Stan

Looking for nice pools and resort on the beach.

BadFrancis

I stayed at La Samanna this past May w/ my husband and loved it. It has a really beautiful pool area that overlooks the ocean--the main building is set into a cliff overlooking the ocean as well--all of the rooms have a fantastic ocean view. There are also villas directly on the beach. The beach itself (Baie Longue) is really beautiful and sheltered on one end by a limestone cliff--very scenic and very private--non motorized water sports are included. The breakfast that is included with the cost of the rooms is great--buffet style, but with really good food--fresh fruit, potato galette, cheese selection, a different egg dish every day, fresh squeezed juice, etc. If you stay at this resort, I would suggest eating dinner there one night and then exploring the other restaurants on St. Martin (there are at least 300, according to one travel guide I read) The view from the restaurant is gorgeous--overlooking a perfect crescent beach. We booked one of their 'premium' rooms, and upon arrival were upgraded to a one bedroom suite with a private rooftop terrace which was great (we booked through an American Express travel agent). We sat on the roof in the evening and had wine and relaxed--it was lovely. Some people complain about the price of this resort--it isn't cheap--but, I thought it was fantastic. The staff was really nice and because the resort has only 80-85 rooms, it isn't crowded. Feel free to email me w/ any specific questions...I've also stayed at the Esmeralda Resort, which is on the other end of the French side of the island on Orient Bay. This resort is really nice too, but not quite as posh. It consists of individual villas that are split into 2 or 3 large suite/studio/open floor plan rooms with a kitchenette. Each villa has its own pool which is nice. The restaurant at the resort is great--really nice people and good food. One nice feature of this resort is that they give you a resort 'credit card' with your hotel info so that you can go to the restaurants and bars that are right around the resort and charge drinks/food to your room. This is very convenient, as you don't have to worry about carrying money on the beach. The beach (Orient Beach) is MUCH busier than Baie Longue--more people and more water sports and the beach is clothing optional, which, depending on your preferences, may or may not bother you. We had a great time at this resort too--very friendly and accommodating staff. The one drawback is that only 1 or 2 villas have an ocean view...hope this info helps...

Larry

BadFrancis--I was happy to hear your report on La Samanna; I have booked a long weekend as a surprise birthday present for my wife next month. I wanted to find a hotel on Orient matching La Samanna's luxury, but there doesn't appear to be an equivalent. I do plan for us to have dinner at the hotel one evening--what other restaurants do you recommend (both lunch and romantic dinners)? Also, do we have to drive to Orient (or Cupecoy) to get an overall tan, or is that possible on Baie Longue (either in front of the hotel or further down the beach)? What about the pool at the hotel--is topless and/or minimal bottoms (her and me) going to be acceptable, or do we need to be more conservative? I'm glad you had a great time--hope we can match it.

BadFrancis

Hi Larry,<BR><BR>What a nice surprise birthday gift! As far as 'all over' tans go...there was topless sunbathing both on the beach and at the pool. I didn't notice any totally nude sunbathing, so I don't think there was any (at least around the hotel property). However, Baie Longue is just that--long -- and, it isn't crowded, so if you really want to go 'au natural', I think you could do so at the other end of the beach. Aside from having dinner at La Samanna one evening, we ate dinner at a nice Italian restaurant in Grand Case...it was called Sebastiano--the service was really friendly, and the food was good. The view from the restaurant (and most of the others in Grand Case) in the evening is quite pretty, as there are lights illuminating the beach and surf. We also had a nice dinner at the Esmeralda resort (to reminisce about our previous vacation there)--that restaurant is situated next to a swimming pool--it's a cute place with good food and the staff is really friendly and accommodating. Another night we bought cheese, fruit and wine at a little gourmet grocery store in Marigot and ate that for dinner up on the rooftop terrace. We also had dinner at an outdoor cafe in Marigot which was a lot of fun, though I cannot remember the name--it's quite large, and located across the street from the farmers market--easy to spot (I think the market takes place on Saturday). We ate lunch at the beach bar at La Samanna each day --a bit pricey, but I had no desire to leave that beach! Really nice guys working there too--I fully enjoyed the hotel and hope you do too! I can't wait to go back after thinking about it so much!! I'm headed to Peter Island later this month (hopefully there won't be any hurricanes)...can't wait.

larry

BadFrancis--Thanks for the restaurant info; from my research, Sebastiano seems to appear on a lot of lists. Since we will only be there 4 days, and won't have enough time to adequately investigate everything ourselves (other than the online research I am trying to do without getting caught since the trip is a surprise), I'd love to know if there are any "must do" or "must see" activities (e.g. local artists, a great bar for sunsets, etc.). Not interested in glitz or big crowds--looking for a laid-back weekend filled with relaxation, great food and romantic/memorable moments and places. Finally, a very mundane question--how long does it take to drive to Granc Case, Marigot and Esmerelda? I hope you have a great trip to Peter Island--it was on the short list of destinations I considered for this trip.

Cassie

We'll be making our first trip to sxm in Dec-staying at LeMeridien, Anse Marcel.<BR><BR>One place we've heard mentioned time and time again is Sunset Beach Bar right near Juliana Airport. Sounds like a fun stop on the way to or from airport. Take a look at the pictures on their website.<BR><BR>Also heard that the lolo's (roadside bbq) at Grand Case are not to be missed, esp. Talk of the Town<BR><BR>LaSamanna looks glorious...maybe next time. Have a wonderful trip.<BR><BR>And Francis, we loved Peter Island. Spent a couple of days there when sailing the BVIs. Deadman's Bay and White Beach are just heavenly. Can't wait to go back.

Linda

Be sure to try the lolos...inexpensive and fun - oh- and good food too. " Talk of the Town" is the best one, it's right beside the road. Last year they had homemade coconut ice cream - delicious!! And try a johnnycake if you've never had one; they're sort of like a "beaver tail" (or whatever they're called in the US)...deep fried dough. Do't be put off seeing the food set out on a table; we've never gotten ill from anything and you never know who might join you at your table; a year ago Xmas,Steve Martin sat down at ours!! Another great restaurant in Grand Case is Le Pressoir (means grape press). Perhaps the one mentioned in Marigot at the waterfront is Bar de la Mer. In the marina try Brasserie de La Gare or La Belle Epoque.

al

Definitely look into L'Habitation in Anse Marcel (Marcel Cove), a beautiful resort midway between Grand Case and Orient Beach.