St. Maarten, places to stay w/small children
 

Since my trip plan has changed a bit, I thought I would re-post. We are still going to Montserrat but now via St. Maarten rather than Antigua. So, we are now searching for child-friendly (hopefully) beachfront places to stay in St. Maarten for 3 nights. It seems everything has +/-'s. I'd like the price to be in the $300/night range (or less) but I realize I'm in primo season & will pay if necessary (since I'm not paying for airfare). 2 adults + a 3+ year old & 11 month old at time of travel. I am all ears. Thx.

Hello once again SAnParis. :) Just my personal opinion with little ones.

I would suggest Grand Case Beach Club in Grand Case because the beach is so tame there and you have plenty of dining options w/o a car.

OR

Royal Palm in Simpson Bay. The beach is fairly calm, and you again have dining options without a car although the main road is much busier than in Grand Case.

On the other hand, if you want to rent a car (which I highly suggest for three days) the island is at your disposal.

In the end, however, I still highly recommend the Grand Case area with little ones. That's where we always took DH's daughter when she was younger. The beach is hard to beat.

I second the Grand Case Beach Club recommendation! The resort has individual cottages, several small pools instead of one gigantic tourist-infested one, and the beach there is one of the island's tamest (not too many rocks, a mild current). There are also many amazing restaurants within walking distance--Grand Case is the culinary capital of the Caribbean.
Another recommendation is Le Petit Hotel, a small beachfront property with no pool but an excellent beach and very nice accomodations. It is also located in Grand Case, but is on the opposite end of the beach from most of the restaurants, so it might not be the best option if you don't have a car.
Finally, in case you're not interested in staying in Grand Case, the resort at Baie Nettle (Nettle Bay)--I think it is a Mecure property--has small cottages with several pools, and all are beachside. I've never seen the interiors of those though, so I'm not sure how nice they are.
Have a nice trip! You are going to have your hands full, but it can be done--my parents first took me to St. Martin when I was 2 months old, and we've gone back every year since then. (I'm now 28!) Just watch out for the very, very strong sun and the noseums--a baby's worst nemesis!

I also recommend the Grand Case Beach Club but it does not have individual cottages and several pools. It has one small pool, which we never used because the water was like glass. The condos were spacious and perfect for kids. You can sit out by the seawall while kids nap and sleep.

It seems to be pretty much unanimous (sp?). I had checked this place out but will now do so in more detail. Thanks to all.