WWYD: St. Maarten for Teens?

[scoutings]

I'm trying to find the best option for St. Maarten. I need a good workspace (Oceanview would be nice, but must be a nice, renovated interior). I'm travelling with my 13-year old daughter who will be so happy to find other kids around her age at the pool.

We were thinking Divi Little Bay, but the trade options are slightly better for Simpson Bay, Sea Palace, Oyster Bay Beach Resort, and Belair Beach. Or should we just stay at Royal Palm for a second week? (I'm concerned about noise).

First time to St. Maarten.

We'll have a car.

 

[ScoopKona]

I would absolutely take the ferry to Anguilla and visit Shoal Bay Beach. This is a day trip. Take a cab unless you want to rent a car and drive on the left.

 

[Hindsite]

Simpson Bay is a large resort and the units you seem to get with II are at the top of the hill with a fantastic view. The 1-bed units are large and well equipped and have 2 x murphy beds in the Lounge area. Washer/dryers are in the basement of each block and cost $3 or so to use either.
The balcony is large with plenty of space to work, as well as there being space inside to work if needed.

I can't comment specifically on the amount of other families there, as we were there out of school holidays, but it feels very much like a family resort so I'd expect there to be a good amount to do.
Oyster Bay is in a quieter area of the Island, not sure about Divi, both get good recommendations from people.

 

[scoutings]

I would absolutely take the ferry to Anguilla and visit Shoal Bay Beach. This is a day trip. Take a cab unless you want to rent a car and drive on the left.

View attachment 92457

Thanks for the tip. I watched the video, but wasn't sure the added hassle and expense would be worth it. Now I know!

 

[Krteczech]

I would skip Sea Palace. Oyster Bay is little isolated and on Atlantic side. Divi is at good location. You know you need a car to get around the island. It is worth is. We never stayed on one beach for the whole day. In addition to Anguilla beaches via ferry or by catamaran tour, there is unforgettable Saba and St Barth, both just very short flight away. We know St Maarten/ St Martin only in Christmas/New Year’s time. Have fun!

 

[stmartinfan]

I would agree with Krteczech about skipping Sea Palace or Oyster Bay. Belair is a smaller place and the pool is small and wouldn’t be as nice for a 13 year old. Divi has great pools so that's a plus. Units aren't fancy but roomy, and most timeshares in SXM aren't 5 star level. We have taken our kids to Divi from age 6 to now in their 30s, during spring break or other winter weeks. Usually a few kids around and this last trip we saw more than before so thinking the units are moving on from the original buyers who have aged out of traveling. SXM is a pricier trip so I don't think it gets all the families with kids that go to Mexico. You didn't say when you were traveling, but perhaps there are more kids in summer.

If your daughter likes to snorkel, you can do that from the Divi beach. At that age my girls always loved doing one of the day trips on a catamaran to Anguilla or Prickly Pear. The crews are usually friendly and helpful so it’s a fun excursion. There are several options so you should be able to find one that includes Shoal Beach. It's a beautiful place. We've not done the ferry so can't offer a comparison but enjoyed the simplicity of taking the cat trip and getting to meet other passengers on the boat.

I have not stayed at Simpson Bay so can't provide a comparison for you.

I'd also recommend Parrotville as an island attraction to see. It's the passion of a guy who loves birds and has dozens of beautiful exotic birds in a large tented area where they fly free. You get a container of bird seed when you enter, and the birds love to land on the rim as you hold it to get a snack. A tip: don't wear a baseball cap. My husband did and a bird decided the button on the top must be something to eat, so it sat on top of my husband's head and pecked all the fabric off the button!

Always glad to share SXM info so feel free to ask any other questions.

 

[ScoopKona]

St. Martin doesn't get enough credit for their food.

