# [ 2012 ] Divi Little Bay - St Maarten



## Bucky (May 20, 2012)

Has anyone stayed there recently and if so what did you think of it? Looks like it's been about 18 months or so since any reviews were posted and from what I've read of the TUG reviews it wasn't the greatest place! The reviews on the RCI site are newer and seem to be pretty positive. Thanks for any input.


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## stmartinfan (May 20, 2012)

We own at Divi and have been there almost every year for the last 15 years.  The timeshare units have all been renovated within the last few years, and the renovation was much needed for some units.  The furniture is still far from fancy, but they replaced cabinets and did a variety of other work. The units are generally nice sized, and some of the 2 bedrooms are huge.  Because of the variety of buildings, there are some minor differences in layout across the units.    

We love the location and privacy of the place.  The resort is made up of many buildings spread out along the peninsula of land between Great Bay and Little Bay, so the units have great views.  There's lots of trees and flowering plants, so it's a pleasant walk through the grounds to the buildings.  There are 3 pools so they aren't crowded, and the beach is nice with plenty of chairs and umbrellas.  Most of the units are not directly on the beach.  While the resort is at the edge of Philipsburg, it has a gated entrance and sits back up a drive way, so feels very private.

While we love the place, it's not a Marriott or Hilton property, if you're expecting real upscale.  I'm always a little surprised at some of the less than perfect finishing on things, etc., but I think that simply reflects the island's approach to life 

Let me know if you have any other questions.


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## Bucky (May 20, 2012)

Thanks for your response.  We've been to St Maarten many times and usually go to the Maho area. We have stayed at Sapphire and Ocean Club Villas but by far the resort we love the best is Royal Islander La Plage. 

Problem is that there is no inventory avail for the period we are looking for. Since I was lucky enough to snag FF tickets I really want to use them. We've always enjoyed being able to walk right out of the resort to a wide variety of restaurants.

Is it really only a 10-15 min walk to Philipsburg from the resort? One of the major advantages to staying in Maho is that we haven't needed to rent a car except maybe for a day trip to Marigot for shopping. Since we're going to be there for three weeks I really hate to have to rent a car to get everywhere. Thanks again.


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## stmartinfan (May 20, 2012)

I've never done the walk to Philipsburg but I'd guess you could get to the main shopping section in about 15 minutes.  It's mostly downhill going to town.  I know people walk during the day, but I personally would not walk at night there.  

We always rent a car and don't mind driving to beaches or restaurants, because we like the privacy and peacefulness of Divi and think it's quick to Simpson Bay, Maho and Marigot.   I think it would be difficult to stay there and not rent.  You can walk to Belair's restaurant and Divi's got both Toucans and food at the bar, but I wouldn't want to eat there more than once on a trip.


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## Bucky (May 21, 2012)

Was able to book 12 Mar - 2 Apr this morning. Also was able to secure one of the 1Br/1.7Ba units with a full kitchen. Figure I'll rent a car for the first and last week and if needed for a day or two for the middle week.  Tripadvisor has some good reviews on the resort also.  Thanks for your help and looking forward to staying in a different location this time.

How far is the nearest grocery store from the resort? Any must visit restaurants in the Phillipsburg area? Like I said, we're use to the Simpson Bay and Maho area so it's going to be fun to explore different places. Thanks again.


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## stmartinfan (May 21, 2012)

Great time to book for SXM!  And the 1 bedrooms with the extra bath are nice and roomy.  

Both Divi and BelAir have small convenience stores for grocery essentials, but otherwise the closest store is the Grand Marche at the roundabout as you come down Cole Bay Hill into the Philipsburg area.  When you check into Divi, stop at the welcome counter by the front desk and ask for the Divi card.  You get a discount on all groceries at Grand Marche with it (something like 5 or 10% but every little bit helps!)  The Cost U Less is across the street, and might work for some things since you're staying longer.

For restaurants - Antoine's is very close and our favorite for wonderful French food and a quiet atmosphere.  LeEscargot is also at that end of town, if you like snails.  We also like The Greenhouse and Chesterfields, which are both at the other end of the boardwalk closer to the cruise dock.  

