to eat and things to do.
> 
> Two negative things about the resort are the lack of hot tubs at any of the pools and the steep hill between the beach and the upper buildings.  This is a big resort, and the buildings furthest from the beach require walking up a long steep hill.  The elderly and those physically challenged will probably have difficultly ascending the hill to the upper buildings.
> 
> ...



hotcoffee,
Where was your unit located? We have an exchange there in January and II's confirmation has us in an unrenovated oceanfront 2BR, 2 levels (F19) in the Flamboyant Bldg.. I was told by some owners this was a great location and really should be OK. Also found out the LR area does not have A/C but it is January. Others said if you leave the door to the BR open, that it cools down pretty well. As long as it is clean, I guess we'll be OK.


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## scootr5 (Aug 6, 2013)

Good post - we have a confirmed exchange there for next August....


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## Greg G (Aug 7, 2013)

Carolyn,

F19 should have a nice view.
It is the 5th arched entry from the right, second floor, beach front unit.
In the photo the second level of the unit is the where the open window is. The main level of the unit is where the arch is below that window.
We've been in F1 which is a 1 bedroom 1st floor unit and loved the view.
Just a few steps away from the beach.




[IMGL]http://www.simpsonbayresort.com/images/banner_suite.jpg[/IMGL]


Greg


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## Carolyn (Aug 7, 2013)

Greg G said:


> Carolyn,
> 
> F19 should have a nice view.
> It is the 5th arched entry from the right, second floor, beach front unit.
> ...



Thanks for the picture Greg. Looks good!


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## GregT (Aug 8, 2013)

What's the beach like there?  Please advise and thanks!


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## hotcoffee (Aug 8, 2013)

Carolyn said:


> hotcoffee,
> Where was your unit located? We have an exchange there in January and II's confirmation has us in an unrenovated oceanfront 2BR, 2 levels (F19) in the Flamboyant Bldg.. I was told by some owners this was a great location and really should be OK. Also found out the LR area does not have A/C but it is January. Others said if you leave the door to the BR open, that it cools down pretty well. As long as it is clean, I guess we'll be OK.



We were in the lower of the two B buildings (Beaumontia).  The whole room was air-conditioned rather than just the bedrooms.  The furniture was dated but was not dirty or worn.  There were no carpets on the floors making it easy to clean up sand but cold to walk in bare feet.  The sliding door to the balcony had no outside handle.  It was downright dangerous to go outside and close the door because it might accidentally latch on you.  The doors were heavy and tended to continue sliding when closing due to inertia.  So, when on the balcony, you had to make sure the door did not close all of the way.  These were two bedroom lock-offs.  The lower room (down a pair of steps) was an efficiency with a king-sized bed, table, and full kitchen.  The upstairs room was a full one-bedroom suite.

I believe when the B buildings are completely renovated, they will be impressive because I actually like the two-floor idea.  We stayed in a two story condo in Hawaii one year, and we loved that unit.  I think I would have preferred the stairs to be carpeted though because it is a steep pair of steps.  

Be prepared to walk hills if you should ever stay in any of the buildings at or near the top of the hill!


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## hotcoffee (Aug 8, 2013)

GregT said:


> What's the beach like there?  Please advise and thanks!



The beach is relatively small, but quite adequate.  The sand was cool to walk on, and like most of the Caribbean, the water was turquoise.  They have cabanas on the beach for the resort guests (and, of course, lounge chairs), and one or more was usually open.  Overall, the resort is well equipped with pools, bars, and places to shop.

As I noted, I would not consider it to be Marriott quality yet, but it might become close once all of the renovations are complete.  Moreover, if the Hard Rock names becomes associated with it, I think its popularity will soar.

The most important thing is the money being spent upgrading it.  That shows commitment and a determination to bring it up to premier status.  They really want that gold leaf in II.