1) First of all, it's Europe. Everyone knows this. But they don't seem to plan accordingly. Being literally Holland and France means Stroopwafels, gouda, escargot, brie, baguettes, outstanding wine (for you, not for the 13-year old -- although, give her a taste. It's never too early to raise children to appreciate the finer things in life. "Here's what champagne is supposed to taste like.")

2) The Marigot Market, particularly the spice and fish vendors. Places like this is why I'll never understand tourists who say, "I bring a packet of spices with me!" It's better to export spices on vacation. Importing them means eating the same flavors you get at home.

3) The Freedom Fighters Ital Shack. It's proof that vegan food doesn't have to be boring. (Along with Indian vegetarian, naturally.) Where most vegan restaurants try to be something that they aren't -- "It tastes just like cheese, honest!" (no, it doesn't) -- this place just tries to make tasty plant-based food.

4) The local dishes -- callaloo, conch and dumplings, conch salad, johnny cakes and similar. Pretty much any pan-Caribbean food is something to seek out.

 

[Greg G]

Some things I remember from 2001 assuming they are still there.

1) A fun activity for part of the day is to go watch the planes land/takeoff at Princess Juliana airport at the Maho Beach end of the airport. There is a Sunset Bar and Grill there you can get food and refreshments while watching, or just sit on the beach. We watched from the unit we stayed in at the Royal Islander. The big jets come in really low over the beach and appear to barely miss the chain link fence at that end of the airport when landing. Also, some people actually lay on their backs in the sand on the beach with their head at the airport end and wait for big jets to take off as the force of the exhaust blows a big strip of sand over them and out to sea.

2) There are Lolos (small restaurants with barbeques) around St. Martin that are relatively inexpensive but serve good barbequed and grilled food, island style. They are very casual and like many restaurants on the island, they are open air restaurants (more so than others), and even the kitchen is in view. Talk of the Town was a good one.

3) Get up early to go to a French bakery to get fresh baguettes and pastries.

 

[gln60]

We stayed at the VILLAS at Simpson Bay(PMM)resort which is right on Simpson Bay on a II Exchange..all Villas are Bayfront…it’s right next door to the Simpson Bay Resort..highly recommend

 

[stmartinfan]

Yes, the food on the island is wonderful, from the small road side stands to amazing French restaurants and bakeries.

The view of the planes arriving is still fun, but Sunset Bar and Grill has become a terrible tourist trap. And on days when one or more of the big cruise ships is in port the beach there is a zoo because it’s become a destination for the cruise excursions. Too many drunk people behaving poorly. There are also the idiots who try to hold on to the airport fence to see if they can withstand the blast from the jet engines from planes taking off—only to go rolled onto the street behind it, despite traffic and injuries from getting thrown through the air.

 

[Greg G]

The view of the planes arriving is still fun, but Sunset Bar and Grill has become a terrible tourist trap. And on days when one or more of the big cruise ships is in port the beach there is a zoo because it’s become a destination for the cruise excursions. Too many drunk people behaving poorly. There are also the idiots who try to hold on to the airport fence to see if they can withstand the blast from the jet engines from planes taking off—only to go rolled onto the street behind it, despite traffic and injuries from getting thrown through the air.

Good to know

 

[StaceyM]

I really liked the French side, mainly for the food, but also because it was more relaxed. The Dutch side felt very Spring Break-y to me, especially the plane watching thing, that was terrible. We stayed at Anse Marcel for a couple of nights (AirBNB) but that is definitely not a kid-friendly area.

We also stayed in the Oyster Bay area at Dawn Beach Club. DBC was very nice, huge units, but property is too isolated and there are limited pool amenities since Westin is closed. We looked at an Oyster Bay unit out of curiosity, and my impression was "Oh this is better than I thought it would be, considering it's always available." A little dated (90s/early 2000s fixtures and trim). They had a couple of shops and a bakery at the entrance to the property, lots of kids running around. If you're in Oyster bay:

• I highly recommend the BZH Creperie for lunch or dinner. Be sure and look at both the main menu and the crepes menu.
• Snorkel tour (Captain Alan) departed from Oyster Bay to Pinel Island, I recommend it because Tintamarre Lagoon and Green Cay were great. I would be happy to pay the same price and skip "lunch at Pinel Beach", which IMO was a waste of time, but a 13-year old might enjoy it.