Mark's Place, which is in the parking lot by the Grand Marche was great fish and ribs for a reasonable price.  It's an odd location but once you're in the restaurant it's surprisingly pleasant.  They seem to do a booming take out business as well.  For breakfast and lunch, Kangaroo Court in the center of Philipsburg gets good reviews; we've had coffee and a snack there and liked it.  And Talulah Mango's on the boardwalk is usually busy at lunch; we've even had a good lunch at Hard Rock Cafe.  There are lots of other smaller restaurants along the boardwalk area that I've not tried; I'm not sure how many are open in the evening, because they seem to focus more on cruise customers.


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## normab (May 23, 2012)

I recommend having lunch at Pasangrahan House on Front street.  Try the OLD MAN PUNCH if you like rum punches--it's really good!

Norma


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## channimal (May 24, 2012)

Wife and I stayed at the Divi in 2009.  We had a 1br on Philipsburg side.. beautiful, quiet and nice to watch the cruise ships come in ...

Our 1br seemed to be updated .. granite countertops, etc... ice cold ac.. etc  Housekeeping was a little hit or miss but no big issues..we made friends with one of the housekeepers and she'd pick us up roasted chicken dinners with plantains on her way to work .. yummy!!!  loved the beach.. nice bar .. good activities ... nice little area up hill behind the Divi where a small fort used to be located.  Overall it was a great exchange for us via RCI and worth it.

My wife can be very picky.. and she gave the Divi 2 thumbs up


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## boriska00 (Jul 2, 2012)

Glad to have found this thread 

We are looking to exchange in around the same time as Bucky, only for a week.
We'll be traveling with two kids (5 and 6), so this seems like a nice quite place where we can just hang out at the beach and be somewhat away from all the cruise ship crowds.

I was worried about some recent tripadvisor reviews; people complaining about ACs not working, rusted water, dirty bathtubs, even bedbugs.  Any truth to that?  Or maybe these were hotel units and somehow the maintenance is different on those?

Thanks for your help in advance!


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## boriska00 (Jul 2, 2012)

Also, do 1BR units have washer/dryer?


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## stmartinfan (Jul 2, 2012)

Most of the 1 bedrooms we've stayed in don't have washer and dryer, but some units on the Little Bay side do.

We took our kids there for the first time when they were about the same age; both are in their 20s now and continue to love it!  The beach there is good for that age and there are plenty of beach chairs.  There are 3 pools and the SeaBreeze one has a shallow end that's good for splashing around.  The one restaurant is beside the pool, so our kids could order, then go swim while we relaxed and come back when the food arrived.

We've never had problems with bedbugs nor heard anyone there talking about them.  One year I had itchy bites on my ankles, but then did some research and realized I had "no se'um" bites. They are tiny bugs that bite on the beach and at restaurants.  The bites itch like crazy, and I'd wondered about bed bugs but decided it wasn't.

We've stayed at the resort 15 times and find it's comfortable and clean, but not fancy.  Some of the older tubs may have some stains from water.  We usually drink bottled water but water on the island is drinkable and we use it for coffee.  We've always had ac that worked.  I thnk some of the hotel rooms are in poorer shape, so it may be that Trip Advisor guests were in those.  Although my daughter and a friend styled in one for a week last year and we're OK.


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## boriska00 (Jul 6, 2012)

Thanks for your help!
You seem to know a lot about the island, so a few more questions if you don't mind.

Our other option is Atrium.  Reviews seem to be good as well, but what do you think?  With small children, which one is better?

Also, how difficult is it to find parking, since we'll have to drive most places especially if we stay at Divi.

Thanks!


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## stmartinfan (Jul 6, 2012)

I haven't stayed at Atrium, and own at Divi, so my perspective is based on that. 

Divi has multiple  buildings, some with about 6-8 units and others larger that are spread out across a peninsula of land that separates Little Bay and Great Bay.  All the parking is in a central lot, so you walk through the landscaped grounds to your building, and almost every unit has a nice view of one of the two bays, although most aren't on the beach.  The resort is set back off the road, with an secure entrance gate, so it's very quiet.  

There are 3 pools located in different areas of the resort.  It has a nice beach with some snorkeling along the rocky cliff on one site, and plenty of free chairs and umbrellas.  Divi has a water sports building, where you can rent jet skis and other beach rides, etc.  Another timeshare resort, Belair, is next door to Divi and shares the beach area, so you can walk there to a restaurant and small store.  Divi has a small grocery and deli as well.

