ttt

..hhmm. what about the Dutch side of St. Marten, Philipsburg....

Try Belize, We had a great time last year and stayed at Ramons Village
http://www.ramons.com/index.htm

I agree that Aruba might be too Americanized for you guys. It is not my favorite place as I felt like I was in Myrtle Beach.
St. Martin might fit the bill, but it is crowded. We saw lots of people staying on the Dutch side where the casinos are, but I prefer the French side for the island flavor. If you take a taxi to the Dutch side, it is about $20-30 each way. Rental cars are cheap, but if you are like my DH and his buddies on a trip, driving is not a great idea. b(
As skbfan suggested, Timothy Beach Resort might be a really good option as it is smaller than the Marriott, but an easy walk or cheap cab to the Marriott's casino. Mr. X's is a blast and the food/drinks are good and cheap.
Good luck!

I still think a place on the beach in NEgril best fits your most recent criteria with having plentiful options for dining and music, right on the beautiful beach, with swimmable water.

The Treasure Beach area in Jamaica might also be good, but the beaches are smaller and a bit wilder there, but it's a great community. And very few beach vendors compared to Negril.

What about Anguilla? I don't know it at all, but Ku seems to be getting a lot of attention lately. You'd probably have to drive to get to most beach bars or restaurants, thought.

What about Nevis? The Oualie Beach Hotel is the right size but on a very small beach, but just a short drive away from Pinney's, Sunshine's and other beach bars there.

What about one of the resorts on Grand Anse beach in Grenada? Maybe Coyaba would suit your needs, and there are quite a few spots up and down that two mile stretch for beach bars and places to eat. Not sure about the live music.

I do love St. John and would recommend Gallows Point if you want to be able to easily walk home from the bars. Otherwise you will be driving or taking the taxi. Rent a small villa otherwise. It's a great island and you can find some decent music and a lively scene.

If you want a 'more happening' island, albeit this is subjective, try St. Martin. I stayed at Pasangrahhan and really enjoyed the hotel. Carribean feel. Plus you are right in the middle of town without the feel of being in the middle of town. You can head to the french side for some of the beaches as well. Plenty of casinos for you as well.
http://www.pasanhotel.com/

I would recommend the French side of St Martin. There are many beach bars on Orient Beach. Most of the hotels on Orient beach have signing privileges at the 5 major beach bars which is very convenient. The beach bars are very fun to hang out at. On Sunday there is dancing at the Kontiki. The water on Orient beach is very good for swimming. It is a French beach so if toplessness bothers you, then this is not the beach for you. You can drive to the Dutch side if you want to go to a casino one night. Grand Case is only a short drive away from Orient beach and you'll have your choice of many gourmet restaurants there. You could pick a hotel on Orient Beach or one in Grand Case. I always go to expedia to get an overall list of hotels in the area I'm looking into. I view their resort pictures and then I do a search for the hotels official site to get more info. I hope you find a fun place to go to!

I agrree---the French side is best.

As someone posted, Orient beach has a lot of toplessness and nudity, so don't be shocked. Humm, I wonder if that's why my husband likes Orient Beach, for the view, maybe???? LOL