teachertraveler

Does anyone have any info about this beach, area or hotel? I realize it's a bit removed from the restaurants/shopping. There is a great deal on expedia.com ($280 a night including tax and breakfast)...it seems too good to be true. Anyone know how difficult it would be to walk to Grand Case? Any info would be greatly appreciated! We really want to be close to the action but we can't find a hotel in our budget ($280 a night is our max) so this seems like a good deal. If you know if there are things to explore around this hotel, that would be helpful too! Thanks for your help.

semiramis

I can't tell you much about the hotel (we did not stay there) but on one of our trips we drove over to Anse Marcel to see the beach.

The beach is lovely in a very pretty cove. It is not really long (like Orient beach) but it is not too small and it is VERY uncrowded.

It would be VERY difficult to walk to Grand Case (unless there is a trail over the very steep hills - I have no idea if there is). Walking along the road would involve a steep climb and a very long walk to get to Grand Case.

You would definitely be somewhat isolated. The beach and hotel are at the end of a windy road that goes up and over the VERY steep hills - some great views! When we were there there was a marina near the hotel but really not a lot of things to explore except the beach and maybe the surrounding hills.

Personally I would stay there if the price was right (the hotel looked nice, the beach is lovely and we don't mind being in a quiet, somewhat isolated area) BUT from what you have said I have my doubts if it is suitable for you.

doug_stallings

You need to rent a car. Period. It's madness to try to walk to Grand Case, and anyway, it would be the equivalent of a triathlon.

I'm really surprised that you can't find a hotel in St. Maarten for that price range. Is this for this summer or for the height of the winter season? I guess it depends on when you are traveling, but there are several decent cheap hotels. The Horny Toad, for example, is less than half your max budget, and it's in Simpson Bay (and is a great place to stay with kitchens in the rooms). Perhaps you aren't looking on the Dutch side?

What I'd recommend is to find a nice hotel for your price range and then rent a car. St. Maarten is pretty small, and it's pretty easy to get around, though there is sometimes a little traffic.

jecrow

Isn't this hotel becoming a Radisson??

doug_stallings

No, the former Le Meridien is becoming a Radisson (it opens in September). This hotel is different though nearby. It used to be called "Habitation del Lonvilliers".

teachertraveler

Hi,

We want to stay on the French side, which is why I was looking at this hotel. We are going Easter Week 2009 so I think prices are up for that reason (and we're not willing to wait last minute to get a good deal...we're planners). Anyway, we booked it last night and this morning, the price on the hotel jumped almost $150!! So, we feel good about the deal. We'll probably end up getting a car for a couple of days and then for a couple of days, we'll just enjoy the hotel.

Thanks for your input.

doug_stallings

Actually, you'll need a car for your entire stay. Anse Marcel is very isolated, so unless you want to limit yourself to eating at the resort all time, there are literally no other choices except for the new Radisson. The cost of one taxi ride to and from the airport will almost pay for half your car rental if you use a local company.

teachertraveler

I read a review on Trip Advisor that said there is a marina within walking distance that has a few restaurants. Anyone know if this is true?

Thanks!

semiramis

There is a marina - but I can't remember if we saw any restaurants there.

doug_stallings

There will be restaurants open at the marina when the Radisson resort opens in September. But the marina is part of the Radisson resort.

Lizzie518

Definitely cannot walk to Grand Case. We stayed at Le Meridien for several years in a row. We generally took a cab in the evenings to dine in Grand Case....we would get the cabbie's card with phone number so we could call when we were ready to leave. The only reason I say this is because it is a VERY curvy, narrow, and mountainous trek to Anse Marcel....something you may not want to do if you intend to have any cocktails. And maybe even if you don't.....I guess it would depend on your confort level.

Re: the property. We loved it there. We were not bothered by the location or its remoteness at all...in fact we favored it. The beach is like a cove, really. Not at all large and not considered a "walking beach". But it is not tiny and it is very quiet and private. The property used to have gates with security that let guests in and out. Non-guests not allowed. In fact, friends of ours came to pick us up one time and they were almost denied entry. They had to tell them where they were parking and security kept an eye on the car to make sure it was not staying.

There used to be a couple of restaurants at the marina.....but nothing really memorable. We may have gotten a small pizza or salad at one of them for a late afternoon snack before dinner. There are plenty of better dining options in St. Martin, although the marina location is enjoyable enough.