Since the buildings are spread out, including 2 that are on top of the hill at the end where the ruins of the fort are, it can be a longer walk to some buildings - and depending upon your kids that can be good or bad  Although the views from the top of the hill are great!  When my kids were real young, it was kind of a pain to have to carry all the stuff back and forth from the beach for lunch, etc., but we also like the privacy and quiet of the layout.  And a couple of the buildings are three story with no elevator.  I know for some older people the layout is a negative, simply because of the walking involved.  The resort runs a golf cart type shuttle along the path that goes from the front desk and parking area, up to the top of the hill, so you can get help with groceries and luggage, or just catch a ride if you don't feel like walking. If you don't see it going when you want a ride, you just stop by the front desk and the bellman will gladly take you.  When we stay in one of the hilltop buildings, my daughter becomes friends with all the bellmen, she rides the cart so often!

We've been able to request some general areas, i.e., Great Bay side vs. Little Bay side, when we trade weeks as an owner; I don't know how flexible they are in honoring requests from people coming in via RCI.

The resort units have all been renovated within the last few years, so they are in good shape.  Not fancy, but generally roomy and comfortable.

In comparison, Atrium is a high rise building - not sure how tall - maybe 8 floors.  It sits right in the middle of a neighborhood of residential and commercial.  It opens out on one side to a beach area.  I've seen their beach but never spent any time there, and didn't have the impression it was one of the better beaches on the island.  Often in SXM, one of the attractions is visiting all the different beaches, so I think many of the people staying there go to other beaches anyway.  I don't know anything about their pool or the quality of their rooms, so someone else would have to comment on that.  I expect if you're up a few levels, you probably have a good view out to the water view from the Atrium rooms.

The location of the two resorts is the other big difference.  The Atrium is located close to lots of restaurants, some that you could walk to, although you have to be careful as pedestrians because there aren't good sidewalks in some areas.  I know lots of people who enjoy going out and don't want to drive afterwards, love the convenience of the location.  It's also close to a large grocery store.  Divi has its pool bar and Gizmo beach bar, which are good for lunch and bar food dinners, but its fancier restaurant is pricey and doesn't compare to all the other good SXM restaurants.  Belair has a casual restaurant that many people like and it's a fun walk down the beach.  Otherwise, at Divi, you need to drive for dinners.  Philipsburg is just outside the gate, and the Simpson Bay area, where Atrium is located, is about 5-10 minutes away.  Since we've always taken our kids, we aren't big partiers at night, so driving to and from restaurants is never an issue for us.  We routinely drive to restaurants in Simpson Bay, Maho and Marigot with no hesitation.  We have gone across the island to Grand Case, the gourmet center, but that's a longer drive on windy roads in the dark, so that's less common for us.  (But that's the same issue for both Divi and Atrium.)  Another difference is that the traffic in the Simpson Bay area can be a pain, so getting in and out of the Atrium area can be very slow sometimes.  That makes the drive to Orient Beach, one of our favorite destinations, faster from Divi.

I know there are people who consider Divi out of the way, and would only want to stay in timeshares in Simpson Bay or Maho areas.  They love having all the bars and restaurants close by, and go to beaches on other parts of the island to spend their days.  To me, staying in those areas is too much like being in a crowded city area anywhere - not on a tropical island - so they aren't attractive to me.  But they are popular areas, so many must like their appeal!

You asked about parking.  We've never had an issue parking at the beaches we go to - like Orient, Mullet or Friars.  (The usual SXM warning:  NEVER leave anything in your car, anywhere, even if locked.)  Parking by some of the Simpson Bar area restaurants can be a bit crowded, but usually there's a spot to be found somewhere in the area, although you might have to cross the busy street or walk through the gravel parking areas (no good sidwalks there.)  A couple of the restaurants we go to in Philipsburg have private parking lots, which will validate if you have a meal.  Otherwise, parking in Philipsburg during the day can be challenging, and there are tow trucks that making a living towing people, even from spots that appear to be legal!  There is one paid parking lot a couple of blocks off from the main street that we use, or we park in the Greenhouse restaurant lot and walk down the boardwalk to the shopping area. 

As you can tell, we love SXM, so always glad to answer questions about it.


