# Royal Islander St. Martin?



## shopgirl (Jul 21, 2006)

Can anyone comment on this resort?  Reviews are mixed; have an opportunity to exchange 1 wk. Disney Vacation Club for this resort and am a little hesitant.  Would love to hear from anyone that has stayed there recently. Thanks for any help.


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## caribbeansun (Jul 22, 2006)

I've not stayed there but it's location is a turn-off for me (which is why we've never stayed there).  It's located in a very busy area called Maho which is located near the airport and it is not what I want when visiting a caribbean island.  

Resorts quality wise on SXM aren't going to be to the Disney standard no matter what resort you stay at.


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## pedro47 (Jul 22, 2006)

What are your suggestions of resorts to stay on St Martin and when will be the best time of the year to exchange into St. Martin?


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## Kal (Jul 22, 2006)

The best time of the year to get an exchange is in the middle of hurricane season.  The best time to visit the island is high season: mid-December thru mid-April.


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## caribbeansun (Jul 23, 2006)

We would stay at the following (in order of preference):

La Vista Beach
La Vista
Pelican
Royal Palm
Flamingo

None of these are Disney quality though - as long as you know you are stepping down a notch (or two) then you'll have a great time.  We stayed at La Vista this year and it was really basic accomodations but it was clean, the people were friendly and the restaurant served good food - we had a great time as we could walk over to the casino at night and not worry about drinking too much - it was great to be able to walk to things close by rather than being in a car all the time.  Other than sleeping we only spent maybe 10% of our time inside so it really doesn't matter.

If you want comparable quality you need to look elsewhere.


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## shopgirl (Jul 23, 2006)

Thanks for your feedback.  I think we'll pass on this exchange and wait for something more in line with what we would be trading.


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## tashamen (Jul 24, 2006)

Well, I suppose to each their own.  We're staying at the Royal Islander Club la Plage next week and traded in with a Club Intrawest week, and have no qualms about the quality or the location.  The Caribbean in general does not have high quality resorts (there are some exceptions).

You will not be able to trade into the Pelican with a Disney resort, I assume, since we can't exchange into it with Club Intrawest either.  La Vista and La Vista Beach are RCI so you won't get those either unless you do a direct exchange.


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## somerville (Jul 24, 2006)

I stayed in a 2 BR at Club La Plage in May.  We were totally satisfied with the resort.  It is not Disney quality, but there are few resorts in the Caribbean that are.  I enjoyed watching the planes land.  It is close to a road, but we didn't have a problem with noise.  There were a number of shops, restaurants and a casino within walking distance.  There was also a small grocery across the street.


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## Cathy Berg (Jul 25, 2006)

we stayed at Royal Islander La Plage a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.  We liked the fact that we could walk to several places for meals and to the casino and yes it is a congested area.

It just depends on what you want on vacation.

we thought it was great to be able to see the planes flying in so low and never were bothered inside our unit with severe plane noise and i believe they quit flying pretty early in the evening.

cathy berg


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## Cappy (Jul 27, 2006)

I have stayed the 2 times & loved it!!  I'm going back to this resort in Jan 2006 (that has to tell you something!)  Anytime I could get this resort I would but if it was Sunterra Flamingo Beach or this one I would take  the Sunterra! I have stayed at a lot SXM timeshares & these are my 2 I like the best so far!


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## Blondie (Jul 28, 2006)

I think Royal Islander is considered one of the nicer on the island. I would take it in a minute. The airport proximity just adds to the enjoyment and fun and the noise is really nothing at all. For some folks the location with all the little shops, etc. is what they like. I would never give it up and like the previous poster said, you will not find something on SXM like your Disney. The resorts there are just not top tier, INHO, but they are very nice. WE have stayed/owned at Pelican, Royal Palm, and currently La Vista.  Blondie


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## tashamen (Jul 28, 2006)

we're headed to RIC la Plage tomorrow :whoopie: 

I'll write an updated review when we return.


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## TomR (Jul 28, 2006)

tashamen:  Have a great vacation.  I am looking forward to your update on the RI. We have to wait until December before we make it there again.

Tom


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## mssuzan (Jul 31, 2006)

We have been to SXM 3 times and have stayed at the royal islander twice.  Because of the facility and the location, it is now the only timeshare that I request.  We have II so I cannot comment on resorts available through RCI.


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