Guavaberry liqueur (supposedly a very delightful local product) tastes like cough syrup.

St. Martin doesn't get enough credit for their food.
Places like this is why I'll never understand tourists who say, "I bring a packet of spices with me!" It's better to export spices on vacation. Importing them means eating the same flavors you get at home.

It's pretty simple. On vacation, anything I cook will be quick reliable meals. So yeah, at some point we will be too tired to go out for dinner and we will cook hamburgers seasoned with Tex-Joy. I don't need to buy a "local" container of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, etc to export home.

My MIL wanted to recreate a sauce we had at a restaurant on St Martin. It was described as a tomato cream sauce with "local hot peppers". At Marigot Market, I asked the Marigot spice vendors and produce vendors if they had any local hot peppers and they said no. I looked in grocery stores we drove past. We never saw any roadside produce stands that were staffed/stocked. I finally found a gift shop that specialized in local/Caribbean products and crafts - they had piment flakes that were grown on Martinique. I suspected that was the closest I was going to get, so I bought them.

After I got home and started working on it, all the fruity notes we remembered were achieved with tomato. Turns out that cayenne pepper works just as well as piment. . If anyone knows of what the local hot peppers are named, or what they look like, or if they even exist, or where to buy them, please chime in.

 

[Hindsite]

We also stayed in the Oyster Bay area at Dawn Beach Club. DBC was very nice, huge units, but property is too isolated and there are limited pool amenities since Westin is closed.

The JW Marriott hotel opened a few weeks ago so the resort is back to full function and looking very nice.

 

[ScoopKona]

It's pretty simple. On vacation, anything I cook will be quick reliable meals. So yeah, at some point we will be too tired to go out for dinner and we will cook hamburgers seasoned with Tex-Joy.

There's nothing stopping you from buying local fish and spices. It's just as quick as hamburgers and has the benefit of being something new. St. Martin doesn't have any cattle ranches. So any beef is likely flown over from Europe or the US.

 

[Krteczech]

Anse Marcel is one beautiful bay/beach on French side you should visit. To get there you will get some adrenaline flowing. You will have Anguilla on horizon and the bay is surrounded by mountains and feels more like Pacific island.
French supermarkets have large selection of frozen French entrees and many have a counter with prepared hot food you can pick up like chicken, ribs, fish etc. very popular with locals.

 

[scoutings]

@stmartinfan @ScoopKona @Krteczech @Hindsite @StaceyM @Greg G @gln60

Thank you all for this helpful advice.

@StaceyM I did see some peppers in a video about the Simpson Bay Fish Market.

@StaceyM @Hindsite The whole story around DBC seems confusing. Some online reviewers say it is not owned by JW Marriott, but you can use the property. I can't tell if any of the units are oceanfront or just oceanview... Online videos are always from units with a building in front of them.

@stmartinfan Thanks for letting me know re: Sea Palace, Oyster Bay and Belair. Any feedback on Royal Palm or Flamingo Beach Resort? According to a friend (Diamond owner), they used to be Diamond properties. She says people reported a preference for Flamingo, but Royal Palm is more than double the price. We're going in June.

@ScoopKona pictures have me wondering if I should go to Divi OR spend some nights in Anguilla (at an Airbnb near Rendezvous Bay because the online reviews for II-traded Paradise Cove are pretty bad)... @stmartinfan WWYD?

 

[Hindsite]

The whole story around DBC seems confusing. Some online reviewers say it is not owned by JW Marriott, but you can use the property. I can't tell if any of the units are oceanfront or just oceanview... Online videos are always from units with a building in front of them.