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## hotcoffee (Aug 8, 2013)

Oh, there is one other thing about the building we were in that I have not experienced before.  The toilets were vacuum flushed like an airplane!  Nothing wrong with that except if you get up in the middle of the night and think you can flush quietly without waking up half of the island, guess again.  It sounds like cannon going off in the middle of the night!  Combine that with the light switches being outside of the bathroom, and there is no stealthy way to get up at night to go to the bathroom.  All of you veterans of that resort (or, perhaps veterans of other resorts the island itself) might be completely familiar with that, but we were not.


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## scootr5 (Aug 8, 2013)

hotcoffee said:


> Oh, there is one other thing about the building we were in that I have not experienced before.  The toilets were vacuum flushed like an airplane!  Nothing wrong with that except if you get up in the middle of the night and think you can flush quietly without waking up half of the island, guess again.  It sounds like cannon going off in the middle of the night!  Combine that with the light switches being outside of the bathroom, and there is no stealthy way to get up at night to go to the bathroom.  All of you veterans of that resort (or, perhaps veterans of other resorts the island itself) might be completely familiar with that, but we were not.



I bring a small LED nightlite to put in the bathrooms.


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## deemac (Aug 8, 2013)

*walking to B Bldg (also C and D)*

[
Be prepared to walk hills if you should ever stay in any of the buildings at or near the top of the hill![/QUOTE]

I am a former owner at this resort.  I noticed you mentioned the steep walk up to the B Bldg.   As late as two years ago, they provided shuttles to those buildings.   Are they no longer available?   Did you chose not to use them (they are/were sorta slow in coming when you called).


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## scootr5 (Aug 8, 2013)

We are confirmed into B352 - I can't wait!


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## hotcoffee (Aug 9, 2013)

deemac said:


> [
> Be prepared to walk hills if you should ever stay in any of the buildings at or near the top of the hill!





deemac said:


> I am a former owner at this resort.  I noticed you mentioned the steep walk up to the B Bldg.   As late as two years ago, they provided shuttles to those buildings.   Are they no longer available?   Did you chose not to use them (they are/were sorta slow in coming when you called).



I think I saw someone being shuttled up there.  So, they might still do it.  No one told us about any shuttles.  However, we would not have waited for a shuttle.  We had three girls 19 to 22 plus my wife and I.  All of us were capable of walking.  It was tiring, but was good exercise.


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## hotcoffee (Aug 9, 2013)

scootr5 said:


> We are confirmed into B352 - I can't wait!



That is in the Bougainvillea building at the top of the hill on the very end.  That section was being renovated when we were there.  When are you scheduled to go?  We were initially confirmed into the Bougainvillea building also, but were moved to the Beaumontia building due to the ongoing renovations.


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## scootr5 (Aug 9, 2013)

hotcoffee said:


> That is in the Bougainvillea building at the top of the hill on the very end.  That section was being renovated when we were there.  When are you scheduled to go?  We were initially confirmed into the Bougainvillea building also, but were moved to the Beaumontia building due to the ongoing renovations.



Not until the 1st week of August 2014 - my wife is a teacher, and two kids in school, so we're stuck with mid-June to mid-August trips for the time being....


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## scootr5 (Jan 28, 2014)

hotcoffee said:


> We rented a car from one of the local independent rental companies.  That worked out well for us.  It was significantly cheaper than the big well-known car rental companies.  The car was well-maintained and ran well.



What car rental company did you use?


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## Bucky (Jan 29, 2014)

scootr5 said:


> What car rental company did you use?



There are many great independent rental car companies on St Maarten. Our favorite by far is Lesley Bruce of Kenny's Car Rentals. He meets us right at the airport which is very convenient since none of the car rental agencies have on sight set ups. He can be reached at bruce@sintmaarten.net if you're looking for a quote.

Another great site for info on this is the St Maarten portion of Travel Talk Online forum (TTOL) which you can view at http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=stmartin&page=0

Looking forward to our March trip


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