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## ingeborgdot (Jan 12, 2014)

stmartinfan said:


> We own at Divi and have been there almost every year for the last 15 years.  The timeshare units have all been renovated within the last few years, and the renovation was much needed for some units.  The furniture is still far from fancy, but they replaced cabinets and did a variety of other work. The units are generally nice sized, and some of the 2 bedrooms are huge.  Because of the variety of buildings, there are some minor differences in layout across the units.
> 
> We love the location and privacy of the place.  The resort is made up of many buildings spread out along the peninsula of land between Great Bay and Little Bay, so the units have great views.  There's lots of trees and flowering plants, so it's a pleasant walk through the grounds to the buildings.  There are 3 pools so they aren't crowded, and the beach is nice with plenty of chairs and umbrellas.  Most of the units are not directly on the beach.  While the resort is at the edge of Philipsburg, it has a gated entrance and sits back up a drive way, so feels very private.
> 
> ...


What gives you a better chance of having an ocean view at the Divi?  A 1 bedroom or a 2 bedroom?  Check in on Saturday or ? I was just in Minneapolis in Nov. and also back in Dec.  I have family around the area.  Thanks.


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## stmartinfan (Jan 12, 2014)

All of the two bedrooms I've stayed in have been 1 bedroom plus the connecting studio, so the bedroom size probably doesn't impact your location.  Most of the units have nice views of either Great Bay or Little Bay.  

We've gone there 15 years and stayed in a variety of buildings on the property because we always do an internal swap from the week we own to a spring break week, and last year was the first where our unit didn't face one of the bays.  It opened into a nicely landscaped area between two buildings, and if we stood by the balcony railing we could see the ocean, but not while sitting in the lounge chairs.  The trees by the balcony were flowering. So we did get to watch some small birds come to enjoy the nectar.

We have a Saturday check in and that seems to be the major turnover day.  Divi also rents units, so some people do stay less than a week.


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## ingeborgdot (Jan 12, 2014)

Okay, so in other words 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, studio, it does not matter what you get because you should get a view.


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## stmartinfan (Jan 12, 2014)

Yes.  the resort is several separate buildings spread out over the grounds, so the views are good.


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## ingeborgdot (Jan 12, 2014)

We checked it out last year when we were staying at the Belair.  We walked around the grounds but never did get to go into any rooms and check them out.  So you wouldn't recommend a 2 bedroom over a 1.  How big are the 1 bedrooms sq. ft wise?  I can't seem to find anything about that.  Thanks again.


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## stmartinfan (Jan 13, 2014)

Generally, the units are good sized.  There are a lot of different layouts because of the various building designs and how the units fit in them.  There are quite a few 1 bedroom units that have 1 1/2 baths and these are especially roomy.  With most 2 bedrooms, you end up with a regular kitchen, plus the kitchen in the studio portion, so you get lots of room.

Whether you need a 1 or 2 bedroom will depend on the make up of your group.  The sleeper sofas are really uncomfortable, so if your group has more than 2 adults, or even older teens, you'll want a 2 bedroom unit.


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## ingeborgdot (Jan 13, 2014)

It is just the wife and I but we like a lot of room when we travel.  We like to keep our suitcases tucked away and out of site.  I will look into both I guess and see if I can find out the difference between the sq footage of the two.  Thanks for your help.


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## stmartinfan (Jan 13, 2014)

THe one bedrooms that are on the Little Bay side of the resort are bigger and have a walk in closet plus a second closet in the 2nd bathroom, so lots of room for luggage.  The second bathroom also has a shower.  The bedroom has its own TV and usually a sofa and its own balcony.  The living area has a sofa and nice sized dining table plus the kitchen area, which is usually a small separate room. If you get the 2 bedroom, you get the adjoining studio, which has another king or queen bed, a sofa area and an efficiency kitchen and full bath.   You could spend a day in that 2 bedroom unit without ever bumping into each other --it's bigger than my first house!

The one bedrooms on the Great Bay side are smaller, without the walk in closet and only some have the second bathroom.  The bedroom is nice sized but doesn't have the sofa.  If you get one of the smaller ones there, I could see why some people would want the second bedroom.  During the day, we often sit on the balcony or patio, so I don't personally find them small, but I could see that others might want more space.  Of course, we also spend most of our days out of the unit at a beach.

Because of the variance in size of the different buildings, I don't know that any "average" square foot number Divi can provide will be useful.  If you call their NC office, you're talking to people who have never been to the resort and din't really understand the room specifics.  Depending upon how you're getting a unit at Divi, You may be able to specify Little Bay or Great Bay side buildings.


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## ingeborgdot (Jan 13, 2014)

RCI is what I am going through, so I really can't pick.


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