With all Marriot hotels the majority of them are franchised, so the timeshares don't need to be part of the Marriott brand to have an agreement. I assume that the hotel and timeshares share underlying ownership by the same company, also assuming that the timeshares are RTU not deeded, but whatever it is there must be some link as guests can use the JW facilities without any impediment, you wouldn't know there was a difference.

There did seem to be some that were facing right onto the beach, but I don't know how Dawn Beach club and Coral beach club are set out in the grounds.

 

[ScoopKona]

@ScoopKona pictures have me wondering if I should go to Divi OR spend some nights in Anguilla (at an Airbnb near Rendezvous Bay because the online reviews for II-traded Paradise Cove are pretty bad)... @stmartinfan WWYD?

Anguilla isn't as "developed for visitation" as St. Martin. I'd go as a day trip. And maybe another day trip. And another. The ferry is cheap and quick.
I've only stayed at the Pelican (closed) and Oyster Bay. I thought both places were adequate.

The central market (now a Carrefore) is one of the reasons St. Martin is head and shoulders better than most of the Caribbean. (I island-hopped in my youth. St. Martin was the only island where I said, "I could totally see living here.") Since it's Europe, with European laws and prices, your vacation Euro stretches farther than other nearby destinations.

Last time I was there, they sold Castellane champagne, which is my favorite "bang for the Euro" wine.

 

[scoutings]

The ferry is cheap and quick.

... It turns out, not so cheap:

 

[ScoopKona]

$30 to get to another country IS cheap.

It costs more for me to Uber to the airport.

 

[gln60]

We took a half day catamarran cruise from the dock at the Villas at Simpson Bay over to beautiful Anguilla..the Catamarran dropped us off at Beautiful Rendevous Bay on Anguilla and a bus was waiting to take us over to serene stunnimgly beautiful Shoal Bay beach where we had lunch at a small restaurant on the beach..the tour company provided each couple with 2 beach loungers and umbrella.

 

[scoutings]

$30 to get to another country IS cheap.

It costs more for me to Uber to the airport.

Had forgotten that it is a different country...

 

[ScoopKona]

Had forgotten that it is a different country...

Considering how much gas they have to burn to get there and back, it's not like $30 is out of line. If I ever do it again, I'm bringing fishing gear so I can multitask. (There's probably some rule against fishing on the inter-island ferry.)

 

[StaceyM]

@StaceyM @Hindsite The whole story around DBC seems confusing. Some online reviewers say it is not owned by JW Marriott, but you can use the property. I can't tell if any of the units are oceanfront or just oceanview... Online videos are always from units with a building in front of them.

I'm not sure about the ownership, I just know that they share the pool/beach facilities.

The DBC are the four "black roof" buildings at the bottom of the aerial photo or the tall yellow buildings in the side view. The Westin (or JW Marriott now) is the shorter white-roof building surrounding the pool. One of the DBC buildings is "Ocean Front" but I doubt you would get that in an exchange. But as you can see from the side view, they have done a decent job of making most of the rooms have an ocean view. Part of that is possible because the property is steeply pitched, and an underground parking lot is the bottom story of the further back buildings. I'm not sure how obstructed was the view the bottom floor of the D building.

The floor plans are designed so the Master bed / living room / balconies face the ocean and the 2nd/3rd bedrooms face the canyon/buildings behind the building. As far as I could tell, there are no "Garden View" or 'Mountain View" units on the back half of each building, every unit has both views.

We were on the 4th (top) floor of the furthest back "D" building and we had a good view, but we definitely had the Westin roof as part of the view. It was also an uphill walk to get from the pool/beach to our unit. I think they added black solar panels to the Westin roof since these above photos were taken.

 

[scoutings]

@StaceyM Thank you! This kind of detail is so helpful. This is available on II "Getaways" options for about $150 for the week more than the RCI Points options.

Unlike the others, DBC isn't on RCI.