St. Martin/St. Maarten - Which?

7th January 2004, 02:38 PM

Hi, first trip ever to the Caribbean - which side of the island would you
recommend. We like the beach but also the shopping. Any recommendations on
which hotel - we want beachfront rooms. Thanks in advance, John

7th January 2004, 04:58 PM

"John Scheleur" <navygolf@> schreef in bericht
news:JtmdnQEGk-29_WGiRVn-hg@...
> Hi, first trip ever to the Caribbean - which side of the island would you
> recommend. We like the beach but also the shopping. Any recommendations on
> which hotel - we want beachfront rooms. Thanks in advance, John

The island is so small, it doesn't matter which side you stay. Everything
can be reached within 20 minutes.

--
RotterdamStudents
-------------------------------
Back on "The Friendly Island" in March

7th January 2004, 06:17 PM

On Wed, 7 Jan 2004 14:38:07 -0500, "John Scheleur"
<navygolf@> wrote:

>Hi, first trip ever to the Caribbean - which side of the island would you
>recommend. We like the beach but also the shopping. Any recommendations on
>which hotel - we want beachfront rooms. Thanks in advance, John
>

Both sides! They are very different, but it's a simple matter to rent
a car at the airport for not very much per week, and it's easy to
drive back and forth to avoid cruise ship crowds in P'burg on days
when no ships come calling. Plus you have the mobility to check out
all the fine eateries this island offers.

Hotels: We have always liked Simpson Bay on the Dutch side. Orient
Beach is also nice. Maho Beach is ok. Cupecoy--no, too many vendors,
and the surf is unpredictable. Baie Rouge is small, but nice. Long Bay
and Prune Bay are nice but remote. No restaurants, no vendors. Google
up some of these areas. I'm sure you'll find something that meets your
needs.

Enjoy your trip!

7th January 2004, 08:39 PM

On Wed, 7 Jan 2004, John Scheleur <navygolf@> wrote:

>Hi, first trip ever to the Caribbean - which side of the island would you
>recommend. We like the beach but also the shopping. Any recommendations on
>which hotel - we want beachfront rooms.

Why not two hotels? Most people only stay at one place. But unless you are
getting some deal for a longer stay, why not check out two places? Double
the experience.

Don <donwiss at panix.com>.

8th January 2004, 02:16 PM

We've been there 4 times. Staying at Orient Beach is the best area in my
book. A cheaper, but still nice choice is
St. Tropez. The Esmerelda has individual unit pools which are very nice,
but more expensive. They also have a nice restaurant for breakfast.
If you want a lot of amenities which really aren't needed, try a couple of
the larger resorts, but I still like the French side better. It's more laid
back. When
you want to shop, take a day when no cruise ship is in and go to
Philipsburg, but we like shopping in Marigot better. Traffic
can be pretty busy in Marigot as well. There is a short cut if you go along
the East side of the Fort in Marigot, which will help avoid
some traffic. There is a nice jewelry store a few doors from Cheri's owned
by a couple guys from Indiana, but run by some Indians.
The guy from Indiana is there often though and he treated us very well. I
believe it's Riviera Jewelers.
There is also a very small Pizza/Italian restaurant behind Cheri's and
adjacent to the casino. It has good food and low prices. The best food
by far is in Grand Case and a meal for 2 will cost about $100. There is
also a restaurant by the Atlantis Casino that is French and very good.

Oh sorry, I just saw you want beachfront rooms. Blue Bay is on the north
side of Orient Beach but is very touristy. The others I mentioned are a
short walk (100 yards) from beachfront. If you really have some bucks, try
La Samanna.

BTW, we rented from Budget and got the best rates. We used an Entertainment
card discount which saved us about 10%.

Have a great time.
Bill

"John Scheleur" <navygolf@> wrote in message
news:JtmdnQEGk-29_WGiRVn-hg@...
> Hi, first trip ever to the Caribbean - which side of the island would you
> recommend. We like the beach but also the shopping. Any recommendations on
> which hotel - we want beachfront rooms. Thanks in advance, John
>
>

9th January 2004, 05:38 PM

> John, was this a discount card you got in a mag. or u bought ahead of
time.
Thanks,
JPW

> BTW, we rented from Budget and got the best rates. We used an
Entertainment
> card discount which saved us about 10%.
>
> Have a great time.
> Bill
>
> "John Scheleur" <navygolf@> wrote in message
> news:JtmdnQEGk-29_WGiRVn-hg@...
> > Hi, first trip ever to the Caribbean - which side of the island would
you
> > recommend. We like the beach but also the shopping. Any recommendations
on
> > which hotel - we want beachfront rooms. Thanks in advance, John
> >
> >
>
>

12th January 2004, 11:14 AM

If you were replying to me, the discount coupon I was referring to was an
Entertainment Book coupon.
These books are available in all major cities or can be purchased at
Entertainment.Com. They have many
good coupons and hotel discounts, and I've saved hundreds of dollars every
year for the past 10 years with
them. They can be purchased anywhere from $20 (fundraisers) up to about
$35 or so.

-Bill

"JPW" <sandytn@> wrote in message
news:n2GLb.7118$K6.498@bignews6....
>
> > John, was this a discount card you got in a mag. or u bought ahead of
> time.
> Thanks,
> JPW
>
>
> > BTW, we rented from Budget and got the best rates. We used an
> Entertainment
> > card discount which saved us about 10%.
> >
> > Have a great time.
> > Bill
> >
> > "John Scheleur" <navygolf@> wrote in message
> > news:JtmdnQEGk-29_WGiRVn-hg@...
> > > Hi, first trip ever to the Caribbean - which side of the island would
> you
> > > recommend. We like the beach but also the shopping. Any
recommendations
> on
> > > which hotel - we want beachfront rooms. Thanks in advance, John
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
>

12th January 2004, 07:44 PM

Thanks for the reply Bill. I thought maybe there was a special card for St
Martin like the VisitAruba card I purchased online.
Thanks,
JPW

"Bill" <WMB@> wrote in message
news:GJzMb.24137$LT1.11140@newssvr33.news.prodigy. com...
> If you were replying to me, the discount coupon I was referring to was an
> Entertainment Book coupon.
> These books are available in all major cities or can be purchased at
> Entertainment.Com. They have many
> good coupons and hotel discounts, and I've saved hundreds of dollars every
> year for the past 10 years with
> them. They can be purchased anywhere from $20 (fundraisers) up to about
> $35 or so.
>
> -Bill
>
> "JPW" <sandytn@> wrote in message
> news:n2GLb.7118$K6.498@bignews6....
> >
> > > John, was this a discount card you got in a mag. or u bought ahead of
> > time.
> > Thanks,
> > JPW
> >
> >
> > > BTW, we rented from Budget and got the best rates. We used an
> > Entertainment
> > > card discount which saved us about 10%.
> > >
> > > Have a great time.
> > > Bill
> > >
> > > "John Scheleur" <navygolf@> wrote in message
> > > news:JtmdnQEGk-29_WGiRVn-hg@...
> > > > Hi, first trip ever to the Caribbean - which side of the island
would
> > you
> > > > recommend. We like the beach but also the shopping. Any
> recommendations
> > on
> > > > which hotel - we want beachfront rooms. Thanks in advance, John
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
>