Hotel in (French) St Martin
 

Hi

I'm off to St Martin in May for 11 nights and was looking for a nice hotel on the French side. Any ideas if the Atlantide at Grande Case or Nettle Bay Beach Club are any good - I've heard different things about them.

Would also appreciate advice on a good internet site to book the hotel thru. Thanks for any help

Phil

Hi,
The nicest hotel on the French Side is definitely LeMeridian. It is way up on a hill, and you have to rent a car or take taxis (better) to go anywhere, but the rooms are spectacular, and the service is very good. The food is fantastic, and you have a lot of choices. You have to venture to the yacht basin to add to your choices though. I was there a few months ago, and I loved it very relaxing.

Are you referring to Le Meridian Domaine or Le Meridian Habitation? What is the difference between the two? Is this the same property, or two separate properties? Which is nicer (they seem to be the same price)? How is the beach at Le Meridian? Is the water clear? Is the beach rocky? Thanks!

Le Meridian Domaine is nicer than the Habitation section. Having never stayed in the Habitation section, I am only basing this on people who compared their rooms to ours. Domaine seems to have better views (the buildings that are farthest out have the best, such as buildings 5, 6, or 7 on the 2nd or 3rd floors). The rooms are a bit funkier in a sense that the water closet is separate from everything else. The round tub/shower is in the front of the room....near the windows and balcony, and next to the double sinks. While it sounds odd, it didn't really bother us as it seemed rather European in design.

The beach at the Meridian is very nice, and one of the few in St. Martin that doesn't suffer from erosion. It is semi-private (no sales pitches and very safe) and not rough at all as it is in a protected cove. That being said, it is not terribly long because there are mountains on both sides. It is not rocky at all. We typically go in early November and never have a problem getting beach chairs or finding a less populated spot on the beach. The two pools are also decent sized and attractive.

We have also been very pleased with the service there, and even know some of the employees by name and vice versa.

How much of a walk is it from Domaine to the beach?

It's just a short walk through the gardens. The farther out you stay in Domaine, the closer you are to the beach, but farther to the "lobby". If you are an able-bodied individual, it will not be a concern. If walking is an issue, it may be more convenient to stay in the Habitation section, as it is somewhat more convenient to the "hub".

We've been going to SXM twice a year for more than 20 years and always stay on the French side. Nettle Bay Beach Club is fine, but even better is the Grand Case Beach Club. Stayed there in December and highly recommend it; spacious room, very clean, great service. You can walk into Grand Case and enjoy all the restaurants there, 20 minutes to Marigot, 10 minutes to Orient beach. We go back in 3 weeks and stay at L'Hoste which is right on Orient Beach; again can only say wonderful things about this hotel too. Check out their web site at www.hostehotel.com I've walked the property at Le Meridien and it's lovely but too "American", everyone running around looking like they're out of a Ralph Lauren ad. Sorry, I don't mean this as an insult but I'm going to a French island I want the "French flavour". At both GCBC and L"Hoste there is a mix of clientele from N.America and Europe. I also would never go all-inclusive in SXM; too many great places to eat at all price ranges.

Quite funny you should say that.....the predominant guests at Le Meridian are French, and not "American" at all.

Staying at Grand Case or at Orient is, however, more convenient to restaurants and other attractions.

By the way, how was the beach erosion at Grand Case Beach Club when you were there? They last time we checked it out, the beach had shrunk quite a bit. (I know it kind of comes and goes in cycles.)

And not sure if you meant to imply this or not, but Le Meridian is not AI. I totally agree with you....one must try the restaurants if going to SXM.

To Lizzie518: There was a small beach at GCBC, but not as wide as I remember it from years before. There was room for beach chairs right down on the sand whereas a year or so ago there was no beach at all; the water came right to the hotel breakfront. Many guests also sat on the beach closer to the restaurant and there was a fair width there also.

As to Le Meridian, any of the times I've walked through the property what I've mostly heard is that Yankee twang rather than French.

But at least we agree on the proliferation of good restaurants. Have you tried O Plongeoir?

I have not tried that restaurant (there are so many good ones you run out of time). Is it in Grand Case? Is it new? We are always willing to try another great restaurant in SXM.

Hi, my husband and I have been to St Martin a few times and are partial to Le Esplenade in Grand Case, good area for restaurants at night and Esmeralda in Orient because it is right on a beautiful beach and each unit has its own pool, always quiet in the summer and at night the pool was basically all ours!out of the five times we stayed there we only had someone from our unit in the pool once, that includes day and night, very romantic with a couple of glasses of wine.

To Lizzie:

We stayed at the Le Meridian last summer and were the only guests speaking English. We almost felt like we were in another country

My husband and I stayed at the Grand Case Beach Club 3 years ago for our honeymoon. We loved the property. In fact, we both rated it as our favorite place thar we have ever stayed (and we have traveled quite a bit). It is not a luxurious resort. It is relatively small, quiet and very clean. We had a one bedroom unit and it was very spacious. The grounds are well maintained and the beach nice especially on the restaurant side). Perhaps it was because it was our honeymoon that it struck such a chord with us, but whatever the reason I would highly recommend it to anyone. Enjoy dining in Grand Case- the food is fantastic!
Also, if you have a chance, check out Anguilla. We stayed there for a week as well and really enjoyed the beautiful beaches.
Have fun!

Lud - you were in a different country!!

LeMeridian has always been known to cater to the European Market, its a great place, but remote. GCBC is nice, but the beach is either great or non-existant. For a honeymoon, check out LeEsplande in Grand Case, or their sister resort on the beach LePetit Hotel.

I've been to St. Martin twice, and the first time I stayed at the Esmeralda, which was great--right on Orient Beach, which was convenient. The property itself is like a neighborhood of small villas, and we had one to ourselves with its own pool. I enjoyed it alot. The second time, I stayed at La Samanna, which I LOVED. We booked through AMEX platinum travel services, and were upgraded from an ocean view room to a one bedroom suite with a balcony and roof top patio. Sitting up there w/ a bottle of wine and some cheese from one of the local markets for sunset was very nice. The hotel was gorgeous. The pool is beautiful, the food is excellent, and the beach was fantastic. I absolutely loved it, and would highly recommend staying at La Samanna. It's not the cheapest place, but, I think you get what you pay for. It's a very private resort, and a bonus was that there were no kids (I like kids, don't get me wrong, however, relaxation and screaming kids don't work for me!) There was also a promotion available when I went in May that included a $500.00 food/beverage credit. That was a nice bonus too. Have fun and enjoy!

To Lizzie 518: O Plongeoir is on the harbourfront right near the West Indies Mall; it's across from the newer marina area at the harbour.